Democracy and Participation Flashcards
In 1974 what was Winston Churchill famous quote about democracy
“Democracy is the worst form of government except for those other forms”
What does this quote tell us about Churchill
that he understands that the way deocracy roots power in the people makes it the best form of government available because the people hold their government to account for what it does on their behalf and so choose the politician they want to represent them
Why is it a democratic government can claim legitamacy
because they govern with the consent of the people
What wider obligation does this place on the public
to obey the law because it reflects the wishes of society
What is an autocratic government
power is permanently given to one person or group and they have ultimate power
How does an autocratic government rule
by force not consent and therefore can not claim legitamacy
UK has a good claim to having longest history of democracy when was the start of the move towards full democracy
1215 Magna Carta but may go back to Anglo Saxon times
Name 2 types of democracy in UK
1 representative democracy
2 direct democracy
What happens in a representitive democracy
1 voters elect politicians to make decisions on their behalf
2 politicians are made accountable to public in regular elections
3 elected politicians represent the interest of their constituencies - listening to the concerns of the people in the meetings and surgeries
What is the job of a politician
to gain political understanding and make informed decisions in the interest of the nation - there are so many decisions to make that the public just doesn’t have the time to vote on all of them
What is not the job of the politician
to carry out the will of others but according to their best judgement not just voters witches
How are the governments of the Uk made up
Westminster Parliament has 650 MPs accountable to their constituents in regular elections
Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland have their own devolved governments who legislate on domestic affairs
Elected mayors and local councils also represent the public
Who do lobbyists represent
the interests of a particular group or cause and they try to influence politicians
What are the advantages of representative democracy
1 government is carried out by professional politicians who are required to be well informed about political issue
2 politicians are more likely to make dedicated decisions than most members of the public who maybe influenced by emotion and who may not understand the complexities
3 elected politicians balance conflicts of interest - this protects the rights of all especially minorities
4 there are regular elections for voters to decide to reflect their representative or nit
what are the disadvantages if a representitive democracy
1 mps represent the elite and the more traditional values of the population, they are disengaged and do not adequately represent their interests
2 MPs can have outside interests including second jobs which can create conflict of interest
3claimed that parliament is unrepresentative because it is elected first past the post FPTP San as a result conserviative and labour parties dominate the House of Commons and smaller parties lib dem and green struggle
4 House of Lords is unelected and not accountable to the public so further unrepresentative. Social makeup of parilianebt is mainly white, middle class males
Describe direct democracy in the UK
Decisions are directly made by the public,
Name and describe examples of direct democracy state advantages and disadvantage
1 referendums- enable public to express views on single issue 2014 Scottish Parliament referendum
Advantages
1 gives public a direct choice
2 helps to settle controversial issues
3 because it is a public vote result can claim legitimacy
Disadvantages
critics say public do not have a detailed understanding of the issues
2 they do resolve issues
2 Electronic Petitions - if petitions on a government website reaches over 100,000 signatures it will be considered for debate in either Westminster or Commons
Advantages
1 they engage with issues public feel strongly about but doesn’t mean legislation will follow
2 famous people can generate interest eg Marcus Rashford
Disadvantages
1 can raise false expectations and waste parliament time is it is an issue can’t legislate on eg revoke Tony Blairs knighthood
3Consultative exercises- set up when governing bodies want to gauge a reaction to proposed policy eg expansion of HS2
Advantages - a way to engage public on issues that effect them
Disadvantage s -
1 only a consultation and not binding
2 socially disadvantaged do not engage so outcomes are up representative
4 open Primaries - public decide who the candidate should be
Advantage
1 public influence eho candidates for office can be
Disadvantage
1 people not closely affiliated to with a political party are likely to enter politics
5 Election of the leadership of political parties - all parties allow their members to decide who the leader of the party will be
Advantages
1 makes the leadership accountable to the whole party
Disadvantages
1 it gives to much power to party activists who are usually more radical than the electorate
6 Recall of MPs Act - if an MP has been imprisoned or suspended form the commons recall petition sighted by 10% of their constituents can trigger a by election
Advantages
Power of recall makes MPs accountable to constituents for their misconduct
Disadvantages
The circumstances in which it can be activated are so extreme it’s impact is very little
List the advantages of direct democracy
1 engages the public and makes
politicians more responsive to what people think so creates a closer connection between public and political decisions
2 giving the public opportunities to make decisions creates engagement in political process encourages a more politically educated citizens
3 our representitive s are kept informed about developing public attitudes
List the disadvantages of direct democracy
1 referendums simplify questions to yes and no when issues are more complex eg EU referendum
2 can challenge the Burkean principle that representatives should act according to their conscience not constituency wishes eg T May supported remain but led a party committed to leaving
3 doesn’t balance conflicting interests of balance the rights of minorities
4 encourages the public to vote on issues they have little knowledge on
Why is the belief that a failure to engage in politics means that the public are so content with politics that they do not see a need to engage
because this argument suggest that politicians should try to encourage no public engagement in politics and this would be the end of participatory democracy
Identify 2 occasions when behaviour of MPs has resulted in loss of public trust
2009 allegations MPs were overclaiming expenses
2010 former labour minister Stephen Byers was secretly filmed telling a consultancy firm
“He was like a cab for hire”
What is the impact of this loss of trust
Damages Westminster’s reputation
2 fuels voter disengagement
2021 poll 80% believed there was significant corruption in uk politics
Voter turnout decreases especially from marginalized social groups
Why does uk democracy need reform
To reinspire enthusiasm for the democratic process
Needs to be made more relevant to the public
Due to low voting trends legitamacy of elected politicians is reduced
What does legitamacy mean
Power has been legally acquired and exercised according to the rule of law
Name and describe ways in which participation could be increased
1 public referendums - currently called by the government when they feel people need to legitamise an important decision. In Republic of Ireland any proposed constitutional change has to go through public referendum eg legalization of abortion and same sex marriage
Model can lead to democratic overload
2 electronic petitions- enables public to raise issues they believe need resolving. Some believe they should automatically trigger a paliamentary vote. But this will bog parliament down and stop debate of other issues
3 Power to recall - enabling voters to trigger a bi election
Critics say it could be used by opposition for political advantage and Parliament could be deprived of independent thinking MPs and replaced by mouthpieces of their constituents . Undermining the reputation and authority of Parliament
4Further devolution - more power devolved from Westminster giving greater self determination. Scottish and welsh parliaments and elected mayors show how decision making can be brought closer to the public - but turnout for these elections shows they are not effective in energising political involvement
5 House of Lords reforms
Members currently unelected and unaccountable, claims that it encourages politely cronyism
Making it an elected chamber would make Westminster fully democratically accountable but there is potential of creating rivalry with commons and creating constitutional gridlock - difficult to see how as turnout is currently low by introducing another elected chamber will increase it.
6 Digital democracy
Supports believe its introduction would facilitate voting but
A voting on your mobile would encourage more voting but also voting would not be carried out in sector and voting manipulation would increase
B Allegations of cyber interference by Russia suggests electronic voting is more open to fraud
C The way political activists use social media can encourage sloganeering and not informed political discussion
D standard of debate on social media indicates activists and politicians can use this to bully and engage considered debate
E Banning of Trump from twitter in 21 raises the question should media companies be allowed to decide who is allowed on their social media platforms
7 Reform of Westminster electoral system, claimed that FPTP discourages voting because it limits voter choice by over rewarding conservative and labour parties making it more difficult for other parties to gain representation
Replacing FPTP with a proportional form of election would create a fairer connection between votes a party receives and its representation - wasted votes and safe seats would be eliminated and votes would carry more weight and voters would have a greater inventive to vote
8 Compulsory voting
To improve government legitimacy 16 nations enforce compulsory voting ( 1 is NK and only 1 name on the ballot)
Supporters argue it would address decreasing turnout in UK - it would force voters to engage with their civic responsibility and encourage a more politically educated population
But critics say it gives the state to much power to coerce citizens - that the decision not to engage in voting is a powerful political statement of disapproval.
Forcing people to vote does not address reasons why people do not vote and although more people will vote doesn’t mean they will be well informed. May even reduce population enthusiasm as seen as oppressive.
Should voting be made compulsory
Yes
1 it is a civic responsibility like jury service
2 Limited numbers of voting can undermine legitimacy of results
3 Those not voting are often from poorest groups and the young so decisions favour wealthy and older. It would ensure politics responded to the opinions of all
4 It doesn’t force people to chose they can spoil their paper if no candidate appeals
5 can have an educative role as people may be more likely to inform themselves of the choices open to them
No
1 public have the right to chose whether or not to vote. It is the job of the politicians to generate enthusiasm and compulsory voting may remove the incentive for politicians to engage with the public
2 votes of politically disengaged will carry less weight than the votes of those who take civil responsibilities seriously
3 compulsory voting is based on coercion which is alien to British politics. Voting is a civic right not a duty
4 the states extension of power over individuals should be resisted as it limits our power to act in the way we want
5 not voting can be a positive decision to show dissatisfaction with the candidate or process
Does universal suffer age exist in the UK
No - some sections of society can’t vote
Eg members of the House of Lords, individuals declared mentally incapacitated, prisoners , under 18 years
Why has support for lowering the vote to 16 increased in recent years
2014 Scottish election 16-17 year olds permitted to vote. They also voted in elections for Scottish ans Welsh parliaments
Labour and and Lib Dem’s endorsed voting for 16 and 17 year olds Conservatives only party to oppose
Should the age of voting be reduced to 16
YES
1 at 16 young people already have much responsibility , they can have a sexual relationship, marry, pay tax, and join armed services so it is irrational to think they are not mature enough to vote
2 introduction of citizenship lessons in to curriculum means young people will be better informed about current affairs and so can make educated political decisions
3 allowing people to vote younger will encourage them to take duties as citizens earlier
4 Most LAs hold elections for UK Youth Parliament
5 many young people have demonstrated their political activism through issues such as environment and black lives matters
5 2014 Scottish referendum demonstrated huge engagement by 16-17 year olds
6 since they can vote for Scottish and Welsh parliament is illogical that they can not vote for Westminster parliament - for UK to be truly United we must have democratic equality
No
1 some claims about what people can do at 16 are misleading as parental permission is often needed
2 young people are not regarded as responsible enough to buy cigarettes and alcohol so it is then hard to argue they are responsible enough to vote
3 we should beware of imposing adult responsibilities on children.
4 most 16-17 year olds are in full time education and so less likely to pay tax and therefore do not have same stake in society as those who are older
5 voting turnout between 18-24 year olds is lower than any other group so allowing 16-17 year olds to vote could actually make the problem of young apathy worse
6 16-17 year olds have few adult experiences on which to base their voting decisions and therefore can be easily manipulated into voting in a certain way by social media or peer pressure
7 just because Wales’ and Scotland have lowered the voting age it doesn’t mean it is the right thing
Why are UK prisoners not entitled to vote
They are regarded as having renounced their rights of citizenship for the time they are in prison
Which groups argue that prisoners should vote
1 John Hirst brought 2 cases against government but was dismissed by the court but later European court of Human Rights declared the ban of prisoner voting was against article 3 of the European convention of human rights .
2 pressure groups such as Liberty support prison on er voting
Why is the law unlikely to change
as these issues generate little public interest
How do democracy develop in Britain
1 Can be traced back to Anglo Saxon witan - an assembly of aristocrats
who advised their ruler
2 More commonly associated with King John 1199-1216 being forced by his Barons to sign the Magna Carta in 1215. Although barons were mostly interested in protecting their own powers from the king they inserted clauses to protect all freeborn Englishmen
Who couldn’t be imprisoned without trial and had to be tried by jury.
3 throughout medevil times parliament got the right to grant money to the crown
4 Henry V111 used Parliament to legally take over the Church of Englan
5 Early 17th Century Parliament began to assert the right to protect the right of English people against the Stuart monarchy and the petition of rights was laid down 1628 the principle of which was that the crown is not above the law
6 During the Civil War asserted its rights to be the Primary Lawmaker against Charles 1s belief in the divine right of kings
8 Because of the civil war new group called Levellers stated all men had the same right to elect their government but this idea was stamped out during time of Oliver Cromwell
9 Jame 11 was suspected of trying to rule as a tyrant and so Parliament overthrew him and parliament invited William of orange to be king of England and agreed with Parliament on the Bill of Rights KEY MOMENT IN DEVELOPMENT OF BRITAINS CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY
10 Only in the 19th century were a number of parliamentary reform acts passed that gradually opened up the FRANCHISE 1832 act enfranchised some members of the middle classReform ats of 1867 and 1884 increasingly opened up the vote to working class house holders 1872 ballot act made voting in secret compulsory
What do the terms franchise/sufferage mean
the right to vote
What did Millicent Fawcett form
How did they act
in 1897 the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies also known as Suffragists
Lobby parliament to extend the franchise to women
Who were the Women’s Social and Union Party who formed them and why
The Suffragettes
Formed by Emmeline Pankhurst in 1903
Because suffragists www not militant enough they engage in more disruptive and violent actions
What changed the political atmosphere, how why and what was the result
First World War the suffragettes suspended their action
Women performed vital work ion factories and in the armed forces
In 1918 in recognition of this and conscription for men and the hundreds of thousands who died The Representation of the People Act
which allowed all men over 21 to vote and all women over 30 who had property. 40% of women could vote most of whom were white middle class
1928 a further representation of the people act gave the vote to all men and women over 30 - establishing universal sufferrage
Why and when was the age of voting lowered from 21 to 18
Third representation of the people act in 1969
To recognize new opportunities and responsibilities for young people - extension of university education, greater sexual freedom, increased earning potential
UK is a pluralist democracy what does this mean
political power and influences are widely distributed so different groups can compete to sway the government in favour
As well as voting in elections how else can the public participate in the political process
by supporting pressure groups and wider social movements, engaging in direct action or joining online campaigns
Name types of pressure groups
think tanks, corporations, charities, lobbying firms, religious movements
State 4 ways they pressure groups are categorized
1 sectional/interest
Represent the interests of a particular group in a society eg National Union of Students represent the interests of students. They lobby government on behalf of this clearly defined social group
2 Cause/Promotional
Promote a particular issue eg Friends of the Earth campaign on behalf of civil liberties their members are united by their interest in a shared cause
3 Insider
Has privileged access to government decision making British Medical Association represents doctors and have specialist information government will want to consult
4 Outsider
Do not possess access to political decision making
Name and explain 5 factors that help pressure groups gain success
1 Insider status
If the political decision makers consider it an advantage to consult with a pressure group then their influence is guaranteed. As a result of their specialist knowledge the British Medical Association can be called upon to supply government with specialist information to help them to make informed decisions (they can only claim insider status if the political circumstances are right - which government are in)
2 Wealth
Wealthy pressure groups can afford to employ researchers, have offices close to government and arrange meetings with MPs
3 Celebrity Leadership
If the pressure group is connected to a famous name it achieves popular recognition eg Marcus Rashfords campaign for free school meals and Emma Watson encouraging gender equality
4 Social media
Provides new opportunities for pressure groups to engage with the public
5 Direct Action
Engaging in civil disobedience to achieve their aims. A risky strategy but can create immediate publicity and give rise to so much disruption government decide to back down or negotiate 1990 pol tax riots in Trafalger Square contributed to M Thatchers resignation and her successor quickly abandoning the tax.
2021nnrefuse workers in Glasgow coincided their 8 day strike with COP 26 maximized publicity and disruption
Describe 2 successful pressure group campaigns and why they were successful
1 motoring organisation and smart motorways
AA and RAC wer critical about Johnsons plan to introduce smart motorways stating they significantly increased the risk to drivers
The tactics they used made the most of their expertise and insider status to influence policy
RAC stated in 2021 report 54% of drivers believed smart motorways made them less safe
AA stated they would leave them like “sitting ducks”
On the recommendation of transport select committee advised by AA RAC and West Mids Police government decided to delay building for 5 years while safety implications were assessed
2 when school closed in lockdown children entitled to FSM were deprived of the provision, and so hit the poorest families the hardest. Man U footballer Marcus Rashford worked with charity Fareshare to provide these meals. He used his twitter account to advertise businesses offering free meals. This generated good publicity which he followed up with an epetitionEnd Child Food Poverty, government announced it would provide 120 million covid summer fund and 170 million winter fund for vulnerable families
Why are some pressure groups not successful
If they do not fulfil any of the 5 criteria for success
Give 2 examples of pressure groups that failed
1 Stop HS2
Established in response to the decision to build a high speed rail like between Birmingham and London
Organised several high profile demonstrations and built cross party support from MPs whose constituencies were impacted
Conservative, Labour and Lib Dem supported the building of HS2
2020 an e petition demanding a new parliamentary vote on repealing HS2 gained over 1.5 million signatures but the strong support for London - Birmingham phase meant the government good ignore calls for it to be scrapped
2 Stop the War Coalition
Founded in 2021 in response to the war on terror. Blair government prepared to invade Iraq it organised the biggest demonstration in British history to protest to the war.
Although the march was peaceful and made a powerful impact on the public Blair remained committed to the invasion. His large parliamentary majority and support of most conservatives when the commons voted on military intervention in Iraq he had a majority and so he could ignore the protests
They continue to protest against military intervention
Outline a case study of a pressure group
In 2020 in USA George Floyd was murdered in police custody , it generated global outrage.
Led to several Black Lives Matter protests in UK including the toppling of a statue of Edward Colton - investor in charitable works in Bristol whose wealth had come from slave trade.
Act of Taking the Knee is closely related to BLM and during Euro 2020 England Team took the knee before each match to show solidarity against racism.
Passion and energy of BLM protests generated powerful debate in UK about the need to re examine Britains colonial past.
As a result a new commission on racial equality was established by government
Colton Hall changed its name to Bristol Beacon as did Colton Girls School which became Montpelier High. Welsh government made it compulsory for Welsh schools to teach history of black, Asian and minority ethnic people
Some opposed BLM racially motivated crimes increased to highest ever level and the Home Secretary Pretoria Patel condemned taking the kneee
What are think tanks
made up of experts in a particular field who produce ideas that form the basis of government policy making. Some associated with a particular party and helps them achieve insider status;
Does wealth always buy influence for lobbyists and pressure groups
YES
1 If they have strong financial resources they provide easy access to decision makers
2 wealth enables them to staff offices close to important centers of power
3 they can commission reports that can be used to influenced government policy
4 they can employ high profile figures to represent their interests
No
1 if the governments views are incomparable wealth is unlikely to achieve influence
2 social movements can encourage change without financial resources eg BLM
3 celebrity endorsements can be n=more important than wealth eg M Rashford
4 they can achieve insider status without financial resources if government sheare objectives
What are civil rights
Rights that individual are all entitled to eg right to privacy. Freedom of expression
What are collective rights
those which society can claim eg right to be protected from violence, right to a clean environment, Ruth to roam the countryside
How are the rights of British citizens protected
through constitutional significant events like Magna carter, judges define nature of civil rights in common law cases and Specific Acts of Parliament
The rights of British citizens are negative or residual rights what does this mean
everything that is not forbidden is our right
Where are our rights set out
not in one particular document but from case ales and key decisions
State 4 constitutional decisions or case laws that make up our right s
1 Magna Carter 1215 - foundation of civil liberties by stating law should be impartial and no free man should be convicted without trial
2 Bill of Rights 1689- by accepting William 111 agreed to govern with consent from parliament - establishing constitutional monarchy bound by law
3 - Somerset v Stewart 1772- Lord Mansfield stated slavery in UK was illegal as it had not been legislated for by an Act of Parliament
4 Representation of the People Act 1928 established universal suffrage in UK
Since 1997 when Tony Blair became PM how has the approach to civil liberties changed
Instead of relying on common law there has been greater emphasis on the codification of what the positive rights of British citizens are
Outline Human Rights Act 1998
In 1998 Human Rights Act passed incorporating European convention fully into British Law
Came into force in 2000
British citizens now have a clear statement of their civil liberties enforceable in court
Outline freedom of information Act 2000
Established the right to access any information held by public bodies as long as it does not compromise national security
Came into force in 2005 allows us to know more about how public bodies work
It exposed MOs expense scandal in 2009
Outline Equality Act 2010
The act brings together existing legislation and states in public life discrimination is illegal in 9 areas
Age
Disability
Gender reassignment
Race
Religious belief
Sex
Sexual orientation
Marriage
Pregnancy
What responsibilities do citizens have that can be enforced by law
paying tax and serving on a jury
What is civic responsibility
Not legally enforceable responsibilities but expected eg voting
When can government restrict peoples freedom
if a person is likely to endanger the collective good of society
When is the government most likely to restrict peoples freedom
when there is a threat to national security
Establiish some of the acts of parliament passed after After the terror attacks in London in 2005 to protect the public from further attacks
1 Anti terrorism and crime security act 2001 - gave government the power to imprison foreign terrorist suspects indefinitely and without trial
2 2005 serious organised crime and police act - limited the rights of protestors outside of parliament and created a new office insisting racial hatred
3 The Terrorism Act 2006 - extended the time a Terrorist suspect could be held without charge
4 2016 Investigatory Powers Act = authorized the retention of personal electronic data and its access for law enforcement
5 In 2020 pressure group Liberty brought case against Wales police over using automatic facial recognition. Court of appeal ruled more care was needed but benefits to society are potentially great
6 2022 Johnson government introduced policy to fly asylum seekers to Rwanda rather than allow them to claim asylum in UK - policy was condemned by Arch Bishop of Canterbury
What do some pressure groups believe has happened to our civil rights since NY terror attacks
the balance has shifted further away from individual to government and need to protect collective leading to erosion of civil liberties
How well are civil liberties protected in UK and why
Any Act of parliament can be suspended or repealed - so parliament remains the supreme law maker and can enact legislation even if in conflict with European convention of human rights
So judges have less power to protect UK citezens than in liberal democracies where there is a codified constitution and judges can strike down legislation if it is in conflict with the law of the constitution
