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Year 11

How do elections work in different countries?

I can explain different types of elections that exist across the world.

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Year 11

How do elections work in different countries?

I can explain different types of elections that exist across the world.

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Share activities with pupils
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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. There are two main voting systems: First Past The Post and Proportional Representation, although other variations exist.
  2. Different countries use different election systems.
  3. Some countries use mixed systems, combining various election types.
  4. The US electoral college is used for presidential elections in the USA.

Keywords

  • First Past The Post (FPTP) - the voting system used in the UK to elect members of some local councils and Members of Parliament, whereby the candidate with the most votes in a constituency wins

  • Proportional Representation - an electoral system where political parties get a number of seats in Parliament that matches the percentage of votes they receive in an election

  • Election - the voting process to elect a person for a public position

Common misconception

Elections are the same across the world.

Elections run differently and follow different systems in indvidual countries.


To help you plan your year 11 citizenship lesson on: How do elections work in different countries?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Countries evolve and change over time. Always check up to date information before delivering case studies of specific countries and their electoral systems.
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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match each country to their type of political system.
Correct Answer:USA,democracy
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democracy

Correct Answer:Saudi Arabia,monarchy
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monarchy

Correct Answer:North Korea,dictatorship
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dictatorship

Q2.
Which of these roles does the UK Prime Minister fulfil?
serving as the UK’s Head of State
controlling the judiciary and court rulings
selecting the next monarch
Correct answer: leading the Government and making key policy decisions
Q3.
The Prime Minister select members of their , who are then referred to as Ministers.
Correct Answer: Cabinet
Q4.
Which of these statements about the UK Prime Minister is accurate?
The Prime Minister works in the House of Lords.
Correct answer: The Prime Minister can be removed by Parliament.
The Prime Minister has a fixed term in office.
The Prime Minister serves as Speaker of the House of Commons.
Q5.
Match each branch to the relevant real-world institutions in the UK and US.
Correct Answer:legislative branch,UK Parliament / US Congress
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UK Parliament / US Congress

Correct Answer:executive branch,UK Prime Minister / US President
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UK Prime Minister / US President

Correct Answer:judicial branch,UK Supreme Court / US Supreme Court
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UK Supreme Court / US Supreme Court

Q6.
Which of these statements in true?
Correct answer: The UK Prime Minister is not elected by the public; the US President is.
The US President is not the Head of State; the UK Prime Minister is.
The UK Prime Minister can veto ideas for new laws; the US President cannot.
The US President is cannot select judges; the UK Prime Minister can.

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
In the UK, Members of Parliament (MPs) are elected using the system.
Correct Answer: First-Past-The-Post, FPTP, First Past the Post (FPTP), First Past the Post
Q2.
Match the voting system with its description.
Correct Answer:mixed-member system,selects district candidates and party seats
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selects district candidates and party seats

Correct Answer:First-Past-The-Post,the candidate with the most votes wins; no majority is required
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the candidate with the most votes wins; no majority is required

Correct Answer:Proportional Representation,seats given determined by the percentage of votes each party receives
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seats given determined by the percentage of votes each party receives

Q3.
What is one benefit of a mixed member electoral system?
It makes elections quicker and simpler.
It only allows major parties to win seats.
Correct answer: It ensures that every vote counts.
It always produces a single-party government.
Q4.
Which of these countries uses the Proportional Representation system?
Jamaica
India
Germany
Correct answer: Greece
Q5.
How are the number of Electoral College electors for each US state determined?
each state gets an equal number of electors
Correct answer: based on the state’s population size and congressional representation
as a percentage of the state's economy
according to voter turnout in previous elections
Q6.
Which of these statements about the election of a US President is accurate?
Correct answer: A candidate may win without receiving 50% of the public's votes.
A candidate must win the vote in a majority of states to be declared the winner.
Electoral College electors are forced to agree with the results of their state.
Candidates may only run for the Democratic Party or the Republican Party.