Democracy and Participation - Topic 1.1.1

Question 1

What are the features of representative democracy?

Answer 1

Voters elect politicians to make decisions on their behalf. The public do not have enough time or understanding of complicated political decisions so it is the job of the professsional politician to acquire understanding and make informed decisions in the interest of the nation.

Elected politicians are made accountable by the electorate at regular elections; voters retain sovereignty as they decide whether to renew mandate or not.

MPs are elected based on the principle that they should represent the interests of their constituents. MPs spend a lot of time with their public and listen to their concerns. However, MPs should blindly follow the will of the public, they should instead weigh up the feelings of the people they represent and with outside factors to make the best decision.

Question 2

What are the features of direct democracy?

Answer 2

There’s no distinction between government and citizen, instead, there’s continuous engagement by the public in the democratic process. This is impossible in the UK however, but we have elements.

Question 3

What are some examples of direct democracy in the UK?

Answer 3

Referendums:

• Enable the public to directly express their views on single issues

E-petitions:

• If a petition reaches 100,000 signatures, it will be considered for debate either in Westminster Hall or the Commons. Parliament must engage with issues the public feel strong about

Consultative exercises:

• These can be set up when governing bodies want to assess the likely reaction to their proposed policies

Open primaries:

• The public directly decide who the candidate should be

Election of party leadership:

• All main political parties allow their members to decide who the leader of the party will be

Recall of MPs Act:

• If an MP has been imprisoned, suspended or convicted then a recall petition signed by a minimum of 10% of their constituents can trigger a by-election

Question 4

What are the advantages of representative democracy?

Answer 4

• Government is carried out by professional politicians who are required to be well informed about political issues and make politically educated decisions that the public may not fully understand
• Elected politicians balance conflicting interests when reaching decisions. This is important in protecting the rights of all citizens, especially minorities. Parliament balances the benefits to the majority with the more negative impact on the minority
• Compromises on the principle of accountability, which means that in regular elections the voters can decide whether to renew mandate

Question 5

What are the disadvantages of representative democracy?

Answer 5

• MPs represent a metropolitan elite that doesn’t represent the more traditional values of the population; MPs are disengaged from the public and don’t adequately represent their interests
• Lobbyists and the media also establish a self-perpetuating Westminster ‘bubble’, which disconnects MPs from the important issues
• MPs can have outside interests, contributing to a conflict of interest, compromising their ability to fully represent their constituents
• FPTP means that Parliament is highly unrepresentative of the national vote, breeding a two-party system with smaller parties left with few seats while having a greater voter mandate
• The House of Lords is unelected and therefore unaccountable, undermining Parliament’s representative function

Question 6

What are the advantages of direct democracy?

Answer 6

• Makes politicians more responsive to what people really think, creating a closer connection
• Creates greater engagement in the political process
• Representatives are kept better informed of developing public attitudes through referendums etc.

Question 7

What are the disadvantages of direct democracy?

Answer 7

• Dangerously simplify questions to a binary for issues much more complex than that
• Opposes the Burkean principle that representatives should act according to their conscience
• Does not balance conflicting interests or protects the rights of minorities
• Public can be nonsufficiently knowledgeable to make well-informed decisions