Voting Systems - AMS & Coalitions

Additional Member System:

• You get two votes, one for the local MP and one for the region.
• Local MP vote works via FPTP
• LIST system for the regional vote.
• For the regional seat, parties have to draw up a list of candidates and they decide the order that they’ll be elected with electors can only vote for one party.
• % of votes = % of seats for the regional seats but if a party has won a disproportionally high number of seats they may not be in the last.
• Regional seats are allocated using the ‘Hondt formula”
• “Total number of votes/number of seats already + seats gained
• Elected in the order they appear on the party list.

Advantages:

• Combines best features of FPTP and proportional representation
• Votes are less likely to be wasted
• Voters have greater choice
• Improves representation of women
• Easy to count, not difficult to understand how the outcome is reached

Disadvantages:

• Creates two categories, one with the consistency and one without so this may create tensions within the legislative assembly.
• Parties have control over the closed list so voters cannot pick members.
• Smaller parties are under-representative because only a few members are elected.
• Proportional outcomes are less likely where the number of additional members was in the Welsh assembly.

Reasons For & Against Coalition Governments.
For	Against
Strong governments aren’t always a good thing. The Large majority can override Parliament and the other members.	Forming them can be slow and difficult. May also not be durable and the public doesn't vote for them.
Provides more stability and continuity because the country won’t just swing from left to the right.	Polices become toned down over new allocations of government positions.
Policies will be based on the support of the general public.	Major policy decisions may be stopped if it is hard to reach agreement on an issue.
Parties work together in the spirit of compromise for the good of the country.	Policies become ‘fuzzy’ as they are for the ‘catch all’ citizens.
3rd parties – Lib Dems have a moderating effect helping extreme policies not get into place.	Small parties can stop the larger party from carrying certain legislative wishes.