Lesson 3.1.2.2.1

3.1.2.2.1 Elections: electoral systems in the UK Quiz: AQA Politics, Unit 1

20 questions

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Lesson 3.1.2.2.1, Elections: electoral systems in the UK: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA Politics (7152), Unit 1: Government and politics of the UK, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. Which electoral system is used for elections to the House of Commons?

    • Single transferable vote, in multi-member constituencies
    • First past the post, in single-member constituencies
    • Party list system, with seats allocated by national vote share
    • Additional member system, with constituency and list seats

  2. Under first past the post, what is required for a candidate to win a Commons seat?

    • An absolute majority of over 50 per cent of all votes cast in the constituency
    • More votes than any other candidate, without needing an overall majority
    • Approval from the national party leadership before the result is declared
    • A quota of votes calculated by dividing the valid votes by the number of seats

  3. What is the alternative vote system?

    • Voters choose a single party and the largest party in the constituency wins outright
    • Voters vote for a party list, and seats are allocated in proportion to national vote share
    • Voters rank candidates in order of preference
    • Voters cast one vote for a candidate, and the candidate with the fewest votes wins

  4. Which electoral system is used for elections to the Scottish Parliament?

    • The additional member system, combining constituency seats
    • The alternative vote system, in which voters rank candidates in order
    • The single transferable vote system in multi-member constituencies
    • First past the post, with each constituency returning a single member

  5. What is the main feature of the single transferable vote system?

    • A national list in which seats are shared between parties in proportion to votes
    • Single-member constituencies in which the candidate with a plurality wins
    • Multi-member constituencies in which voters rank candidates
    • A two-round system in which a second ballot is held if no candidate reaches 50 per cent

  6. Which system is generally described as producing the most proportional results among those used in the UK?

    • First past the post, which produces seats that closely match each party's national vote
    • Party list or single transferable vote systems, which allocate seats more closely to votes
    • The additional member system, which abolishes all constituency seats in favour of national lists
    • The alternative vote, which gives every party a fixed number of seats regardless of votes

  7. What is the main argument in favour of first past the post?

    • It requires a majority of voters in every constituency before a candidate is elected
    • It usually produces a clear winner and a single-party government, which supports accountability
    • It ensures that the largest party always wins the same proportion of seats as votes
    • It gives minor parties seats in proportion to every vote they receive across the UK

  8. What is a common criticism of first past the post?

    • It produces a coalition government in almost every election since the Second World War
    • It can produce large discrepancies between votes won and seats gained, disadvantaging smaller parties
    • It allows voters to choose more than one candidate, which confuses the counting process
    • It requires a referendum for every constituency result, which causes delays in counting

  9. What is the main effect of the additional member system?

    • It replaces all constituency members with a single national list of candidates
    • It allows voters to rank candidates, with the lowest-ranked candidate eliminated first
    • It removes the need for any constituency seats in the legislature of the devolved bodies
    • It combines constituency members with list members, producing a more proportional outcome than first past the post

  10. Which argument best evaluates the advantages and disadvantages of the electoral systems used in the UK?

    • FPTP is the only system that allows voters to choose a party rather than a candidate
    • Proportional systems always produce single-party majorities, which is the main drawback
    • All UK electoral systems produce identical results, so the choice between them has no effect
    • Systems such as FPTP give clear government but can distort proportionality, while proportional systems can produce coalitions

  11. In an election under first past the post, a party wins 40 per cent of the vote but 60 per cent of seats. What does this best illustrate?

    • A proportional outcome, because each party receives the same share of seats and votes
    • A disproportionate outcome, in which the seat share exceeds the vote share
    • A coalition outcome, because no party can win a majority of seats with 40 per cent of votes
    • A referendum outcome, because seats are allocated by a national vote on policy

  12. A constituency has 30,000 votes and 3 seats filled by STV. What is the quota using the Droop formula?

    • 15,001 votes
    • 10,000 votes
    • 7,501 votes
    • 3,750 votes

  13. Under the alternative vote, a candidate wins with 42 per cent of first preferences in round one. What happens next?

    • The election is re-run in the same constituency with the same candidates
    • Lower-placed candidates are eliminated
    • The candidate is automatically elected because they finished first in the first round
    • The candidate with the fewest first preferences is declared the winner by default

  14. In a 3-seat STV constituency with 12,000 valid votes, a candidate receives 4,001 first preferences. Is the candidate elected on the first count?

    • No, because STV elections cannot elect any candidate on first preferences alone
    • Yes, because the Droop quota is 3,001 votes and 4,001 first preferences exceed it
    • No, because the quota is 4,001 votes and the candidate has only the exact number needed
    • Yes, because the candidate has the most votes of any candidate in the count

  15. Which evaluation best supports the view that AMS is more proportional than FPTP?

    • AMS produces the same outcome as FPTP in all elections, because list seats are never used
    • AMS gives every voter the same number of votes as every other voter in the same constituency
    • List seats are allocated only to the party that wins the most constituency seats in each region
    • List seats compensate parties whose constituency vote is low, so the overall result is closer to the share of votes

  16. A critic argues that STV is more complex for voters than FPTP. Which response best assesses this claim?

    • It is true that ranking requires more decisions, but it can allow voters to express a range of preferences and reduce wasted votes
    • It is false, because STV is the same as FPTP with a different name for the ballot paper
    • It is true, but STV has been abolished in every part of the UK because of this complexity
    • It is false, because STV requires voters to mark only one cross for a single candidate

  17. What is the main reason why electoral systems matter for the party system?

    • They set the level of spending permitted by candidates in each constituency
    • They decide which judges are appointed to the Supreme Court by ballot
    • They influence whether a country has a two-party or multi-party system
    • They determine the monarch's role in calling general elections for the Commons

  18. Which factor is most likely to encourage a multi-party system in the UK?

    • A proportional electoral system that gives smaller parties seats
    • A first past the post system in single-member constituencies across the whole UK
    • A system in which the monarch appoints MPs for each constituency every five years
    • A system in which candidates must win a majority in every constituency to be elected

  19. Which system is used in Westminster general elections, where the candidate with the most votes in a constituency wins?

    • Alternative vote
    • First past the post
    • Party list
    • Single transferable vote

  20. Which electoral system is used for elections to the Welsh Senedd?

    • First past the post
    • The Droop quota system with single transferable votes
    • The additional member system
    • The alternative vote

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