democracy and participation Flashcards
what is representative democracy
the uk is a representative democracy, which means that voters elect politicians to make decisions on their behalf
there are so many complicated political decisions that it would be inconceivable for the public to have the time and understanding to vote on all of them
up to politicians who have political understanding so they can make informed decisions on behalf of the nation
in RD politicians are made accountable to electorate in elections - voters ultimately remain sovereignty as they decide weather to renew mandate of representatives
representatives should act according to there best judgments not just slavishly following voters wishes
advantages of Representative democracy
government is carried out by professional politicians who are required to be informed about issues. - more likely to make politically educated decisions than public who may be swayed by emotions or not understand fully
for example before a bill is enacted it will have been carefully drawn up my ministers+civil servants, debated in HOC+HOL and scrutinised in commitee stage
politcians balance conflicting interests when reaching decisions - important in protecting rights of all citizens and ensuring implications for all people is examined
– in direct people will just vote for themselves - lead to majoritarian democracy where interests of minorities neglected
principle of accountablity , which means that in regular elections the voters can decide whether to renew the mandate of their representatives. if public do not approve of policies of government they have the opportunity to elect another one.
disadvantages of representative democracy
mps can be disengaged from the public and so do not adequately represent their interests. pressure groups and media establish a self-perpetuating Westminster ‘bubbles’ which disconnects the voters from their representatives.
mps can have outside interests, inc second jobs (as long as they declare them) . eg george Osborne the former chancellor of the exchequer became editor of the ‘evening standard’ while still being an mp.
westminister parliament is especially unrepresentative since its elected through FPTP. as a result conservatives and labour dominate the HOC and smaller parties like the greens and ukip have struggled to gain appropriate representation.
the social makeup of parliament is still primarily white, male and middle class. critics suggest that the interests of poorer voters are poorly represented. the HOL is unelected so unaccountable to the public further undermining parliaments representative function
following the 2019 General Election, 66 Members of the House of Commons (10%) were from minority ethnic backgrounds.
as of october 2023 there 224 females
however people argue it is misleading to suggest that mps need to share the same characteristics as a group in order to effectively represent them - legislation allowing gay marriage was passed by a predominantly hetrosexual parliament
direct democracy in the UK
form of democracy in which decisions are directly made by the public without opinions being channelled through representatives.
would be impossible for a large modern state like uk to be completly governed by direct democacy however elements have been introduced in order to engage public more closely eg
referendums - public vote on a specefic issue allowing public to determine policy on vital issues however challenges core principles of representative democracy. - eg scottish ind 2014, eu membership 2016, AV referendum 2011.
electronic petitions - if petitions on government website gets 100,000 it will be considered for debate.
consultative excercises - provide important way of engaging with the public on issues that directly affect them. what public say is not binding. communites which will be affected have been consulted over the expansion of Heathrow and the hs2 rail link.
election of the leadership of political parties - main parties allow their membership to decide whom the leader of the party will be. this is significant since it may determine whom the PM will be. this makes leadership accountable to party which is especially powerful in labour which sees itself both as political party and popular movement. critics argue that it gives too much influence to activists. in 2015 corbyn was elected leader of labour with 59.5% of the vote of party members and in 2016 61.8%.
recall of mps act 2015 - allows constituents to force a by-election. - if mp imprisoned, suspended from HOC or convicted of making false expenses then a petition by 10% can trigger by election. In 2018 ian paisley junior just surived a recall petition - was suspended for not declaring 2 family holidays paid for by the Sri lankan government but only 9.4% signed petition.
public trust in mps - In 2009 MPS publically ridiculed for overclaiming their expenses.
former labour cabinet memeber stephen byers secretly fillmed telling lobbying firm that he was like ‘a cab for hire’.
in 2016 ipos mori recorded that the least trusted profession in uk was politician with just 21% of the population believing they cld be relied on to tell the truth.
supporters of direct democracy argues that it engages the public and makes politicians more responsive to what people really think. therefore creating closer connection between the public and political decision making.
critics suggest that the general public are not always sufficently well-informed to make specific political decisions and can give too much influence to extremists.
the way in which the 2016 eu referendum created conflict between the wishes of the people and parliament shows that direct democracy can also destabilise the political process.
to what extent is UK democracy in need of reform ?
it has been suggested that a general failure to engage in politics means that voters are so content that they are ‘hapathetic’. this is dangerous as it suggests that a government should be satisfied with 0 electoral turnout which would give it no mandate to govern.
critics of the UKs system of representative democracy argue that there is so much political disengagemnet that radical steps must be taken to re-inspire ethusiasum.
Trust in politicians has declined and and the turnout in elections is lower than it has been. - In 2009 mps were held in contempt and ridiculed over claims that mps were overclaiming there expenses. in 2016 ipos MORI recorded that the least trusted profession was politician with just 21% of the pop thinking they can be relied on to tell the truth.
2019 General Election was 67.3% compared to 77.7% in the 1992 general election. since a significant number of the population are now choosing not to vote, the legitimacy that elected politicians can claim is significantly reduced.
supporters of direct democracy argue that it engages the public and makes politicians more responsive to what people really think. this therefore creates a closer connection between the public and political decision making.
however critics argue that the public are not always well informed enough to make specefic decisions and that direct democracy gives too much influence to political activists who are more extreme. - the way in which the 2016 eu referendum created conflict between the wishes of the majority of the public and parliament also suggests that direct democracy can have a destabilising impact on the political process.
it is clear voting numbers in general elections have gone down
2019 General Election was 67.3% compared to 77.7% in the 1992 general election - however it would be misleading to suggest that this means there is a participation crisis - some elections inspire very high levels of turnout - February 1974 the ‘who governs britain’ 78.8% and 1992 john majors soap box campaign 77.7% however generally turnout has been between 70 and 75 but voting dramatically decreased in 2001 (59.4%) when tony blair seemed assured of an easy victory however voting steadily increased in next 4 general elections
there was an increase in 7.6% in voting in the two referendums on the UKs membership of the EEC/EU - 1975 64.6% and 2016 72.2%.
the membership of political parties is significantly lower than in the 1950s however does not suggest a participtation crisis as people are unlikely to fully identify with one party. labour party membership actually increased from 190,000 in 2014 to 552,000 in 2018. the surge was helped by the rise of momentum whose members must also be part of the Labour Party.
membership of pressure groups remains high and the success of websites such as 38 degrees show how people participate in politics in different ways.
how convincing are proposals for the reform of UK democracy?
FURTHER DEVOLUTION - in order to encourage more participation it is suggested that more power should be devolved from westminster, thereby giving people greater self- determination. the scottish parliament, welsh parliament and elected mayors show how decision making can be bought closer to the public.
however, turnout in elections for devolved assemblies is significantly lower than for Westminster and has declined since they were established.
scottish - 1999 59.1% - 2016 55.6%
this suggests that providing another layer of government is not that effective in engaging the public.
There is also little enthusiasm for an english parliament and in 2004 in the north east 78% voted against having there own assembly.
elected mayors have simarely not succeeded with much enthusiasm - 2016 long mayor 45.3% + bristol mayor election 29.7%
police commissioners were elected in 2016 with on average a turnout of just 25%.
some political commentators have even suggested that more voting opportunities can discourage participation by leading to a democratic overload.
POWER OF RECALL - the recall of mps act was passed in 2015 enabling voters to trigger a by-election if 10% of them sign a petition. however the circumstances of when this can happen are quite extreme (mp must have been sentenced to prison or suspenced from HOC for at least 21 days) so broadening the circumstances by which an election can be called would give constituents more power.
critics would suggest that it makes mps more like delegates, so limiting the burkean principle of freedom of conscience.
HOUSE OF LORDS REFORM - Hol is unelected and unaccountable. members are selected through political patronage (when david cameron left office he appointed 13 peers from among his political allies and boris even appointed his brother Jo Johnson
making HOL elected would mean that westminister is fully democratically accountable. however there is danger that an elected lords would rival HOC thereby potenially creating gridlock. plus is controversial due to the already low electoral turnout.
DIGITAL DEMOCRACY - supporters argue that facilitating voting and encouraging political discussion will encourage more engagment and turnout. however it is problematic
voting on phone would likely encourage more voting however it also means it would no longer be in secret and voter manipulation could increase.
allegations of cyber interferance in western elections by russia indicates that electrong voting is more open to fraud.
the way politicians use twitter encourages populist sloganeering
the standard of debate on social media indicates that activists can use this to bully rather than debate.
ELECTRONIC PETITIONS - give public more control over what is discussed in parliamen. E-petitions have led to important debates on cannabis and the extension of meningitis B vaccination to all children.
making E petitions more powerful whereby they automatically trigger a voter would make parliament more accountable.
however this could bog Westminster down in unconstitutional and impractical debates eg one of the most popular petitions have called for banning donald trump from the UK which is not even parliaments right since it lies with the home secretary.
in 2019 an e petition calling on the uk to stay in the EU gathered over 6 million signatures.
REFORM OF THE WESTMINSTER ELECTORAL SYSTEM - replacement of FPTP with a proportional form of election would create a fairer connection between the vote a party recieves and its representation in parliament.
critics of FPTP say that it discourages voting as it limits voter choice by over-rewarding the labour and conservative parties. by making votes count critics argues wasted votes and safe seats would be eliminated so voters would have a greater incentive to vote.
however in 2011 67.9% of the electorate voted in favour of not replacing FPTP with AV
Proportional representation would make coalitions more likely, making it more difficult for parties to fulfil there manifesto commitments
the claim that FPTP is no longer appropriate because the UK is becoming multiparty is challenged by the fact 2017 GE saw the highest percentage of the electorate voted conservative or labour than any election since 1970 - 2015 conservative + labour combined share of vote 67.3% vs 2017 82.4%
historical perspective on the franchise
it was not until the early 17th century that parliament began to assert the right to protect the liberties of the english people against the increasingly autocratic Stuart monarchy. during the english civil war parliament asserted its right to be the primary law maker against charles I belief in the ‘divine right’ of the king.
parliament remained the preserve of the rich and powerful and only in the 19th century that a number of acts gradually opened up the franchise. The reform act 1832 and then reform acts 1867 and 1884 increasingly opened the vote.
The suffragists, suffragettes and the great war
political reform has often been driven by popular pressure. in 1897 the suffragists was established by millicent Fawcett to lobby parliament to extend the franchise to women. the efforts of the suffragists were not sufficient but for more militant women emmeline Pankhurst established the suffragettes under the slogan ‘deeds not words’
they engaged in disruptive and even violent action in order to draw attention. when in prison some went on hunger strike and in 1913 emily davidson was killed when she threw herself under the kings horse.
although there protests gained huge publicity, it was there contribution to the Great War that was the immediate cause of them extending the franchise.
women did vital work in factories and 80,000 served as non combatants in the armed forces
in 1918 the representation of the people act allowed all men aged 21 and over and women aged 30+ and who fulfilled a property qualification to vote.
in 1928 a further representation of the people act allowed all men and women 21+ to vote, establishing universal suffrage.
in 1969 a third representation of the people act lowered the voting age to 18 in recognition of the opportunities and responsiblities young people had developed especially with the extension of university education.
votes for 16
votes at 16 - the votes at 16 coalition was established in 2003 to bring youth groups together to campaign.
in 2014 scottish independence referendum 16 year olds were allowed to vote and the scottish parliament then gave them the vote in elections.
tatics of the votes at 16 coalition - established a major presence on the internet through social media and hastag vote16. also encourages school and college debates.
the support of MPS is also vital in winning support for changes to law. in 2017 and 2018 a private members bill to reduce voting age failed in the HOC so success depends on creating as much cross party support as possible for change
should the age of voting be reduced to 16
YES -
at 16 young people can excercise significant responsibility- sex, marry, pay tax and join the army, so it is irrational that they are regarded as not mature enough
most local education authorities hold elections for the uk youth parliament, which has been praised by politicians like the former speaker john bercow for its positive campaigning. in 2017 955,000 young people determined what that youth parliament would debate as part of the make your mark campaign.
the 2014 scottish independence referendum demonstrates huge engagement by 16 and 17 year olds. 75% of this age group voted and according to ruth davidson former scottish conservative leader , the ‘the democratic effect turned out to be entirely positive’
since 16 can vote for scottish parliament it is illogical they cannot vote in westminister
providing young people with the opportunity to vote earlier will encourage them to take their duties as citizens earlier especially as these habits can be encouraged while they are still at school
NO -
some of these claims are misleading, parental permission is needed to join the army at 16 and apart from Scotland permission is required also to marry
young people are not seen as repsonisble enough to buy cigarettes or alcohol themselves so it seems disingenuous to claim that they can excersie all adult responsibilities.
most are still in full time or part time education, they are therefore less likely to pay tax and so do not have the same stake in society as older people
voting turnout amoung 18-24 year olds is lower than other age groups so allowing 16 year olds to vote could actually compound the problem of youth apathy. the Isle of Man has enfranchised them and the turnout in this group has declined from 55.3% in 2006 to 46.2% in 2016.
they have few adult life experiences in which to base there voting. thus are more likely to be manipulated by people and social media.
although scotland has lowered the voting it does not mean its the right thing - very few countries allow 16 year olds
the Labour Party under jeremy corny was so closely identifying itself with the youth vote that reducing the voting age to 16 now would be an act of political partisanship.
prisoner voting
in the uk prisoners are not entitled to vote because they are regarded as having renounced the rights of citizenship while in prison
the question of weather prisoners are being denied a fundamental human right has gained publicity in 2 cases by john hirst. he suggests that although he was in prison he should be allowed to vote but this was dismissed by the courts in 2001 but in 2004 the european court of human rights decalred the ban on prisoner voting was against article 3 of the european convention on human rights so the british government was therefore in defiance of the european convention on human rights.
pressure groups like liberty and howard league are in support however unlike votes for 16 there is little public pressure. when the issue was debated in the house of commons in 2011 it also gained cross party condemnation with 234 against and only 22 in favour.
the hirst case raised issues concerning the extent to which the british government can act in defiance of the european court of human rights. since 2004 has been constant source of fritcion so in 2017 gov offered to allow small number of prisoners release on the day to vote.
Compulsory voting
the first country to introduce compulsory voting was belgium. it is accepted belgium life . australia also has required citzens to vote so in its 2016 federal election 91% of those eligible voted.
supporters argue that it ensures a high percentage of the electorate engages in in the democratic process, therefore enhancing legitimacy. in recent years turnout has reduced so this would help the problem
however critics say that it gives the state to much power to coerce its citizens. some radical campaigners such as russel brand argued that not voting can be a powerful political statement of disapproval. eg in france 2017 there was no socialist candidate so not voting could of been an informed political decision.
should voting be made compulsory?
YES -
voting is a civic responsibility like jury service. if citizens not required to fulfil the duties of citizenship then the principles of civic duty are undermined
political apathy is a problem in many liberal democracies. turnout has majorly dropped in the uk and therefore undermining legitimacy of result especially if it falls below 50%.
those not voting are often from ethnic minorities, the poorest in society (d and e voters) and young people. this means that political decision making often favours older and wealthier voters. compulsory voting would mean that politicians would have to be responsive to all shades of political opinion.
it does not force people to vote, eg in australia they can spoil there ballot if they want but they must just attend a polling station
the legal requirement to vote can have an important educative role. if people have to vote, they will more likely inform themselves on political choices
NO-
The public has the right to choose whether or not to vote. it is up to the politicians to mobilise public enthusiasm by providing reasons to vote. it therefore could remove the incentive for politicians to engage with the public.
the votes of the politically disengaged will carry less weight than the votes of those who take there civic responsibility seriously. random voting could undermine the legitimacy.
voting is a civic right not a duty like taxes. it would be based on coercian which is alien to british political system.
according to liberal political theory, the extension of the power of the state over an individual should be resisted since it limits our right to act in the way we wish. british state has traditionally intervened as little as possible. eg nation citizenship service is voluntary
not voting can be a positive decision to register dissatisfaction with the candidates or the process. only 25% of the electorate voted for police commissioners in 2016 showing that voters had little interest.
forcing public to vote for a choice they disagree with is an infringement of civic right s
types of pressue groups
the UK is a pluralist democracy, which means that political power and influence is widely distributed so that different groups can compete to influence the government in their favour.
therefore as well as voting in elections, members of the public can participate in the political process by supporting pressure groups or online campaigns.
think tanks, corporations, lobbyin g firms and religous movements can also put pressure on the government .
different groups -
sectional/interest - represent the interests of a particular group within society. eg national union of students. they therefore lobby government on behalf of these social groups
insider -
insider pressure group has privleged access to government decision making. the british medical association (BMA) represents doctors and so possesses specialist info which governments will wish to consult.
cause/promotional -
promote a particular issue. such as just stop oil and Greenpeace are cause pressure groups as members are united by a shared issue in protecting the environment.
outsider -
do not possess access to political decision making, they need to achieve influence in other ways.
this means they have to get attention of government by winning public support. the Gurkha justice campaign achieve success because of its high profile campaign with lots of celebrity support.
insider status in achieveing success
insider status - can be vital in the success of a pressure group.
if political decision makers decide its to there advantage to consult pressure group then there influence will be garanteed. groups like British medical association and the confederation of british industry (CBI) or national farmers union (NFU) will all be called on by governments. also since tony blair all governments have been keen to advance the rights of gay people so could say these groups have insider status too.
weather a pressure group can claim insider status can be determined by political circumstances- in the 1970s trade unions in britain were so powerful that jack jones the general secretary of the transport and general workers union he was often called ‘the most powerful man in britain’
other means of pressure groups achieveing success
taking their case directly to the public - this can be because like green peace engaging too closely with the government can compromise there principles.
also could because they do not have the funds to directly lobby decision makers so focuc on mobilising support through campaigns.
celebrity endorsement can provide effective way of getting media coverage
social media provides new opportunities for pressure groups to engage with the public eg amnesty international
this way of mobilising support has been called a ‘clickocracy’ since it enbales people to engage with pressure groups purely online. eg 38 degrees est in 2009 provides a forum for its members to quickly choose and launch their own online campaigns. can focus on national campaigns like encouraging the government to introduce a drinks container recycling scheme.
some pressure groups engage in civil disobediance in order to achieve their aims. can create immediate publicity and even so much disruption that government back downs and decides to negotiate. eg the violence of poll tax riots in march 1990 in trafalger square further undermined an already weakened margaret thatcher and contributed to her resignation and her successor John major swiftly abandoning the tax.
uk and syrian refugee crisis - way in which david Camerons government changed its attitudes shows how a combination of factors can lead to a sudden change in policy. - until 2015 gov policy was not to admit large numbers of syrian refugees. criticisms by pressure groups such as amnesty international did little to change the policy however when a photo of a syrian boy drowned on a beach in greece was broadcasted and sparked outrage whereby 4 million people signed an e petition and the daily mail demanded action. the pressure was so great that cameron announced the uk would take 20,000 refugees by 2020.
examples of successful pressure group campaigns
the Gurkha justice campaign - wanted right to live in britain to all retired Gurkhas - popular actress Joanna lumley provided powerful celebrity endorsement. her leadership of a large delegation to present a petition signed by 250,000 generated lots of media coverage. her constant pressure on gordan browns government created negative publicity for the government so they granted equal rights of residency to all gurkhas.
hillsborough justice campaign - demanded reopening of case over the death of 96 liverpool fans - e petition gathered 130,000 and lots of media coverage. contributed to a new verdict of ‘unlawful killing’
campaign on drinks container recycling - surfers against sewage message in a bottle campaign demonstrated public outrage - everyday only half of the 38.5 million plastic drink containers are recycled.
other environmental groups also campaigned like 38 degrees.
in 2018 government announced new deposit scheme policy.
success was helped by the facts being presented and helped by how theresa may wanted to move forward on proposals and how germany had shown success.
the occupy movement - can be difficult to decide weather a pressure group achieved its goal. from 2011 to 2012 global sit ins wear organised to protest the inequalities of global capitalism - major sit in outside st pauls cathedral. criticised for views being incoherant however supporters of occupy have pointed out it created a new powerful critique of capitalism that resonated with young people and could have contributed to the 9.5% swing to labour in the 2017 general election.
