Democracy And Participation: Forms And Patterns Of Participation In Politics

Question 1

What is the term for shallow level of activism and participation?

Answer 1

‘slacktivism’

Question 2

What are the evidence often cited for arguing that there is a political participation crisis?

Answer 2

Voter turnouts in elections
Membership of political parties
Growing volatility among voters

Question 3

What was the average turnout at general elections from 1945 to 1992?

Answer 3

75% and reached 84% in 1950

Question 4

What was the voter turnout in the 2017 and 2019 general election?

Answer 4

2017: 68.8%
2019: 67.3%
2017 was still the second-highest turnout since 1997

Question 5

What are the voter turnout for alternative elections that are not general elections?

Answer 5

2019 European elections: 37%
2018 local elections for unitary councils: 33%
2016 police and crime commissioner elections: 27%
2016 Scottish Parliament elections: 56%
2014 Scottish independence referendum: 85%
2011 alternative vote (AV) referendum: 42%

Question 6

According to a House of Commons what roughly is the membership of political parties in the UK?

Answer 6

Labour: 485,000
Conservatives: 180,000
SNP: 126,000
Liberal Democrats: 115,000
Green Party: 48,500
UKIP: 29,000
Plaid Cymru: 10,000

Question 7

What was roughly Labour, Conservative and SNP membership in the 1950s?

Answer 7

Labour: over 3 million
Conservatives: around 1.75 million
SNP: around half a million

Question 8

What other things have had a fall in membership since the 1950s?

Answer 8

Trade unions and churches

Question 9

What is the phenomenon called of when there are many voters who are more likely to switch between parties?

Answer 9

Partisan dealignment

Question 10

What has become less reliable as a indicator of voting behaviour, in recent years?

Answer 10

Class