FPTP
Government & Politics abbreviation · Political
| Stands for | First-past-the-post |
|---|---|
| Categories | Government & Politics |
FPTP stands for First-past-the-post, a political abbreviation.
Electoral system in which the candidate with the most votes in a district wins, even without a majority. It is used for elections to the US House, the UK House of Commons, the Canadian House of Commons and India's Lok Sabha.
Example: Under FPTP, the party won 63 percent of the seats with 34 percent of the vote.
Usage notes
The name comes from horse racing, although in elections there is no fixed winning post. Duverger's law, named for French political scientist Maurice Duverger, holds that plurality systems tend to produce two dominant parties. Critics point to "wasted votes" and spoiler effects; supporters cite simplicity and a clear link between representatives and districts.
Related abbreviations
More political abbreviations
- DSCC – Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
- EC – Electoral College
- EO – Executive order
- EV – Electoral vote
- FDR – Franklin Delano Roosevelt
- FLOTUS – First Lady of the United States
- FY – Fiscal year
- GND – Green New Deal
- GOP – Grand Old Party (Republican Party)
- GOTV – Get out the vote
- Gov. – Governor
- H.Con.Res. – House Concurrent Resolution