1.1 Current systems of representative and direct democracy

Question 1

What is direct democracy?

Answer 1

A democracy in which individuals express their opinions themselves. This system originated in ancient Athens, where adult male citizens had the right to take part in decision-making at public meetings.

Question 2

What is representative democracy?

Answer 2

A democracy in which people elect representatives who take decision on their behalf. This is the usual form of democracy in the modern world. Representatives do not act as delegates, merely taking instructions from the voters. They are expected to exercise their judgement.

Question 3

What are the main features of a direct democracy?

Answer 3

• Individuals expressing opinions themselves
• Citizens are more active in decision-making
• Not elective

Question 4

What are the main features of a representative democracy? (4)

Answer 4

• Citizens elect representatives to make decision on their behalf
• All adult citizens have the right to vote for representatives
• Citizens pass their authority to their representatives
• Elections for representatives are free and fair

Question 5

What are the advantages of direct democracy?

Answer 5

• Equal weight to all votes
• Encourages popular participation in politics by expecting people to take their duties as citizens seriously
• Removes the need for trusted representatives, as people can take responsibility for their own decisions
• Develops a sense of community and encourages genuine debate

Question 6

What are the disadvantages of direct democracy?

Answer 6

• Impractical in a large heavily populated modern state where decision making is complicated
• Many people will not want to - or feel qualified to - participate
• Open to manipulation by the cleverest and most articulate speakers, who will persuade people to support their viewpoint
• Will of the majority is not mediated by parliamentary institutions, so minority viewpoints are disregarded

Question 7

What are the advantages of a representative democracy? (5)

Answer 7

• The only practical system in a large modern state, where issues are complex and often need rapid response
• Politicians form parties, bringing coherence and giving people a real choice of representative
• Reduces chances of minority rights being overridden by ‘tyranny of the majority’
• Elections allow people to hold representatives to account
• Politicians are better informed than the average citizen about the many issues on which they must take a view

Question 8

What are the disadvantages of a representative democracy?

Answer 8

• May lead to reduced participation as people choose to hand responsibility to politicians
• Parties and pressure groups are often run by elites pursuing their own agendas, not truly representing the people
• Minorities may still find themselves under-represented as politicians are more likely to follow the views of the majority to secure election
• Politicians are skilful in avoiding accountability, especially as general elections are usually 5 years apart in the UK
• Politicians may be corrupt and incompetent - may betray election promises

Question 9

What is a pluralist democracy?

Answer 9

A type of democracy in which a government makes decisions as a result of the interplay of various ideas and contrasting arguments from competing groups and organisations.

Question 10

What are instances where direct democracy can be used within a representative system?

Answer 10

• National referendums
• The 2015 Recall of MPs Act: allows a petition to be triggered if an MP is sentenced to be imprisoned or is suspended from the House of Commons for more than 21 days
• If 10% of eligible voters in the constituency sign the petition, a by-election is called. Direct democracy is thus used to hold representatives to account

Question 11

What are some positive democratic features of the UK? (5)

Answer 11

• Devolved governments
• Independent judiciary
• Free media that challenges government policy and exposes the misdeeds of politicians
• Free and fair elections, largely free of corruption and intimidation, in recent years supplemented by opportunities to vote in referendums
• Wide range of political parties and pressure groups

Question 12

Why do some commentators believe that the UK is suffering from a ‘democratic deficit’, and undemocratic in important respects?

Answer 12

1 - Under-representation of minority viewpoints due to the First Past The Post voting system
2 - House of Lords lacks democratic legitimacy
3 - Lack of protection for citizens’ rights: The ECHR incorporated into the UK in 1998 arguably provides inadequate guarantees for the rights of citizens in their relationship with the state
4 - Control of sections of the media by wealthy, unaccountable business interests: eg, the powerful Murdoch group

Question 13

Why is a widely held belief that the UK’s democratic system suffers from a ‘participation crisis’?

Answer 13

Due to a lack of engagement with the political system among a significant section of the population.

Question 14

What could the main measures of a participation crisis be?

Answer 14

• Voter turnout

- Party membership

Question 15

Why is falling voter turnout important?

Answer 15

Because it means that governments are elected on a reduced share of the popular vote, thus calling the strength of their mandate into question.

Question 16

What was the average turnout at general elections from 1945 to 1997?

Answer 16

76%

Question 17

What was the voter turnout in 2001, the lowest since the end of the First World War in 1918?

Answer 17

59.4%

Question 18

Why may voter turnout be lower in so-called ‘second order’ elections such as those for the devolved bodies in Scotland, Wales and NI, and in local council elections?

Answer 18

This may be because voters see these less powerful bodies as unlikely to make a major difference to their lives

Question 19

What was the average turnout in the May 2016 local elections?

Answer 19

33.8%

Question 20

Why is turnout often low in parliamentary by-elections?

Answer 20

People are not helping to choose a government.

Question 21

As of April 2021, how many members did the Conservative party have?

Answer 21

200,000.

Question 22

As of November 2020, how many members did the Labour Party have?

Answer 22

450,000.

Question 23

What are some less formal ways in which people can get involved in politics?

Answer 23

• Pressure groups

- E-petitions

Question 24

What is ‘hapthy’, a blend between happiness and apathy?

Answer 24

People are generally contented and see no need to push for political change - this may possibly help to account for the unusually low levels of voter turnout in 2001 and 2005.

Question 25

What can be done to reform the system to prevent a participation crisis?

Answer 25

• Changing the day for elections from Thursday to the weekend
• Allowing people to vote anywhere in their constituency, rather than insisting on attendance at a particular polling station
• Allowing voting to take place over several days
• Reducing the voting age from 18 to 16
• E-voting - but could lead to electoral fraud
• Making voting compulsory

Question 26

What are the arguments that voting should be made compulsory?

Answer 26

• Voting is a social duty as well as a right; people should be engaged in the processes that affect their lives
• It would produce a parliament that is more representative of the population as a whole
• Politicians would have to run better quality campaigns, and governments would have to frame their policies with the whole electorate in mind
• It would still be legal to spoil a ballot paper

Question 27

What are the arguments that voting should remain voluntary?

Answer 27

• In a preferential voting system, where voters number candidates in order, compulsory voting might lead to participants simply placing candidates in rank order (1, 2, 3 or 3, 2, 1)
• It is undemocratic to force people to take part in something that should be a matter of choice
• It would not stop politicians focusing their campaigning on marginal seats, and neglecting safe sears where the outcome is predictable
• Compulsory voting does not address the deeper reasons why people decide not to vote

Question 28

What are some broader reforms the UK could consider to tackle the supposed ‘participation crisis’?

Answer 28

• Changing the electoral system for Westminster to one based on proportional representation, so that it more accurately reflects voters’ preferences
• Further reform of parliament, to make its processes more democratic and transparent, and enabling it to bring governments more effectively to account for their actions
• The transfer of more government powers and functions to local bodies

Question 29

Explain the argument that there is under-representation of minority viewpoints due to FPTP.

Answer 29

• Produces a mismatch between the votes cast for UK parties and the seats that each party wins in parliament

Question 30

Explain the argument that the House of Lords lack democratic legitimacy.

Answer 30

• Unelected
• Periodic attempts at reform have failed leaving the UK with a mainly appointed second chamber
• The greater part of its membership have been appointed by successive prime ministers, with smaller numbers chosen by other party leaders, and non-party ‘cross-bench’ peers nominated since 2000 by an independent House of Lords Appointments Commission

Question 31

Explain the argument that there is a lack of production for citizens’ rights in the UK.

Answer 31

• The ECHR, incorporated into UK law in 1998, arguably provides inadequate guarantees for the rights of citizens in their relationship with the state
• Governments can ‘derogate from’ articles of the Human Rights Act of 1998, officially stating that parts of the act no longer have legal authority in certain situations

Question 32

Explain the argument that control of sections of the media is by wealthy, unaccountable business interests?

Answer 32

• For example, the powerful Murdoch group has owned a number of British newspapers simultaneously, including The Times, The Sunday Times and The Sun