6. How could participation and democracy be improved in the UK?

Question 1

what are referendums

Answer 1

Referendums – questions decided by putting it to a public vote (Direct democracy)

Question 2

what do initiatives do

Answer 2

• 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

Question 3

what are popular/ veto referendum

Answer 3

Popular/ veto referendum – voters collect signatures within a certain timeframe, to trigger a veto on a passed bill

Question 4

what do popular/ veto referendums allow the public to do

Answer 4

allows the public to block unpopular laws, rather than waiting for the next election

Question 5

what are the disadvantages of referendums and initiatives

Answer 5

• existing low turnout for referendums in the UK
• populist policies and the tyranny of the majority
• dominance of wealthy special interests

Question 6

what are recall elections

Answer 6

Recall elections – where the public signs a petition (or votes) to remove an elected official before the next election

Question 7

advantages of recall elections

Answer 7

Give the public greater control over corrupt, incompetent, representatives

Question 8

disadvantages of recall elections

Answer 8

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

Question 9

when did the Recall of MPs Act came into place

Answer 9

2015

Question 10

what does the Recall of MPs Act (2015) say

Answer 10

• 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

Question 11

what percentage of MPs constituents would need to sign a recall petition for an MP to get recalled

Answer 11

10%

Question 12

when was the Recall of Elected Representatives Bill put in place

Answer 12

2014

Question 13

what was the Recall of Elected Representatives Bill (2014)

Answer 13

• 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

Question 14

what are Primaries

Answer 14

Primaries – An election held by a political party to choose a candidate for an upcoming election

Question 15

what is an open primary

Answer 15

Open Primary – Open to all voters in the constituency

Question 16

what is a closed primary

Answer 16

Closed Primary – Restricted to party members only

Question 17

what are 2 examples of open primaries in the 2010 GE

Answer 17

Totnes
Gosport

Question 18

in the open primary what percentage of the vote did Sarah Wollaston (Totnes) win with before going on to win in the GE

Answer 18

46%

Question 19

in the open primary what percentage of the vote did Caroline Dinenage (Gosport) win with before going on to win in the GE

Answer 19

38%

Question 20

who won the open primary in Totnes and what was their occupation

Answer 20

Sarah Wollaston, Doctor

Question 21

who won the open primary in Gosport and what was their occupation

Answer 21

Caroline Dinenage, local business owner

Question 22

what are the disadvantages of Primary Elections

Answer 22

• 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

Question 23

when did the voting age change from 21 to 18

Answer 23

1969

Question 24

which former Labour leader announced his support for lowering the voting age at the party’s 2013 annual conference

Answer 24

Ed Miliband

Question 25

disadvantages of lowering the voting age

Answer 25

• 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?

Question 26

advantages of compulsory voting

Answer 26

• 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

Question 27

disadvantages of compulsory voting

Answer 27

• 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

Question 28

what was the non-voting fine at the Australian Federal Election 2013

Answer 28

£170

Question 29

what was the turnout at the Australian Federal Election 2013

Answer 29

over 93%

Question 30

what is digital democracy

Answer 30

E-Democracy/ Digital Democracy – Use of modern technology to inform and educate the public and increase political participation

Question 31

what are the Petitions Committee for

Answer 31

• 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

Question 32

when was the Petitions Committee established

Answer 32

2015

Question 33

how can digital democracy inform the public

Answer 33

• 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

Question 34

how can digital democracy help the public participate

Answer 34

• 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

Question 35

disadvantages of digital democracy

Answer 35

• 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?