Democracy and participation Flashcards
What is Democracy?
Democracy means people power, ‘demo’ (people) and ‘kratos’ (power) originating from ancient greek.
It is system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives.
What is politics ?
Politics is how we make, shape and amend the rules that govern our lives .
What is power?
Power is the ability to make people do things they might not want to do.
What is authority?
Authority is the given right to influence peoples behaviours and actions
What is legitimacy?
Legitimacy is when a government or any other political institutions have Authority to hold power and make rules.
What is participation and equality?
Participation is when key decisions are made by people and their representatives.
What is a referendum?
A referendum is when citizens are involved in decision making rather than through representatives making the decision.
What is an E-petition?
An E-petition is when the public raise a concern themselves and encourage other members of the public to sign the petition
What are recall petitions?
A recall petition is the process of which an MP can lose their seat in the house of commons.
What is the recall process?
What are initiatives?
What are benefits and drawbacks of referendums?
Benefits- everyone gets a say
-gives equal weight in all votes
- encourage popular participation
- develop a sense of community
- encourage genuine debate
Drawbacks-divides communities
- exposes class division
- leads to tyranny of the majority
- lack of accountability
-cant throw out millions of voters
- pose complex questions that cant be answered with a simple yes no question
What does it mean to reform a democracy
To strengthen and create and maintain a healthy democracy.
How can referendums create a healthy democracy?
Increase frequency of referendums and possibly introduce intiatitives to give people power rather than governments to call referendums.
How do E-petitions create a healthy democracy?
E-petitions keep the public politically engaged and they help make parliamentary debate more focused on issues important to the public.
How does the power of recall create a healthy democracy?
The recall of MPS act 2015 enables voters to trigger a by-election to remove MPS.
an mp would need to have been sentenced to prison or suspended from house of commons for 10 days
How does further devoultion create
More power to be devolved from westiminster, this would bring decision making closer to people and might encourage greater participation.
What is the house of lords reform?
- House of lords is unelected and unaccountable
-Members are appointed and claims this can encourage political cronyism ( Boris Johnson appointed 86 new life peers) - Making the lords an elected chamber would make westminster fully democratically accountable
- Danger is that elected Lords could become a rival to the commons potentially creating constitutional gridlock
- Given public lack of trust in politicans and concerns of low electoral turn out rates for house of commons what difference would it make making the Lords an elected chamber
What is digital democracy?
Digital Democracy’ refers to the various ways by which electronic platforms can engage and secure the wider and more informed participation of the public in the political environment.
What are the pros and cons of digital democracy?
Pros:
- Voting on mobile phones is convient and would encourage more voting
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Cons:
- However, it would also result in voting no longer being carried out in secret
- Possibility of voter manipulation would increase
- Allegations of cyber- interference in western elections by russia indicates rhat electronic voting is more open to fraud
- The way politicans and activists use social media it can encourage populist sloganeering rather than informed political discussions
- Social media can be used as a bullying platform
- Banning of president Trump on twitter in 2021 raises importance if whether media companies should be allowed to determine who is allowed on their platforms
What is a direct democracy?
A direct democracy = when policies and laws are decided by a majority of those eligible rather than by a body of elected representatives
What are the advantages and disadvantages of a direct democracy?
Ads:
- has genuinie people power
- no need for elected politicans
- encourages participation and educates the public on key issues
- People take responsibility for their decisions
- Prevents powers from being concentrated in the hands of an elite
Dis:
- Population size can make it difficult and expensive
- Public may not have time / interest
- Public make not be willing to make unpopular decisions
- Tyrannt of majority
What is a representative democracy?
A representative democracy = people elect representatives to vote on their behalf and if unpopular they can be voted out at the next election
What are the advantages and disadvantages of a representative democracy?
Ads:
- More pratical with the time and population
- Elected representatives can implement unpopular but neccesary policies
- Representatives can be held accountable
Dis:
- Mps can be disengaged from the public and not adequaltly represent their interests
What was the outcome of the brexit referendum 2016
52% in favour of leaving 48% in favour of remaining
What was the outcome of the scottish independance referendum 2014?
55.3% in favour of remaining in the UK 44.7% in favour of independance
Pressure group
A pressure group is a group of people who work together to try to influence what other people and the government think about a particular topic
Pluralist democracy
Pluralist democracy = means that political power and influence are widley distributed so that different grpu[s can compete to sway the government in their favour
Key features of PGS
- They seek to exert influence from outside rather than to win ot excercise government power.
- They do not make policy decisonsbut rather try to influence those who do
- They are external to the government and act as a channel of ongoing communication between people and the govermnet
Sectional / interest groups = represent the interests of a particular group within society.
Examples of Sectional/interest groups?
The Muslim Council of Britian represents the interests of all British Muslims and the National Union of Students represents the interests of all students .
Cause/promotional groups
Cause pressure groups = promote a particular issue . Pressure groups such as friends of the earth and Liberty which campaign on behalf of civil liberties in the UK, are cause groups because their members are united in their interest a particular cause.
Examples of Cause/promotional groups
Pressure groups such as friends of the earth and Liberty which campaign on behalf of civil liberties in the UK,
Insider groups
Insider group = has privelleged access to government decision making.
(Add Clarifier)
Examples of insider groups
The British Medical association represents doctors and so possesses specalist information that governments will wish to consults. The Howard Leauge Penal Reform is an important organisation that can supply the home office with important information concerning prison reform, policing and youth crime
Outsider group
Do not possess access to political decison making and may even be unprepared to work within existing political structures that they see as hopelessly compromised
Example of outsider groups
Extinction rebellion
have carried out several high profile disruptive riots to gain public recognition
Direct action
Some PG choose to engage in civil disobedience to achieve their aims
A risk stratergy but can create immediate publicity and even rise so much disruption govt decises to back down or negotaite
Examples of direct action
- In 1897 the riots quickened to pace of the parliamentary reform to extend the franchise
- March 1990 extraordinary violence of the poll tax rioyts in trafalgar square further undermined already weakened PM Thatcher John Major abondned the tax
- Trade union strikes
Examples of insider status being succesful
BMA - provide govt with important information on doctors, N FARMERS UION and Confederation of British Industry can be called upon to supply government with specalist information
Jack Jones in 1970s “Most powerful man in britian due to his influence on pms
Wealth examples
CBI - represents 190,000 workers employing 7 million peoples are able to employ more than 100 policy researchers
The institutive of directors representing british leaders and entrepreneurs is very wealthy operating in offices in 12 regions across the uk, isle of man and guernsey
Celebrity leadership examples
Live aid 1985 and Live eight 2005 were closley associated with Bob Geldof
2009 Joanna Lumley vocally supported campaign for Gurkhurst to be granted full rights of residency in the UK
Stephen Fry - Mind mental health campaign for lgbtq rights
Marcus rashford - food for school children
Emma Watson - he for she gender equality campaign
Examples of social media
Friends of the earth
Amnesty international
Clickorary
internet enabling pressure groups to engage iwth public purely online
Extinction Rebellion
Amenesty International
Just stop oil
Aims - to prevent the UK government from issuing new liscences for fossil fuel production
Methods - blocking oil facilities, members gluing themselves to public places (M25), disrupting sporting and cultual events, slow marches in London
Successes:
Mainstream Media Attention through disruptive actions like road blockades - helped push climate change and role of fossil fuels into public consciousness.
- Supporting broader climate movements such as Extinction Rebellion and Insulate Britain - amplified the wider climate movement and pushed for changes in environmental policy.
- Increasing public awareness of fossil fuel expansion.
Failures:
Their direct actions such as disrupting sporting events and blocking roads have led to significant negative media.
- Limited Policy Changes.
- Continued to approve new oil and gas exploration projects.
- In September 2023, Sunak announced the UK would issue new oil and gas licenses in North Sea.
- Alienating public.
- Limited Global Reach.
How does size of membership affect pressure groups?
Success
- bigger support, more pressure it can place on decision makers
- politicians don’t like to fly in the face of public opinion because they face the need for re-election
Failure
- smaller groups can be ‘drowned out’ by campaigns of larger groups
- find it harder to raise funds and achieve their goals
How does finance affect pressure groups?
Success
- wealthy groups can afford expensive campaigns, employ lobbyists, sponsor political parties and purchase favourable publicity
Failure
- groups with less funding struggle to do these things, therefore difficult to make their voices heard
How does the strategic position of a particlar sectional group affect pressure groups?
Success
- a group that is seen as important to the economy can put greater pressure on the government
- companies, NHS and industries have great leverage as they are vital to the economy
Failure
- groups that are not seen as important can be easily ignored
How does public mood affect pressure groups?
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Success
- public sentiment and strong campaigning can be successful in bringing an issue to the attention of decision makers
Failure
- can turn politicians against certain groups (either for the issue they champion or because methods they use alienate public opinion
How does attitude of government affect success?
Success
- far more likely to achieve success if government is sympathetic to cause and position
Failure
- if the government is determined to follow a course of action, it is unlikely a group will be able to change their decision
Do pressure groups enhance or threaten democracy?
Enhance
- help to disperse power and influence more widely
- educate the public about important political issues
- give people more opportunities to participate in politics
- promote and protect the interests and rights of minority groups
- help to call the government to account
Threaten
- some considered elitist and tend to concentrate power in too few hands
- may distort information in their own interest
- groups that are internally undemocratic may not accurately represent views of members and supporters
- use of civil disobedience can undermine freedom and rights of other citizens
Think Tank
Lobbyists
Coroporations
Lobbying
Revolving doors
The Belmarsh Nine 2004
9 men had challeneged a decision of the speical immigration
2006 identity cards act
Labour government implemented idenitity cards
Civil liberties groups saw this as an erosion of civil liberties and campaigned against it
Government limiting human rights
2005 90 day detention bill
2010 repeal of identity cards act
Abu Qatada case
Abu Qatada was protected under the HRA 1998 wasnt able to be sent to Jordan as evidence of torture
Jordan said they would not torture him in 2014 and was sent to jordan where a year later he was released as innocent
The police crime sentencing and courts act 2022
Act allowed senior police officiers to give directions and impose conditions to limit impact of public protests
Opposed from civil libery groups
Government limiting human rights
