What is winner-take-all (first-past-the-post) system?

What is winner-take-all (first-past-the-post) system?

• A. The party with the most nationwide votes wins all seats.
• B. Seats are allocated to parties that surpass a national threshold.
• C. Each district elects one representative; the candidate with the most votes wins—no proportional allocation.
• D. Gerrymandering determines seat allocation.

Answer: (C)

In a winner-take-all, first-past-the-post system, each electoral district elects a single representative. The candidate who receives more votes than any other candidate in that district wins the seat, even if they don’t have an absolute majority. Because seats are decided district by district, there is no mechanism that allocates seats proportionally based on the overall vote shares across the country. This is the description captured here. The other descriptions don’t fit: a nationwide vote deciding all seats implies a national winner-takes-all outcome; a national threshold points to proportional representation; and gerrymandering refers to manipulating district boundaries, not how seats are allocated.

In a winner-take-all, first-past-the-post system, each electoral district elects a single representative. The candidate who receives more votes than any other candidate in that district wins the seat, even if they don’t have an absolute majority. Because seats are decided district by district, there is no mechanism that allocates seats proportionally based on the overall vote shares across the country. This is the description captured here. The other descriptions don’t fit: a nationwide vote deciding all seats implies a national winner-takes-all outcome; a national threshold points to proportional representation; and gerrymandering refers to manipulating district boundaries, not how seats are allocated.