Democracy Flashcards
what is democracy?
democracy refers to political systems whether people are either directly or indirectly involved in decision-making
it means rule by the people
two types of democracy: direct and representative
features of a democracy
everyone is subject to and equal before the law
everyone gets to have their say (e.g. via voting in elections and referendums)
universal suffrage — every eligible person has the right to vote
free media
freedom of speech
accountability and transparency
equal rights and protection of minorities
political office is open to all
secret ballots and fair elections
a choice of parties and the existence of opposition
government should serve the interests of the people
types of democracy
direct democracy
representative democracy
what is direct democracy?
individuals express their opinions themselves and have direct influence on decisions made, instead of having representatives act on their behalf
this system originated in Athens, Ancient Greece and is still used in Switzerland today
examples of direct democracy = referendums, strikes and petitions
what is representative democracy?
elected representatives act on behalf of the people (their constituents) to exercise political choice
they make decisions and speak for them
this is the most common form of democracy in existence today
example of representative democracy = MPs in the House of Commons
features of direct democracy
individuals directly express their opinion themselves
citizens are more active in decision-making as representatives are not acting on their behalf
based on the concept of majority rule
when voting, people directly vote and that vote will be counted and have influence on final decisions
not elective
features of representative democracy
citizens elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf, they pass authority to them
all adult citizens have the right to vote for representatives
elections for representatives are free and fair
representatives do not act as delegates or merely take instructions, they are expected to use their own judgement too
if they do not satisfy voters, representatives can be held to account and removed at the next election
based on the concept of majority rule
advantages of direct democracy
everyone’s voice can be heard because the people have a direct say in decision-making and can exercise their opinions themselves, they are also more active in decision-making
gives equal weight to all votes, unlike in a representative democracy where the varying sizes of constituencies means votes do not all have equal value
encourages political participation by expecting people to take their citizen duties seriously by getting involved in politics, this then develops a higher sense of community and encourages genuine debate as well as leading to people becoming more politically informed and educated
removes the need for representatives as people take responsibility for their own decisions
close connection between people and the government
usually if people are unhappy with a decision they can demand a referendum
disadvantages of direct democracy
impractical in large, heavily populated modern states, where decision-making is complicated and needs to take place regularly, because it is a time-consuming system that is not easy to control
many people will not want to or feel qualified to take part in decision-making and the high amount of involvement required may result in voter fatigue, which means that the final result may not be representative of the whole population — political activists and those with interests will decide what happens rather than the whole country
open to manipulation by the most powerful, influential and articulate speakers who can persuade people to support their view point (e.g. demagogues in Athens), this also means that the system can be abused by those advocating in favour of hate and discrimination
tyranny of the majority is more likely to take place because it is not mediated by parliamentary institutions so minority viewpoints may be disregarded
divisions may occur between those of different viewpoints (e.g. tensions rising between people on the Brexit vote)
advantages of representative democracy
the only practical system for large states where issues are complex and often need rapid responses (e.g. deployment of troops) because it speeds up decision-making and does not require multiple referendums
there is a wide range of choice of representative, there are clear parties to choose from as well as pressure groups representing different interests, this promotes genuine debate and encourages a pluralist democracy
politicians are professionals and are better informed than the average citizen about political issues, so will do a better and more efficient job at making crucial decisions on behalf of the people
elections allow representatives to be held to account and removed if they do not satisfy voters, these elections are free and fair and anyone can vote
reduces the chance of minority rights being over written by tyranny of the majority as the system includes better and more safeguards for minorities
less voter fatigue as voting is only required ever so often (e.g. every five years in the UK)
disadvantages of representative democracy
may lead to reduced participation as the people hand over responsibility to politicians and no longer feel that it’s necessary to engage in politics as it’s been done for them by MPs
parties and pressure groups are often run by people pursuing their own agendas, they may not truly represent the interests of the people, may be influenced by party loyalty or have links to businesses, only interested in themselves rather than being loyal to the electorate, corrupt or incompetent
minorities can still be disregarded and unrepresented because politicians are more likely to follow the views of the majority to secure an election, the system is still based on the concept of majority rule
politicians can avoid accountability, especially since elections in the UK are held five years apart, this makes it hard to hold them to account if they’re making decisions that you do not agree with
first past the post is used in elections which means votes are wasted if they do not go to the winning party, this can lead to voters becoming disenchanted and furthermore, smaller parties have very small chances of being properly represented in parliament due to the two party system, which further adds to the issue of disenchantment
CASE STUDY: Switzerland
in what ways is Switzerland the ultimate democracy?
Switzerland has had a strong and persistent use of direct democracy in a wide range of both national and local issues — the use of democracy was formalised by the Swiss Federal Constitution and ratified in 1848
provision of significant amounts of local power and compels a mandatory popular vote for changes to the Constitution
Switzerland has not been in any state of declared warfare since the Napoleonic era, certainly not matched by its Italian, French or German neighbours
managed to successfully balance the linguistic differences of its population, ensuring that German, French, Italian and Romansh speakers are treated equally and fairly under the law, whereas places like Belgium, Ukraine and Spain are obviously divided on issues related to linguistic differences
groups of citizens can easily press for major changes to national law or the Swiss Constitution — 100,000 signatures need to be collected to allow a proposed change to be placed on the ballot
this is nearly unprecedented in modern democracies and has allowed for the citizenry to make its voice directly, especially when they believe political groups or the Federal Council are not representing their interests effectively
close connection between government and the people
CASE STUDY: Switzerland
examples of referendums held
in 2002, the Swiss voted in favour of the accession of the Swiss state to the United Nations
in 2003, Switzerland became the first country in the world to vote against the provision of nuclear power for the whole country
the Swiss referendum process has also dealt with issues relating to infrastructure, taxes, equal representation of women in parliament, judicial reform and many other topics
there have been some interesting votes, including one which would have abolished compulsory service in Swiss Army and another that would have provided for the medical prescription of heroin — Swiss citizens are able to have their say on almost any issue
CASE STUDY: Switzerland
in what ways is Switzerland not the ultimate democracy?
the negative effect on minority groups and a clear tyranny of the majority
the will of the majority, unchecked, could infringe upon the rights or abilities of minority groups to live their lives as their fellow countrymen could
while this system gives a voice to the citizens, it can also be easily abused by those who advocate in favour of hate and discrimination
CASE STUDY: Switzerland
example of the negative effect on minority groups (Jewish)
the problem with direct democracy in Switzerland is not a new one
in 1893, 60.1% of the citizenry voted in favour of banning the ritual slaughter of animals
this was presented as an animal rights issue but the initiative has been viewed by many as a specific targeting of Switzerland’s Jewish population
as it directly hindered the ability of Swiss Jews to secure kosher meat products while leaving Switzerland’s largely Christian population virtually unaffected — tyranny of the majority
CASE STUDY: Switzerland
example of the negative effect on minority groups (citizenship)
when certain cantons allowed citizenship to be directly voted on (a process which was discontinued in 2003 after a Swiss court ruled that such a process violated the Constitution) voters in perceived anti immigration regions and cantons consistently voted against citizenship applications from people with Turkish and Yugoslavian backgrounds
in 2004, the people of Switzerland rejected, through a direct referendum, the naturalisation of foreigners who had grown up in Switzerland and the automatic provision of citizenship to the children of third generation foreigners
seems to show a specific targeting of distinctly disadvantaged minority groups (although the vast majority of Swiss referendums tend to revolve around mundane issues like tax policy and social welfare spending)
CASE STUDY: Switzerland
example of the negative effect on minority groups (Muslim)
in 2009, Switzerland held a vote that banned the construction of further minarets on mosques
this was viewed by many as a direct contravention of the human rights of Switzerland’s Muslim population, which makes up roughly 5% of the overall population
despite opposition from the Confederation of Swiss Employers, the Swiss Trade Association, the Swiss Federation of Trade Unions and 13 of Switzerland’s largest political parties, the measure still passed with a 57.5% majority
example of direct democracy: ATHENS
earliest known direct democracy
adult male citizens had the right to take part in decision-making at public meetings/assemblies
they were chosen to take part via a random lottery and from a pool of citizen volunteers
meetings took place several times a month and during them, people would have their say and propose laws
meetings were overlooked by a 500 member governing council called a boule
parties and groups were prevented from forming so the process was more fair and equal
no elections except for jobs that require a lot of skill, such as military leaders
example of direct democracy: ATHENS
advantages and disadvantages
+ increased political involvement as people saw it as their duty to attend meetings and so wanted to take part
+ tried to represent the whole population
- excluded women, slaves foreigners, which is unrepresentative of the whole population (only 10% could have a say)
- Plato called it chaotic and anarchic with no real rule or order, making it impractical as a regular means of decision-making
- demagogues were the loudest and therefore the only ones heard, they were often manipulative and abused the system for their own gain
example of direct democracy: SWITZERLAND
a direct democracy still in use
the people can have a say in almost everything — they can propose and overturn legislation (100,000 signatures are needed to put a proposed measure on the ballot) and any change to the Constitution must pass through the people
the Swiss have voted on a variety of issues, including judicial reform, citizenship, equal representation in parliament and even whether heroin should be allowed to be medically prescribed
vote in referendums (2 types; mandatory and optional)
three voting areas: municipal (town), cantonal (county) and national (country)
example of direct democracy: SWITZERLAND
advantages
+ everyone can have an opinion on what happens, which means that everyone’s voice is heard
+ population is more politically informed and there is typically more debate
+ people can demand a referendum if they’re unhappy with a decision
+ local power is distributed to the 26 cantons/counties
+ close connection between the government and the people
example of direct democracy: SWITZERLAND
disadvantages
- voter turnout/participation is very low — only 40% of the whole population vote, which means that the final decisions are not representative, low turnout may be due to voter fatigue because of all the referendums held
- some non-Swiss citizens may not be able to vote on every level
- only 16 laws and policies were successfully accepted in the last 150 years, which suggests it is ineffective and that genuine action rarely happens
- open to manipulation by the most powerful
- tyranny of the majority (negative impact on minority rights e.g. rejection of citizen applications from people with Turkish and Yugoslavian backgrounds, laws targeting Muslim and Jewish populations)
what is a pluralist democracy?
a type of democracy where the government makes decisions as a result of the interplay of various ideas and contrasting arguments from competing groups and organisations
there is a wide range of political parties, pressure groups, political ideologies and opinions to choose from — they all coexist instead of there being a single elite
examples of direct democracy in a representative system
national referendums
recall of MPs act (2015)
direct democracy in a representative system: NATIONAL REFERENDUMS
a direct vote on a single issue, usually requiring a response to a straight yes or no question
the UK has only had three national referendums….
• 1975 — Britain’s membership of the EEC
• 2011 — Westminster voting system (changing FPTP to AV)
• 2016 — Brexit
examples of direct democracy in an representative system: RECALL OF MPs ACT (2015)
if an MP is sentenced to imprisonment or has been suspended from the House of Commons for more than 21 days then a petition can be triggered
if 10% of voters in that MP’s constituency signs the petition then a by-election will be called
this is an example of direct democracy holding representatives to account
case for reform of the UK democratic system
there is an ongoing debate about how well the democratic system in the UK functions
- legitimacy
- democratic deficit
- participation crisis
what is legitimacy?
the legal right to exercise power in accordance to preset criteria or widely held agreements
for example, a government’s right to rule following the win of an election — the government gains legitimacy from the consent of the people
by being elected, democracy validates the policies of those who exercise power
what is a democratic deficit?
a perceived deficiency in the way a democratic body works, especially in terms of accountability and control over policy-making
lacking democracy
some argue that the UK is suffering from a democratic deficit and that our democratic system does not function or work properly
what is a participation crisis?
a lack of engagement with the political system
evident in low voter turnout and a decline in party membership
positive democratic features of the UK
free media
independent judiciary
free and fair elections
wide range of political parties and pressure groups
devolved governments
positive democratic features of the UK: FREE MEDIA
challenges government policy and scrutinises the government
exposes the misdeeds of politicians, holding them accountable
represents a wide variety of views and opinions
positive democratic features of the UK: INDEPENDENT JUDICIARY
separate from other branches of government and free from political influence
upholds the rule of law and protects a wide range of personal freedoms
positive democratic features of the UK: FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS
largely free from corruption and intimidation
anyone can stand for office and have the chance of getting in — we are not a one party state
positive democratic features of the UK: WIDE RANGE OF POLITICAL PARTIES AND PRESSURE GROUPS
encourages a pluralist democracy where people are free to choose from a wide range of parties to support
a huge variety of political opinions are represented
people can participate in politics by belonging to a group or party
positive democratic features of the UK: DEVOLVED GOVERNMENTS
powers transferred to regions such as Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
this decentralises power and distributes it more fairly
decisions can be made by local people in these regions, who are most suited to make such decisions
undemocratic features of the UK
unrepresentative voting system
House of Lords
lack of citizens’ rights protection
media control/influence
undemocratic features of the UK: UNREPRESENTATIVE VOTING SYSTEM
the House of Commons is still elected using first past the post, which is unrepresentative and nonproportional
the number of votes a party wins does not equate to the number of seats they are awarded
this means that minority viewpoints are often not represented in parliament
undemocratic features of the UK: HOUSE OF LORDS
the Lords lacks democratic legitimacy as they are unelected, meaning they do not have the consent of the people and are not subject to proper accountability, yet they can still play a major part in decision-making
attempts at reform of the House of Lords have failed
however, while many of its members have been appointed by prime minister, some are chosen by other party leaders and some non-party crossbench peers are nominated by an independent House of Lords Appointment Commission
thus ensuring that a wide range of professions and fields of experience are represented in the upper house, possibly making the Lords more suited to making decisions due to their wide range of expertise
undemocratic features of the UK: LACK OF CITIZENS’ RIGHTS PROTECTION
the Human Rights Act 1998 incorporated the ECHR into UK law
but this arguably provides an inadequate protection of citizens rights as the government can derogate from articles in the act and state that they no longer have legal authority in certain situations
undemocratic features of the UK: MEDIA CONTROL / INFLUENCE
sections of the media are controlled by wealthy and unaccountable business interests, which means that not all of the media is completely free
for example, the Murdoch group has owned numerous newspapers such as The Sun and The Times, thus having a platform to influence their readers
what is a participation crisis?
a lack of engagement with the political system by a significant section of society
can be seen in low voter turnout and declining party membership
there is a widely held belief that the UK suffers from a participation crisis
indicators of a participation crisis
voter turnout
party membership
participation crisis: VOTER TURNOUT
the most obvious measure of participation
falling turnout indicates an obvious lack of participation and engagement in politics
low voter turnout is democratic issue as it means the government is elected on a reduced share of the popular vote, which raises questions on the strength of the mandate (right to rule) and means it may lack legitimacy
participation crisis: VOTER TURNOUT
average voter turnout at general elections
average turnout from 1945 to 1997 was 76%
since then, it has been much lower….
• 2001 = less than 60% (the lowest since the end of WW1 in 1918)
although it has been rising modestly since then.... • 2005 = 61.4% • 2010 = 65% • 2015 = 66% • 2017 = 68%
but this it is still quite low and definitely not high enough to suggest there is NOT a participation crisis
participation crisis: VOTER TURNOUT
young people, EU elections, world ranking
average turnout for 18 to 24-year-olds is particularly low — according to YouGov, turnout for them was only 57% in 2017 whereas it was 77% for over 65’s
in European elections, the average turnout for EU countries is 42% but the average turnout for the UK in European elections is only 35%
the UK is ranked 76th in the world for voter turnout, which is very bad considering the UK is supposedly one of the leading democracies yet its voter turnout suggests that citizens do not engage in the democratic system
participation crisis: VOTER TURNOUT
second order elections
turnout is even lower in ‘second order’ election such as local council elections and those for devolved bodies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
the average turnout in the May 2016 local elections in England was around 33% — this could be because voters see these less powerful bodies as unlikely to make a major difference to their lives so do not feel the need to vote
turnout in by-elections is also low — only 38% voted in the 2017 Stoke-on-Trent by-election, which is significantly less than the already low 49% turnout for that seat during the 2015 election (possibly because people aren’t helping choose a government so do not care)
only 15% of people voted in the 2012 Police and Crime Commissioner elections (this is the lowest average turnout in any UK contest) — although there was a slight improvement to 27% in 2016
participation crisis: PARTY MEMBERSHIP
declining party membership
only 1.6% of the electorate belong to one of the three main UK parties, this fell from 3.8% in 1983
Conservatives — 400,000 members in the mid 1990s but this fell to around around 150,000 by 2016
party membership seems to have fallen considerably since the 1950s, people may feel unrepresented by the range of parties available so are disengaged in politics
the average age of a Conservative party member is 72, the average age of a Labour party is just under 51 — suggests a lack of political engagement in young people
participation crisis: PARTY MEMBERSHIP
why might this declining party membership not be an issue?
this might not be so important as there are other ways to engage in politics, such as through pressure groups or e-petitions
partisan dealignment — people do not vote for one party every time, so just because party membership is falling does not mean that there is a participation crisis, especially since it is more common for people to not be loyal to one party
participation crisis: PARTY MEMBERSHIP
increasing membership: main parties
Labour — increased membership in the run-up to the 1997 election, but this fell to around 190,000 when Labour was actually in government
the election of Jeremy Corbyn as leader has been associated with the huge rise in membership to 515,000 in 2016 (Corbyn effect)
Lib Dems — 70,000 members in the early 2000s, falling to 49,000 during the 2010-15 coalition, but rising again to over 82,000 by 2017
this demonstrates a rising membership, not every party has seen a drop in membership — while membership has fluctuated, the overall trend seems to be towards growth
participation crisis: PARTY MEMBERSHIP
increasing membership: smaller parties
there has been an increase in the membership of smaller parties….
- in 2013, the SNP only had a membership of 25,000, but in 2016 this rose to 120,000
- the Green Party only had 13,000 members in 2013, but by 2016 this had risen to 55,000
- UKIP also saw a small increase in its membership from 32,000 in 2013 to 39,000 in 2016
- in the 2015 general election, a record 24.8% of the vote went to smaller parties rather than the three major ones
participation crisis: OTHER WAYS TO PARTICIPATE IN POLITICS
besides voting and being a member of a party, there are other ways that people are still getting involved in politics, which might suggest there is not a participation crisis…
- pressure group membership increasing
- increased use of social media
people are finding other ways to express their opinions, possibly because they feel that traditional politics has let them down
it may be positive that new forms of political engagement are emerging, however it is still concerning that so many are uninvolved in traditional politics
participation crisis: PRESSURE GROUP MEMBERSHIP / DIRECT ACTION
pressure group membership is increasing, particularly concerning groups that advocate specific causes and single issues, such as tuition fees and the Iraq war, which have all had well-attended protests and demonstrations
There has been an increase in pressure group membership with one internal UK adults being a member of an environmental pressure group
There has been an increase in large-scale protest and organise streaks for example the recent student walk out pressuring the government to take more action on climate change
Direct action has become a recognised feature of modern politics indicating that people may be turning to new methods of political expression
Even if there are less members of political parties though to turn out is still low people are still joining pressure groups and movements for example the momentum has 40,000 members
Although arguably this may just be armchair participation which involves people joining but not actually getting involved
Pressure groups are often ignored by the government unless they are inside a group that the government relies on for specialist information so the level of real influence that they have on the government is debatable for example the National farmers union was able to use its links with DEFRA To bring about a badger cull in 2013 which only 38% of the population supported this was despite opposition from animal rights groups and this was only possible due to the inside of links which many pressure groups lack
participation crisis: SOCIAL MEDIA / DIGITAL DEMOCRACY
Social media has enabled people especially young to exchange political views participate in online campaigns Allows young people to get informed through social mediaand so on
For example and a petition against row charging proposals were signed by more than 1.8 million people in 2007 and Parliament must discuss the issue if a petition reaches over hundred thousand signatures
E petitions have been introduced and seen millions of signatures gathered for issues that the public feel are important for example 4,1 million signatures were gathered for a petition that any vote on the membership of the EU should need 60% of the photo and at least 75% turnout
Are you petitions have attracted the support of many millions including 84 million signing up for a second you referendum in 2016 issue based politics seems to be thriving
Social media campaigns have been used By parties to spread the message to younger people who statistically or less likely to vote than any other group for example labours pro Corbin momentum group has been contributed with increasing the labour you at five and increasing over 30 percentages dramatically in the 2017 general election
However there is a lot of false information spread of media through unreliable sources
Although the petitions have been introduced many are often ignored by Parliament as they are not obligated to discuss any topics that the Parliamentary a petitions committee does not think are suitable for example a petition with 580,000 signatures to block a state visit by Donald Trump to the UK was ignored by the government who recently extended an invitation to the US president to visit the country
Participating in and a petition is much easier than going out to vote as there is no need to leave the house and it’s a much more simple process as the person affectively only needs to click a button petition participation may not be as valid as genuine participation in elections for this reason as it can be argued that it shows less of an engagement in the political system as people do not have to take much initiative
reasons for participation crisis: political apathy
Political apathy and lack of interest or awareness of political events and issues people do not want to vote as they do not really care about being Involved in politics or don’t see you need to push for political change
This could explain the unusually low levels of turnover in 2001 and 2005 a time when the economy was booming people are possibly more content with how things were and didn’t see the need to push for change
Turn out in 2001 was only 59.4%
reasons for participation crisis: disillusion/disenchantment
Disillusioned disenchantment people feeling letdown and losing faith and trust in politicians and the political system to bring about any real change or do their jobs properly
Maybe due to the MPs expenses scandal which exposed widespread dishonesty and corruption
Due to dishonest politicians broken electoral promises and a general sense that voting doesn’t change anything
This explains declining voter turn out but also explains why people are turning to alternative types of political activity as the addition disillusioned with traditional politics
reasons for participation crisis: depends on the issue at stake
Depends on the issue at stake if a critical issue that affects our country is governed is at stake them or people tend to express their views and vote e.g. in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum of 84% of people voted and over 72% of people voted in the 2016 EU referendum
CASE STUDY: MPs Expenses Scandal, 2009
In 2009 the daily Telegraph published evidence of widespread abuse by MPs of the system that allows them to claim expenses for living costs
Some MPs have made false claims for mortgage repayments and home insurance among some very absurd and unnecessary claims such as the purchase of a duck house
This led to numerous MPs apologising repaying claims and stepping down at the next election five form MPs and to Lords what even sentenced to prison
Although steps have been taken to change the expenses system this does not seem to have altered perceptions of politicians as untrustworthy the 2015 survey has found the politicians were the least trusted profession below estate agents and bankers
Discount to cause people to lose faith and trust in politicians to do their jobs properly
potential reform of the political system to tackle the participation crisis and increase turnout
possible ways of Increasing turn out by making it easier to vote and letting more people vote
Changing election days to the weekend instead of on Thursdays like it is in mainland Europe allowing people to vote anywhere in their constituency rather than the particular polling station allowing voting to take place over several days encouraging the wider use of postal voting allowing electronic voting reducing the voting age from 18 to 16 Allowed in the 2014 Scottish referendum making voting compulsory Like in Belgium in Australia with failure to vote attracts a small fine
problem with electronic and postal voting
Open to cyber attack and electoral fraud fraud such as online impersonation of others to vote also may discriminate against all the people and poor areas you might find it difficult to access technology either because they are unfamiliar with it or cannot afford it
Both electronic voting and postal voting open to security threats
All postal voting was trialled in for regions during the 2004 EU Parliament elections and there are complaints of an increase in the rate of fraud including multiple voting and intimidation voters also dislike to being deprived of other means of voting
broader reforms of the democratic system
Changing the electoral system used in Westminster to a more proportional one so that the number of votes proportionate a number of seats one and that the outcome more accurately reflects the boat is preferences people who want to vote from my naughty party might Then feel that there is more of a chance of the viewpoint being represented and feel more inspired to vote and may begin believing that their vote actually makes a difference
Further reform to Parliament to make it more democratic and transparent and enabling it to hold governments to account more affectively issue this helps tackle the issue of disillusionment as people will be able to trust Parliament more
Maude evolution to local and regional bodies
need for broader reforms to the democratic system
The proposal is to increase turnout will only have a limited impact if the real reason for the lack of participation lies deeper than the inconvenience of voting broader reforms to address deep issues should be considered such large-scale reform is unlikely as seen in 2011 when the proposal to change the Westminster boating system to AV was rejected
what is compulsory voting?
Voting is Manda Tory and a legal requirement voting is compulsory in Australia and Belgium failure to vote results in a fine
arguments for compulsory voting
Voting is a social duty as well as the right people should be in gauged in our democratic system I have a same processes that affect their lives
Would produce a more legitimate government as Parliament would be more present to tiff of the population as a whole seeing as everyone is voting due to low turnout in 2015 only 24% of the whole population actually voted Conservative yet the still from the government
Governments would have to cater its policies to the whole electorate which means they had better address everyone’s issues in order to win more votes they also run better quality campaigns and be more responsive to all groups in society in 2015 turn out for over 65 to 78% which explains why many policies were centred around them
arguments for compulsory voting (continued)
voters do not have to vote for a party they still have the freedom to exercise political choice by spoiling the ballot paper or ticking none of the above
Would result in higher turnout in Australia turn out rose from 60% to 90% when they made voting compulsory
Increases participation in politics and could solve the U.K.’s participation crisis point gauging in educating more people as well as raising more please call awareness only 66% voted in 2015 general election perhaps if everything was made compulsory a similar rising turnout as seen in Australia would happen in the UK
arguments against compulsory voting
Forcing people to vote and taking away their rights to freedom of choice is undemocratic we should not have to take part in something if we do not want to not voting can be a political statement
People may just like randomly or for whoever is at the top of the ballot which decreases the legitimacy of the government as it leads to a skewed and unrepresentative result
Does not address deeper reasons why people do not vote because forcing them to vote does not mean they care about politics or are politically informed they just vote because it is illegal not to lead into a cosmetic and not genuine democracy
arguments against compulsory voting (continued)
Could turn voting into a chore rather than a privilege or duty which may mean it won’t be taken as seriously
Would not solve the issue of politicians focusing on marginal seats and they collecting save seats for the outcome is predictable thus not addressing the concerns of voters in safe seats
participation crisis: REFERENDUMS
arguments to suggest there is a crisis
Many might argue that there is a participation crisis in referendums on like general elections they aren’t a regular occurrence and they are all on different complex topics meaning that they may feel overwhelmed with what to vote for as they lack the knowledge needed to vote for example in the 2016 EU referendum many were given false information which led them to vote Brexit Boris Johnson promoted Brexit via bus passes with writing on which stated we send the EU £350 million let’s find our NHS instead without going into detail at all about how this money but if it’s a UK citizens and the prospects we will lose from leaving the EU therefore confusing photos and losing votes in the referendum
A lack of referendum participation may also be due to the lack of opportunities one receives to get interested in politics politics in schools is on tour and this is the same in further education and letting individual voluntarily takes part in a political club et cetera for example in the Greater London authority referendum on whether there should be a mayor of London and Greater London authority 1989 the turnout was extremely low with the highest turnout being in Richmond and 44% in fact one BBC reporter said that he could only see six people in the church house that had been decked out to host the year celebration party to have a big policeman suggesting a lack of enthusiasm due to little interest in politics
participation crisis: REFERENDUMS
arguments to suggest there is not a crisis
Participation in the 2016 EU referendum was 72.2% 32 million votes out of a possible 46,.9 million out of those who are eligible to vote when comparing this with other recent referendum is this is a way better turnout for example in the AV 20 to 11 referendum the turnout of eligible voters was 42.2% therefore implying that the publics political interests are increasing suggesting that there isn’t a participation crisis
In the recent EU referendum the turnout was 64% among 18 to 24-year-olds and 65% among 25 to 39-year-olds which is closer to the population average that could have been expected 71% of people aged 18 to 24 voted to remain in the EU and 62% of 25 to 39-year-olds consequently suggesting that when the referendum outcome largely affects the future of many individuals money take an interest and vote hopefully this election in courage to such an interest in politics in the young population with more higher turnout later to come in future referendums
One could argue that there might be a participation crisis in politics in general but not in referendums this is due to the belief that individuals tend to find it easy to get passionate about an individual issue than they do about a party in 20 1175% agree the parties are only interested in votes in 1987 it was 64% suggesting that many feel that political parties don’t bother with them resulting in the public not bothering with the parties therefore with particular issues expressed in referendums the public find it easier to engage with and therefore participate in referendums as they can connect with them on a larger scale and feel that their vote actually counts towards something
lowering the voting age to 16 to tackle the participation crisis
This could increase voter turnout
And ONS analysis has shown that lowering the voting age to 16 could change the winner in 88 seats These 88 seats are constituencies were young people aged 16 and 17 outnumber the sitting MPs majority if they voted then this would significantly impact the political system
Scottish independence referendum demonstrates that young people are politically engaged and will vote when given the opportunity to turn out for 16 and 17-year-olds was 75%
factors to consider when debating whether there is a participation crisis
Voter turnout
party membership
referendums
digital democracy social media
direct action pressure groups
is there a democratic deficit in the UK?
FREE ELECTIONS
Everyone can vote over 18 secret ballot minimal electoral fraud
However 16 to 17-year-olds cannot vote neither can prisoners despite this being in violation of the ECHR
unelected House of Lords
is there a democratic deficit in the UK?
FAIR ELECTIONS
Multiple parties to vote for pluralism electoral commission independent body that regulates the conduct of elections e.g. campaign funding one vote per person first past the post keeps extremist parties out devolved areas use proportional voting systems
Proportional representation has been successfully introduced in devolved administration is
First past the post encourages the two party system minor parties are not adequately represented and have no real chance of getting into power lack of proportionality not all votes are equal due to the varying sizes of constituencies government can win by one vote and on a low percentage of the vote which means they lack legitimacy
is there a democratic deficit in the UK?
WIDESPREAD PARTICIPATION
Give the government legitimacy increasing pressure group membership As seen in large protests general elections slight rise in turn out in the last three elections and referendums tend to have a high turnout although not always as seen in 2011
Turn out is low in elections especially younger voters local council elections have very low turnout in EU elections the UK is below the average voter turnout across EU countries decreasing party membership
is there a democratic deficit in the UK?
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
Everyone can express their views can side with any party and there is no single party domination pluralist democracy and free speech on the press the independent BBC et cetera who can criticise and openly scrutinise the government
Hate speech right wing press control several newspapers on sky News is owned by Rupert Murdoch bias anti-Corbyn bias
is there a democratic deficit in the UK?
FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION
Free to side with any party without being persecuted by the state pluralist democracy
Extremist views
is there a democratic deficit in the UK?
PROTECTION OF RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES
Protected by the human rights act equality act et cetera pressure groups can Uphold them by bringing a sister called e.g. understand the national judicial review Parliamentary sovereignty
Brooks it back to rights Parliament can appeal legislation and ignore the courts as they are sovereign judicial review gives unaccountable forces too much power emergency situations in which the government me derogate from human rights act and declare that certain rights no longer have a legal standing
is there a democratic deficit in the UK?
RULE OF LAW
Impartiality and neutrality of the judiciary MPs expenses judges role that they were not protected by Parliamentary privilege
is there a democratic deficit in the UK?
LIMITED GOVERNMENT
The judiciary can hold the government to account no Parliament combined future government fixed term parliament act judicial review
House of Lords is on elected if the government has a large majority they can do as they please and there’s nothing to stop them taking away rights
is there a democratic deficit in the UK?
The UK has a strong democracy with laws rather than a flawed democracy
With uncertainty growing in the UK over the future of the union over Britain’s place in the world after Brexit and three indecisive general election results in 2010 2015 and 2017 questions are now being raised about the state of our democracy
On the face of it the many constitutional reforms That have been introduced since 1997 of strengthen democracy in the UK but below the surface new tensions arising
is there a democratic deficit in the UK?
The EU referendum in 2016 reveal deep divisions in society and has led to the fresh tomatoes for Scottish independence furthermore when the Supreme Court declared in the Miller case of 2016 to 17 at the government did not have the prerogative power to trigger article 50 taking the country out of the EU there was a storm of protest from parts of the press claiming the judges with the enemy of the people even the cherished independence of the judiciary seems to be under threat
is there a democratic deficit in the UK?
The increasing importance of social media with questions going over so-called fake news on the legitimacy of some political campaigns may well be undermining democracy
is there a democratic deficit in the UK?
The House of Lords the most recent attempt to reform the second chamber failed in 2012 when a combination of opposition from within the Conservative party in the House of Lords itself together with a lack of political will on the part of the coalition government defeated proposals for an elected house
The lack of reform was put into shop focus at the beginning of 2017 when the Brexit bill was presented to Parliament this followed a constitutional conflict over who have the power to trigger the U.K.’s exit from the EU the government are those probative powers all the Westminster Parliament under the sovereignty of Parliament
The Lord is amended the bill twice demanding that there should be a Parliamentary vote on the final exit deal with the EU and guaranteeing the residency rights of EU citizens already in the country against the wishes of the government ultimately the Commons overturn these amendments on the Lord’s conceded this avoided a major constitutional conflict but reduced the question of what is the on reform the House of Lords actually for if it can only delay legislation in this case for a few days it’s usefulness must be questioned the reason it has such a limited role is that it lacks democratic legitimacy the uncertain status of the Lord’s remains a problem for democracy in the UK
is there a democratic deficit in the UK?
The electoral system although forms of proportional representation have been introduced in the devolved administration is AMS in Scotland and Wales STV in Northern Ireland on the regional list in London first past the post is still used in Westminster
The failed attempt to replace first past the post in the 2011 referendum a large majority were rejected the alternative an outcome that led many to claim that there was no appetite to ditch first past the post however the flaws in that referendum And the result of the 2015 and 2017 general election is rekindled the question of electoral reform
In 2015 UKIP won nearly 3,9 million votes 12.6% of the total however the party only gained one seat the SNP won almost exactly half of the popular vote in Scotland but this was converted into victory in virtually all constituencies the party won all that three of the 59 Scottish seats
The Liberal Democrats and the greens also suffered discrimination meanwhile the Conservative party was returned to office with only 37% of the national vote in 2005 the Labour government which one is 66 seat majority of only 35% of the national vote
In June 2017 election some order was restored in that the two main parties dominated with the 80 to 89.2% of the seats and 82.4% of the national vote for small parties including UKIP the greens and the SNP all fell back
Disproportionate results wasted votes and no longer produces strong stable governments with decisive Parliamentary majorities
Elections that do not produce governments with a clear mandate call into question the whole democratic legitimacy of government
is there a democratic deficit in the UK?
Devolution is an ongoing process the shift in power towards the national minorities and to city regions represents an increase in democracy in two senses
First decentralises power and brings it closer to the people
Second the new devolved administration is a more democratic than when Westminster the electoral system is used on the proportional of the representative assemblies in devolved administration is good exercise more control over executive government in Westminster can
There are also signs that indicate that more devolution may well be introduced in the near future
is there a democratic deficit in the UK?
The independent judiciary the constitutional reform act 2005 brought the Supreme Court into existence it also introduced a number of measures to ensure that the senior judiciary should be fully independent senior judges on our appointed by an independent commission and the government was made legally responsible for ensuring independence meanwhile the Supreme Court judges were taken out of the House of Lords to ensure a greater separation of powers
Since its introduction the Supreme Court has been extremely active in preserving the rule of law controlling excesses of power exercised by public bodies and imposing the European convention on human rights are truly independent judiciary such as that in the UK is a cornerstone of modern constitutional and democratic government
is there a democratic deficit in the UK?
The human rights act 1998 was a huge step forward in the protection of citizens rights and liberties it was quickly followed by the freedom of information act in 2000 coupled with the reinforced independence of the judiciary after 2005 there is no doubt that the UK democracy has been greatly strengthened in this area of course Parliament remains sovereign so rights are always in jeopardy from an over mighty government but the UK has moved one step nearer to the kind of democratic safeguards that exist in most other modern states and it is very unlikely that the government would revoke rights as they would be widescale protest
is there a democratic deficit in the UK?
Referendums would seem to be a considerable step in the direction of greater democracy they are pure form of democracy and are able to settle political conflicts and issues within with the direct consent of the people however recent experience is called into question the democratic claims of referendums three examples from recent times raise a number of concerns the 2011 AV referendum 2014 Scottish independence referendum on the 2016 EU referendum
Referendums have revealed a mixed picture at first sight they enhance democracy but the reality is that they undermine representative institutions I do not necessarily solve conflicts
is there a democratic deficit in the UK?
The 2011 AV referendum on reform of the electoral system was flawed in a number of ways the system being considered was seen as too complicated for voters to understand the primary role of any referendum is that the question should be understood there was also a very low turnout at 42% many voters used as a opportunity to punish the Liberal Democrats for a broken promise on university tuition fees and therefore were not voting on the issue at all
is there a democratic deficit in the UK?
The 2014 Scottish independence referendum had a high turnout and 55 to 45 majority against independence the issue was clearly understood
However it has not resulted in the issue going away because Scotland circumstances are going to change after Brexit most Scots wish to remain in the EU but the country will be forced out along with the rest of the UK Scottish voters were not in possession of all the facts when they went to the polls so cool for more in for another independence referendum
is there a democratic deficit in the UK?
The 2016 EU referendum raised several problems the deep divisions it reviewed in British society it is hoped that referendums can heal the conflicts in the country but the EU vote opened up deep breaths Scotland and London showed a marked preference for staying in the EU but the rest of the UK wanted to leave all the photos showed an even larger preference for leaving all the young mostly voted to remain most middle-class voters wanted to remain well most of the working class voted to leave the divisions thrown out by this referendum will make negotiations for that leaving the EU especially delicate and potentially dangerous if the minority feel that they are being severely let down
is there a democratic deficit in the UK?
It has been argued in recent years of the UK suffering from a participation crisis a problem which is so severe that democracy itself is threatened by politically active population is in danger of losing its democratic rights
Widespread disillusionment with the main parties following membership of these parties and low turnout elections I’m referendum is voting for the two main parties has it has been in long-term decline in 1979 Labour and the Conservatives together attracted the votes of nearly 81% of the population but by 2015 this had fallen to about 67%
Referendum turnouts 1997 to 98 Devolution to Scotland 60% devolution to Wales 50% devolution to Northern Ireland to 81% 1998 should London have an elected mayor and assembly 34% turnout 2011 introduction of the AV electoral system 42%
However party memberships are writing again in the early 1980s nearly 2,000,000 people were members parties by 2015 is it slumped are less than 400,000 but label Liberal Democrat Scottish National and green parties have all reported significant increases a membership in 2015 to 17 especially among other people
The long-term decline in voting turnout has been arrested and has begun to turn around
is there a democratic deficit in the UK?
Social media has both widened political activity and bought many more people into the political process that was the case when participation was limited to traditional pressure group and party membership and voting in elections
The spread of knowledge and influences disbursing power more evenly throughout the population there are encouraging signs that young people are really engaging with politics as was indicated by the ground swell of support among that age group for Jeremy Corbyn and higher voting turnout of 18 to 24-year-olds rising from little over 40% in 2010 to 2015 to nearly 60% in 2017
Although it can be argued that participation in such platforms is much less intensive than direct action participation in a petitions and writing campaigns on such sites such as 38° may represent political activity but it is of an extremely limited nature
positive democratic features of the UK
Proportional representation has been successfully introduced in the devolved administrations
The House of Commons has become more influential and more affective in calling on the government to account
Referendums have brought more people into the political arena and turn out for two recent referendum was very high 84% in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum and 72% in the British membership of the EU 2016 referendum
The continuing Devolution process is decentralising power
Social media and the Internet have provided many new platforms but the political participation encourage pluralism and dispersed influence more widely
The judiciary is now properly independent
indecisive democratic features of the UK
Some referendums have had serious flaws
Membership of political parties is growing after many years of decline
The U.K.’s exit from the EU may improve democracy by removing the power of external EU institutions
Rights and liberties remain well protected unless the human rights act was repealed which the Conservative government have expressed a desire to do and replace it with a British bill of human rights
The last three general election is none of which produced decisive government majority is maybe a temporary anomaly
negative/undemocratic features of the UK
The House of Lords remains on reformed and therefore undemocratic
The electoral system for general elections produces an on representative Parliament
Turn out at elections is generally low by European standards and party membership remains limited
Strong elements of elitism remain in society and politics
The Prime Minister and government retain wide prerogative and therefore arbitrary powers gives rise to the risk of an elective dictatorship
