Democracy and Participation: Unit 1.1 Flashcards
Features of representative democracy? (public, decisions, method)
- public elects rep
- rep makes decisions on behalf of public
- method used across world (USA, UK)
advantages of rep democracy? (eff, pluralism, tyranny)
- rep can develop expertise to deal with matters public don’t have time/knowledge to deal with
- rep can be held account for actions at election time
- rep have time to deal with variety of complex matters, allowing public to get on with own lives
- in large modern country, only practical way to translate pubic opinion into political action
disadvantages of rep democracy? (public opinion, rewarded, wealthy, ignore)
- rep may not act in best interests of constituents
- politicians can be better rewarded serving party’s interests than electorate
- can lead to wealthy groups over-rep in Parliament
- rep bodies can be unrep + ignore public demand, concerns and needs of minorities between elections
- can be difficult to hold rep to account between elections
- allowing voters to delegate responsibility to rep can lead to public disengaging from social issues + other responsibilities
features of direct democracy?
- public makes decisions by VOTING on specific issues (e.g. homelessness)
- referendums is a form of democracy
- no modern dem are direct, yet include features, such as uk with referendum
advantages of dd? (favour, unrep, corrupt, logisitical, educated)
- favours ppl over politicians
- avoids unrep voting systems (FPTP)
- removes possibility of rep becoming corrupt or disinterested between elections
- internet makes logistical problems of dd less of a problem, e-petitions
- leads to more engaged + educated citizens, as more empowered to make decisions
Example of MPS in Recall of MPs Act 2015?
Fiona Onasanya, in 2019 was found guilty of lying to avoid speeding ticket.. first parliamentarians to be removed from office after recall election where 27.64 of registered voters signed official notice calling for her removal (WELL ABOVE 10% THRESHOLD).. triggered byelection in her Peterborough seat
disadvantages of dd?
- difficult to work in large democracies with millions of voters
- voter fatigue (from voting on every issue)
- majority of population uninterested
- tyranny of majority
- electorate makes emotive decisions (based on fake news, echo chambers), yet politicians make rational and logical choices based on evidence
Example of DD in Rep system?
- Recall of Mps Act 2015.. introduced process of MP losing seat if a petition is successful to recall them, for petition to be successful 1 in 10 voters in constituency must sign
- Act also meant if MP is sentences more than 1 year in jail, they’re disqualified from holding seat (triggers recall petition, than force by election)
is dd desirable?
yes:
- purest form of dem
- avoids deadlock _ delay within political system
- increases legitimacy as people are making decisions
no:
- leads to tyranny of majoru=ity (winning majority ignores interests of minority + may impose something detrimental on them, illegal migration bill 2023)
similarities between two?
- both operate on system of majority rule (whatever gets most votes happens)
- both rely on regular polling of public to determine what population supports
- both result in policy changes as public opinion changes
differences?
direct = no politicians in parliament
dd require consultation of electorate regularly, but rd requires every few years
problems with democracy?
- democratic deficit
- participation crisis (voter turnout decline since WW2, 1945 - 72.8%, 2019 - 67.3%.. refurendum 2011 AV: 42%
what is a democratic deficit?
when democratic systems fall short of providing democratic practices - e.g. partygate
reforms for democracy?
change electoral system (strengthen rep d)
reform HOL (strengthen rep d)
frequent ref (expand dd)
further devolution (expand dd)
Example of DD in Rep system?
- Recall of Mps Act 2015.. introduced process of MP losing seat if a petition is successful to recall them, for petition to be successful 1 in 10 voters in constituency must sign
- Act also meant if MP is sentences more than 1 year in jail, they’re disqualified from holding seat (triggers recall petition, than force by election)
