CHAPTER 1 Flashcards
What is democracy?
- A political system based on rule by the demos / the people as a whole rather than any section / class / group within society
- People power
- All the citizens are equally entitled to participate in the society’s decisions about its policies.
- Involves the concept of popular participation
What is universal suffrage?
The right for all adults to vote (however adulthood is defined)
What is political participation?
The involvement of citizens in politics though, for example, voting, memberships of a political party or the activities of pressure groups, in order to shape policy making
What is consent?
Assent / Permission
- in politics, it usually imples an agreement to be governed or ruled
Who wrote ‘On Democracy’ and in which year was it published?
Robert A. Dahl
How many key measures of democracy did Robert A. Dahl describe in ‘On Democracy’?
5
What 5 key measures of democracy did Robert A. Dahl describe in ‘On Democracy’?
- Participation
- Voting equality
- Understanding
- Agenda setting
- Universal
Define ‘participation’ in the context on Robert A. Dahl’s 5 key measures of democracy
Before a decision is made, all have an equal and effective opportunity to make their opinions known to others about which decision should be made
Define ‘voting equality’ in the context on Robert A. Dahl’s 5 key measures of democracy
When a decision is to be made, every member must have an equal and effective opportunity to vote, and all votes must be counted as equal (one person = one vote)
Define ‘understanding’ in the context on Robert A. Dahl’s 5 key measures of democracy
Each person must have equal and effective opportunities for learning about the relevant alternative choices and their likely outcomes
Define ‘agenda setting’ in the context on Robert A. Dahl’s 5 key measures of democracy
Each person must have the opportunity to decide how to set the agenda and what to place on the agenda so that past decisions are always open to be revisited
Define ‘universal’ in the context on Robert A. Dahl’s 5 key measures of democracy
All adults should have the same rights, as citizens, that are necessary for participation, voting equality, understanding and setting the agenda
When did the UK political system become democratic?
- The UK has democratic roots that go back as far as the Magna Carta of 1215
- The UK system only became democratic since the granting of universal suffrage by the Equal Franchise Act of 1928
- The Equal Franchise Act meant that the democratic rights for effective political participation became universal
What is legitimacy?
- The right to rule / Rightfulness
Why is democracy so important?
Democracy is of central importance in politics
- It provides the basis for legitimacy, and is therefore the key to political stability
- It provieds those in power with the legitimate right to rule
- It places an obligation of the people to obey the law (in atleast three ways)
1) Through consent
- citizens implicitly invest political authority with a ‘right to rule’ each time they participate in the political process
- therefore, it underpins legitimacy by expanding the opportunities for effective political participation (most importantly through voting, but also through activities such as joining a political party or pressure group, and having the chance to serve in public office)
2) Ensures that political power is widely dispersed, each group having a political voice of some kind or other
- as such, it gives rise to a process of compromise, conciliation and negotiation that allows people with different interests and preferences to live together in conditions of relative peace and order
3) Ensures that the political system fairly reflects the views of the people
Which questions does the issue of legitimacy raise?
2 important questions
1) What makes the powers exercised by a government legitimate?
2) Why shoudl citizens obey the laws of the state?
How many types of democracy are there, and what are they?
2
Direct democracy
Indirect / Representative democracy
What is direct democracy?
A form of democracy that us based on the direct, immediate and continuous participation of citizens in the tasks of government.
As such, there is no distinction between government and the people.
Therefore, it is a system of popular self-government
- associated with the origins of democracy
What are the key features of direct democracy?
3
1) Popular participation is direct in that the people ‘make’ policy decisions - they do not merely choose who will rule on their behalf
2) Popular participation is immediate in that the people ‘are’ the government - there is no separate class of professional politicians
3) Popular participation is continuous in that the people engage in politics on a regular and ongoing basis - all decisions are made by the people
What are the origins of democracy?
- usually traced back to Ancient Greece, and notably its pre-eminent city state / polis
- from about 500 to 300 BCE, a form of democracy operated in Athens that has served ever since as the model of ‘classical’ democracy
What was Athenian democracy?
- a very particular form of democracy, wuite different from the form that are found in the modern world
- in particular, it relied on the participation of all citizens in open assemblies which made all the key decisions
How many institutions was Athenian democracy built upon, and what are they?
3
- The Eklessia / Assembly
- The Boule / Council
- The Dikasteria / Popular Courts
What is the Eklessia / Assembly in Athenian democracy?
- The main governing body
- Any citizen could attend, debate and vote on all the major decisions such as declaring war, foreign policy, making and revising laws
- Decisions were made by majority vote
- In the Assembly, all citizens had the rights that are necessary for participation, voting equality, understanding and settling the agenda
- However, only the very best speakers, such as Demosthenes, could hold the attention of the demanding crown so a small elite of the best orators often dominated the Assembly
What is the Boule / Council in Athenian Democracy?
- Made up of 500 men
- Met every day to do the hands-on work of running the stae
- Council members were chosen by lot and only served for a term of one year
- Drawing by lot / Sortition was seen as more democractic than elections because it could not be affected by money or popularity, and would not lead to a professional class of politicians separate from the people
What is the Dikasteria / Popular Courts in Athenian democracy?
- Made up of 501 jurors chosen each day by lot from male citizens over the age of 30
- Resolved court cases brough by the people
- This principle is still active in the UK today, where juries are randomly selected from those between 18 and 70, who are on the electoral register
- The aim is to ensure a justice system that is fair, democratic and independant
What is sortition?
- The use of random selection to fill public offices
- Aims to create public bodies which are composed of a representative sample of people
Define the term ‘representative democracy’
- A limited and indirect form of democracy
- It operates through the ability if representatives to speak for, or act on behalf of, the people
- At the heart is the process through which representatives can be chosen and can be removed, which is, in practice, usually done through regular and popular elections
What is a representative democracy?
- The dominant form of democracy in the modern world because it solves the problem in direct democracy: that only a small percentage of people can or want to spend their time learning about, debating and voting on political issues.
- Representative democracy is a way of voters electing a small group of representatives who work full time on getting informed , debating and voting on political issue on behalf of the people
- In a representative democracy, people acquire the power to make political decisions by means of a competitive struggle for the people’s vote
- Those who win elections can claim to ‘represent’ the people and the legitimate right to govern
What are the key features of a representative democracy?
3
1) Popular participation is indirect - the public do not exercise power themselves, they choose (usually by election) who will rule on their behalf
2) Popular participation is mediated - the people are linked to their government through representative institutions
3) Popular participation in government is limited - it is infrequent and brief, being restricted to the act of voting every few years
What principle is direct democracy based on?
Popular participation
What principle is representative democracy based on?
Popular control
What is popular control?
Ways of ensuring that professional politicians represent the people and not themselves - this is the role of elections and relies at the most basic level on the people exercising their right to vote
What is the basic condition for a representative democracy?
Democratic elections
What are democratic elections?
Election that are based on the following three rules:
1) Freedom, fairness and regularity
- voters can participate freely and express their own views
2) Universal suffrage
- all adults can vote and there is voting equality, based on the principle of one person, one vote
3) Party and candidate competition
- voters have a choice and effective opportunities for learning about the relevant alternative choices and their likely outcomes
Describe mass participation in representative democracy in the UK
Historically in the UK, mass participation in representative democracy has been limited to voting in general election to select MPs and in local elections to select local councillors.
HOWEVER
The number of opportunities for participation has increased with voters, depending on where they live, now also able to vote in a wide range of elections including:
- Elections in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland for the devolved government since their first elections in 1998
- Elections for the London Mayor and Greater London Authority since 2000
- Elections for metro mayors, such as the Mayor of Greater Manchester, since 2017
- Elections for Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) since 1979, which came to an end with the 2019 European Parliament Election
- Elections for Police Crime Commissioners, who make sure that local police meet the needs of the community, since 2012
Advantages of Direct Democracy / Disadvantages of Representative Democracy
GENUINE DEMOCRACY
DIRECT DEMOCRACY IS THE ONLY PURE FORM OF DEMOCRACY
- This is because it ensures that people only have to obey laws that they make themselves
- Popular participation in government is the very stuff of freedom (it is how the people determine their collective destiny / their ‘general will’)
REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY ALWAYS MEANS THAT THERE IS A GULF BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND THE PEOPLE
- This can lead to political apathy because citizens feel powerless when they want to make a change
- Governments therefore govern in the name of the people, but, in practice, the people may have little meaningful control over government (seems to be a common attitude in the UK)
Influence over decision making in the UK (DATA)
The Hansard Society ‘Audit of Political Engagement 16: The 2019 Report’
How much influence, if any, do you feel you have over decision making in the country as a whole?
A great deal of influence = 1%
Some influence = 14%
Not very much influence = 36%
None at all = 47%
Advantages of Direct Democracy / Disadvantages of Representative Democracy
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
DIRECT DEMOCRACY CREATES BETTER INFORMED AND MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE CITIZENS
- In this sense, it has educational benefits
- Direct and regular popular participation in government encourages people to take more interest in politics and to better understand their own society (both how it works and how it should work)
IN REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY, WITH VOTES TAKING PLACE SO INFREQUENTLY, PEOPLE CAN LITERALLY SWITCH OFF FROM POLITICS
- As a result, effective political understanding decreases
- This reduces the ability of people to learn about the relevant alternative choices and their likely outcomes, which are necessary for effective participation and voting equality
Discussing government and politics with others (DATA)
The Hansard Society ‘Audit of Political Engagement 16: The 2019 Report’
How often, if at all, do you discuss government and politics with others?
Nearly every day = 10%
A few times a week = 22%
A few times a month = 19%
Less often = 19%
Never = 30%
Advantages of Direct Democracy / Disadvantages of Representative Democracy
END OF PROFESSIONAL POLITICS
DIRECT DEMOCRACY REDUCES, OR REMOVES, THE PUBLIC’S DEPENDENCE ON SELF-SERVING PROFESSIONAL POLITICIANS
- This increases public trust, political understanding and the development of long-term solutions whilst decreasing corruption, which means that decisions will have real legitimacy in the eyes of the people
REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY PLACES TOO MUCH FAITH IN POLITICIANS, WHO ARE ALWAYS LIABLE TO DISTORT PUBLIC OPINION BY IMPOSING THEIR OWN VIEWS AND PREFERENCES ON IT
- It therefore amounts to ‘government by politicians’, acting only in the name of the people
- It is argued that this political class will not be socially representative of the wider public (in terms of age, gender, wealth, ethnicity etc.)
- It is argued that this political class is interested in furthering its own objectives over those of the people, and is more interested in winning elections than arriving at long-term solutions
- In the UK, this is increasingly a widely held attitude (in 2019, 63% felt the political system was rigged to the advantage of the rich and powerful - The Hansard Society ‘Audit of Political Engagement 16: The 2019 Report’)
Advantages of Direct Democracy / Disadvantages of Representative Democracy
LEGITIMATE GOVERNMENT
DIRECT DEMOCRACY ENSURES THAT RULE IS LEGITIMATE, IN THE SENS THAT PEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TO ACCEPT DECISIONS THAT THEY HAVE MADE THEMSELVES
- When citizens make political decisions directly, they have to take responsibility for them (there is no one else to blame)
- This helps ensure political stability and legitimacy for decisions
REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY IN THE UK IS EXPERIENCING SOMETHING OF A CRISIS
- Voter turnout remains low and people feel increasingly disengaged from politicians, political institutions and processes
- Overall satisfaction with the system of governing in the UK has been on a downward trend from 36% in the first Hansard Audit in 2004 to 25% in 2019
Advantages of Representative Democracy / Disadvantages of Direct Democracy
PRACTICAL DEMOCRACY
DIRECT DEMOCRACY IS ONLY ACHIEVABLE IN RELATIVELY SMALL COMMUNITIES, ESPECIALLY IN THE FORM OF GOVERNMENT BY MASS MEETING
- Such a form of democracy is widely considered to be unworkable in modern political conditions
- Athenian citizens devoted a great deal of time and energy to political activity, and were also able to meet together in a single place
- Such a high level of face-to-face interaction cannot be achieved in societies with a population of 10,000s or millions of people
REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY IS THE ONLY FORM OF DEMOCRACY THAT CAN OPERATE IN LARGE, MODERN SOCIETIES LIKE THE UK
- It is therefore a practical solution to the problem of popular rule (this does not mean that representative democracy cannot be complemented by aspects of direct democracy)
What is the strength of representative democracy?
- It places ultimate power in the hands of the public (the power to decide who governs), while leaving day-to-day policy making in the hands of experts (professional politicians)
- It is therefore based on a compromise between the need for ‘government by the people’ (popular participation) and the need for ‘government for the people’ (government in the public interest)
- As representative democracy usually operates through the mechanism of elections, its effectiveness is therefore based on the extent to which the electoral process gives people control over the government
Advantages of Representative Democracy / Disadvantages of Direct Democracy
DIVISION OF LABOUR IN POLITICS
ONE OF THE DRAWBACKS OF DIRECT DEMOCRACY IS THAT IT MEANS THAT POLITICS IS A JOB FOR ALL CITIZENS, RESTRICTING THEIR ABILITY TO CARRY OUT OTHER DUTIES AND ACTIVITIES
- The answer in ancient Athens was simple but deeply undemocratic: foreigners and slaves did the bulk of the work, and women looked after family life
- The ‘citizens’ of Athens constituted only a tiny minority of those who lived within the city state and so rights were by no means universal
- The groups excluded from political participation and voting equality included women, men classified as ‘immigrants’ and slaves, who made up atleast three-fifths of the population of Athens
REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY IS MORE EFFICIENT BECAUSE ORDINARY CITIZENS ARE RELIEVED OF THE BURDEN OF DAY-TO-DAY DECISION MAKING
- They simply have to choose who they want to govern them
Advantages of Representative Democracy / Disadvantages of Direct Democracy
GOVERNMENT BY EXPERTS
DIRECT DEMOCRACY IS NOT A SENSIBLE WAY TO MAKE COMPLEX DECISIONS
- This is because many of the big issues facing the UK don’t have easy or clear solutions
REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY PLACES DECISION MAKING IN THE HANDS OF POLITICANS WHO HAVE BETTER EDUCATION AND GREATER EXPERTISE THAN THE MASS OF PEOPLE
- They can therefore govern for the people using their superior understanding to act in the public interest
Advantages of Representative Democracy / Disadvantages of Direct Democracy
POLTICAL STABILITY
DIRECT DEMOCRACY CAN ENGAGE PEOPLE TOO MUCH, WHICH MAY CREATE DEEP DIVISIONS IN SOCIETY
- In cases where direct democracy creates clear winners and losers over a political choice, it will be very hard for the losers to see the political choice as legitimate
REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY MAINTAINS POLITICAL STABILITY BY HELPING TO DISTANCE ORDINARY CITIZENS FROM POLITICS, THEREBY ENCOURAGING THEM TO ACCEPT COMPROMISE
- A certain level of apathy is helpful in maintaining political stability
- The more involved in decision making citizens are, the more passionate and committed they may become
KEY DEBATE SUMMARY: Is direct democracy superior to representative democracy?
FOR
- Direct democracy is genuine democracy with direct, immediate and continuous participation
- The continuous participation of direct democracy allows for the personal development of citizens
- Direct democracy ends the reliance on a political class by returning power to the people to ensure decisions are in the public interest not the interest of the political class
- Legitimacy and political stability are both created by the direct involvement of citizens in decision making
AGAINST
- Representative democracy is the only practicable form of democracy in modern societies
- Representative democracy creates a division of labour which is far more efficient than continuous participation
- Representative democracy allows for government by experts; it is the sensible way to make complex decisions in the public interest
- Representative democracy is built on compromise, helping to mainting political stability
What is a participation crisis?
The idea that there is a crisis in citizen involvement in the processes aimed at influencing the government and shaping politics due to the lack of interest by a significant number of citizens. This creates a serious issue for democracy as it undermines the legitimacy of elected institutions.
What do many consider the main modern concern about democracy in the UK?
- growth of political apathy (which many see as nothing less than a participation crisis)
- how can democracy be healthy when, despite increasing opportunities for participation, more and more citizens seem to be uninterested or unwilling to engage in political life?
Where has political apathy been most evident in?
- not voting
- not joining political parties
- not engaging with politics due to high levels of dissatisfaction with the current political system
Different actions people take when they feel strongly about an issue
- title of report
- where data was taken from
- Which of these would you be prepared to do if you felt strongly enough about an issue
- The Hansard Society Audit of Political Engagement 16: The 2019 Report
The Hansard Society Audit of Political Engagement 16: The 2019 Report
What percentage of people would donate money or pay a membership fee to a political party?
11%
The Hansard Society Audit of Political Engagement 16: The 2019 Report
What percentage of people would take part in a march, demonstration of strike?
18%
The Hansard Society Audit of Political Engagement 16: The 2019 Report
What percentage of people would take an active part in a campaign?
18%
The Hansard Society Audit of Political Engagement 16: The 2019 Report
What percentage of people would donate or pay a membership fee to a charity?
20%
The Hansard Society Audit of Political Engagement 16: The 2019 Report
What percentage of people would create or sign a petition?
29%
The Hansard Society Audit of Political Engagement 16: The 2019 Report
What percentage of people would create or sign an e-petition?
34%
The Hansard Society Audit of Political Engagement 16: The 2019 Report
What percentage of people would contact a local councillor or MP (of any UK parliament, not just Westminster)?
37%
The Hansard Society Audit of Political Engagement 16: The 2019 Report
What percentage of people would vote in an election?
58%
The Hansard Society Audit of Political Engagement 16: The 2019 Report
The Hansard Society Audit of Political Engagement 16: The 2019 Report
What percentage of people would do none of the following:
- donate money or pay a membership fee to a political party
- take part in a march, demonstration of strike
- take an active part in a campaign
- donate money or pay a membership fee to a charity
- create of sign a petition
- create or sign an e-petition
- contact a local councillor or MP (of any parliament, not just Westminster)
- vote in an election
22%
Evidence for and against: Participation Crisis
VOTING AND NON-VOTING
FOR
1) VOTER PARTICIPATION IS SLOWLY ON THE RISE IN RECENT ELECTIONS
2) THE NUMBER OF OPPORTUNITIES TO VOTE HAS BEEN INCREASING
3) THERE IS INCREASED USE OF REFERENDUMS
Evidence for and against : Participation Crisis
VOTING AND NON-VOTING
AGAINST
1) HOWEVER, PARTICPATION IS STILL VERY POOR COMPARED TO ELECTIONS DURING THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
2) IT IS CLEAR THAT NOT EVERYONE IS PARTICIPATING EQUALLY
3) TURNOUT IS EVEN LOWER IN THESE ELECTIONS (THE NEW OPPORTUNITIES TO VOTE)
4) THERE IS LOW TURNOUT IN MANY REFERENDUMS
Evidence for and against: Participation Crisis
VOTING AND NON-VOTING
FOR
1) VOTER PARTICIPATION IS SLOWLY ON THE RISE IN RECENT ELECTIONS
Since 2001, there has been a slow rise in the voter turnout, back up to 69% in 2017 from the low of 59% in 2001 (although it fell back in 2019 to 67%) suggesting participation is on the rise
Evidence for and against: Participation Crisis
VOTING AND NON-VOTING
AGAINST
1) HOWEVER, PARTICPATION IS STILL VERY POOR COMPARED TO ELECTIONS DURING THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
- General elections in the UK with universal suffrage have been in place since 1928 and, in the period between 1945 and 1992, the average turnout usually remained above 75%, with a post-war high of 84% being achieved in 1950
- The 2001 general election recorded a turnout of 59%, the lowest figure since 1918 while the recovery to 67% in 2019 is still well below pre-1992 levels
- There is a consistent pattern in local elections of much lower turnout that for general elections, possibly because people perceive local councils to have limited power.
Evidence for and against: Participation Crisis
VOTING AND NON-VOTING
AGAINST
2) IT IS CLEAR THAT NOT EVERYONE IS PARTICIPATING EQUALLY
- A minority is engaging more frequently and in more ways.
- The make-up of this group is likely to be unrepresentative of society as a whole but rather made up for those with higher income, managerial and professional jobs and higher levels of education.
- This pattern was clearly evident in the 2019 election, where turnout among those with degrees and above was 69% while it was 59% for those with other qualification and those with no qualification.
- Higher managerial, middle manager and professional workers has a turnout of 68% while semi-skilled, unskilled workers and those not working had a turnout of 53% (Ipsos MORI estimates)
Evidence for and against: Participation Crisis
VOTING AND NON-VOTING
FOR
2) THE NUMBER OF OPPORTUNITIES TO VOTE HAS BEEN INCREASING
Since 1979, there has been a widening in the number of voting opportunities in the UK, with European elections starting in 1979 and elections to the devolved assemblies in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland from 1998
Evidence for and against: Participation Crisis
VOTING AND NON-VOTING
AGAINST
3) TURNOUT IS EVEN LOWER IN THESE ELECTIONS (THE NEW OPPORTUNITIES TO VOTE)
- The turnout in these elections has remained consistently lower than for general elections during the same period.
- This could be attributed to voter fatigue from too many opportunities to engage or down to institutions themselves.
- The European Parliament was perceived as remote and lacking power, while it had been argued that if the devolved governments were given more power then more people would be inclined to turn out and vote in the elections.
Evidence for and against: Participation Crisis
VOTING AND NON-VOTING
FOR
3) THERE IS INCREASED USE OF REFERENDUMS
- There has also been a widening of participation opportunities since 1997 with the increased use of referendums across the UK.
- The turnout figures for referendums have been inconsistent; where matters have been of considerable historical importance the turnout has been very high but in many other referendums the turnout has remained lower than in general elections.
- For example, in the Northern Ireland 1998 referendum on the Good Friday Agreement, the turnout was 81% which was topped by a turnout of 85% for the Scottish Independence Referendum of 2014
Evidence for and against: Participation Crisis
VOTING AND NON-VOTING
AGAINST
4) THERE IS LOW TURNOUT IN MANY REFERENDUMS
Unlike the Scottish independence vote, the referendum on devolution is Wales saw a turnout of 50% while the referendum on the creation of the London Mayor and Assembly saw a turnout of just 33%
Define the term ‘referendum’
A vote in which the electorate can express a view on a particular issue of public policy
What is the Good Friday Agreement?
Brought to an end 30 years of ‘the Troubles’ between Republicans and Loyalists and, in the devolution settlement, established a new government and parliament in Northern Ireland with power shared between the parties from both sides.
What are the party membership figures in the UK for the year 1953?
Data from Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament License v3.0.
Conservative: 2,806,000
Labour: 1,005,000
Total: 3,811,000
What are the party membership figures in the UK for the year 2003?
Data from Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament License v3.0.
Conservative: 248,000
Labour: 215,000
Liberal Democrat: 71,000
Green: 5,300
SNP: 9,500
UKIP: 16,000
Total: 564,800
What are the party membership figures in the UK for the year 2013?
Data from Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament License v3.0.
Conservative: 149,000
Labour: 190,000
Liberal Democrat: 43,000
Green: 14,000
SNP: 25,000
UKIP: 32,000
Total: 453,000
What are the party membership figures in the UK for the year 2019?
Data from Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament License v3.0.
Conservative: 180,000
Labour: 485,000
Liberal Democrat: 115,000
Green: 49,000
SNP: 125,000
UKIP: 29,000
Total: 983,00
Evidence for and against: Participation Crisis
PARTY MEMBERSHIP
FOR
1) SINCE 2013, THERE HAS BEEN A RESURGENCE IN PARTY MEMBERSHIP
2) IT MAY BE A CASE OF A DROP IN THE QUANITITY OF PARTY MEMBERSHIP BUT A RISE IN THE QUALITY OF PARTICIPATION
Evidence for and against: Participation Crisis
PARTY MEMBERSHIP
AGAINST
1) IT IS INCREASINGLY CLEAR THAT MASS MEMBERSHIP HAS SERIOUSLY DECLINED, AS HAVE STRONG PARTY LOYALTIES
Evidence for and against: Participation Crisis
PARTY MEMBERSHIP
AGAINST
1) IT IS INCREASINGLY CLEAR THAT MASS MEMBERSHIP HAS SERIOUSLY DECLINED, AS HAVE STRONG PARTY LOYALTIES
- The Labour Party was traditionally seen as the party of the working class and the Conservatives the party of the middle class
- Some argue that the decline reflects the fact that the political parties remain stuck in the past and no longer reflect the modern UK, where age, ethnicity, education and income divides, along with whether you are a renter or home owner, are more important than out-of-date class structures.
Evidence for and against: Participation Crisis
PARTY MEMBERSHIP
FOR
1) SINCE 2013, THERE HAS BEEN A RESURGENCE IN PARTY MEMBERSHIP
- This is true particularly within the smaller parties such as the Scottish National Party (SNP) and the Green Party as people turned to them and away from the Labour and Conservative Parties.
- The Labour Party also saw its membership members increase rapidly after 2015, when people joined as personal support for Jeremy Corbyn, with the desire for a new style of Labour politics and, for those who felt left behind, to back a more radical political approach
Evidence for and against: Participation Crisis
PARTY MEMBERSHIP
FOR
2) IT MAY BE A CASE OF A DROP IN THE QUANITITY OF PARTY MEMBERSHIP BUT A RISE IN THE QUALITY OF PARTICIPATION
- Many members of political parties in the post-war period paid a subscription and enjoyed the social facilities provided by Labour and Conservative clubs rather than being active party members.
- In the 21st century, parties have changed their structures, giving members a far greater input into policy and the ability to vote for the party leader.
- Most current party members joined because of this ability to participate more widely, as was shown in 2019 when Boris Johnson was elected leader of the Conservative party with 66% of the votes based on a turnout of 87.4% of party members
Evidence for and against: Participation Crisis
GROUP POLITICS
FOR
1) THE DECLINE OF THE TRADE UNION MOVEMENT
Evidence for and against: Participation Crisis
GROUP POLITICS
AGAINST
1) THE RISE OF NEW GROUPS AROUND ISSUES LIKE THE ENVIRONMENT
Evidence for and against: Participation Crisis
GROUP POLITICS
FOR
1) THE DECLINE OF THE TRADE UNION MOVEMENT
- Group politics, in some ways, can be seen to be headed in the direction of political parties
- The largest and most influential of all groups in UK democracy in the 20th century, the trade unions, reached their peak in 1979 with around 13.2 million members
- By 2016, trade union membership has dropped to an all-time low of 6.23 million, although there was slight growth in memberships on all the 3 years that followed.
- This has largely come about due to the decline in manual jobs in large, traditional industries like coal mining and ship building.
- With this decline in membership, many of the organisational skills and communication and social networks that connected working people to politics are being lost.
Evidence for and against: Participation Crisis
GROUP POLITICS
AGAINST
1) THE RISE OF NEW GROUPS AROUND ISSUES LIKE THE ENVIRONMENT
- At the same time, there has been an explosion in the number of charities and campaigning organisations, particularly around environmental issues since the 1960s.
- This growth has come about as people feel that groups built around single issues are more effective than parties at representing their interests and ensuring that policies are shaped to meet their views.
- In 2013, the Passionate Collaboration study found that the 139 environmental groups they analysed had a total membership of 4.5 million, which means nearly 1 in 10 adults in the UK are members of such groups
Define the term: ‘Trade Unions’
Groups of employees who join together to maintain and improve their conditions of employment
Define the term: ‘Direct Action’
Political action in the form of protest that aims at forcing change but does not go through the usual channels such as parliament
Define the term: ‘Civil Disobedience’
Law breaking that is justified on the grounds that it is being used to create a more just and fair society
Evidence for and against: Participation Crisis
SOCIAL MOVEMENTS AND DIRECT ACTION
FOR
1) THESE MOVEMENTS ARE LOOSELY ORGANISED AND FLEXIBLE, SEEMING TO EMERGE QUICKLY IN RESPONSE TO ISSUES AS THEY APPEAR ON THE POLITICAL AGENDA, AND HAVE MASS PARTICPATION
Evidence for and against: Participation Crisis
SOCIAL MOVEMENTS AND DIRECT ACTION
AGAINST
1) DIRECT ACTION IS SEEN AS A REAL CHALLENGE TO DEMOCRACY AND TRADITIONAL FORMS OF PARTICIPATION
Evidence for and against: Participation Crisis
SOCIAL MOVEMENTS AND DIRECT ACTION
FOR
1) THESE MOVEMENTS ARE LOOSELY ORGANISED AND FLEXIBLE, SEEMING TO EMERGE QUICKLY IN RESPONSE TO ISSUES AS THEY APPEAR ON THE POLITICAL AGENDA, AND HAVE MASS PARTICPATION
The numbers of people taking part are very large, as can bee seen in the anti-war marches of 2003 and the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020, often engaging many of the people, in particular the younger generation, who have switched off from voting and party membership
Evidence for and against: Participation Crisis
SOCIAL MOVEMENTS AND DIRECT ACTION
AGAINST
1) DIRECT ACTION IS SEEN AS A REAL CHALLENGE TO DEMOCRACY AND TRADITIONAL FORMS OF PARTICIPATION
- New social movements, like the anti-war movement and anti-capitalist movement, are looking to challenge the traditional politics of working through elections, parties and Parliament with a new form of direct action politics.
- This raises the question as to whether new social movements are undermining democratic participation and reducing legitimacy, or are a part of a transformation in the way that people participate and the way that UK democracy works
Individual politics in the UK
- It has been argued that, in place of the more traditional forms of participation, the UK is experiencing a rise in individual rather than collective acts of participation.
- Individuals are sparked into action by issues that concern them, finding ways to engage on that particular issue rather than joining a formally organised group or party.
- This helps to explain the rise of the new forms of protest politics and why these movements appear so quickly, only to disappear at the same speed.
How is individual politics demonstrated in the UK?
This form of individual action can only be seen in a number of other political actions which are becoming increasingly common place:
- political consumerism
- petitions
- e-petitions
- clicktivism
What is political consumerism?
- This is when people use their purchasing power to buy particular products, such as fair-trade products, and boycott other products and brands to force change.
- The anti-sweatshop consumerism targeted at key fashion brands has pushed global corporations to take more responsibility
What are petitions?
- The arrival of modern technology has made signing petitions online a much more common action.
- Campaign organisations such as 38 Degrees claim their campaigns are chosen and led by more than 2 million members, while Change.org claims that globally one of its petitions secures a campaign victory every hour
What are e-petitions?
- The introduction of e-petitions by the government allows the public to petition the House of Commons and press for action from the government.
- In 2019, the Revoke Article 50 and Remain in the EU petitions secured 6,103,056 signatures and triggered a debate in Parliament
What is clicktivism?
- The signing of online petitions is part of a wider culture of clicktivism that allows individuals to use social media and other online methods to promote a cause.
- This can range from using social media and emails to contact elected representatives, share and comment on news stories, sign petitions and join crowdfunding activities.
Evidence for and against: Participation Crisis
INDIVIDUAL POLITICS
FOR
1) THIS TYPE OF PARTICIPATION BRINGS THE BENEFIT THAT IT ALLOWS INDIVIDUALS TO EXPRESS THEIR PREFERENCES
Evidence for and against: Participation Crisis
INDIVIDUAL POLITICS
AGAINST
1) INDIVIDUAL POLITICS CAN BE SEEN AS MORE OF A CASE OF SLACKTIVISM RATHER THAN ACTIVISM
Evidence for and against: Participation Crisis
INDIVIDUAL POLITICS
FOR
1) THIS TYPE OF PARTICIPATION BRINGS THE BENEFIT THAT IT ALLOWS INDIVIDUALS TO EXPRESS THEIR PREFERENCES
- Essentially, the individual is able to express their concerns rather than finding them moderated by mass political parties who are seeking to appeal to the widest possible audience.
- These forms of individual participation are engaging people in politics in new and innovative ways that may revive democracy’s flagging fortunes.
Evidence for and against: Participation Crisis
INDIVIDUAL POLITICS
AGAINST
1) INDIVIDUAL POLITICS CAN BE SEEN AS MORE OF A CASE OF SLACKTIVISM RATHER THAN ACTIVISM
- Some critics feel that individual participation is fleeting rather than sustained and also at a very low level of engagement because it requires so little effort.
- These kinds of individual actions are really no replacement for high levels of political participation like voting or joining a political party
Key Debate Summary: Is the UK suffering from a participation crisis?
FOR
1) There has been a long-term decline in voter turnout in the UK in general elections, with low turnout also a persistent issue in other types of election and many referendums.
2) There has been a long-term decline in party membership since the 1950s in the UK, in particular for the two major parties.
3) There has been a decline in the membership and power of the largest and most influential organisation in group politics: the trade union movement
4) New social movements undermine participation in the key building blocks of representative democracy (political parties and voting) and so reduces the legitimacy of our elected institutions
5) Individual politics is more of a case of slacktivism that activism; participation is shallow and does little to support democracy
Key Debate Summary: Is the UK suffering from a participation crisis?
AGAINST
1) There has been a widening in the number of opportunities to vote in UK politics, with a revival of turnout in general elections and strong engagement with referendums.
2) There has been a recent revival in party membership and the quality of engagement in political parties is far higher than historically.
3) There has been an explosion in single issue groups, which now have mass membership and engagement.
4) New social movements have been a vehicle of mass engagement in politics in an era of protest politics but now new forms of political engagement are replacing the more traditional methods of voting and party membership.
5) Individual politics has become a way for people to engage in politics in new and innovative ways; these methods are very democratic as they are open to all and are reaching those who have been turned off by party politics. The nature of participation is changing not declining
What is a democratic deficit?
- The democratic deficit is a flaw in the democratic process whereby decisions are taken by people who lack legitimacy.
- Caused by the participation crisis in the UK
How can the democratic deficit in the UK be understood?
Through 3 different but linked issues:
1) Voters are dissatisfied and disengaged so are not voting in large numbers, undermining the support for democratic institutions.
2) Elected representatives are seen as unaccountable for their actions and not widely trusted.
3) There has been a widespread recognition among politicians that there are problems with political participation, yet they have struggled to reform democratic institutions and process to increase voter engagement.
KEY TOPIC DEBATE: Will reforms enhance democracy in the UK?
- More direct involvement of the public in modern politics is used to supplement rather than replace representative democracy, in which voters elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf.
- Recent years has witnessed a steady trend, evident in the UK and elsewhere, towards the wider use of direct involvement.
- This has occurred because representative democracies have been seen to suffer from increased political apathy and growing popular disillusionment with politics.
- The great advantage is that is strengthens popular participation in government, by placing power directly into the hands of the people.
Define the term ‘constitution’
A set of rules and principles for the conduct of government and politics within state, which set out the relationship between the different parts of the political system and the relationship between the government and the people.
What is a referendum?
- A vote on a specific issue
- Normally, this would relate to particular circumstances, such as amending the constitution of a country, or to a political issue, such as membership of a political party like the EU, or in relation to any major political issue that is of great importance to society.
Referendums in the UK
- In the UK, unlike other countries, referendums are held whenever and on whatever issue
- Parliament decides to call them
- Since 1973, there have been 12 referendums in the UK, with 8 of these happening after 1997, including the Scottish Independence Referendum 2014 and the EU referendum of 2016
Referendums outside the UK
- In many other countries, referendums are mandatory
- Most commonly states, such as Ireland, hold mandatory referendums on any proposed changes to their constitution
- It is also the case that in other countries, such as Switzerland, referendums can be held on whether to accept or overturn any legislation of international treaty that has been agreed in the Parliament provided that the right number of signatures is gained (in Switzerland this requires 50,000 signatures within 100 days of the law or treaty passing in order to trigger the referendum)
When are referendums most successful?
- Referendums are at their most successful where they are used to provide legitimacy to a key decision
- This sense of legitimacy provides a higher level of certainty and stability to key decisions, as can be seen in the 1998 referendum on the Good Friday Agreement
The referendum of the Good Friday Agreement
- Referendums are at their most successful where they are used to provide legitimacy to a key decision
- This sense of legitimacy provides a higher level of certainty and stability to key decisions, as can be seen in the 1998 referendum on the Good Friday Agreement
- The fact that 71% of voters endorsed the agreement, on a turnout of 81%, gave the new setup in Northern Ireland the popular consent it needed.
What is Stormont?
The site of the Northern Ireland Assembly set up in the Good Friday Agreement
Evidence for and against: Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
REFERENDUMS
FOR
1) THERE IS SUPPORT FOR THE WIDER USE OF REFERENDUMS ON KEY POLITICAL DECISIONS
2) THE PROBLEM OF ‘THE ABSENCE OF POPULAR CONTROL OBVER WHEN AND WHERE THEY WILL BE USED’ CAN BE OVERCOME BY ESTABLISHING PROCESSES THROUGH WHICH CITIZENS CAN INITIATE REFERENDUMS TO OVERTURN LEGISLATION
Evidence for and against: Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
REFERENDUMS
AGAINST
1) ONE OF THE CURRENT WEAKNESSES OF REFERENDUMS IS THE ABSENCE OF POPULAR CONTROL OBVER WHEN AND WHERE THEY WILL BE USED
2) THERE IS NO NEED TO USE MORE REFERENDUMS BECAUSE THE CURRENT SITUATION OF ONLY CALLING REFERENDUMS ON KEY CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES IS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL WAY OF BOLSTERING THE LEGITIMACY OF SUCH DECISIONS
Evidence for and against: Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
REFERENDUMS
FOR
1) THERE IS SUPPORT FOR THE WIDER USE OF REFERENDUMS ON KEY POLITICAL DECISIONS
- Support for the use of more referendums in the UK is reflected in the Hansard Society Audit of Political Engagement 16 (2019), in which 55% of the public in the UK agreed that important questions should be resolved by referendums more often than they are today.
- High levels of engagement in the EU and Scottish Independence Referendums point to how this would improve democracy in the UK by encouraging participation and political education.
Evidence for and against: Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
REFERENDUMS
FOR
1) THE PROBLEM OF ‘THE ABSENCE OF POPULAR CONTROL OBVER WHEN AND WHERE THEY WILL BE USED’ CAN BE OVERCOME BY ESTABLISHING PROCESSES THROUGH WHICH CITIZENS CAN INITIATE REFERENDUMS TO OVERTURN LEGISLATION
- This can usually be done by getting the required number of signatures on a petition.
- This could be used to create a people’s veto giving far greater popular control over legislation
Evidence for and against: Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
REFERENDUMS
AGAINST
1) ONE OF THE CURRENT WEAKNESSES OF REFERENDUMS IS THE ABSENCE OF POPULAR CONTROL OBVER WHEN AND WHERE THEY WILL BE USED
- This creates the suspicion that governments will only call referendums on issues which they support and when they are confident of winning, especially in light of the EU referendum result.
Evidence for and against: Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
REFERENDUMS
AGAINST
1) THERE IS NO NEED TO USE MORE REFERENDUMS BECAUSE THE CURRENT SITUATION OF ONLY CALLING REFERENDUMS ON KEY CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES IS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL WAY OF BOLSTERING THE LEGITIMACY OF SUCH DECISIONS
- Increased referendums use may well lead to voter fatigue and apathy; there is already clear evidence that turnout is low when questions that do not engage the public are asked, such as the referendum on a London Mayor and Assembly, and this undermines the legitimacy of these votes.
- In addition, the people’s veto would undermine representative democracy by weakening the power of the government to turn the policy promises on which it was elected into legislation.
Define the term ‘initiatives’
Give people the power to propose a new law or constitutional amendment and then vote on it.
What are initiatives?
- Initiatives are not currently used in the UK but are used in other democracies such as Switzerland and certain states in the USA.
- Initiatives allow people to propose a new law or constitutional amendment by gathering the required number of signatures from the public,
- If the proposal is then passed by the voters, it becomes part of the law of that state or country.
- The key difference to a referendum is that initiatives allow people to put the measure on the ballot paper and then vote on it themselves without any role for elected politicians.
An example of an initiative
- In 2016, a vote was held on whether Switzerland should introduce a guaranteed basic income of around £1,700 per adult and £400 per child per month for all.
- This proposal was placed on the ballot having achieved over 100,000 signatures despite having no support from any major party.
- The initiative rejected at the ballot box with 77% voting against and 23% voting for the proposal
Evidence for and against: Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
INITIATIVES
FOR
1) THE UK COULD INTRODUCE THE USE OF INITIATIVES TO GIVE THE PUBLIC MORE DIRECT CONTROL OVER MAKING LAW
Evidence for and against: Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
INITIATIVES
AGAINST
1) HOWEVER, INITIATIVES WOULD UNDERMINE UK DEMOCRACY BY REMOVING POLITICIANS FROM MAKING DECISIONS AND POTENTIALLY CREATE A SITUATION WHERE THE MAJORITY COULD UNDERMINE THE RIGHT OF MINORITY GROUPS
Evidence for and against: Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
INITIATIVES
FOR
1) THE UK COULD INTRODUCE THE USE OF INITIATIVES TO GIVE THE PUBLIC MORE DIRECT CONTROL OVER MAKING LAW
- Essentially, the UK could allow the public to put new laws on the ballot paper and then vote on it themselves without any role for elected politicians as happens in Switzerland or some states in the USA
Evidence for and against: Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
INITIATIVES
AGAINST
1) HOWEVER, INITIATIVES WOULD UNDERMINE UK DEMOCRACY BY REMOVING POLITICIANS FROM MAKING DECISIONS AND POTENTIALLY CREATE A SITUATION WHERE THE MAJORITY COULD UNDERMINE THE RIGHT OF MINORITY GROUPS
- In 2009, Swiss voters used an initiative to ban the construction of minarets in a vote that was seen by opponents as an attempt to curb the religious practices of muslims, impacting the right to freedom of religion
What are citizens’ assemblies?
- Citizens’ assemblies are made up of a representative group of between 50 to 200 people, who are chosen using sortition.
- Certain criteria such as age, gender, ethnicity, region and social background are used as part of the selection process to ensure that the group is broadly representative of wider society; it represent the country in miniature.
- The assembly is then given the job of carrying out an in-depth analysis of a particular policy issue; this process involves analysing the problem, deliberating on potential solutions, then making informed recommendations for action.
What are 2 examples of citizens’ arrest?
Two of the most high-profile examples both come from the Republic of Ireland.
1) The Convention on the Constitution 2012 to 2014, made recommendations that led to the 2015 Marriage Equality Referendum
2) The Irish Citizens’ Assembly made proposals on removing the country’s abortion laws; this recommendation was put to a referendum in 2018 and supported by 66% of voters
Evidence for and against: Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
CITIZENS’ ASSEMBLY
FOR
1) CITIZENS’ ASSEMBLIES ARE A WAY OF EXPLORING THE VIEWS OF THE [PUBLIC ON A POLICY ISSUE AND COMING UP WITH CONCRETE SOLUTIONS
Evidence for and against: Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
CITIZENS’ ASSEMBLY
AGAINST
1) HOWEVER, THERE ARE NECESSARY REQUIRMENTS FOR ASSEMBLIES TO BE SUCCESSFUL
Evidence for and against: Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
CITIZENS’ ASSEMBLY
FOR
1) CITIZENS’ ASSEMBLIES ARE A WAY OF EXPLORING THE VIEWS OF THE [PUBLIC ON A POLICY ISSUE AND COMING UP WITH CONCRETE SOLUTIONS
- For example, the environmental group Extinction Rebellion campaigns for UK citizens’ assemblies on climate change.
- Citizens’ assemblies can reinforce and add to representative democracy, not only by giving elected politicians an understanding of informed public viewpoints on complex policy issues, but also by building trust in the political process through participation and engagement.
- For example, Ireland established citizens’ assemblies to deliberate on abortion and same-sex marriage, both of which led to referendums are changes in the law.
Evidence for and against: Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
CITIZENS’ ASSEMBLY
AGAINST
1) HOWEVER, THERE ARE NECESSARY REQUIRMENTS FOR ASSEMBLIES TO BE SUCCESSFUL
In order for assemblies to be successful, the following is required:
- Firstly, there would need to be a clear question, sufficient time and a large enough budget to cover the topic in the appropriate detail.
- Secondly, there would also need to be the political will, probably backed by cross-party support, to implement rather than ignore the recommendations made by the assemblies.
- There are already plenty of ways for politicians to understand the public’s views on key policy issues, including opinion polls, and the rise of social media has made it far easier for the public to make their views known to their elected representatives
Define the term ‘recall elections’
- Allow the voting public to trigger a special election to remove an elected representative before the end of their term in office in order to increase their accountability and limit corruption
Define the term ‘constituency’
This is an area whose voters elect an MP; there are 650 constituencies in the UK
Define the term ‘by-election’
These take place when a seat in the House of Common becomes empty between general elections
Define the term ‘electoral commission’
- An independent body, charged with both reviewing the operation of the UK’s democratic processes and with making recommendations for strengthening democracy.
- It was established by the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA)
Recall elections in the UK
In the UK, this process was introduced by the Recall of MPs Act 2015 and allows MPs to be recalled under any of the following 3 circumstances:
1) If an MP is convicted in the UK of an offence and sentenced or ordered to be imprisoned or detained and all appeals have been exhausted.
2) If an MP has been suspended from the House of Commons, for at lease 10 days, by the House Committee on Standards for breaking the Code of Conduct for MPs
3) If an MP is convicted of making false or misleading Parliamentary allowances (expenses) claims
- Once this has happened, if 10% of those eligible to vote in the constituency of the MP sign a recall petition, then the MP is removed from their post, and a by-election is called to fill that seat.
Examples of recall elections in the UK
- Between 2015 and 2020, there were 3 recall petitions opened, and on two occasions the petition was successful and a new election called.
- In 2019, the sitting MP, Fiona Onasanya (Labour), was recalled having been convicted and sentenced to 3 months’ imprisonment for perverting the course of justice, with Lisa Forbes (Labour) winning the by-election.
- In 2019, the MP for Brecon and Radnorshire, Chris Davies (Conservative), was convicted for making false expenses claims and recalled.
- He stood as the Conservative candidate in the by-election but lost the seat to Jane Dodds (Liberal Democrats)
Evidence for and against: Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
RECALL ELECTIONS
FOR
1) RECALL ELECTIONS, AS THEY STAND, DO NOT MAKE MPS ACCOUNTABLE ENOUGH TO THEIR CONSTITUENTS
Evidence for and against: Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
RECALL ELECTIONS
AGAINST
1) CRITICS WOULD POINT OUT THAT THIS ESSENTIALLY REMOVES THE ABILITY OF MPs TO THINK FOR THEMSELVES SO THEY SIMPLY BECOME MOUTHPIECES FOR THEIR CONSTITUENTS
Evidence for and against: Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
RECALL ELECTIONS
FOR
1) RECALL ELECTIONS, AS THEY STAND, DO NOT MAKE MPS ACCOUNTABLE ENOUGH TO THEIR CONSTITUENTS
- Recall elections in the UK have a very narrow set of criteria under which MPs can be recalled.
- Recall elections could be widened so that constituents could recall their MPs where they feel they have failed to deliver on the promises they made at elections or due to a failure to represent their constituents’ interests.
- This would strengthen the link between MPs and their constituents by increasing the accountability of the MP.
Evidence for and against: Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
RECALL ELECTIONS
AGAINST
1) CRITICS WOULD POINT OUT THAT THIS ESSENTIALLY REMOVES THE ABILITY OF MPs TO THINK FOR THEMSELVES SO THEY SIMPLY BECOME MOUTHPIECES FOR THEIR CONSTITUENTS
- MPs would make decisions based on polling the attitudes of their constituents out of fear of a recall election triggered by supporters of the opposing parties.
- The current recall elections legislation does its job of increasing accountability, and so no further reform is needed.
ELECTORAL REGISTRATION REFORM
- In 2019, the Electoral Commission found that more than 9 million people (around 17%) who are eligible to vote in the UK are not correctly registered to vote, limiting their ability to participate in elections.
- Their investigation also found clear differences in registration levels between younger people, renters, low-income and ethnic minorities, compared with older white people who own their homes.
Evidence for and against: Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
ELECTORAL REGISTRATION REFORM
FOR
1) AUTOMATIC VOTER REGISTRATION WOULD ENSURE ENVERYONE IS ABLE TO VOTE
Evidence for and against: Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
ELECTORAL REGISTRATION REFORM
AGAINST
1) HOW ACCURATE, SAFE AND COST EFFECTIVE WOULD THE ONLINE VOTING SYSTEM BE?
Evidence for and against: Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
ELECTORAL REGISTRATION REFORM
FOR
1) AUTOMATIC VOTER REGISTRATION WOULD ENSURE ENVERYONE IS ABLE TO VOTE
- This has led to calls for automatic voter registration, supported by the House of Commons Political and Constitutional Reform Committee in 2014, whereby public officials would directly enrol people without ordinary citizens having to take any action
Evidence for and against: Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
ELECTORAL REGISTRATION REFORM
AGAINST
1) HOW ACCURATE, SAFE AND COST EFFECTIVE WOULD THE ONLINE VOTING SYSTEM BE?
A number of concerns were raised by the government in response to the Committee in 2014:
- The cost of automatic voter registration
- The issues with ensuring its accuracy
- The concerns around security against fraud
VOTING AND ELECTORAL REFORM
- Elections in the UK are seen as free and fair, are overseen by the independent Electoral Commission and supported by various campaigns to register to vote and get the vote out, such as Bite the Ballot.
- However, the downturn in voter turnout in the UK is a significant problem for UK democracy and a number of suggestions have been made to increase voter participation.
Evidence for and against: Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
VOTING AND ELECTORAL REFORM
LOGISTICS
FOR
1) THERE ARE A NUMBER OF OPTIONS TO EXPLORE WHICH COULD INCREASE TURNOUT
Evidence for and against: Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
VOTING AND ELECTORAL REFORM
LOGISTICS
AGAINST
1) FEARS REMAIN OVER ELECTORAL FRAUD AND COST
Evidence for and against: Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
VOTING AND ELECTORAL REFORM
LOGISTICS
FOR
1) THERE ARE A NUMBER OF OPTIONS TO EXPLORE WHICH COULD INCREASE TURNOUT
WEEKEND RATHER THAN WEEKDAY VOTING
- The pattern across Europe is that turnout is 10% higher in countries that run weekend rather than weekday voting
THE INTRODUCTION OF ONLINE VOTING
- This proposal is strongly supported by the National Union of Students in its submission to the Reform Committee where they cited evidence that 85% of students at the University of Sheffield said they were more likely to vote if voting was online.
Evidence for and against: Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
VOTING AND ELECTORAL REFORM
LOGISTICS
AGAINST
1) FEARS REMAIN OVER ELECTORAL FRAUD AND COST
- There are concerns about electoral fraud when it comes to online voting and worries that it would be difficult to guarantee the secrecy of the ballot, while the move to weekends is seen to involve additional costs for limited rewards.
Evidence for and against: Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
VOTING AND ELECTORAL REFORM
COMPULSORY VOTING
FOR
1) COMPULSORY VOTING WOULD INCREASE ENGAGEMENT IN THE POLITICAL PRCESS ACROSS ALL SOCIAL CLASSES AND AGES
Evidence for and against: Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
VOTING AND ELECTORAL REFORM
COMPULSORY VOTING
AGAINST
1) PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE A CHOICE WHETHER OR NOT TO PARTICIPATE
Evidence for and against: Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
VOTING AND ELECTORAL REFORM
COMPULSORY VOTING
FOR
1) COMPULSORY VOTING WOULD INCREASE ENGAGEMENT IN THE POLITICAL PRCESS ACROSS ALL SOCIAL CLASSES AND AGES
- This would increase the legitimacy of the UK’s elected bodies.
- In order to tackle the issue that this is a restriction on freedom, it has been suggested that ballot papers should include a voting option for ‘none of the above’ so people could show they did not support any of the candidates.
Evidence for and against: Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
VOTING AND ELECTORAL REFORM
COMPULSORY VOTING
AGAINST
1) PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE A CHOICE WHETHER OR NOT TO PARTICIPATE
- Critics argue that, as a matter of principle, voting should not be made compulsory, and that people should be free to not participate at elections if they so choose.
Evidence for and against: Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
VOTING AND ELECTORAL REFORM
VOTING AGE
FOR
1) REDUCING THE VOTING AGE TO 16 WOULD INCREASE YOUTH TURNOUT IN THE SHORT TERM AND INCREASE VOTER TURNOUT ACROSS ALL AGE GROUPS IN THE MEDIUM TO LONG TERM
Evidence for and against: Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
VOTING AND ELECTORAL REFORM
VOTING AGE
AGAINST
1) INTEREST IN POLITICS AT A YOUNG AGE COULD BE LOW
Evidence for and against: Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
VOTING AND ELECTORAL REFORM
VOTING AGE
FOR
1) REDUCING THE VOTING AGE TO 16 WOULD INCREASE YOUTH TURNOUT IN THE SHORT TERM AND INCREASE VOTER TURNOUT ACROSS ALL AGE GROUPS IN THE MEDIUM TO LONG TERM
- This could go hand in hand with wider education about citizenship in school, which would encourage people to vote for the first time ,and encourage voting as a habit.
Evidence for and against: Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
VOTING AND ELECTORAL REFORM
VOTING AGE
AGAINST
1) INTEREST IN POLITICS AT A YOUNG AGE COULD BE LOW
- Critics argues that 16-18 year olds are unlikely to be interested in or have an understanding of politics, and lowering the voting age will lead to lower turnout
Evidence for and against: Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
VOTING AND ELECTORAL REFORM
VOTING SYSTEM
FOR
1) CHANGE THE VOTING SYSTEM FROM FPTP
Evidence for and against: Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
VOTING AND ELECTORAL REFORM
VOTING SYSTEM
AGAINST
1) FPTP IS ALREADY ESTABLISHED WITH VOTERS
Evidence for and against: Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
VOTING AND ELECTORAL REFORM
VOTING SYSTEM
FOR
1) CHANGE THE VOTING SYSTEM FROM FPTP
- The electoral system used in the UK – First Past the Post (FPTP) – has created a situation in which too many people don’t vote because they feel that their vote does not matter.
- Under FPTP, the candidate with the most votes wins the seat while the votes for all the losing candidates elect no one, so are seen as wasted and worthless.
- This problem is made worse by safe seats, where one party dominates so strongly that the outcome of the election in that seat is a foregone conclusion, raising the question, why vote?
- It is argued by Unlock Democracy that a move to proportional representation, where the percentage of votes equals the percentage of seats in the elected body, would increase turnout by around 3% to 7%
Evidence for and against: Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
VOTING AND ELECTORAL REFORM
VOTING SYSTEM
AGAINST
1) FPTP IS ALREADY ESTABLISHED WITH VOTERS
- Opponents point to the fact that FPTP is simple for voters to use, is embedded in UK political culture and helps to deliver clear majorities for the winning party, meaning that the government has clear legitimacy.
- Any changes to the electoral system would undermine these key features of UK democracy.
- The system simply works well and has the support of the wider public, so why change it
Evidence for and against: Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
VOTING AND ELECTORAL REFORM
WIDENING INSTITUTIONAL REFORM
FOR
1) SHORTCOMINGS IN EXISTING PROCESSES
Evidence for and against: Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
VOTING AND ELECTORAL REFORM
WIDENING INSTITUTIONAL REFORM
AGAINST
1) HOWEVER, WIDE RANGING INSTITUTIONAL REFORMS CAN CREATE FURTH ISSUES IN DEMOCRACY
Evidence for and against: Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
VOTING AND ELECTORAL REFORM
WIDENING INSTITUTIONAL REFORM
FOR
1) SHORTCOMINGS IN EXISTING PROCESSES
- These include whether the House of Lords should be a fully elected chamber so there is real accountability, whether devolved bodes should be granted more decision-making power to bring power closer to the people, and whether the system of funding for political parties needs to change in order to reduce the perception that parties are in the pockets of their main donors
Evidence for and against: Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
VOTING AND ELECTORAL REFORM
WIDENING INSTITUTIONAL REFORM
AGAINST
1) HOWEVER, WIDE RANGING INSTITUTIONAL REFORMS CAN CREATE FURTH ISSUES IN DEMOCRACY
- Such as whether a fully elected Lords should have the same power as the Commons, whether devolution is undermining the power of the democratically elected Parliament in Westminster, and whether state funding for political parties would ever be acceptable to the taxpayers who would have to pay the bill.
Key Debate Summary
Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
FOR
- More direct involvement of the public in politics would benefit representative democracy by creating higher levels of engagement and participation, increasing legitimacy while also making politicians more accountable.
- Automatic voter registration would ensure that all citizens were ready and able to vote, increasing participation across all sections of society.
- Voting and electoral reform will increase participation across all sections of society, enhancing the legitimacy of elected politicians.
- Institutional reforms are needed to tackle the democratic deficit and participation crisis.
Key Debate Summary
Will Reforms Enhance Democracy In The UK?
AGAINST
- More direct democracy could increase political apathy and undermine representative democracy by weakening the ability of politics to deliver their election promises.
- Concerns remain about fraud, accuracy and the cost of the automatic registration
- Voting and electoral reform may not increase effective levels of participation and may undermine key features of UK democracy
- Institutional reforms run the danger of increasing opposition to elected institutions and weakening the power of parliament
