Structural theory in electoral systems

Terms of office

  • Both have limited terms for elected office - e.g. 6 years for senator and max 5 years for MPs
    • US: term lengths for Congress and President are constitutional, requiring Constitutional Amendments to change
    • UK: maximum length of an MP’s term only limited by Acts of Parliament
  • No overall term limit on UK PM
    • Two full terms max for US president (21nd Amendment)
    • No US president served more than 8 years since 1945
    • Blair and Thatcher both served 10+ continuous years in office

Elections and elected posts

  • A lot more elections and elected posts in the US than in the UK
  • Both countries have national legislatures and local councils
    • US has lots more elected offices and ballot initiatives
    • e.g. Primary system in the US
  • Primaries/caucuses universal in the US, and mayors, school board officials, agricultural commissioners, sherrifs, even state-level judges all elected
    • UK: only some cities like London and Manchester have directly elected mayors, and police/crime commissioners
  • US has regular state elections for governors and state legislature
    • UK: devolution in Scotland (Scottish Parliament), Wales (Senedd), NI (NI Assembly)

Electoral systems

  • Mostly use FPTP
  • More variation in the UK than the US
    • US: only Maine and Alaska use STV for congressional and presidential elections
    • UK: all regional assemblies use STV or AMS, almost always resulting in coalition in minority governments