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Where and why have proportional electoral systems been used since 1997? - Edexcel - A-Level Politics - Question 3 - 2017 - Paper 1
Question 3
Where and why have proportional electoral systems been used since 1997?
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Where and why have proportional electoral systems been used since 1997? - Edexcel - A-Level Politics - Question 3 - 2017 - Paper 1
Step 1
Where have proportional electoral systems been used since 1997?
Answer
Proportional electoral systems have been used in various elections since 1997. Some notable examples include:
- Elections to the European Parliament
- Elections to the Scottish Parliament
- Elections to the Welsh Assembly
- Elections for the Northern Ireland Assembly
- Elections for Police Commissioners
Step 2
Why have proportional electoral systems been used since 1997?
Answer
Proportional electoral systems have been adopted for several reasons:
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Encouraging Participation: There has been an attempt to encourage greater voter turnout by making elections more representative.
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Framework for New Bodies: A key element in discussions regarding the frameworks for newly established bodies, ensuring inclusivity and broad representation.
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Power Sharing in Northern Ireland: Particularly in Northern Ireland, the use of Single Transferable Vote (STV) was crucial for ensuring a functioning power-sharing executive, addressing historical tensions.
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Fair Representation: The aim has been to build an electoral system that accurately reflects the will of the public, allowing for a fair and representative outcome.
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Evaluation Against FPTP: An attempt to evaluate electoral systems in comparison to the First Past the Post (FPTP) system, striving for more equitable election results.
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Aligning with EU Standards: For elections linked with European institutions, the intention was to align the UK with EU practices regarding proportional representation.