18 concepts the spec wants you to use precisely, drawn from the Panther database. Read them, then test yourself.
In test mode, tap a concept to reveal its definition.
The concepts
Additional Member System (AMS)(tap to reveal)- A voting system that combines local constituency seats (like FPTP) with a proportional top-up of seats from party lists.
Closed list system(tap to reveal)- A voting system where you vote for a party, not a person, and the party decides which of its candidates gets elected in what order.
Coalition government(tap to reveal)- A government formed by two or more parties working together, usually because no single party won enough seats on its own.
Constituency(tap to reveal)- The geographic area an MP represents. Each of the UK's 650 areas elects one MP.
D'Hondt method(tap to reveal)- A mathematical formula used in PR systems to divide up seats between parties fairly according to how many votes each one received.
Donkey voting(tap to reveal)- Voting by simply numbering candidates from top to bottom on the ballot paper without thinking about them, giving an unfair advantage to whoever is listed first.
Droop quota(tap to reveal)- The minimum number of first-preference votes a candidate needs to be elected in the STV system.
First-past-the-post (FPTP)(tap to reveal)- The UK's main voting system: whoever gets the most votes in a constituency wins, even without a majority.
List system(tap to reveal)- An electoral system where you vote for a party and seats are divided up proportionally from party lists.
Marginal seat(tap to reveal)- A constituency where the winning party holds a small majority, so another party could easily win it at the next election.
Minority government(tap to reveal)- A government that holds office without a majority of seats in Parliament, so it must negotiate harder to pass laws.
Non-proportional system(tap to reveal)- An electoral system where seats are not shared out in proportion to votes - FPTP is the main example.
Overhang seat(tap to reveal)- An extra seat that occurs in AMS when a party wins more constituency seats than its proportional share of the vote would entitle it to.
Party list(tap to reveal)- The ranked list of candidates a party offers voters in a proportional election - voters pick the party.
Plurality system(tap to reveal)- An electoral system where the person with the most votes wins - even without a majority. FPTP is a plurality system.
Proportional representation(tap to reveal)- An electoral system where parties get seats roughly in proportion to votes. The UK does not use PR for general elections.
Safe seat(tap to reveal)- A constituency where one party has such a large majority that it is very unlikely to change hands at an election.
Single Transferable Vote (STV)(tap to reveal)- A voting system where voters rank candidates in order of preference; votes are transferred until enough candidates reach a set quota.