AMS and FPTP- Eva Khatun PDF

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The Additional Member System offers more choice and better representation than FPTP. Discuss The Additional Member System and the First Past the Post voting systems both offer voters representation and choice. However AMS can offer voters more choice and much better representation than the First Past the Post. One reason First Past the Post offers better representation than the Additional Member System is because FPTP is a simple majority system. This system is easy to understand and votes can be placed and calculated in a way that does not confuse voters. This means that voters are more likely to show up to polling stations to place their vote and therefore are better represented. For example in the 2017 General Election the turnout rate was 68%. The Additional Member System, however, is much more confusing. Since AMS uses two votes, each for constituent MSPs and regional parties, it can confuse voters, lead to spoiled ballot papers and therefore result in a lack of representation for the constituents and regional population. In 2016, there were over 42,000 spoiled ballot papers in the regional vote. Therefore, First Past the Post gives voters better representation as it is simple, whereas AMS provides the voters with two votes which can confuse them and result in spoiled ballots and less representation. However, AMS still offers voters greater choice than First Past the Post. AMS offers voters 2 votes and therefore they can choose a candidate of their choice to represent their constituency and views and a party to represent them in their region. This way voters can feel better represented in their constituency and region. For example, someone can vote for a Labour candidate in their constituency vote and vote for the Green Party in their regional vote. However, under First Past the Post voters have less choice, as they only have one vote, and the small parties can struggle to gain representation. This is because under First Past the Post, the party with the highest number of votes represents an entire area and therefore those who voted for smaller and less popular parties fail to gain representation in Parliament. Currently the First Past the Post system favours the Conservative and Labour Party, and recently the SNP in Scotland, over other parties. Therefore AMS provides greater choice to voters with two ballots, whereas First Past the Post only gives a single vote and ignores the views of those who vote for smaller parties. The Additional Member System can also offer voters better representation as election results lead to a more proportional result. This means that seats in Parliament are more closely linked to the percentage of votes a party received. In the 2016 Scottish elections, SNP had a share of 46.5% of votes in Scotland and had 48.8% of seats in Scotland. This allows voters to be better represented as the seats that are taken up in Parliament are based on the share of votes that the party has and therefore this means that this party’s voters views are better represented. First Past The Post, on the other hand, can lead to a disproportion of views in Parliament and coalition governments. Coalition governments in Parliament can put forward views and policies without having to consider the views of other parties, which means people in the country who did not vote for the government are not having their views represented. For example, junior doctor contracts are having pay reductions and an increase in working hours, which was caused by the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government of 2010. Therefore, AMS can offer better representation as seats are shared based on vote shares, whereas FPTP is based on the amount of votes won in a constituency, which add up

to the seats they receive in Parliament and can lead to minority and coalition governments, leading to bad representation. Overall, the Additional Member System offers voters more choice with two ballots whereas First Past the Post only offers one vote, therefore elections held under AMS offer better representation. First Past the Post also fails to provide proportional representation as smaller parties are ignored and coalition and minority governments are formed, meaning less views are heard. 1S 15/20 - Although this is a good mark, there are plenty of ways to improve this essay. Consider restructuring your paragraphs slightly to open up more A marks e.g. Point Directly compare AMS and FPTP with descriptive knowledge e.g. two votes vs one, what they for and how they work Exemplify the comparison ‘As a result of this, voters receive better representation because …’ clearly explain Example Link Try it this way rather than AMS in the first part of your paragraph and FPTP in the second part...