Democracy and Participation Flashcards
E+A 3 conventional methods of participation
Voting. Choosing and electing representatives via general, local and mayoral elections. Voting has a direct impact on policy and helps citizens engage. Voting improves a governments legitimacy because it gives them a mandate.
Political party membership, allows individuals to participate with parties they align with. Members can engage in activities like campaigning and citizens can have a direct role in politics. E.g. Labour has approximately 366,000 members as of March 2024
Protesting. Raises awareness of certain issues and pressures the government to change. Protests can happen via rallies and marches. E.g. the Suffragettes and Suffragists protested for women’s right to vote
E+A 3 ways the franchise has been extended in the UK
Chartists. 1836 in London, led by working class men who wanted universal male suffrage for men over 21. Was the first major step in expanding the franchise and arguably inspired the Representation of People Act in 1918.
Suffragists. Women campaigning for the right to vote via ‘conventional’ methods of participation e.g. petitions, letters and peaceful marches. They did not directly achieve anything but inspired suffragettes.
Suffragettes. Women who wanted the right to vote and used ‘unconventional’ methods of participation e.g. attacks, bombs, arson and hunger strikes. They successfully extended female suffrage
E+A 3 ways the UK could be seen as having a ‘participation crisis’
Declining turnout. Reduces the legitimacy of election results due to a weaker mandate. 1950 = 83% vs 2024 = 60%.
Declining party membership. Due to decreased trust in political institutions and new means of political participation (e.g. clicktivism, hacktivism etc.) 2019 LAB = 488,000 vs 2024 LAB = 366,000
Political apathy. Disinterest and disengagement in politics - rife amongst 18-24 year old (54% turnout in 2019.) Could be due to perceptions of electoral insignificance - UCL 2022 Constitution unit found that 77% of people think they have little influence over how the government is run
E+A 3 ‘unconventional’ methods of participation
Clicktivism. Low intensity participation, ‘easy activism.’ Often just a single click of a button e.g. liking a post on instagram
Hacktivism. Online political participation, groups move against cooperations or governments by taking control of their websites e.g. Anon
Boycotting. Act of not consuming goods or services from specific businesses out of moral or personal principle - makes said businesses lose out on profit. E.g. 2023-now boycotting of Starbucks due to their trade deals/relationship with Israel.
E+A 3 ways the internet has impacted UK democracy
Increased access to information. Freedom of Information Act 2000, PMQs and televised debates. Resources available for everyone which enhances education and engagement. Could lead to an increase in political participation
Digital campaigning. Provides parties with an alternative platform to appeal to the electorate, politicians can tailor adverts to specific groups e.g. young people and social media. However, the internet reduces transparency and it is easy to lie to voters
E-petitions. 100,000 signatures on an e-petition means it gets discussed in the Commons. Raises awareness for smaller issues and allows people to participate from home.
E+A 3 ways UK’s representative democracy could be considered healthy
Accountability. 2015 Recall of MPs Act allows constituents to petition for a by-election if their MP has done something wrong (e.g. suspended from parliament.) Accountability is also seen via scrutiny e.g. PMQs, select committees etc
Knowledge. Burkean theory of representation - MPs have the knowledge to act on behalf of their citizens.
Political party membership. Knowing which party your MP is apart of will help you understand what they will do once elected, e.g. taxes, public spending, NHS etc. People can make more informed decisions because their MPs political party is public knowledge
E+A 3 features of democracy
Rule of law. Everyone is subject to the same laws and they should be applied to all citizens equally. Ensures that legal processes are transparent and that the law is applied fairly
Free and fair elections. Secret ballot (1872) allows people to vote without intimidation, bribery etc. Citizens can choose their own representatives
Multi-party political system (Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Greens.) Encompass a wide range of views and ideologies which ensures political representation
The UK is suffering from a participation crisis
Decreased turnout. 83% in 1950 vs 60% in 2024. Reduces legitimacy of elections due to weaker mandates. Citizens are arguably becoming polarised and disconnected from the State - 2022 UCL Constitution unit 77% people have no say over how the government is run
Decline in party membership. 2019 LAB = 488,000 vs 2024 LAB = 366,000. People either no longer align with the political parties or they do not want to participate. Voter apathy, 18-24 54% turnout 2019
The UK is not suffering from a participation crisis
Increase in online activism and e-petitions. Online activism is an easy way for people (especially young people) to get involved in politics e.g. clicktivism. E-petitions are an easy way to raise awareness on specific and targeted issues and if one reaches 100,000 signatures it gets discussed in the Commons. E.g. In the 2017-19 government session, approximately 33,000 e-petitions were created
Turnout is bouncing back. 2001 = 59.4% vs 2019 = 67%. UK general election turnout is not consistently low, and could arguably be on the up. The turnout for the 2014 Scottish referendum was 84.6% which suggests that plenty of people are still participating politically. HOWEVER, 2024 turnout was the lowest since 2001 at 60%
The UK is a good example of a liberal democracy
Judicial independence and neutrality. CRA 2005 established the Supreme Court and enhanced the separation of powers - e.g. Miller v PM 2019. Judges are paid from the Consolidated Fund which is set my an independent committee which reduces chances of corruption.
Scrutiny and checks and balances. Government and executive held accountable for their actions. PMQs, select committees and Opposition days in the Commons + the Lords legislative powers, examine bills line-by-line and make changes. HOWEVER parliamentary sovereignty exists
The UK is not a good example of a liberal democracy
No strict separation of powers. 3 branches of the state are not 100% separated. Different to USA, for example, where one person cannot be employed by more than one branch. Prime Minister in UK is head of the government and leader of the majority party in legislature
Judiciary is not independent or neutral. Not independent. Judicial independence cannot be entrenched in the constitution because it is un-codified, and Parliament will always be sovereign - they can ignore Supreme Court recommendations/rulings. E.g. 2023 Rwanda Bill was declared ‘incompatible’ yet the government chose to go ahead with it
The nature of political participation has changed since 1997
Online participation. Clicktivism and hacktivism + the rise of e-petitions. Online activism is an easy way for people (especially young people) to get involved in politics e.g. clicktivism. E-petitions are an easy way to raise awareness on specific and targeted issues and if one reaches 100,000 signatures it gets discussed in the Commons. E.g. In the 2017-19 government session, approximately 33,000 e-petitions were created.
Decline in formal participation seen through decreased voter turnout. 1997 = 71% vs 2024 = 60%. People are less likely to participate in politics now. Increased apathy and disengagement. 2022 UCL Constitution Unit - 77% people feel they have no influence over how the government is run. Participation changed because people are not as likely to vote - ‘easier’ forms of participation now exist.
The nature of political participation has not changed since 1997
Strike action is still prevalent and still plagues public sector work. 1984-85 Miners strikes and the 2023-24 junior doctors strikes. People still choose to take direct action and protest their pay, this has not changed.
Representative democracy is more effective than direct democracy
Representative = more accessible. Easier to understand and less educated is necessary because people just have to choose someone to elect. E.g. 42% turnout at 2011 AV referendum. Many people did not understand AV and what they were voting for. Involving citizens directly in policy choices can be polarising because many lack the knowledge to understand
Elected officials have the knowledge and expertise to act on behalf of citizens - Burkean theory of representation.
Representative democracy is less effective than direct democracy
Direct democracy promotes political participation. People are given the opportunity to directly affect policy and may feel like their voices are more likely to be heard. Gives people a chance to vote on something they are passionate about. E.g. 2014 Scottish independence referendum had an 84.6% turnout
Direct democracy could increase accountability. Elected representatives would not be able to ignore the peoples’ wishes if there was evidence of what they wanted. Could provide as a good corrective for MPs whose beliefs are out of touch with their constituents/ the countries. E.g. 2016 Brexit referendum
