Need to change first-past-the-post (FPTP) system

  • April 3, 2022
  • Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
  • Category: DPN Topics
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Need to change first-past-the-post (FPTP) system

Subject: Polity

Section: Election

Context:

Indian elections since 1952 have under gone massive social changes. This has contributed to each caste polity reclaiming its share, giving rise to coalition governments, thus going against the maximum of FPTP

Concept –

  • The first-past-the-post (FPTP) system is also known as the simple majority system. In this voting method, the candidate with the highest number of votes in a constituency is declared the winner.
  • This system is used in India in direct elections to the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies.
  • While FPTP is relatively simple, it does not always allow for a truly representative mandate, as the candidate could win despite securing less than half the votes in a contest.

Proportional Representation (PR)

  • Proportional representation (PR) is a concept in which the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received.
  • India is not new to PR system; in our country, the following elections are held on the basis of proportional representation:
    • President
    • Vice President
    • Members of Rajya Sabha
    • Members of state legislative council

First-Past-the-Post System

Proportional Representation (PR)

  • The country is divided into small geographical units called constituencies or districts
  • Large geographical areas are demarcated as constituencies. The entire country can be constituency.
  • Every constituency elect one representative
  • More than one elected representative can be elected from one constituency.
  • Voters vote for the candidate
  • Voter votes for the party
  • A party can get more seats than the proportion of votes
  • Every party gets seat in the legislature proportion to the votes it get in the election
  • Candidate who wins the election may not get majority ( 50% ) of votes
  • Candidate who wins the election gets the majority ( 50%) of the votes
Example : UK, IndiaExample : Israel, Netherland
Need to change first-past-the-post (FPTP) system Polity simple majority system