Democracy and Participation Flashcards
Types of participation
Writing to MPs Signing petitions Attending campaigns Pressure group membership Social media
When has voter turnout been low
2001: 59.4% - people knew a vote for anyone but Labour would be wasted
2019: Kingston Upon Hill - 49.3%
When has voter turnout been high
1951: 83%
Voter turnout has always been above 60% since 2001
European,, local and referendums (with the exception of Scottish, 85%) have been low.
What has happened to party membership?
Membership of political parties has been in decline in the UK since the 1950s, falling by over 65% from 1983 (4%) to 2005 (1.3%).
Conservative = 180,000
Labour = 485,000
Green = 48,500
What has happened to pressure group membership?
Around 40% of the UK is part of a Pressure Group.
Unite union is the largest trade union in the UK, with 1.4 million members.
What has happened to e-democracy
Petition signed by 4.1m people for a 2nd EU Referendum
Arguments for and against reform of electoral system?
+FPTP limits voter choice (Green got 2.6% of votes but 1 seat, SNP got 48 seats but 4% of votes)
+FPTP favours 2 main parties (e.g. won 87% of seats in 2019, but 75% of votes)
-proportional causes coalitions (SNP has only ever had 1 majority in Scotland)
- People voted to keep it in 2011
- in 2019, most people did vote Con and Lab
Arguments for and against reform of devolution
- no appetite for a Parliament in England: 78% against in North West
- Police Commissioner Turnout was 25% in 2016
What was turnout in 2019. Also what was turnout of 19-21
turnout was 67% in 2019
41% of 18-21 year olds voted
Whats a promotional group
Promote a cause or set of values
-> Greenpeace, Age UK
What is a sectional group
Represent a section of socirty and interested in their own values
-> BMA, The Law Society
What is an insider group
Have close links with policy makers, see to be involved in policy making and be consulted through appointing lobbyists
E.g. BMA close to Department for Health and Social Care, NFU which is close to Department for Agriculture
What is an outsider group
Do not have such links as they do not wish to be involved with each other.
Usually promotional and use media/campaigners
-> Greenpeace
How do Pressure groups use access points
Will sit on policy committees and keep offices
-> Lobbying: David Cameron for Greenpeace
How do Pressure groups use campaigns
To mobilise public opinion
-> Extinction Rebellion 2 week protest in London in August 2019
How do Pressure groups use making grantsq
Trade Unions finane Labour
Under Corbyn, Unite gave Labour £3m in 2 weeks in November 2019 alone
Methods of pressure groups
Make grants
Campaigning
Access points
Lobbying
Parliamentary representation (UsForThem is supported by 17 MPs
Media Campaigns (The Muslim Association of Britain organised protests in London, Manchester, Birmingham, and Bradford, in opposition to the Palestine Crisis. There was a march of 180,000 in Hyde Park in May.)
Illegal Methods (Insulate Britain 2021; Greenpeace Destroying GM Crops in Norfolk 2000)
Success factors o a pressure group
Size (e.g. 2015: RSPB invited 500,000 members to join its Birdwatch)
Finance (e.g. 2012: British Bankers Association paid lobbyists to cut corporation tax).
Public mood (e.g. Forest pro-smoking is ineffective)
Government (e.g. Lib Dems saw success come to groups like Child Poverty Action group with Child Poverty Act 2010)
Insider Status (e.g. in 2014, Howard League for Penal Reform ended ban on prisoners receiving books)
Failure factors o a pressure group
Limited funds (e.g. StopTheWar Coalition was not as well funded as the pro-War) Unsympathetic government (e.g. BMA campaign against 7 day NHS has failed in 2015- Con. government) Counterveiling forces (e.g. ASH versus Forest) Violence (e.g. Insulate Britain often falls foul of success as they alienate many).
What is a thinktank
Research aspects of policy
Left wing = Centre for Social Justice
Moderate = Chatham House
Right Wing = Adam Smith Society
Examples of thinktank activity
Owen Patterson - shows they are not good for democracy, he set one up after leaving Cabinet
Adam Smith has been very influential, especially under Thatcher and achieved fix rate of poll tax in 1990.
Institute for Government did explain Coronavirus Act 2020 implications
What role have lobbyists made
They are highly secretive, so not much is known. They operate in the revolving door syndrome - David Cameron for Greenshill is an example of this, and are onl accessible to the rich (Cameron made $10m on Greenshill).
Furthemrore, there are 4000 lobbyists in the UK and Britain’s biggest listed companies have spent at least £25 million on political and lobbying activities from 2015 to 2017.
Where have Thinktanks undermined democracy?
2019: Thinktank Policy Exhange released a report labelling the pressure group Extinction Rebellion ‘extremists’ (but was funded by energy companies).
What role have corporations made
Can act as lobbying bodies.
Uber lobbied London Transport in 2017, and managed to overturn a ruling that withdrew their license in 2020
