P3 - Elections Compared

Question 1

what are the similarities between the UK and the US electoral systems

Answer 1

• both countries operate nationally on a two-party system
• FPTP means that the winner may not have an outright majority of the popular vote
• both executives are effectively in place through indirect elections
• the chances of the re-election of the incumbent are high in both countries
• the two-party system is sustained by policy co-optation

Question 2

what are the differences between the UK and the US electoral systems

Answer 2

• the UK has a direct election for their MPs only, whilst in the USA the voters vote for both Congress and the President
• the elections at local and devolved levels in the UK involve more than two parties. In 2017, for example, the SNP did well in Holyrood, and also gained 35 seats at Westminster. The success of third parties in the USA is limited at all levels
• the role of campaign finance is far greater in the US
• there are a far greater number of electoral systems in use in the UK

Question 3

what did the Conservatives spend in 2017

Answer 3

£18.6 million

Question 4

what did the Labour party spend in 2017

Answer 4

£11.0 million

Question 5

what did the Democrats spend in 2016

Answer 5

$969 million

Question 6

what did the Republicans spend in 2016

Answer 6

$564 million

Question 7

what are the arguments for state funding

Answer 7

• would encourage pluralism over elitism
• would be fairer to third parties
• could reduce public apathy

Question 8

what are the arguments against state funding

Answer 8

• it would make parties less reliant on, and therefore less responsive to, voters
• could challenge party independence

Question 9

what scandals have surrounded the Conservative party electoral funding

Answer 9

in the most recent election, the UK conservatives faced a police investigation for their 2015 election spending and the USA for their overgrowing cot of elections