Politics - Electoral systems

Define the following terms: Proportional system, single-party government, coalitions, mandate, gerrymandering

Proportional system - An electoral system in which seat and vote numbers roughly match

Single-party government - A government formed by one party

Coalition - A government formed by two or more parties

Mandate - A party or government’s authority to carry out change as enacted in its manifesto

Gerrymandering - Manipulation of electoral boundaries to favour a political party, class or other group

What are the four main types of UK elections?

General - Elects all MPs (currently 650) to the House of Commons. To hold a snap election, the Prime Minister needs two thirds of MPs to vote for it

Devolved assemblies - Welsh Senedd, Scottish Parliament, Northern Irish Assembly elected every 5 years

Local elections - Councillors serve 4 years maximum and can be re-elected (or voted out) earlier

By-elections - When a seat becomes vacant due to recall, death or resignation of the incumbent, a successor is picked through a by-election

What are the different reasons we vote in elections?

Choosing representatives and government

Holding accountable: Current representatives judged and have to engage well with constituents otherwise they can be voted out

Legitimising political power: Winning an election provides legitimacy

Limiting power of government: Government will act more in line with people to be re-elected

Developing political policy: Manifestos in advance influence voting by party

What are the different voting systems by election in the UK?

Westminster: First Past the Post (FPTP)

London Assembly: Alternative Member System (AMS)

London Mayor: FPTP

Welsh Assembly: AMS

Northern Ireland: Single Transferable Vote (STV)

Scottish Parliament: AMS

Police and Crime Commissioner: Supplementary Vote (SV)

Local elections: FPTP