Assessing the Scottish Parliament electoral system: needing “open heart” or simply “minor surgery”?

Abstract This paper focuses on the Alternative Member System (AMS), sometimes referred to as a Mixed-Member PR (MMPR) electoral system, in which seventy-three members of the devolved Scottish Parliament (MSPs) are elected from single-member, simple plurality, Westminster-style constituencies and fifty-six from eight New Zealand or Germany-style regions. These arrangements are evaluated against general criteria for assessing electoral systems and the representativeness and accountability of regional-list MSPs in particular called into question. Ultimately, a case is made for a shift from the present closed and anonymized party list system for electing regional MSPs to a more personalized semi-open list system in which, in addition to the choice of casting an en bloc list ballot, there would be a single candidate preference option. This would be to implement the recommendation (4.66) of the 2006 Arbuthnott Commission without the need for major electoral surgery.