democracy and participation

Question 1

2wwhat are voters like in direct democracies

Answer 1

make their own political decisions and are directly involved in the process of political decision making

• they vote themselves on policies and laws which are made by government
• decisions reached by a majority voting decision
  e.g. some important decisions made by referendums

Question 2

how are referendums an example of direct democracy

Answer 2

citizens directly vote on issues, government creates policy based on respone

e.g. uk eu referendum 2016, 33 million uk citizens voted- 51.89% voted leave

alternative vote referednum 2011, 19 million voted against alternative vote system - chose to keep fptp

Question 3

how are online petitions an example of direct democracy

Answer 3

uk parliament setting up platform for citizens to make and sign online petitions

if petition gains over 100,000 signatures, then parliament may debate the topic (but this topic must be sponsored by the backbench business committee)- so arguably not entirely a direct democracy

example (1.6 million signing petition to stop us president donald trump from making a state visit to the uk- mps then debated trumps visit to parliament, changed it from a state visit to working visit in 2018)

Question 4

how are rallies and protests an example of direct democracy

Answer 4

groups of people worried about government or political actions, (gather to demonstrate their support of disapproval)

• however government do not respond to these protests

examples-

2017, thousands of citizens protest in london aginst governments economic and political decisions (people disapproving of austerity measures)

2010, thousands of students in london marching to protest against tuiton fees

Question 5

what are advantages of direct democracy

Answer 5

citizens become educated on key political issues (alternative vote referendum 2011 educated public on different kinds of voting ) - education

transparency- ensures a strong level of openess between citizens and the government

cooperation- people more likely to engage in political process if they believe their opinion will make a difference

argued to be purest type of democracy, - does not involve any interpretation

all votes are counted equally, (representative democracies- some constituencies are bigger than others- bigger constituencies each vote coutns for less)
in direct democracies, each vote counts the same amount towards important decisions

wishes of the people- direct democracy ensures the will of the people is clear, government is given clear directive to act

Question 6

disadvantages of direct democracy

Answer 6

those voting may not be experts, public has to make important political decisions but voters may be less knowledgable and less able to make an informed decision than a representative politician

-it is impractical- direct democracy system is very time consuming, expensive, not practical to make frequent decisions
(for big countires with millions of citizens it is especially difficult) e.g. cabinet office: total cost of 2016 eu referendum was $142.4 million(including cost of running polling station and counting vote)

a direct democracy system can be manipulated: way that questions are phrased and timing of them can manipulate results
e.g.2016 eu referendum was changed from yes/no to remain/leave
(yes no quesitions many benefit the yes side )
electorate can be influenced by influential political figures, campaigns or media
-people may vote with emotion rather than considering all options available

Question 7

representative democracy?

Answer 7

In a representative democracy, citizens vote for an individual to represent them in the making of laws and political decisions.

Question 8

how does representation work in a representative democracy

Answer 8

elected representatives from organised parties make decisions on behalf of their voters
-regular elections give respresentatives authority and make system more legitimate

uk is a representative democracy, mps are elected to parliament by electorate in general election

mps in uk are accountable to citizens who have voted for them

political power in uk mainly held by representatives (not public)

Question 9

role of members of parliament in a representative democracy

Answer 9

in general elections, voters vote for a candidate to represent local area called a constituency- there are 650 constituencies so 650 representatives voted for by citizens
winning candidate gains a seat in house of commons
(representatives act on behalf of constituency in parliament)

Question 10

uk general elections in a representative democracy

Answer 10

elections take place every 5 years in may

(parliament can decide to hold an election earlier in a vote of no confidence in government or 2/3 voting in favour of a general election)
- most recent was december 2019, conservatives won 43.6% popular vote

Question 11

role of question time in a representative democracy

Answer 11

mps question members of government on issues they are responsible for, often be on matters of concern to their constituents

prime minister’s question time, takes place once a week, leader of the opposition and mps question the prime minister on significiant issues (often on behalf of the voters they represent)

Question 12

role of debate in a representative democracy

Answer 12

mps can propose and debate and debate themselves in parliament(on various issues which will have importance for the voters they represent )

Question 13

role of laws in a representative democracy

Answer 13

way in which mps vote on laws in parliament can be based on representing views of constituents e.g. mp ken clarke , anna soubry voted in favour of giving parliament a vote on any brexit deal which is reached - represnting constituents and going against conservative party

Question 14

advantages of a representative democracy

Answer 14

Representative democracy can mean that decisions are made with expertise, represent the voting public, are practical, and decision-makers are held accountable.

1- representation: representatives mean all in society are accounted for
-protected interests of minority groups
-they put together interests and demands of voters and making policy proposals that work best
(voters in direct democracies, lots of different demands and difficulties in those decisions)

2-expertise: representatives better informed to make political decisions, greater expertise and knwoledge than rest of population
(public educated on public policy and current political issues)

3-accountability=public and institutions can hold representatives accountable, in direct democracies it is harder to hold people as a whole accountable

4-practicality- citizens cannot always be expected to make decisions, election of representatives act on their behalf - more practical and beneficial

Question 15

disadvantages of representative democracy

Answer 15

Representative democracy can have some disadvantages, such as the exclusion of minorities, the limited accountability of representatives and when representatives don’t act in the public’s interest.

1-delegates or trustees, act as delegates: express the view of those they represent
(or as trustees), have more freedom to choose actions they think will be best for constituents: if a trustee, but voters want them to be delegate- they may not accurately represent wish of voters

2- inaccurate representation, parliament may not have descriptive representation (same charatceristics as those they are representing) e.g. 29% of MPs are privately educated, only 7% of UK is.
may not have substantive representation, (represnetatives advocating on behalf of certain groups) e.g. david cameron push to legalise gay marriage in uk- not gay
_parliament needs both to properly represent

3-self interest, representatives choosing to act in their own best interest, or in best of a select few constituents rather than all

4-low participation levels: if few participate in elections, representatives not accurately reflecting those they represent in parliament
(turnoutn for eu parliament election- 35.6% in 2014 so more marginal and radical parties have seats)
(ukip won 26.6% of uk popular vote in european parliament but at 2-15 general election only won 12.6 % of vote)

Question 16

trustees

Answer 16

act in best interest of constituents

Question 17

delegates

Answer 17

express view of constituents

Question 18

examples of representative democracy

Answer 18

1962 orpington by election

Question 19

substantive

Answer 19

acting on behalf of certain groups

Question 20

similarities between direct and representative democracies

Answer 20

both allowing voters to vote to make important decisions
use mandates from public to make decisions

Question 21

differences between direct and representative democracies

Answer 21

each voter makes decisions on their own in direct democracies

representative- reprresentatives making decisions on behalf of voters
-each vote may be worth different due to different size of constituency

direct democracy uses mandates from public votes

representatives-votes for a representative is taken as a mandate or votes for several representatives

Question 22

mandate

Answer 22

when political party or decision maker has authority to make decisions/ put out policy

winning a seat in election gives members of parliament a mandate from their voters

Question 23

case for democratic reform

Answer 23

There have been some calls for democratic reform in the UK, as institutions may not represent the public to the best of their ability.

Question 24

democratic defecit

Answer 24

democracy was not working as intended- failing to sufficiently hold people accountable , failing legitimacy
(problems with representative democracy in practice)

Question 25

demorcratic defecit example case- low voter turnout

Answer 25

uk election turnout fell after 1997
(although rising again)

eleciton turnout low in elections other than general election, such as european parliament and location elections 35.6% in 2014 eu parliament election

Question 26

democratic defecit- example case, the voting system

Answer 26

fptp creates two party system
parties without any large, country-wide base finds it hard to gain seats
-two main parties can win less than 40% of vote but still win majority
-fptp creates safe seats, one party is almost certain to win (opposition voters may feel their interests unrepresented)
-in votes with many candidates, popular vote may split candidate with low vote may win
(IN belfast 2015, winning candidate had 24.5% of vote)

Question 27

democratic defecit- institutions

Answer 27

house of lords has mostly unelected membership, some peers hereditary, inherited title
house doesnt share many characteristics with uk public- costs taxpayer money

supreme court- unelected institution with power to challenge laws

Question 28

democractic defecit- eu

Answer 28

eu regulations are binding- member statesdo not get to pick and choose the ones they wanna obey
e.g. free movement of labourmeans gov cannot restrict immigration to eu
- several movements across europe to leave euoprean union as a result (accordingly uk leaves eu in 2016- brexit)

Question 29

examples of democratic reform - lowering voting age

Answer 29

many argue 16 to 18 year olds should have parliamentary representation

scotland- legislation passed in 2015 to allow 16 year olds to vote in scottish elections

16 year olds allowed to vote in 2014 referendum

Question 30

examples of democratic reform - complusory voting

Answer 30

having voting as a legal duty, and fining people for not voting is a way of increasing turnout
- make election results more representative of entire electorate

australia- compulsory voting exists, turnout usually 95% at elections

Question 31

democractic reform -e.g. house of lords reform

Answer 31

want to reform the house as they are not elected and not representative of electorate but has important say in legislation passed

lib dems proposed introducing elected second chamber e.g a senate

Question 32

democratic reforms- online voting

Answer 32

currently- voting involves time and money of setting up polling stations and providing physical resources

onlie voting from phones and computers could reduce these costs

voters may find it difficult coming to polling stations- especially if they cannot take time off work

online voting more likely to engage with younger voters and people who are too busy to vote- might increase election turnout

Question 33

democratic reform- electoral reform

Answer 33

moving away from first past the post to alternative voting system

Question 34

cases against reform- media scrutiny

Answer 34

media acts to scrutinise politics and hold politicians to account

effective way of monitoring uk politics and informing voters

Question 35

election participation- cases against reform

Answer 35

uk election participation at similar level to other western democracies

Question 36

cases against reform- importance of pressure groups

Answer 36

pressure groups allow representation of minority groups ,to scrutinise government

pressure groups inform the public on key issues, engage the public in key politics

Question 37

cases against reform- no major demand for reform

Answer 37

changes to voting systems have been rejected, major house of lords reform has been rejected in 2012 by coalition government

2011 voted against alternative voting system

Question 38

criticism of direct democracy

Answer 38

impractical- time consuming and costly, 2016 eu referendum cost cabinet office over 140 million

voters not experts on issues they have direct voting on

way questions are phrased, the timing of them can manipulate votes

effectiveness of direct democracy depends on size of electorate, nature of issue

Question 39

mandates important in a representative democracy

Answer 39

mandate is when polcticial party or decision maker has authority to make decisions or implement policies

elected politicians require mandates to give them legitimacy

auhtoi=rity dervied from expressed consent of voters in a constitution under representative democracy

(random citizen declaring themselves as representative does not give them authority)

Question 40

example of safe seats

Answer 40

e/g liverpool walton for labour
- whereby votes are not worth the same

Question 41

history of uk suffrage

Answer 41

Before the Great Reform Act, there were several problems with the UK franchise. These were addressed over the last two centuries, and the UK has greatly reformed the franchise.

Question 42

what is franchise / suffrage

Answer 42

suffrage, or having the franchise, - right and ability to engage in politics and vote in politics

extending franchise means increasing number of people who can vote in elecitons

Question 43

problems with uk franchise

Answer 43

early 1800, only 400,000 people could vote- constituenices were boroughs/countries

rules meant wealthy individuals could vote multiple times and others could not vote at all

different boroughs had different rules on who could vote

small rotten boroughs with few people living there had an mp, growing industiral cities did not have enough representation

constituency reform was needed

women excluded as well as many working class men

Question 44

acts of parliament for franchise- 1832 great refrom act

Answer 44

One of the main ways the UK has reached near-universal suffrage is through successive governments passing Acts of Parliament.

many rotten boroughs abolished
representation given to more urban areas

in countries, more people given franchise like tenant farmers

act gave vote to middle class people in boroughs (e.g. small landowners and shopkeepers)

most working men could not vote still because act still required property

Question 45

acts of parliament for franchise- 1918 rep of people act

Answer 45

let women vote in general elections
(women over 20, graduates, owning property, married given vote)

all men aged over 21 given vote

1918 act passed by wartime coalition government

act passed party due to pressure to give vote to working class men without property who served country in army

Question 46

1928 rep of people act

Answer 46

extended suffrage to all women

passed under conservative goverment

Question 47

1969 rep of people act

Answer 47

extended suffrage to people under 21
after attitudes to adulthood changed

passed under labour government

Question 48

Women’s Suffrage in the UK

Answer 48

The women’s suffrage campaign was important and changed lots of attitudes in UK politics. The women’s campaign brought the question of suffrage to the table before the First World War.

Question 49

suffragettes

Answer 49

e.g. women’s social and political union
direct militant methods to show urgency of womens suffrage

setting fire to buildings
attacking post boxes
attempting to hurt police

campaigners were imprisoned for their actions
suffragettes in prison, went on hunger strikes, force fed,
their actions made public struggle
many criticised liberal government

Question 50

suffragists -

Answer 50

tried to achieve vote through peaceful method

tried to get a bill passed in house of parliament

organised cross part support, and convince, and lobby politicians, of the importance of female suffrage

suffragists used peaceful demonstration, gathered support with petitions

successful in getting bills to parliament
- none made into a law

Question 51

debates over suffrage

Answer 51

argue suffragettes were too militant in their techniques , hindered cause by alienating government

suffragists, more effective because they used peaceful methods, their contribution to suffrage has been underappreciated

Question 52

votes at 16

Answer 52

campaign group, votes at 16 group run by several different campaign groups, national union of students and british youth council

Question 53

arguemnts for votes at16

Answer 53

16/18 can pay income tax
and join army but not represented in parliament

young epople taught about citizenshiop and politics in school
educated about politics

Question 54

arguments against votes at 16

Answer 54

under 18s not mature enough, few countires allow 16, youth turnout usually low during elections

under 18 turnout not expected to be different

Question 55

political support

Answer 55

brought up in 2008 private member’s bill, sponsored by julie morgan, bill ran out of time in parliament, some success at 16 to 18 allowed to vote in scottish independence referendum

all major uk parties supprt vote at 16 apart from conservatives who hold power

Question 56

what are pressure groups

Answer 56

Pressure groups are organised groups of individuals brought together for the purpose of fulfilling a specific goal, or because of a common cause.

Question 57

how do pressure groups work

Answer 57

Pressure groups aim to influence policies and political decisions or change public attitudes without looking to gain political office.
Pressure groups have a narrowly focused aim or goal which is shared with all pressure group members.

Question 58

insider groups

Answer 58

they have regular contact with decision makers

able to work inside political system

often consulted on specific policy issues by gov departments, mps, political parties, committees

Question 59

privileges of insider groups

Answer 59

privlege as they may be regarded as moderate than any other pressure group

needto be careful to keep government on their side

, tends not to make extreme demand

methods of influence- working closely with those in political system, rather than extreme methods like direct action

Question 60

examples of insider groups

Answer 60

national institute for healthcare and excellence, work with gov to make policy around healthcare and nhs

confederation of british industry (cbi)
national farmers union (nfu) both regularly consulted by government

raxpayer’s alliance,close linkswith conservative party

Question 61

outsider groups

Answer 61

not consulted by the government- dont have direct and regular contact with decision makers and do not operate through influencing those within political systems

they aim to gain support of public opinion

undertake methods of influencing policy which involve working outside political systems

potential insider may aim to work inside political system

Question 62

examples of outsider groups

Answer 62

fathers4justice campaign for fathers to have equal rights after separation

occupy movement campaign for balance between executive and worker pay

plane stupid - pressure group against expansion of uk airports

amnesty international - potential outsdier group

Question 63

Sectional and promotional groups

Answer 63

Groups may target issues in different ways. Sectional groups only target the interests of a certain section of society, and promotional groups target single issues.

Question 64

sectional groups

Answer 64

represent a specific section of society
-do not campaign for broarder issues
-concerned with protecting and advancing interests of members

Question 65

example of sectional groups

Answer 65

house builders federation represent voice of house building interest

british medical association, 160,000 doctors

Question 66

promotional groups