3.1.2.1 Democracy and Participation - participation crisis

Question 1

8 methods of traditional participation

Answer 1

1. voting
2. joining a party and helping it to campaign
3. joining a pressure group and helping to promote it
4. organising or signing a petition
5. going on a march
6. going on a strike
7. writing a letter
8. standing for public office

Question 2

4 modern developments in participation

Answer 2

1. e petitions
2. blogging
3. protesting on social media
4. organising a demonstration via social media

Question 3

3 arguments in favour of accepting the participation crisis in the UK

Answer 3

1. electoral participation
2. party membership
3. end of corporatism

Question 4

why is electoral participation important

Answer 4

• most important: voting –. transfer power to elected officials and hold them accountable
• most important are general elections to WM parl due to Psov
• GE turnout 1945-92 == >75%, 84% for 1950
• 1997: 71% tony blair, decreasing until 2015 66%
• non national elections: Scot parl 50% etc

Question 5

electoral turnout trends

Answer 5

• 57% in 1945 as all men were at war
• large political engagement in the 60s
• turnout in decline since 1992 –> tony blair landslide majority of 77%
• 1950: 84% voted
• 2001: 59% voted –> lowest ever turnout
• 2019: 67% voted

Question 6

regional turnout figures

Answer 6

NI less likely to vote
- voted the most in 2001
- tony blair helped them find peace admist the troubles

Question 7

socioeconomic background and voting

Answer 7

• higher education = more likely to vote
• deprived areas: people of lower social economic background are least likely to vote (northern midlands and up)

Question 8

ethnicity and voting

Answer 8

• only 7% of white people are not registered to vote, but 29% of black people arent –> not included in the 30% of people who do not vote

Question 9

age and voting

Answer 9

• younger people have lower turnout but this is increasing
• older people voters are declining so the gap is closing
• more participation from young people as parl issues affect them, so they get involved (brexit)
• younger people were more likely to vote in the 60s due to the social and political climate but became disengaged in politics in the 1980s-90s

Question 10

problems with electoral participation

Answer 10

• main form of part, little involvement = little engagement –> legitimacy of those elected ??
• only 24% of registered voters voted for them in the landslide 2001 majority
• low T can allow extremist parties to gain a larger share of the vote, raise profile and obtain rep
• leads to lack of account as pols do not need to fear an electorate that doesnt turn out
• other european countries/western countries have turnout of over 75% (compulsory in Italy, Belgium etc)

Question 11

current party member ship of each party

Answer 11

Labour → 432,000 members
Conservatives → 172,000 members
SNP → 104,000 members
Liberal Democratics → 74,000 members
Green → 54,000 members
Plaid Cymru → 20,000 members

Question 12

party membership trends

Answer 12

• Compared to the 50s/60s the conservatives used to have 2 billion members, but now have declined significantly. Labour is the biggest political party in Europe.
• These trends have remained constant for 5 years. Labour is typically the largest party, followed by the conservatives, SNP, Lib Dems, Green and Plaid Cymru.
• Membership of political parties has been in decline in the UK since the 1950s, falling by over 65% from 1983 (4 percent of the electorate) to 2005 (1.3 per cent)

Question 13

party members characteristics

Answer 13

In 2017, average ages for party members of the Conservatives, Labour, SNP and Lib Dems ranged between 52 and 57 → C and L 54, LD 51 and SNP 49

2017: 47% of Labour and 46% of Green parties were women

Majority of all party members belonged to a higher social class
85% of Lib Dems to 71% of SNP

Representation from minority ethnic groups was low → 3-4%

Question 14

trade union membership

Answer 14

Membership peaked in 1979 with 13 million employees, but declined sharply. Trade union membership remains larger that party membership levels by an order of magnitude (x10)

Female employees are now more likely to be trade union members compared to their male counterparts.
2021: 24% of female employees vs 18% of male employees

Older individuals are more likely to be trade union members → 63% in 2021 are over 35

50% of public sector employees were union members compared to around 13% of those who worked in the private sector.

Membership ranges from 36% of employees in Wales to 17% in South-East England. 31% of Northern Irish employees are members of trade unions and 28% of Scottish employees.

Question 15

party membership decline figures

Answer 15

• Lab –> 1 million members (trade union affiliation) and Tory = 2.8 million in the1950s
• 1983: 3.8% population were members of a political party –> strong level of participation at the heart of British politics and ensured party activists reflected a reasonable proportion of society
• since 1980s: rapid decline in party membership (less than 1% of the population currently a member of any political party)
• increase in labour from 2015 GE due to JCorb cheap member fees and buzz

Question 16

problems with party membership

Answer 16

• people are disillusioned by main UK parties and are not engaged by them
• lack of participation in the political process –> problem for parties as it reduced funds and pool of committed activists
• limited choice of candidates to put up for elections
• means there is a smaller group of people influencing the party direction policy, which impacts all

Question 17

problems with the end of corporatism

Answer 17

• Maggy weakened the power of the trade union movement and reduced key economic group roles (CBI) working closely in gov processes by distrusting group activity and favouring individual and free market policies
• decline in power of group activity - trade union - particip and union membership
• decline causes workers with a weak voice to rep concerns or needs to gov
• decline in people willing to fight for collective interests and hold gov to account

Question 18

4 arguments against the participation crisis

Answer 18

1. increasing turnout
2. more parties
3. pressure group membership
4. social campaigns

Question 19

increasing turnout

Answer 19

• GE turnout increasing since 2001 –> people are increasingly engaging and participating
• high levels of turnout in the scottish indp ref: when opinion is divided and people care about the issue they will vote and engage
• UK population has grown: turnout percentages may be lower but more people vote than ever

Question 20

more parties

Answer 20

• during high party mem period two main parties dominated electoral landscape (80-90% of the vote between them)
• UK has 11 parties in parl –> sizeable 3rd and more manifestos to choose from, wider spread of party mem
• new initiatives (labour 3 pound fee and allowed to vote for party leader) make joining parties easier and increased membs

Question 21

pressure group membership

Answer 21

• increased since 1980s
• people usually join a variety of groups than take part in the traditional party system
• largest have millions of members and there are thousands of groups in the UK
• public are finding ways to particip in group activity –> nature of partic has changes, rather than a decline

Question 22

social campaigns

Answer 22

• internet and social media provide a means for more people to participate in campaigns and share info
• easier and cheaper to get involved in campaigns (petitions, protests, mass rallies) –> people can particip in the way it suits them
• ‘justice for the 96’ –> e petition to reopen the inquest into the Hillsborough disaster
• social campaigns development: public outcry causes people to turn to an online petition to raise awareness, express opinions and pressure gov more effectively than without it

Question 23

why is there a participation crisis in the west

Answer 23

1. representation
2. disillusion
3. apathy
4. happathy
5. ‘left behind’

Question 24

representation

Answer 24

problems caused by FPTP
- at a constituency level, votes are wasted if another party comes into power (eg only 24 percent voted tory but they have a majority)
- national level: PM changes but no GE, minority govs (for a maj need 326 seats) –> elected by popular vote but do not have the maj
- votes are spread due to the constituency mapping in E but it is more concentrated in S (SNP 1.8 mil votes and 56 mps, but green 1 mil with 1 mp; 1997-2010 LD 23% of vote but 9% of mps) –> FPTP benefits large parties only
- MPs are university educated, middle aged white men

Question 25

disillusion

Answer 25

• no difference between the parties or the political landscape is bleak with no change –> same two parties dominate no matter what new manifestos are brought

Question 26

apathy

Answer 26

• not interested or do not understand, so they dont care and dont vote
• not just socioeconomically disadvantaged but those who do not care
• 18-24 little interest
• a proportion of 30% non voters

Question 27

happathy

Answer 27

• 2001: 59% turnout
• people are happy with a good economy and living standards, so people do not vote as they not see the need for change (change needed in 2009 recession)
• when economy is good, weather is good or social climate is good (world cup win) turnout is good

Question 28

left behind

Answer 28

• midlands and north were economically prosperous in the 1960s to 70s but lost the prosper and never regained it (North vs South) (economic changes of the last 40 years)
• just about managing (eg mortgage) and theresa may: had voted for brexit mainly as they were ignored by the metropolitan middle class and had probably not voted before

Question 29

social capital and Robert Putnam

Answer 29

• conservative, ‘bowling alone’
• people are less social, due to a lack of social groups (decline in church, public places etc)
• individualistic activities are on the rise (tech, more convenient cheaper alternatives (movie at home vs cinema))
• lack of community connection: segregated communities in america + uk, if we cannot connect socially we cannot connect politically

Question 30

william hutton and 40:30:30

Answer 30

• 40: economy can change (Brexit) but they are safe, bullet proof, rich middle class
• 30: just about managing, economic changes can affect them, threatened by losing their jobs if the economy changes
• 30: unemployed, long term sick, disability payments etc, economically precarious –> matches 30% who dont vote as they have worries other than political engagement (causal consequence)

Question 31

informal participation and trends

Answer 31

1. petitions
2. protests/demonstrations
3. boycott
4. social media
5. join a pressure group

• could be argued the 40% do these things as others fo not have the luxury to change spending habits (link to voting habits and socioeconomic background)