“Despite its flaws the ‘First past the post’ electoral systems for general elections suits Great Britain”
“Despite its flaws the ‘First past the post’ electoral systems for general elections suits Great Britain”
Discuss, 25Marks.
First past the post is the electoral system in place in the UK. It works to the advantage of some parties, however it also hinders others greatly. It usually a quick process going from voting one day and the elected party being announced shortly after. This however was not the case in the 2010 election. However it is a system guilty of many wasted votes. It is a very evenly balanced system of pros and cons.
Evidence for the statement is that usually a strong effective government chosen by the voters is produced. This helps Britain move forward and progress with new laws and policies. In 1997 one of the strongest governments was formed. Tony Blair leading the Labour party was elected to power with a huge 63% of the seats. This helped Blair do things like taking troops to war five times, more than any other PM in history. Without the hugely strong government it is less likely he could have done this.
Furthermore another example of the way first past the post suits Britain is the rough justice it presents. Rough justice is when an unpopular or weak government is over ridden and taken out of government. Such as in the 1990’s, the conservatives had been in power since 1979 and became more and more unpopular until 1997 when finally labour won power with a huge margin. This helps the voters choose what they want and how they want the country to be run.
Another reason why the first past the post system suits Britain is that it is a simple and easily understood system. Compared to systems like the alternative vote and additional member system it is far less complex. This encourages turnout as it is simply ticking a box. This encourages those who find politics and the systems surrounding it confusing to vote. Not only is it important to receive everybody’s vote but everyone is confident and sure they have voted correctly.
Finally more
Discuss, 25Marks.
First past the post is the electoral system in place in the UK. It works to the advantage of some parties, however it also hinders others greatly. It usually a quick process going from voting one day and the elected party being announced shortly after. This however was not the case in the 2010 election. However it is a system guilty of many wasted votes. It is a very evenly balanced system of pros and cons.
Evidence for the statement is that usually a strong effective government chosen by the voters is produced. This helps Britain move forward and progress with new laws and policies. In 1997 one of the strongest governments was formed. Tony Blair leading the Labour party was elected to power with a huge 63% of the seats. This helped Blair do things like taking troops to war five times, more than any other PM in history. Without the hugely strong government it is less likely he could have done this.
Furthermore another example of the way first past the post suits Britain is the rough justice it presents. Rough justice is when an unpopular or weak government is over ridden and taken out of government. Such as in the 1990’s, the conservatives had been in power since 1979 and became more and more unpopular until 1997 when finally labour won power with a huge margin. This helps the voters choose what they want and how they want the country to be run.
Another reason why the first past the post system suits Britain is that it is a simple and easily understood system. Compared to systems like the alternative vote and additional member system it is far less complex. This encourages turnout as it is simply ticking a box. This encourages those who find politics and the systems surrounding it confusing to vote. Not only is it important to receive everybody’s vote but everyone is confident and sure they have voted correctly.
Finally more