SQA National 5 Modern Studies Democracy in Scotland Practice Exam

The Additional Member System (AMS) is designed to provide a proportionate representation of votes in a parliamentary system. One of its key advantages is that it aims to match the percentage of votes that parties receive with the percentage of seats they gain in parliament. This helps to ensure that the distribution of seats more accurately reflects the preferences of voters, thereby enhancing the democratic legitimacy of the elected body.

By combining both constituency representatives and additional members elected from party lists, the AMS allows smaller parties to gain representation that they might not achieve under a purely first-past-the-post system. This proportional aspect helps to create a more balanced parliament that reflects a wider range of political views and can lead to more equitable governance.