democracy + participation essay plan Flashcards
pressure groups have impact: david Cameron
- DC dropped plans to privatise Uk forests after petition on 38 Degree received 1/2 mn signatures -> public support shown + gov. back down
Pressure groups impact: - food foundation
- campaign for free school meals during lockdown endorsed by Rashford -> gov. u-turned
- celebrity endorsement ^ public awareness + support
pressure groups impact: judicial review
- challenge gov decisions
- i.e Howard lague for penal reform overturning the ban on books for prisoners
impact - Just stop oil
- success as gov stop new oil and gas licenses be granted -. said will stop protesting
- BUT… didn’t reverse the 100 new licenses Rishi Sunnak granted in 2023 nor the development of the Rosebank Oil field which came after a yr of protest
- failed to gain public support with disruptive tactics
pressure group - low impact - stop the war
‘stop the war march’ organised against Iraq war 2003 saw a mn protesters march on london -> greater mandate -> geopolitical pressurre
pressure group low impact - right to bring judicial review
- Criminal justice and Courts act 2015 limits pressure groups ability to bring judicial review + cuts to legal aid as it requires a person to be standing
pressure groups low impact - 2022 legislation
- Police, crime, sentencing and courts Act 2022 limits rights to ‘disruptive’ protest -> farmer protests Westminster over inheritance unable to bring tractors
think tanks impact - Truss
truss hired Matt Sinclar as her SpAd
- he was prev. director of think tank Tax payer alliance and the Insi=titute for Economic affairs
- however think tnks specific ideological leaning, so likely to be conditional to party
lobbyists impact - insider techniques
- Open democracy found that in the 2mts before 2024 GE not a week went by w/oout a member of labour front benchers team atttended a private client roundtable organised by a lobbying firm
Lobbyist impact - Revolving door
’ owen Patterson lobbying ministers on behalf of lobbying firms whilst still being a MP
Lobbying - funding
- Bernie Eccleston - big donation to labour under Blair
- his businesses excluded for restrictions on tobacco ads
Lobbying - U-turn
-The Conservative Party’s shift on net zero
- Theresa May committed to net zero by 2050, a pledge upheld by Johnson and initially supported by Sunak.
- Kemi Badenoch reversed this in March 2025, citing the goal as “impossible.”
- This U-turn followed a costly retreat funded by climate-sceptic donor Neil Record,
lobbyists - greater regulation
- Transparency of lobbying
- Non-party campaigning + Tv admin Act passed 2014
- required registration
pressure groups- little impact CBI
- CBI critical if brexit -> costly and lead to job losses
- gov didn’t change course
- Prssure group: Labour to gov.
- BMA, RMT and NEU aft. 2024 GE + change of gov. at 2024 GE -> secure pay rises for nenvers after a series of strikes which resulted in no change under prev gov.
- pressure group: airport
- no 3rd runway coalition -. rachel reeves announced her + gov support foor expansion of heathrow airport
rights proteced - Legislation
- can increase rights FoIA
- PS can protect rights - > HRA
rights unprotected - legislation
- Can + do regularly restrict riights
- AO1: anti-terror legislation? Belarsh Detainees
- Talk of leaving ECHR from conservatives and replace HRA
rigts protected: Jusiciary
- uphld and interpret HRA + ECHR
- declarattion of incompatability pressure gov. -> R v secretary of state -> civil partnership to heterosexual couples
- secondary legislation: ultravires -> rwanda policy/ miller v secretary of state
rights unproteced: Judiciary can bbe worked around
- DofI not legally binding : prisoner votingg rights
- Exec can force primary legislation through passing through primary (LInk: fusion of powers) : Brown and Terrorist Asset Freezing
Rights Protected: pressure groups
- Stonewall (collective) - LGBTQ+
- Howard League for penal reform (individual)
- highlight areas gov miss
- support JV - Book for prisoners
rights unprotected: Presure groups
- not directly legislating
- rely on co-op smoking ban rishi + other factors (Action on Smoking and Health (ASH))
- opposing goals - Hunting act 2004 Against cruel sports vs countryside alliance
+ ve direct democtracy
💚 reliance on political class who may have own interests - dispersal of power -> 2024 GE 57.8% voters unrepresented as person they voted for did not win a seat
💚 Creation of more educated citizen body -> as seen in Av Ref
💚 Direct and continuous participation - citizens will have vested interest in society and see law as legitimate -> 73.7 percent of votes disregarded in 2024 -> surplus or unrepresented
- ve direct democracy
❌not practical in large, complex modern societies - citizens may not have time to be informed -> low turnout AV ref -> 42%
❌ Citizens who are not informed will lead to illegitimate policy and decisions -> misinformation
❌ May create division in society - i.e over multiple issues rather than just party -> Brexit
+ ve representative democracy
💚 Political class will be able to be dedicated, informed, experts
💚 Simplifies the political process in order that everyone can easily participate - division of labour enables this further than demands of direct democracies’ continuous participation
💚 Built on compromise - political stability
-ve rep democract
❌ Gulf between government and the people may contribute to political apathy and disillusionment -> 57.8% unrep 2024 GE
❌ Existence of political class allows people to ‘switch off’ and hand over responsibility -> finer details
❌ Representative democracy in crisis - low turnout - still needs to use DD at times ->59.7 % lowest since 2001
FPTP success
FPTP failure
