Democracy

Question 1

What are the advantages of direct democracy

Answer 1

It is a pure form of democracy

Increased legitimacy

Improves participation

Question 2

What are the disadvantages of direct democracy

Answer 2

It is not practical

Tyranny of the majority

Undermines elected representatives

Question 3

What are the advantages of representative democracy

Answer 3

Only possible practical system for a large modern state where issues are complex-UK for example

Parties are formed to give people a real choice of representative to elect. Pressure groups are also helping to represent different interests- Age UK, Just Stop Oil, National Trust

Reduces the chance of tyranny of the majority- Brexit was an example of tyranny of the majority

Elections allow people to hold their MPs to account- Can vote MPs out at next general election

Question 4

Disadvantages of representative democracy

Answer 4

May lead to a reduced participation as people hand responsibility to MPs- Participation crisis due to voter apathy

Parties and pressure groups are often run by elites who are pursuing their own agenda not representing the people - BBA, Cameron and Johnson Cabinets(cabinet from their own schools)

Parties are more likely to follow the views of the majority to secure election, therefore minorities are still left out- both Labour and Conservatives promised to uphold the Brexit result in their 2017 election manifesto

Question 5

What reforms could help democracy and participation in the UK

Answer 5

Referendums and initiatives,

Recall elections

Primary elections

Lower voting age

Compulsory voting

Digital democracy

Question 6

What are the advantages of referendums and initiatives

Answer 6

Referendums allow whole electorate to vote on usually a serious change to statute law or the constitution in general

Initiatives give the electorate greater influence over legislation and avoids broken promises from the government

Question 7

What are the disadvantages of referendums and initiatives

Answer 7

Existing low turnouts for referendums in the UK

Populist policies and the tyranny of the majority(as seen in Brexit referendum 2016)

Dominance of wealthy special interests

Question 8

Advantages of recall elections

Answer 8

The electorate signs a petition calling for a vote to remove an elected official before the next election

Gives public more power over corrupt incompetent representatives(Recall of MPs act 2015)

Question 9

Disadvantages of recall elections

Answer 9

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 10

Advantages of primary elections

Answer 10

An election held by political parties to choose a candidate for an upcoming election

Gives more power to the people and takes it away from elitists

Question 11

Disadvantages of primary elections

Answer 11

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 12

Advantages of lower voting age

Answer 12

Increase the size of the franchise in hope to get more turnout

Question 13

Disadvantages of lowering the voting age

Answer 13

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 14

Advantages of compulsory voting

Answer 14

Nations issue fines to those who do not vote

Results in higher turnout and greater legitimacy for the winners

Australian Federal Election 2013 had 93%

Question 15

Disadvantages of compulsory voting

Answer 15

People have the right to decide whether to participate or not

Uniformed and uninterested people

Question 16

What are the advantages of digital democracy

Answer 16

Use of modern technology to inform and educate the public and increase political participation

E-petitions

Petitions committee

Launched the Speaker’s Commission on Digital Democracy in 2013

Question 17

What are the disadvantages of digital democracy

Answer 17

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 the anonymity and privacy of voting in secret in a booth?

Question 18

What are the key aspects of Representative democracy

Answer 18

Free and fair elections,

turnout

Universal suffrage

The party system

Pressure groups

Devolution of power

Question 19

What evidence is there to suggest RD is healthy(free and fair elections)

Answer 19

Electoral commission

Campaign spending limits

Ban on campaigning during Purdah

Limits on Broadcasting

Question 20

What evidence is there to suggest RD does not ensure free and fair elections

Answer 20

FPTP is highly unrepresentative leading to so many wasted votes

Question 21

What evidence is there to suggest RD helps achieve a high turnout

Answer 21

After reaching historic low in 2001 of 59%, more people are now voting so turnout is growing back into 70s

Question 22

What evidence is there to suggest that RD is not producing a high turnout

Answer 22

Turnout of 2024 UK general election was only 60%

Question 23

What evidence is there to suggest RD helps to increase Universal suffrage

Answer 23

UK has a system where everyone over the age of 18 who is not in prison, mentally incapable or a peer has the right to vote

Question 24

What evidence is there to suggest RD does not help increase Universal suffrage

Answer 24

Franchise can be increased

Question 25

Evidence to suggest party system under RD is positive?

Answer 25

8 parties represented in Parliament with 11 in the last decade

Question 26

Evidence to suggest party system is not healthy under RD

Answer 26

Mainly two party system due to FPTP as votes for smaller parties are wasted

Question 27

What is the evidence to suggest the UK is suffering from a participation crisis

Answer 27

Falling voter turnout, declining party membership, drop in trust in politicians

Question 28

What is the evidence to suggest the UK is not suffering from a participation crisis

Answer 28

Referendums have a high voter turnout, voter turnout has generally increased in General elections since 2001

Between 2015 and 2017 there was a sharp rise in party membership

Question 29

What are 3 proposed reforms that could enhance democracy

Answer 29

More direct democracy, voting and electoral reform, institutional reforms

Question 30

What methods are used by pressure groups

Answer 30

Lobbying ministers- Insider pressure groups such as BMA

Developing links with Political Parties- Insider groups such as trade unions and Labour Party

Influencing public opinion- Save Ralph advert made by animal testing by the HSI and protests

Direct action such as civil disobedience- Just Stop Oil

Using the Courts- Badger trust and legal challenge on HS2

Standing for election- Guildford Green Belt

Question 31

Why are some pressure groups more successful then others?

Answer 31

Contradiction to government policy- Government are less likely to listen to pressure groups that contradict their policies such as NUS failed its campaign to stop tuition fee increase in 2011

Government resistance- Government can resist popular campaigns such as Stop War Coalition protest in 2003 despite being one of the largest protests in history, Blair government were not committed to this course of action

Opposition from other groups- Failure of ‘Forest’ who aimed to defend smokers’ rights was countered by rival pressure group ASH who were backed by health organisations such as BMA

Lack of public support

Question 32

How do pressure groups enhance democracy

Answer 32

Encourages participation- in 2014 over 4.5 million people were members of Britain’s environmental and conservation pressure groups

Allows politicians to make policy choices on the wider interest of people as pressure groups will fight for specific policies- improves legitimacy

Question 33

Why do pressure groups not enhance democracy

Answer 33

Can be argued that only the wealthiest and the insider pressure groups actually make change such as lobbying

Only makes impact if it aligns with governments views already such as the Stop the War Coalition as the largest protest of 1 million people failed to prevent the invasion of Iraq in 2003 because the Blair government was not only committed to this course of action so the government easily shrugged off the protest

Question 34

How do think tanks enhance democracy

Answer 34

Many see think tanks as enriching democracy by carrying out political research, developing policy options and aiding public debate

They use their expertise to enable the public and politicians to weigh up different ideas

Question 35

How do think tanks not enhance democracy

Answer 35

Critics argue that think tanks push policies and evidence that favour the powerful and corporate interests who fund them, undermining democracy

Most are not transparent about their funding such as Adam Smith Institute and Policy Exchange

Question 36

How do lobbyists enhance democracy

Answer 36

Allows groups who are likely to be impacted by a particular decision to engage with the government and Parliament

Introduction of transparency of lobbying act helps to increase the trust in politics by ensuring that consultant lobbyists have to sign up to an official register and disclose 4 times per year a list of clients

Question 37

Why do lobbyists not enhance democracy

Answer 37

Can be abused by those seeking to further their own private interests- only the wealthiest groups can afford to spend vast sums of money on lobbying and can rely on those they know rather then what they know in order to influence policy

In 1998, Derek Draper was caught by the observer boasting about his links to at least 17 people in the Labour Government and in 2009, two Labour peers were suspended from the House of Lords for allegedly offering amendments to legislation in return for payments of £120,000

Influence of Lobbying, particularly by powerful industry groups and alcohol groups, is seen as having undue influence on policy making.
Revolving door between lobbying firms and public office suggests that influence is more about who you know then what you know, undermining the idea of equal participation

Question 38

What are 3 ways the UK’s democracy protects human rights and civil liberties

Answer 38

Judicial review and legal framework

Respect of Civil Liberties and rights in Parliament and public bodies

Commitment to human rights in wider society and expanding upon them

Question 39

What are ways judicial review/ legal framework fails to protect human rights

Answer 39

Courts have too much power in deciding rights as they expand on laws themselves such as prisoners rights despite being unelected and unaccountable

Conservatives established an independent panel to look whether there was a need for a reform of the judicial review process to see if the right balance was being struck between the rights of citizens to challenge executive decisions and the need for effective and efficient government

Question 40

What are ways judicial review/ legal framework does effectively protect human rights

Answer 40

Allows citizens to challenge decisions made by public bodies , including the government, which they believe may be unlawful or contravene rights. This allows the courts in the UK to protect the rights of the individual against the power of the state.
In particular, since judges are unelected and unaccountable, they are free to protect the rights of the individual against the overbearing state whereas elected politicians need to pay close attention to the wishes of the majority to win re-election. The court’s protection of the rights of prisoners, suspected terror suspects and migrants even where the rulings are unpopular seem to back this up.

If a public body contravenes a right, the courts can award a just and appropriate remedy and where an Act of Parliament contravenes the HRA, the courts can issue a declaration of incompatibility. The courts cannot strike down an Act of Parliament and this means that they are part of the discussion about rights, but leaves Parliament with the final say in determining the law regarding human rights.
As a result, Parliament has changed the law in response to court decisions in cases regarding civil partnerships and the police keeping DNA and fingerprints on file, but those changes were passed by elected politicians.

Question 41

What are ways that respect of civil liberties and rights in parliament and public bodies are not effective

Answer 41

• The Labour Government’s Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001, introduced indefinite detention for terror suspects, which was ruled incompatible in the Belmarsh case. The Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005, which introduced control orders, suffered two defeats with 18-hour curfews ruled in breach of rights in 2007, while in 2009 the reliance on secret evidence to impose control orders was seen to clash with the right to a fair trial.

In 2016, the Conservative Government oversaw the passage of the Investigatory Powers Act, which detailed the power of law enforcement and intelligence and security agencies to obtain communications and data about communications. Liberty crowdfunded a challenge against the Act, and in 2017 it was ruled that the government unlawfully obtained data from communications companies and didn’t put in place operational safeguards under Article 8. This led the Government to introduce The Investigatory Powers (Codes of Practice) Regulations 2018, which was created to ensure there was more rigorous safeguarding and oversight, including the setting up of the Investigatory Powers Commissioner to oversee the powers.

Question 42

What are ways that respect of civil liberties and rights in parliament and public bodies are effective

Answer 42

Parliament established a Joint Committee on Human Rights, made up of both Peers from the House of Lords and MPs from the Houses of Commons in order to scrutinise every government bill for its compatibility with human rights. On 19 March 2020, the Committee opened an inquiry into whether the Government response to the pandemic was complaint with human rights, in particular Articles 2,5 and 8

The Equality and Human Rights Commission promotes and upholds equality and human rights ideals and laws across England, Scotland and Wales. In 2020, the Commission carried out investigations into allegations of anti-Semitism in the Labour Party and suspected past pay discrimination against women at the BBC.

Question 43

What are ways that commitment to human rights in wider society and expanding upon them is not done effectively in the UK

Answer 43

There has been growing concern about human rights inflation, where individual rights like the right to privacy and a family life have been elevated to the same level as absolute rights like the right to life. This inflation of the right to privacy and family life has severely limited the state, the police and intelligence services from doing their job of keeping the people safe and deporting suspected terrorists and criminals.

There is a developing narrative that ECtHR judges don’t really appreciate or understand the UK human rights tradition. It is better to leave judgements about rights to MPs in Westminster and UK judges who understand British traditions and ways of thinking. This has led elements of the Conservative party to campaign for replacing the HRA with a British Bill of Rights, written by Parliament and ruled on in UK courts.

Question 44

What are ways that commitment to human rights in wider society and expanding upon them is done effectively in the UK

Answer 44

Liberty has been vocal in campaigning against any weakening of the HRA or Judicial Review and against discrimination in policing.

The devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland remain opposed to any changes to the HRA.

The HRA and Equalities Act are frequently used by groups and individuals to get public bodies and Parliament to change their minds without resorting to court proceedings. The survivors and the families of those who died in the Hillsborough Stadium tragedy have used Article 2, the right to life, to argue that the original Coroner’s Inquest that ruled all deaths were accidental did not meet the requirement for a proper, effective investigation into all deaths caused by the State or where it appears the State has failed to protect life. In 2016, the new inquests ruled that the 96 victims had been unlawfully killed.