Democracy and Participation

Question 1

What is legitimacy?

Answer 1

The rightful use of power e.g a governments right to rule after an election

Question 2

What is direct democracy?

Answer 2

People make decisions for themselves. In its purest form there is no govt.
Direct democracy does not exist in any country

Question 3

What is a pluralist democracy?

Answer 3

The govenment listens to the ideas and arguments of different groups and organisations when making decisions

Question 4

What is a participation crisis?

Answer 4

A lack of engagement eg people not votinh

Question 5

What is a pressure group?

Answer 5

Organisations that seek to achieve their aims by influencing government rather than gaining power themselves

Question 6

What is a think tank?

Answer 6

A group deveoped to generate ideas and influence the development of society

Question 7

What is a lobbyist?

Answer 7

People who represent the interests of a particular group or cause

Question 8

What were the key milestones in the development of suffrage?

Answer 8

1832 Great Reform Act - enfranchised middle class male voters. The population who could vote increased to 5%
1867 Reform Act - extended the vote to working class males - electorate grew to 13%
1918 - Representation of the People Act - extended the vote to man over the age of 21, women over 30 or those younger if they owned property
1928 - Representation of the People Act - women over 21 got the vote
1969 - voting age lowered to 18

Question 9

Should the Franchise be extended or reformed further further?

Answer 9

Votes at 16- they can marry, have sex, pay tax, join the army
Young people better informed than ever before - youth parliament. compulsory PSHE in schools
16 - 17 year olds can vote in Scotland and in the 2014 Scottish referendum 75% voted
18 years is the age for buying alcohol, gambling, using sun beds
Few other countries allow votes at 16. 18 in USA, France, Germany, Itly
Votes at 16 would favour left wind parties
16 year olds have less life experience
Turn out lower with younger voters

Question 10

How could prisoner voting be reformed?

Answer 10

Prisoners can’t vote in the UK as they renounce their rights to citizenship when incarcertaed
You could argue it breaches human rights
Liberty and Howard League argue for prisoner voting
It would help them engage with civic duties
2011 vote in Parliament 234 MPs voted against, 22 in favour

Question 11

Should compulsory voting be introduced?

Answer 11

Civic responsibility
Low turnout undermines legitimacy
Compulsory voting would force politicians to be responsive to the needs of ethnic monorities and young people who have a low turn out
Even if voting is compulsory some could spoil their vote
Its too corcive
Not voting is a way to register disatisfaction with the candidates e.g in 2016 only 25% of the electrorate voted in the Police Commisioner elections

Question 12

What are the reforms around voter ID?

Answer 12

Election Act 2022 have to show ID because:
Easy to impersonate someone else
Convictions for voter fraud are rare 1 conviction only in 2019
People least likely to afford ID young people and low incomes. Student ID is not accepted
Some see ID as restricting civil liberties.

Question 13

What are the advantages of direct democracy?

Answer 13

the peoples vote is clearly heard - purest form of democracy
Avoids delays and deadlocks
People make the decision - greater legitimacy
Decisions made by the people are difficult for future govts to cancel
It can educate people about political issues

Question 14

what are the disadvantages of direct democracy?

Answer 14

Can lead to the tyranny of the majority - who may ignore that interests of the minority
People could be swayed by the appeal of the short term/charismatic individuals
Some issues too complex for the ordinary citizen to understand

Question 15

What are the different types of representation?

Answer 15

Social
Contituency
Party
Causal
Social

Question 16

What are the advantages of respresntative democracy?

Answer 16

Reps can develop expertise to deal with matters that the public don’t have the expertise or time to deal with
Representatives have better judgement than the masses - can be more rational
Represntatives can protect the interests of minorities
Representatives can be held to account
Represnetatves have the time to deal with complex matters
It is a practical way to translate public opinion into public action

Question 17

What are the disadvantages of representative democracy?

Answer 17

Reps may not act in the best interests of constituents
Difficult to hold a representative to account
It allows voters to delegate reposbility to reps so they may disengage themselves from public responsibility and issues
Rep bodies may ignore the concerns and needs of monorities

Question 18

Who regulates representative democracy in the UK?

Answer 18

The Electoral Commission

Question 19

What do the electorl commission do?

Answer 19

Ensure that represnetation is fair
That all those entitled to vote can register
that political parties do not have undue influence through spending

Question 20

What is Liberal democracy?

Answer 20

Leaders answer to the people
Limitations restrict the power of govt

Question 21

What are the main examples of the UK’s democratic deficit?

Answer 21

1. First Past the Post system can be dispropotional
   Votes are wasted
   Govts get elected with asmakk proprtion of the poular vote
   Discriminates against small parties
2. The House of Lords has considerable influence but is an unelected body
3. The soveriegnity of parliament gives unlimited power to government
4. The power of parliament is based on the authority of the unelected monarch
   5 The European convention on Human Rights is not bing on Parliament so individual rights and liberties are under threat

Question 22

What are the advantages of replacing the Lords with an elected chamber?

Answer 22

Makes it more accounatble

Question 23

Disadvantages of elections to the Lords

Answer 23

Expertise of the Lords replaced by career politicians

Question 24

What are the advantages of making First Past the Post more democratic?

Answer 24

Removes safe seats, minority constituencies and govts with a minority of support

Question 25

What are the disadvantages of replacing First Past the post with more proprtional rep?

Answer 25

Coalitions more likely
Harder to hold to accunt
Sysytem complex
Risjs losing the MP/constituency link

Question 26

What are the advantages of codifying the constituency?

Answer 26

Clarify the processes if the UK pol systme
Provides a higher law rather than the uncodified current constitution

Question 27

What are the disadvantages of a codified constition?

Answer 27

Too rigid Who would write and implement it?
It would give extra power to unelected judges

Question 28

What are the advantages of a devolved English parliament?

Answer 28

It would solve the WEst Lothian question (where devolved MPs can vote in measures that no longer affect their constituents
Create equal level of representation across the UK

Question 29

What are the disadvantages of a devolved English parliament?

Answer 29

England is too large a single entity to work with a evolved system
Regional devolution rejected by voters

Question 30

What are the ads of state party funding?

Answer 30

Politicians can focus on their main job not fundraising
Remove the need to aquire money from powerful groups and vested interests that donate funds for their own aims and not national interest

Question 31

What are the disadvantages of state party funding?

Answer 31

Keep politicians and parties connected to voters
Questions would be raised about whether tax payers money should go to parties

Question 32

WHat is the advantage of compulsory voting?

Answer 32

Increase turn out at elections
Improve legitimacy of elected officials

Question 33

What is the disadvantage of compulsory voting?

Answer 33

Forcing people may not improve their engagement in politics
The right to vote includes the right not to vote

Question 34

How would replacing the monarch with a president improve democracy?

Answer 34

Remove an unelected figurehead and create an accountable figure

Question 35

What would the disadvantages be of replacing the moanarch with a president?

Answer 35

Monarch is neautral and can act as a unifying figure

Question 36

How can people participate in politics in the UK?

Answer 36

Stand for public office
Join a political party
Join a pressure group
Vote participate in social media campaigns

Question 37

Describe different levels of participation in politics?

Answer 37

2001 general election had a turnout of 59.4% 12% below 1997 and 18% below 1992
One explanation could be New Labour was so dominant some did not see the point of voting

Question 38

Are there free election in the UK?

Answer 38

All over 18 can vote and little evidence of fraud
Prisoners and the homeless are denied the vote
The House of Lords isn’t elected
The head of state (monarch) is not elected

Question 39

Are the elections fair?

Answer 39

The systems are proprtional and Scotld, Wales and N Ireland are devolved
First Past the Post leas to disproprtionate votes and wasted votes

Question 40

Is participation in voting ideal?

Answer 40

Membership of pressure groups is high
E- democracy has good levels of participation
Voter turnout is low

Question 41

Is there freedom of expression?

Answer 41

The press is free of govt interference
BBC is netutral
Owners of the press e.g News International do have political favourites
Some info on the internet is false

Question 42

Is there freedom of association?

Answer 42

There are no retrictions on legal organisations
The govt has banned terrorist or racist groups
Public meetings can be restricted in the interests of safety

Question 43

Is protection of rights and liberties strong?

Answer 43

Yes Britain is signed up to ECHR and the courts enforce it
Parliament is soverreign so rights are at the mercy of parliament

Question 44

Is the rule of law democratic?

Answer 44

Right to judicial review underpins the law
Monarch is exempt from legal restriction
Evidence that thos with higher social standing get treated more leniently

Question 45

How is the constition democratic?

Answer 45

Parliament and courts ensure that govts act within the rule of the law
Human Rights Act can restraint the actions of govt
consitutional checks limit govt
There is no codified UK constition so the limits to govt power are vague

Question 46

Could the House of Lords be reformed?

Answer 46

Yes replaced with an elected chamber
However this may put it into rivalry with the commons and the expertise of the Lords could be replaced by career politicians

Question 47

Would replacing First Past the Post make the country more democratic?

Answer 47

Yes remove safe seats, minority consituencies, unfair representation
However it would make coalitions more likelt
The close MP/consituency links may be lost

Question 48

Could we codify the consitution to make the UK more democratic?

Answer 48

Ye it would carify the processes of the political systems and provide a higher law
However a codified constiution may be too rigid. Who would write it?It would give more power to unelected judges

Question 49

How would creating a devolved English parliament help democracy?

Answer 49

It would solve the West Lothian question where MPs from devolved areas an vote on matters that o not affect their consituents

Question 50

Would state party funding help democracy?

Answer 50

Politicians could focus on their main job not fundraising
However fundraising hels keep parties connected to voters.
Questions would arise of how tax payers money should be allocated

Question 51

How would compulsory voting help democracy?

Answer 51

It would increase turnout , but the right to vote incuded the right not to vote

Question 52

How would replacing the monarch with an elected head help democracy?

Answer 52

It would make them accountable
The monarchy is popular and neutral
It could act as a unifyong power

Question 53

What are the advantages of direct democracy?

Answer 53

Everyone in society is involved
People make the decisions in their own interests as there is no govt
All citizens voices are equal
Purest form of democracy

Question 54

What are the disadvantages of direct democracy?

Answer 54

Impractical to involve all citizens in decision making
Citizens are apathetic if asked to participate too often
People will vote for their own interests and not societies
No minority voices will be heard - tyranny of the majority

Question 55

What was Athenian democracy?

Answer 55

508 BCE
Only males over 18 could vote
There was an assembly of 30,000 people - they were paid to attend
There were checks and balances conducted on people to prevent abuses of power
Those in office were there for a short term period
Corruption was reduced as no one knew who would serve next
The boule of 500 citizens decided what ws to be discussed
Any citizen could speak at the assembly
The assembly could vote to banish any member who became too powerful

Question 56

What are the advantages of Athenian democracy?

Answer 56

Revolutionary
All citizens had equal political rights regardless of wealth or social standing

Question 57

What were the disadvantages of Athenian democracy?

Answer 57

Only males could apply for govt - women were excluded
Only 3,000 of the 250,000 citizens actively participated
100 citizens - the wealthiest dominated the political arena
The people could be swayed by a good speaker
The people lacked the knowledge to make good decisions
The citizen body were still a closed political elite

Question 58

What is good about UK democracy?

Answer 58

Free and universal franchise
First Past the Post is simple, speedy and creates an MP constituency link
Proportional representation in devolved parliaments is important
Turnout is not high but similar to other western countries
The UK parliament represents constituents and holds the govt to account
All citizens are represented by an MP
There are extensive freedoms in the Human Rights Act 1998
The freedom of information act requires the govt to reveal information on how and why decisions were taken on behalf of the people
Pressure groups give a voice to minorities and ensure political diversity
The UK constitution limits govt
All govts are subject to law upheld by judges via judicial review and the Human Rights Act

Question 59

What are the disadvantages of the current state of UK democracy?

Answer 59

First Past the Post is disproportionate and leaves minor parties underrepresented in 2015 50% of votes were cast for a losing candidate
The public is apathetic towards politics
Parliament can be ineffective in holding the govt to account as it is dominated by a govt with an overall majority
The unelected House of Lords can delay laws
Many MPS can ignore their constituents concerns as they hold safe seats and can stay loyal to their party
Women, ethnic minorities and the working class are under represented in parl
THe Human Rights Act is not fully entrenched and judges can ignore it
The Freedom of Information Act has exemptions which govts use to further their own interests
Wealthy pressure groups may pursue their own interests which may not benefit the population
Leaders of pressure groups are not elected or under public scrutiny