Democracy And Participation Flashcards
What type of democracy is the UK
Representative democracy
Before 1918 who couldn’t vote
All women and many men could not vote
What groups campaigned for electoral reform
Chartists, the Suffragists and the Suffragettes
What happens in a healthy democracy
People vote in elections
Join political parties
Engage politically
What is direct democracy
A system of democracy in which the people make decisions, not the government. Votes take place on specific questions.
What is representative democracy
A system of democracy in which people vote for elected representatives. These elected representatives makes decisions on the people’s behalf
Which country has the most directly democratic system
Switzerland
What elements of direct democracy are being increasingly used in the UK
Referendums
Petitions
What are the advantages of direct democracy
People can participate directly in the decision making process
Wishes of the people cannot be ignored
People are motivated to get involved
Decisions have greater legitimacy
What are the disadvantages of direct democracy
Public may not fully understand the issue
Majority may undermine a minority group (‘Tyranny of the majority’)
May vote on emotional or populist short-term reasons
Expensive
Before 1832 who could vote
Only rich, male landowners
Fewer then 4%
Who could vote after the Great Reform Act 1832
1 in 5 male adults
5.6% of the population
Who could vote after the Second Reform Act 1867
Allowed working class men in cities to vote if they met a property qualification
Who could vote after the Third Reform Act 1884
All working class men who met a property qualification
40% of men still excluded
Who could vote after the Representation of the People Act 1918
All men over 21 (veterans 19)
Women over 30 who met property qualification
Who could vote after the Representation of the People Act 1928
All men and women over 21
Who could vote after the Representation of the People Act 1969
Everyone over 18
What did the Chartists campaign for
Votes for all men over 22, secret ballots, no property qualifications for MPs, pay for MPs, equal-size constituencies and yearly elections to Parliament
What did the Suffragists campaign for
The vote using peaceful methods
What methods did the Suffragettes use
Militant methods including window breaking, chaining themselves to railings and arson
(Turnout) Is the UK experiencing a participation crisis - for
Low turnout
Even lower turnout in PCC elections, EU elections and Welsh Parliament
(Turnout) Is the UK experiencing a participation crisis - against
Turnout has been rising recently
Decent turnout in recent referendums
Electorate is just selective (if they care they’ll vote)
(Party membership) Is the UK experiencing a participation crisis - for
Party membership fallen since the 1950s
(Party membership) Is the UK experiencing a participation crisis - against
Membership for some parties has risen in recent years
Minor parties have done well over the last decade
(Changes in participation) Is the UK experiencing a participation crisis - for
Partisan dealignment
Trade unions are less powerful
Political apathy
Disillusionment
Slacktivism
(Changes in participation) Is the UK experiencing a participation crisis - against
Pressure group membership increased
Social media growth
Internet based movements
What was turnout in the 1950s
Around 80%
What was the turnout in the 2001 general election
59%
What was the turnout in the 2012 PCC elections
15% of the electorate voted
What was the turnout in the 2016 PCC elections
27%
What was the turnout in the 2021 PCC elections
33%
What was the turnout in the 2019 European Parliament election
37%
What has the turnout for the Welsh Parliament never gone over between 1999 to 2021
Never reached 50%
What was the election turnout in the 2017 general election
69%
What was the election turnout in the 2019 general election
67%
What was the turnout at the 2014 Scottish independence referendum
85%
What was the turnout at the 2016 EU referendum
72%
How many party members did the Conservative Party have in the 1950s
More than 2.5 million
How many members did the Labour Party have in the 1950s
More than 1 million
How many members did the Conservative Party have in 2018
124,000
How many members does the Labour Party have
Over 500,000
What happened to the SNP’s membership after the 2014 Scottish independence referendum
Quadrupled
How many members did the SNP have in 2019
Over 125,000
How many members did the Conservative Party have in 2021
Around 200,000
How many members did the Liberal Democrat’s have in 2021
Around 115,000
Which party won the 2014 EU elections
UKIP
How many votes did UKIP receive in the 2015 general election
3.9 million
Which party won the 2019 EU elections
The Brexit Party
What does partisan dealignment mean
People increasingly feel no affiliation to any political party
Example of an internet based movement. How many people joined?
UK Black Lives Matter - 2020
More then 210,000 people joined
What are some ways of increasing participation
Votes at 16
Online voting
Compulsory voting
A more proportional system
Increasing political education
Reducing membership fees
