Democracy and Participation Flashcards
Democracy definition?
A method of decision making within a state where everyone gets a say.
What makes a state democratic?
→ Free and fair elections
→ Free speech - able to be part of pressure groups, sign petitions, protest
→ All members of society have civil rights.
→Have a voice through the system of government (able to vote).
What are the key functions of democracy?
- Representation
- Accountability
- Participation
- Power dispersal
- Education
What is direct democracy?
A type of government in which policies and laws are decided by a majority of all those in a group rather than by a body of elected representatives.
What are referendums?
A referendum is when a question is decided by putting it to a public vote.
What are initiatives?
Initiatives are a form of direct democracy and involves the forcing of a public vote on an issue through the use of petitions.
Where did direct democracy ‘originate’?
In Ancient Athens around 510 BCE
What are the key functions of a representative democracy?
- Popular participation is indirect - the public do not exercise power themselves; they choose, via election, who will rule on their behalf.
- Popular participation is mediated - the people are linked to government through representative institutions.
- Public participation in government is limited - it is infrequent and brief, being restricted to the act of voting every few years.
What are the 3 components of Parliament?
House of Commons, House of Lords and the Monarch.
Roughly how many peers sit in the House of Lords?
800
Advantages of representative democracy?
→ Only possible practical system for a large modern state where issues are complex.
→ Parties are formed to give people a real choice of representative to elect. Pressure groups also help to represent different interests.
→ Prevents tyranny of the minority.
→ Elections allow people to hold their MPs to account.
→ Politicians are better informed than the average citizen so can make better decisions about laws that effect everyone.
Disadvantages of representative democracy?
→ May lead to reduced participation.
→ Parties and pressure groups are often run by elites who are pursuing their own agenda.
→ Parties are more likely to follow the views of the majority to secure election.
→ Politicians are skilful about avoiding accountability.
What is the definition of power?
Power is the ability to influence or control the actions or beliefs of others.
What is the definition of authority?
Authority is the right someone has to influence or control the actions or beliefs or others, this often comes from positions or a title.
What is political sovereignty?
- In practice the ability to make laws.
- Majority party in government.
What is legal sovereignty?
- In theory, where power lies.
- Linked to authority and right to make laws - Parliament.
Why is popular sovereignty?
- People have power
- Through referendums and elections
What institution is sovereign in the UK?
Parliament
Legitimacy definition?
Legitimacy is usually defined simply as ‘rightfulness’ or the ‘right to rule’.
What are the 3 types of MP representation?
- Delegates - work on your behalf.
- Trustees - work for ‘greater good’.
- Party representative - work for a political party.
In what ways can people in the UK participate in democracy?
- Voting in elections
- Lobbying
- Joining a political party
- Campaigning for a party
- Protesting
What is the definition of participation crisis?
When the turnout of voters is so low that is starts to become a threat to the legitimacy of a government.
Why is voter turnout important in a representative democracy?
Low turnout threatens the government’s legitimacy.
What is apathy and how does it effect voter turnout?
Apathy is a feeling of disinterest - it effects turnout levels as people don’t vote because they’re disinterested in politics.
What factors effect the likelihood of someone to vote?
- Age
- Class
- Ethnicity
Difference in turnout between 18-24s and +65s?
18-24s = 54%
+65s = 71%
Voter turnout from 2001 to 2017?
Turnout 2001: 59%
Turnout 2017: 69%
Voter turnout 2024?
Turnout 2024: 60%
What did the 2019 Hansard Society Audit of Political Engagement suggest about the health of UK democracy?
It suggested health was poor:
→ 47% felt they had no influence over national decision making.
→ 30% never discuss politics
→ 53% have not done any form of online political activity in the past year.
Party membership 1953 to 2019?
1953 Membership: 3,811,000
2019 Membership: 983,000
Conservative party membership 1953-2022?
1953 membership = 2,806,000
2022 membership = 172,000
In the Hansard Audit of Political Engagement what percentage of people said they would donate money or pay membership to a political party?
11%
Trade Union membership 1979-2016?
1979 membership = 13.2 million
2016 membership = 6.23 million
What events have lead in recent years to a decline in voter turnout?
- “Partygate”
- Matt Hancock sleazy actions & I’m a Celeb.
- Brexit failures and broken promises.
- Expenses Scandal 2019.
- Kier Stammer “free gifts” from Lord Ali.
What evidence suggests that turnout is higher than reported?
The Aggregate Turnout Is Mismeasured report of 2018 suggested that participation is 9% higher than recorded.
What reforms could we make to improve democracy and participation in the UK?
- Referendums
- Extending the franchise
- Compulsory voting
- Digital democracy
- Removal of unelected elements
How could extending the franchise enhance democracy?
→ Prison Reform Trust - believe prisoners should have the vote - Human Rights Act - Protocol 1, Article 3 (1998) everyone should vote.
→ Votes at 16 movement wanted more young people to have the vote as they have to live with the consequence of who’s in government.
→ Voting age has been lowered in Scotland and Wales to 16.
What issues could extending the franchise have on democracy?
→ 2024 general election: turnout was 64% in constituencies where one quarter of the voters are 64+ compared to 50% in constituencies where one quarter of the population is 24-35.
→ There is already apathy in young voters we don’t need to lower the turnout (60% in 2024) - as this means the government’s legitimacy will be question.
How could using more direct democracy enhance democracy?
- Used in Switzerland - more of the population is engaged within politics
- Brexit referendum had turnout of 72.2% whilst general elections in the 21st century have never gotten higher than a 68.8% turnout (2017).
How could changing the day of voting enhance democracy?
Voter turnout across Europe is about 10% higher in countries that hold voting on the weekend.
How could using mandatory voting enhance democracy?
- Used in Australia; voter turnout usually around 97% - making government more legitimate.
How could introducing online voting enhance democracy?
- A OnePoll survey revealed that 19% of individuals between 25-34 currently do not plan to vote, 86% indicated they would cast their vote if an online system were provided.
- Online voting is currently used in Estonia to great effect.
What issues could changing the process of voting have on democracy?
→ Online voting - results could be manipulated: - USA: On July 13, 2018, indictment against 12 Russian intelligence officers for their alleged roles in interfering with the 2016 election.
- Brexit: it was rumoured that Russia got involved in the UK’s decision to leave the EU.
How could removing elected elements enhance our democracy?
→ House of Lords - removes the risk that PMs appoint people into the Lords because they know they will back party policies - Johnson appointed his brother into the House of Lords as well as Evgeny Lebedev who had KGB affiliations.
→ Special advisors - means there is more transparency about who has influence over government - special advisors in the past such as Alistair Campbell and Dominic Cummings have had a lot of power but not much is known about them.
→ Supreme Court Judges - some people believe the Supreme Court has too much power and they clash with Parliament over issues, making it difficult for Parliament to pass legislation - e.g. Rwanda Bill got shot down by the Supreme Court.
What issues could removing elected elements bring to our democracy?
→ House of Lords - having a second elected Chamber means the powers of the Commons is undermined. People would vote for charismatic people rather than those who are good in their profession and are needed for their skills.
→ Special advisors - shouldn’t be elected as they have special skills.
→ Supreme Court Judges - people may vote for populist judges - this wouldn’t be good for the judicial system - in the USA Donald Trump ‘stacked’ the supreme court so that progressive decisions would be rejected.
Pressure group definition?
A group that tries to influence public policy in the interest of a particular cause.
What are the 2 main types of pressure group?
- Sectional/Interest
- Cause/Promotional
What do sectional groups do and what are some examples of this type of pressure group?
What they do:
- Defend interests
- Closed membership
- Material concerns
- Benefit members only
Examples:
- NEU: defend interests of teachers in both state and private sectors.
- National Farmers Union.
What do cause groups do and what are some examples of this type of pressure group?
What they do:
- Promote causes
- Open membership to all
- Moral Concerns
- Benefit others or the wider society
Examples:
- Frack Off
- Extinction Rebellion
- Just Stop Oil
What are the differences between insider and outsider pressure groups?
Insider:
- Have access to policy makers
- Often have a low profile
- Mainstream goals
Outsider:
- No or limited access to policy makers
- High profile - have to get themselves arrested or in the media to be heard.
- Radical goals
- Strong grass roots
Methods used by pressure groups?
- Lobbying
- Developing links with political parties
- Influencing public opinion
- Direct action
- Using the courts
- Standing for election
What are the main reasons that pressure groups fail?
- Contradiction of Government policy
- Government resistance
- Opposition from other groups
- Lack of public support
What is a think tank?
A Think Tank is a group that has been formed with the specific purpose of formulating and developing political ideas.
Examples of left wing think tanks?
- Fabian Society (Social Justice)
- Institute for Public Policy Research
Example of neutral think tanks?
Chatham House (International Affairs)
Demos (Political Issues)
Examples of right wing think tanks?
Adam Smith Institute (Economics)
Institute for Economic Affairs
Why are think tanks good for democracy?
- Create new policy
- Helps represent different groups
- Dispersal of power
- Policy made by experts
What are the issues with think tanks?
- Funding: lack of transparency
- They’re aligned with who’s paying them
- Focus on their own aims
- Push powerful corporate interests.
What do lobbyists do?
- Paid private firms who lobby on the behalf of corporates or individuals
- Sell inside stature.
What lobbying scandal recently happened?
David Cameron & Greensill Capital
How do pressure group enhance democracy?
- They exemplify the seriousness of global issues to the public - Just Stop Oil
- They influence government policy on specific issues - ASH has helped inform government about the impacts of smoking.
- Encourages the electorate to get involved in democracy - Greenpeace and Extinction Rebellion both have a large youth membership.
- They provide representation for portions of the community that may be overlooked - Marcus Rashford and free school meals.
- Hold governments to account - legal challenge by the Badger Trust on government Badger culling.
How do pressure groups not enhance democracy?
- Direct action can cause disruption - Just Stop Oil; throwing soup at Monet, glueing themselves to roads, throwing paint at sports events.
- Elitist pressure groups - some pressure groups have more power because they have ‘insider’ status - the RMT have a close connection with Labour and the BBA have a close relationship with the Conservatives.
- Extremism - some groups it could be argued go too far for their cause - Brian Haw’s 5 year demonstration against the Iraq war.
How do think tanks enhance democracy?
- Helps to create new policies - the Joseph Rowntree Foundation is cited in 157 policy documents.
- Helps represent different groups - range from far left to far right groups so cover a wide range of views Fabian Society (Far Left) → Adam Smith Institute (Far Right).
- Policy made by experts - think tanks often include economists, political analysts and former civil servants.
How do think tanks not enhance democracy?
- Funding - many think tanks aren’t transparent about where their funding comes from - the IEA, Adam Smith Institute and the Legatum Institute are just some examples of think tanks that don’t disclose where their funding comes from.
- Focus on their own aim.
- Push powerful corporate interests.
How do lobbyists enhance democracy?
- Provide policy makers with expertise and information - Hanbury Strategy - advised Labour and Conservatives over Brexit.
- More representation - lobbyists either lobby on behalf of individuals or companies - they are paid to make officials listen to what they have to say - this increases opportunities for groups to gain contact with government officials -
- Increases participation.
How do lobbyists not enhance democracy?
→ Corruption from officials:
- David Cameron lobbied for Greensill despite being outwardly against lobbyist during his stint as PM.
- Blair’s government had exempted Formula One from a new ban on tobacco advertising, several months after Bernie Ecclestone, the head of the sport’s governing body, donated £1m to Labour.
- Derek Draper lost his job in 1998 after boasting to an undercover reporter that there were “17 people who count” inside government, “and to say I am intimate with every one of them is the understatement of the century”
- Peter Truscott and Thomas Taylor (both Labour peers in the Lords) were recorded by undercover Sunday Times reporters saying they would help to amend a bill going through parliament in return for a fee.
- Three former Labour ministers, Stephen Byers, Geoff Hoon and Richard Caborn, were filmed talking to a reporter from Channel 4’s. Byers, described himself as being like a “cab for hire”, while Hoon, told the reporter he wanted to use his connections for something that “bluntly, makes money”.
- In 2012, Peter Cruddas, resigned after a newspaper operation found he had told would-be party donors that a “premier league” sum of more than £200,000 would grant them direct access at social events to the PM and the chancellor, David Cameron and George Osborne.
What rights are protected in the UK (under the HRA)?
- Right to life
- Freedom from torture
- Freedom from slavery and forced labour
- Right to liberty and security
- Right to a fair trial
- Right to respect for private and family life
- Freedom of thought conscience and religion
- Freedom of expression
- Freedom of assembly and association
- Right to marry
- Freedom from discrimination
- Right to education
- Right to free elections with a secret ballot
Give some examples a major constitutional changes that have helped to protect our rights.
- Magna Carta 1215.
- Bill of Rights 1689.
- Representation of the People Act 1928.
- Human Rights Act 1998
- Freedom of Information Act 2001
- Equalities Act 2010
- General Data Protection Act 2018
What does the 2010 Equalities Act do?
Protects 7 key characteristics in the workplace including: sex, disability, race.
What does the Data Protection Act do?
Gives you the right to know where your data goes and where it is stored.
Give some examples of pressure groups in the UK that aim to protect our rights.
- Liberty.
- Amnesty International.
- Big Brother Watch.
- The Good Law Project.
What have the Liberty done to aid the protection of rights in the UK?
- Gillan and Quinton: Liberty challenged section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 which authorised the police to stop and search anyone within a specific area even without suspicion.
- From 2007 to 2008 Liberty engaged with a campaign to oppose the clause of the counter terrorism bill that allowed the police to detain suspects for 42 days. The bill was dropped after a large defeat in the House of Lords.
- Identity Cards Act 2006: Liberty challenged the act and convinced the opposition parties of the issues with the act.
- Liberty were involved with a court case that was brought up by Edward Snowden about mass government surveillance programmes. In 2018 the ECHR ruled that the surveillance violated Articles 8 and 10.
What are the limits and tensions of rights protection in the UK?
- Conservatives see the growth of a human rights culture as a threat to the “moral fabric” of society as people are less willing to take responsibility.
- People are now more concerned with what society owes them rather than what they owe to society.
- UK Parliament has the ability to derogate certain articles in an emergency → leading to the question of whether our rights are ‘absolute’.
- There are issues when group rights clash with the rights of an individual.
- There are issues when individual rights clash with the rights of the state.
Give some examples of when group rights have clashed with individual rights.
- Ashers v Lee (2018)
- HMCI v The Interim Executive Board of Al-Hijrah School (2017)
Give some examples of when individual rights have clashed with state rights.
- HM, MA and KH v Secretary of State for the Home Department: the Supreme Court was able to defend the rights of asylum seekers whose phones were taken upon arriving in the UK.
- After 9/11 the Supreme Court challenged government legislation that wanted access to people’s information - the Supreme Court ruled this was in violation of people’s rights, therefore protecting UK citizens.
Individual rights definition?
Individual rights are those that are granted to individuals as a result of their status as human beings.
What do collective rights protect?
Collective rights are rights that are granted to groups or communities as a whole, rather than to individuals. They protect the interests and well-being of specific communities.
Discuss one potential conflict that may arise between individual and collective rights.
While an individual has the right to freedom of expression, this right should not infringe upon the collective rights of a community, such as inciting hatred or discrimination against a particular group.
