6. How could participation and democracy be improved in the UK? Flashcards
what are referendums
Referendums – questions decided by putting it to a public vote (Direct democracy)
what do initiatives do
- Give the electorate greater influence over legislation
- Avoid broken promises from the government
- Give the public the chance to vote on a much wider range of issues
what are popular/ veto referendum
Popular/ veto referendum – voters collect signatures within a certain timeframe, to trigger a veto on a passed bill
what do popular/ veto referendums allow the public to do
allows the public to block unpopular laws, rather than waiting for the next election
what are the disadvantages of referendums and initiatives
- existing low turnout for referendums in the UK
- populist policies and the tyranny of the majority
- dominance of wealthy special interests
what are recall elections
Recall elections – where the public signs a petition (or votes) to remove an elected official before the next election
advantages of recall elections
Give the public greater control over corrupt, incompetent, representatives
disadvantages of recall elections
Tyranny of the minority – Where the views of a minority of citizens are imposed on the majority
* It can take a sizeable majority to elect an individual, but only a small minority to trigger a recall
Recalls could be used as a protest against the government
when did the Recall of MPs Act came into place
2015
what does the Recall of MPs Act (2015) say
- An MP is convicted of an offence and given a sentence of 12 months or less
- The Commons Standards Committee finds an MP guilty of “serious misconduct”, suspending them for at least 21 sitting days
what percentage of MPs constituents would need to sign a recall petition for an MP to get recalled
10%
when was the Recall of Elected Representatives Bill put in place
2014
what was the Recall of Elected Representatives Bill (2014)
- A defeated bill from the backbench Conservative MP Zac Goldsmith that would have allowed a recall election if 20% of constituents signed a recall petition
what are Primaries
Primaries – An election held by a political party to choose a candidate for an upcoming election
what is an open primary
Open Primary – Open to all voters in the constituency
what is a closed primary
Closed Primary – Restricted to party members only
what are 2 examples of open primaries in the 2010 GE
Totnes
Gosport
in the open primary what percentage of the vote did Sarah Wollaston (Totnes) win with before going on to win in the GE
46%
in the open primary what percentage of the vote did Caroline Dinenage (Gosport) win with before going on to win in the GE
38%
who won the open primary in Totnes and what was their occupation
Sarah Wollaston, Doctor
who won the open primary in Gosport and what was their occupation
Caroline Dinenage, local business owner
what are the disadvantages of Primary Elections
- Low turnout could leave the decision to small number of unrepresentative voters
- There is no guarantee that voters would pick more diverse candidates than party leaders
when did the voting age change from 21 to 18
1969
which former Labour leader announced his support for lowering the voting age at the party’s 2013 annual conference
Ed Miliband
disadvantages of lowering the voting age
- Many 16 year olds do not pay taxes and have far fewer responsibilities than adults
- Are young people informed and mature enough to vote?
- Youth turnout is already very low, will reducing the voting age just lead to even lower % turnout?
advantages of compulsory voting
- Many nations issue fines to those who do not vote
- Results in higher turnout and greater legitimacy for the winners
- Supporters argue that voting is a civic duty much like jury duty
disadvantages of compulsory voting
- People have the right to decide whether to participate or not
- Uninformed and uninterested people might just vote at random
- Donkey voting – where voters number candidates based on the order they appear on the ballot
what was the non-voting fine at the Australian Federal Election 2013
£170
what was the turnout at the Australian Federal Election 2013
over 93%
what is digital democracy
E-Democracy/ Digital Democracy – Use of modern technology to inform and educate the public and increase political participation
what are the Petitions Committee for
- Can ask for more information from petitioners, the government, or other relevant people or organisations
- Can write to the Government to press for action and ask parliamentary committees to look into petition issues
when was the Petitions Committee established
2015
how can digital democracy inform the public
- Provide more info on Parliament’s website using simple language
- Have select committees use social media and online advertising
- Use social media and online advertising to inform and educate
- Make all broadcast footage and published info available for re-use
how can digital democracy help the public participate
- Allow the public to submit questions for ministers
- Allow the public to contribute to the law-making process
- Create an online forum to inform debates in Westminster Hall
- Make secure, online voting available for all voters by 2020
disadvantages of digital democracy
- The ‘digital divide’ - does digital democracy create a divide between those with and without computers and internet access?
- Would online voting be completely secure? Would we lose anonymity and privacy of voting in secret in a booth?
