Winning just a few seats would mean Reform would qualify for ‘short money’ – public funding for its operations – and would no longer have to rely on its own small donations pool.
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Articles on First past the post
Displaying 1 - 20 of 21 articles
Even marginal seats are really only contests between two parties. No wonder voters don’t feel enthusiastic.
First past the post tends to deliver the winning party more seats in parliament than they’d get under a truly proportional voting system – but this year is off the charts.
The coalition is increasingly using parliamentary urgency, cutting the public service and fast-tracking legislation – all of which risks upsetting the equilibrium between government and the governed.
The first-past-the-post electoral system has helped the Conservatives stay in power for much of the past century. Now it could lock them out.
Women’s representation in Zimbabwe’s parliament has declined in spite of a quota imposed in 2013.
The March elections in the Netherlands, and the fact that a government still hasn’t been formed, illustrate both the benefits and problems with proportional representation.
During the MMP era, the average vote share of the highest-polling party has been steadily climbing — with big implications for New Zealand democracy.
The success of Malawi’s democratic dispensation will be measured on the extent to which it delivers public goods – opportunities, development, accountability – for the people.
Moeketsi Majoro’s installation as Prime Minister is welcome. But it does not guarantee much needed political stability in an era of complex coalition politics.
Unlike Canada’s newly elected House of Commons, New Zealand’s parliament reflects the will of voters. So do other proportional representation systems. Canada has plenty of choice.
Serious challenges lie ahead for Botswana’s governing party as it celebrates retaining power.
What would the Canadian election results have looked like with electoral reform?
The current crisis in British politics is significant for countries like South Africa where a change in electoral systems is needed.
If you think first past the post or the alternative vote can sort this out, dream on.
For the third time in a row, first past the post has delivered confusion rather than stability.
Politics in Lesotho can look incredibly complicated, with a mish-mash of competing political parties and repeated military interventions. It’s a mess, but it’s not that hard to unravel.
The proposed change to Malawi’s electoral system is straightforward and makes logical sense. Yet it’s more complex and if adopted would revolutionise local politics.
If Labour can turn its fiasco of a leadership election into a voter registration drive, it can push back against a rigged system.
Labour, UKIP and the Greens all gained much bigger swings than the Conservatives, but were election losers. The first-past-the-post system let the Tories pick up a swag of seats with a 0.8% swing.
Top contributors
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Professor of Sociology, University of the Witwatersrand
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Senior Lecturer, Department of Languages and Linguistics, La Trobe University
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Professor of Politics, Massey University
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Associate Tutor in Politics and Social Sciences, Edge Hill University
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Lecturer in Media and Communications, University of Malawi
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Extraordinary Lecturer, University of Pretoria
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Senior Lecturer, Philosophy, University of Glasgow
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Professor, Sociology, St. Thomas University (Canada)
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Jean Monnet Chair and Professor of Political Science, Socio-Legal Studies, and Public & International Affairs, York University, Canada
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Professor of Global Affairs, University of East London
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Senior Lecturer in Politics, University of Strathclyde
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Postdoctoral Researcher, The Nordic Africa Institute
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Senior Gender Researcher, Nordic Africa Institute, Uppsala, Sweden, The Nordic Africa Institute
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PhD Candidate, York St John University
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Senior Lecturer in Politics, York St John University
