How well do different voting systems represent the people who vote?
The voting systems used in Scotland and the UK, including First Past the Post and the Additional Member System, their advantages and disadvantages, and how they affect representation and government formation.
An SQA Higher Modern Studies answer on representation and voting systems, comparing First Past the Post used at Westminster with the Additional Member System used for the Scottish Parliament, their advantages and disadvantages, and how each shapes proportionality, government formation and voter choice.
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What this dot point is asking
The SQA wants you to describe the voting systems used in Scotland and the UK, explain their advantages and disadvantages, and analyse how each system affects representation, voter choice and the type of government that results. Voting systems are one of the most heavily examined topics in this section and a common -mark essay.
The answer
First Past the Post
The Additional Member System
Of the MSPs, are constituency MSPs and are regional (list) MSPs, with seven list MSPs in each of eight regions.
How the systems shape government and representation
FPTP tends to manufacture majorities, giving strong but sometimes unrepresentative government. AMS spreads representation more fairly but makes single-party majorities rarer: the SNP has governed as a minority and, from , worked with the Greens under the Bute House Agreement (ended ). The choice of system is a trade-off between strong, accountable government and fair, proportional representation.
Examples in context
The UK general election shows FPTP at work: a clear Commons majority was won on around per cent of the vote, while parties with substantial vote shares spread thinly across the country won few seats. By contrast, the Scottish Parliament election under AMS returned the SNP just short of a majority and gave the Scottish Greens eight list seats, enabling a power-sharing deal. Comparing the two elections lets a Higher answer show concretely how FPTP manufactures majorities while AMS distributes seats more proportionally and shapes coalition or minority government.
Try this
Q1. Describe two advantages of the Additional Member System. [4 marks]
- Cue. It is broadly proportional so smaller parties win seats, and voters have more choice and more than one MSP to contact.
Q2. Explain why First Past the Post is often criticised as unrepresentative. [6 marks]
- Cue. It is disproportionate, wastes votes, and lets a party govern on a minority of the vote while squeezing smaller parties.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of SQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
SQA Higher 201820 marksEvaluate the effectiveness of First Past the Post in producing a representative parliament.Show worked answer →
A -mark essay: up to marks for knowledge and understanding and up to for analysis, evaluation, structure and a sustained conclusion.
KU marks come from describing FPTP accurately (single-member constituencies, plurality winner) and giving real evidence, for example a UK government winning a Commons majority on around per cent of the vote in , or smaller parties such as the Greens and Reform winning vote shares far larger than their seat shares.
Analysis and evaluation marks come from weighing the trade-off: FPTP delivers strong single-party government and a clear constituency link, but is disproportionate, wastes votes and under-represents smaller parties. A direct judgement on effectiveness in producing a representative parliament, sustained throughout, is what lifts the mark into the top band.
SQA Higher 202112 marksAnalyse the advantages and disadvantages of the Additional Member System used for the Scottish Parliament.Show worked answer →
A -mark analysis question, roughly half KU and half analysis. Markers reward developed explanation of how AMS works and why its features help or hinder representation.
KU should cover the mixed structure ( constituency MSPs by FPTP plus regional list MSPs across eight regions, in total) and real outcomes such as Green MSPs winning list seats and the SNP governing as a minority.
Analysis marks come from explaining why broad proportionality and two-vote choice are advantages, while complexity, weaker single-party majorities and two classes of MSP are disadvantages. A judgement on whether the gains in fairness outweigh the costs is the discriminator.
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Sources & how we know this
- SQA Higher Modern Studies Course Specification — SQA (2018)