Elections and referendums Flashcards
1
Q
Where does direct democracy originate?
A
Athenian State
2
Q
How does direct democracy work?
A
Putting a propositions directly to voters for resolution - most referendums seek to elicit a yes/no response to a question asked.
3
Q
Why is the UK a newcomer to direct democracy?
A
Seen as a blunt instrument and a breeder for dictators
4
Q
When was direct democracy first used in the UK>
A
1970s
5
Q
How do some people view direct democracy?
A
As a way of involving citizens in key national or constitutional decisions.
6
Q
How do others see direct democracy?
A
A way of “fixing” the shortcomings of representative democracy.
7
Q
How did parties on the left see referendums in the 1990s?
A
A way of increasing participation and adding legitimacy to a range of planned constitutional changes
8
Q
Who argues for the strengths of direct democracy?
A
Progressive Parties
9
Q
What do people view direct democracy as?
A
The will of the people - greater democratic legitimacy
10
Q
Example of legitimate direct democracy
A
Good Friday Agreement referendum
11
Q
What was the issue with Brexit?
A
Vote Leave broke electoral law and neither side covered themselves in glory over truthfulness
12
Q
What was the turnout of the 1997 Welsh referendum?
A
50.1%
13
Q
What was the result of the Welsh referendum?
A
50.3% for devolution - lacks legitimacy
14
Q
What is a benefit of direct democracy?
A
Increase public engagement - lead to discussion of national significance
15
Q
Example of highly significant discussion
A
Scottish Independence
16
Q
Example of a insignificant discussion
A
Greater London Assembly
17
Q
What is the benefit of a binary choice?
A
Simple questions and simple answers
18
Q
What is an exception to the simple question rule?
A
Brexit - no one knew what brexit meant
19
Q
What do referendums do?
A
Increase political education - brings awareness through research and campaigning
20
Q
Example of widening education
A
Scottish Independence - research from both sides lead to scrutiny
21
Q
How can referendum results be overturned?
A
With another referendum
22
Q
What is the impact of this?
A
Can entrench constitutional change
23
Q
What kind of response do referendums provide?
A
Clear response on a political questions - governments can avoid expensive and unpopular measures
24
Q
Why doesn’t the UK use referendums to resolve moral issues?
A
Powers still remain with parliamentarans
25
Who supported the Yes Scotland Campaign?
SNP and Greens
26
Who supported the Better Together campaign?
Labour, Tories and Lib Dems
27
What caused a growth in independence for Scotland?
Brexit
28
Who supported Vote Leave?
Cummings, UKIP, Tory ministers, Boris, Gove
29
Why was the Brexit referendum called?
Pressure on Cameron after 2015
30
When was the Welsh devolution referendum?
1997
31
What is a critique of direct democracy?
Not a practical way to run a modern state - can't quickly resolve a lot of issues
32
What do referendums undermine?
Parliamentary sovereignty and elected representatives - risks the tyranny of the majority
33
What did Mill believe?
Representative democracy was a moderator of public views.
34
What undermines legitimacy?
Low turnout
35
What can happen in referendums?
Dominated by one sided debate - public funding or media coverage - tends to adopt a certain position
36
What is the significance of the wording of the question?
Can influence the outcome - 1998 London GLA
37
How can some people vote?
Basis of emotions rather than practical considerations
38
What is the view of Tories on referendums?
Traditionally opposed to direct democracy but under recent leaders like Howard and Cameron, they came to see referendums as a way of managing Euroscepticism in the party and harnessing Euroscepticism in the wider electorate.
39
What is the Labour view on referendums?
Blair and Brown were in favour of referendums and made widespread use of them as a means of securing legitimacy for constitutional reform.
40
What is the Lib Dems view on referendums?
Consistently the most enthusiastic party in regards to referendums at every level of decision making.
41
What is Rational Choice theory?
Assumes voters will make a rational or logical choice based upon what is in their own best interest.
42
What is the ideal world for rational choice theory?
Fully informed about the range of options - they will then choose the option which is right for them
43
What doesn't sit well with rational choice theory?
Voters are politically ignorant - however people do know what's right and wrong
44
What does aggregating people's choices do?
Means the winning view will reflect what is best for society as a whole
45
What is issue voting?
Voters choose the party or candidate which best reflects their own opinion on an issue they consider more important than all others
46
What is valence issue voting?
The economy is often the key factor influencing voting behaviour, with voters supporting the party or candidate most trusted to deliver prosperity (no one is going to vote to be poorer)
47
What is valence issue linked to?
Perceptions of governing competency
48
What has challenges the idea of competence?
Populism
49
What has given rise to a range of other factors influencing voting behaviour?
Partisan and class dealignment
50
What do voters compare in terms of policies?
Voters comparing contrasting party manifestos, choosing the one which suits them best
51
What is comparing policies an example of?
Rational Choice theory
52
What do voters asses in terms of issues?
Voters focussing on the policies parties have and again making a rational choice on which party or candidate is "strongest"
53
Example of key issues?
Immigration and crime
54
What does looking at record in office do?
Turning elections into a kind of "referendum" on their performance, this example of valence issues driving
55
What is the impact of looking at leadership?
Politics taking a more presidential feel since the 60s - much more focus is given to personal qualities and even appearance with voters seeking strong, competent and charismatic leaders.
56
What is also important in looking at?
Image of party unity being key in decision making - if a leader cannot lead their party, they are seen as weak, but if a party is at war with itself, it is seen as incapable of governing the country.
57
What often happens in constituencies?
Tactical Voting: a feature in recent elections in the UK, especially in 1997, though this is consequence of the limited options available to voters under FPTP.
58
Where do the conservatives dominate?
Rural and suburban votes
59
Where do Labour dominate?
Urban and metropolitan area - lost group of the small towns
60
Who dominates in scotland?
SNP - usurped Labour since 2005
61
What is the nature of Lib dem support?
Distributed across the UK
62
Where is support for UKIP and greens focussed?
Particular communities
63
What was a key influencer on voting behaviour?
Class - not so much now
64
What blurred the line between the working and middle classes?
Embourgeoisement in the 1980s
65
WHta started to matter more than class?
Economic and social issues
66
Who found it hardest to adapt to the new landscape?
Labour
67
What happened to the aggregate share of the vote for the Tories and Labour after 1970?
Declined
68
What did class dealignment allow?
New parties emerge that cut across class lines
69
Which campaigns relied on the ability to broaden the social base of their party?
Thatcher and Blair
70
Who are "Left behind voters"?
Not directly benefitting from globalisation and have borne the brunt of austerity since the global financial crisis - older, white, less well-off, less educated and non-metropolitan.
71
How do Left behind voters tend to vote?
Not labour - sees it as dominated by a metropolitan, highly educated liberal elite
72
Why do they vote for Tories?
Immigration
73
What was key to the success of Heath and Thatcher?
Housewife vote
74
Who enjoyed the female vote in 1997?
Blair
75
How has the female vote been split in recent years?
Pretty equally
76
What issues do women favour Labour for?
Health and education
77
What Brown and Blair programme appealed to women?
Surestart
78
What is the trend in terms of age?
Older you are, more right leaning - younger is more left - reflects very different social and cultural values
79
Who is more likely to vote?
Older voters
80
What is the greater influence of older voters called?
Grey Lobby
81
What areas do parties focus on because of the grey lobby?
Immigration, health, pensions and crime
82
Where do younger voters tend to congregate?
Met areas
83
What does the participation of older voters mean for labour?
Make it harder for Labour - continue to gain big margins in met areas by can't cut through with the oldies
84
How do BAME voters tend to vote?
Labour
85
Why do BAME voters vote progressively?
Cultural legacy of conservatism in the 20th century which often sounded anti-immigrant and hostile to multi-culturalism - the ideas of Enoch Powell and Norman Tebbit.
86
Why has there been an increase in black voters voting conservative?
Higher paying jobs - look at economic policies
87
What has hindered both parties?
Issues of Islamophobia and Anti-semitism
88
What is the trend with education?
Those less educated are less likely to vote for progressive parties, more educated you are the less likely you are to vote for the Tories.
89
What is a central pillar of liberal democracy?
Free media
90
What role does the media play?
Providing knowledge, holding all three branches of the government to account
91
Who restricts the BBC?
Ofcom
92
What faces fewer regulations?
Print media - conservative bias
93
What is the concern with online media?
Toxic nature of online debate
94
What are the worst offenders of bias?
Tabloids - mockery and ridicule rather than informed debate.
95
What have many newspapers focussed too much on?
Personality vs Policy
96
What exacerbated the focus on personality and image?
Move towards televised leaders' debate in 2010
97
When was the media valuable?
Issues like MPs expenses, investigative journalism played a key role in exposing wrongdoing and holding public office holders to account
98
Which media-owners have huge amounts of influence?
Lord Rothermere, Barclay Brothers and Murdoch
99
Who is against the reform of UK democracy?
Conservatives - current set up benefits them the most
100
What proposal would increase turnout?
Compulsory voting
101
What has made it easier for people to vote?
Postal voting - has brought up concerns about voter fraud
102
What would remove the argument that people were being forced to vote for parties they disagreed with?
Option to vote for none of the above
103
Where uses compulsory voting?
Australia
104
What is a concern about compulsory voting?
Not truly democratic to force people to vote - in a free society people should be able to choose whether they vote or not.
105
Is there any major party support for compulsory voting?
No
106
What has happened in some areaS?
VOTER SUPPRESSION
107
What is another reform to democracy?
Reforming the voting system
108
What is the argument against FPTP?
Could be a turn-off for voters - their votes don't matter
109
What could boost participation?
STV - more proportional systems
110
What do opponents argue?
Proportional systems will dilute the relationship between MPs and their constituents, might boost extreme parties and would increase the likelihood of hung parliaments and coalition or minority government
111
What is the issue of the HoL
Unelected
112
What is the proposed reform?
Get rid of the hereditary peer or having an elected second chamber
113
What is the issue with life peers?
Cronyism
114
What is the issue with elected second chamber?
Risks challenging the primacy of the Commons and could result in legislative gridlock. Could lose the experience of life peers
115
What has been suggested about the House of Commons?
Less arcane and adversarial - reduce points scoring - more scrutiny
116
When was the Recall of MPs Act?
2015
117
What did the Recall of MPs Act do?
Allowed MPs to face recall elections if found guilty of wrongdoings - custodial sentence of a year, suspension for more than 10 days or conviction for false or misleading expenses.
118
How many MPs have faced recall?
3
119
How many MPs have lost?
2 - Fiona Onasanya for custodial sentence and Chris Davies for misleading expenses
120
What do recall elections allow?
Greater accountability to constituents
121
What is the fear of recall elections?
Critics fear a tyranny of recall which would undermine their role as representatives and make them mere delegates.
122
What is a reform for devolution?
Greater devolution - more power to metro mayors - little support amongst voters
123
What is the issue with further devolution?
Undermines parliamentary sovereignty
124
What is the issue with the monarchy?
Everything - non democratic
125
Is there much support for a president?
No - mainly just for the centre left
126
What would the president create?
Rival to parliament - how would this work in a parliamentary democracy
127
What is a reform for the constitution?
Codification - biggest weakness of the UK system
128
What highlighted the weakness of an uncodified constitution?
BREXIT
129
What are rights too dependant on?
Statute laws which can be changed easily
130
What would a shift away from parliamentary sovereignty mean?
Transfer power away from elected representatives to unelected judges.
131
What is another suggestion for elections?
Greater use of e-democracy - easier to vote - online questioning of ministers
132
What are the concerns surround e-democracy?
Security of online voting and marginalising those who are not tech savvy - toxic impact of digital media
133
When did representative democracy emerge?
Along with the modern nation state
134
What is representative democracy?
Default setting of a liberal democracy.
Most practical form of democracy and has evolved because of this.
Would be impractical to expect people to make all political decisions.
So, we elected representatives to make those decisions on our behalf
135
What are elections?
Designed to be a competitive process, not just about one candidate or party competing against others, it's about the competition of ideas.
136
What must elections be in a liberal democracy?
Free and fair
137
What are those elected elected for?
Fix terms in office
138
What is the standard length of an MPs term?
5 years
139
What is the standard length of a Mayor's term?
4 years
140
What are elected representatives accountable for?
Legal and politically for their action
141
Why are they not above the law?
Rule of Law
142
What is the representative function of elections?
The people who are elected make decisions on their behalf
143
What are elections also used for?
Choose a government - elect the House of Commons from which the executive is formed
144
What do elections promote?
Participation via voting
145
What do elections allow the public to influence?
Public policy because voters get to choose between competing manifestos - the winning party then has a mandate to implement those policies.
146
What is the limitation of manifestos?
Lack of choice - therefore the public can't influence what is actually in the manifesto
147
What does FPTP do?
Make a binary choice - modern Labour vs Tory
148
How many candidates were in the North Shropshire By election?
15
149
What do elections provide?
Democratic accountability - citizens can both renew or revoke a mandate based on perceptions of competence.
150
How has the UK become like the US system?
We vote for the party leader rather than the candidate or for the party
151
How have past leaders impacted future leaders?
Tarnished them - 2015, 2017 and 2019 - could be a result of 2008
152
What was Labour 1997?
An irregularity
153
What could it be said about elections?
Elections are lost by the government, not won by the opposition.
154
What do elections do?
Inform citizens about political issues - votes can then be cast from a position of knowledge not ignorance.
155
Where does the information come from?
Media
156
What have criticisms of representative democracy been?
Relatively niche - but some issues are becoming hard to ignore
157
How has party organisation changed?
Much more organised and rigid with a greater expectation for discipline from MPs
158
What has become the norm?
Party delegation with common manifesto and discipline
159
What do MPs risk if they rebel?
Sanctions and suspensions
160
What limits Burkean representation?
Whipping
161
Example of whipping?
Owen Patterson Case
Fracking ban
162
What is parliament dominated by?
White, male, middle class professionals
163
What are UK constituencies?
Single member constituencies
164
Who do constituents vote for?
Candidates not parties - seen by supporters as key to the principal of Burkean Trusteeship.
165
How are members elected?
Simple plurality
166
What is the vote share like?
Most candidates are elected with under half the popular vote
167
How are constituencies divide?
Equal size of population
168
When was the last government who won more than half the popular vote?
1935
169
What are the majority of seats regarded as?
Safe seats - therefore defeats the idea of choice
170
Who voted labour in 2017?
Kensington
171
How does the system benefit large parties?
They can concentrate their vote in geographic areas
172
Where do Labour concentrate their votes?
London, met England and Scotland and Wales
173
Why do minor parties not gain the same benefit?
Can't concentrate their vote this way
174
Why do the Tories defend FPTP?
Have always been the biggest beneficiary
175
What does the system usually produce?
Strong single party government with an exaggerated majority
176
What can happen?
Winning party lose the popular vote - 1974 and 1951
177
How many coalitions have there been since the war?
One official coalition
178
What was Major's majority in 1992?
21/22
179
What is the benefit of a strong majority?
Government can withstand back bench rebellions
180
What was good about 2015?
Stable government was formed - no minor parties - just Tory mandate - know who to blame
181
How does FPTP uphold Burkean representation?
MP is there to represent the constituencies. Hold surgeries to address a whole range of issues.
182
What is the benefit of FPTP being simple?
Important not to have a complex electoral system that discourages re-motivated voters
183
What does FPTP provide?
Government with a clear electoral mandate and makes it possible to hold the incumbent government to account
184
What was the 2019 general election about?
Inviting voters to make a judgement on Brexit and BoJo's ability to get Brexit done.
185
What was the 2010 election about?
Judgement on Labour's handling of the financial crisis.
186
Evidence of FPTP being popular?
Lack of turnout for the 2011 referendym
187
What does FPTP mean for many votes?
Results in millions of wasted votes - unless you vote for a winning candidate, your vote is essentially discarded - other systems allow a ranking opportunity, which mean votes aren't wasted.
188
What brings about questions of legitimacy?
Most MPs are elected with less than half the popular vote
189
What was the issue with Brexit?
More people voted against Brexit in 2019 than voted for it in 2016
190
What does FPTP highlight?
Regional Politics
191
How is the value of Burkean representation overstated?
People believe that their MPs don't represent them, and therefore don't consult them on issues.
192
Example of an MP doing what they like?
Anne Mane for St Albans - Tory MP representing a progressive, pro EU constituency.
193
What kind of results does FPTP produce?
Disproportionate results - exaggerates the representation of major parties
194
What can be produced due to FPTP?
Elective Dictatorships - harder for the legislature to check the exectuive
195
What are usually ignored?
Safe seats
196
What % of the vote share did Labour get in 1983?
27.6%
197
How many seats did Labour get in 1983?
209
198
What % of the vote share did the Alliance get?
25.4
199
How many seats did the alliance get in 1983?
23
200
What % of the vote did Labour get in 1987?
30.8%
201
How many seats did Labour get in 1987?
229
202
What % of the vote did the Alliance get in 1987?
22.5
203
How many seats did the Alliance get in 1987?
22
204
What happened to the Lib Dems in 1997?
Lib dems lose vote share but double their seats - magnifies the conservative failing
205
Why were the Tories so unpopular in 1997?
Tactical voters with people voting for the Lib Dems
206
What was the Lib dem vote share in 1992 and 1997?
17.8 and 16.8
207
How many seats did the Lib Dems get in 1992 and 1997?
20 and 46
208
What happened to Labour vote share in 2001?
Gone to the Lib dems - decreased to 40.7%
209
What was significant about 2005?
Lowest share of the vote to any party with a working majority - 35.2%
210
Why was Labour losing the vote share?
Upsetting the core vote over Iraq and tuition fees
211
Why do small c conservatives like FPTP?
Maintain traditions
212
What do democratic socialists think about FPTP?
More wedded to FPTP - believe the only way to reach full socialism is to control the legislature and executive
213
What do revisionist socialists think of FPTP?
More pragmatic - liberal on the idea of a coalition
214
What is a majoritarian system?
Designed to produce single party government - these systems retain single member constituencies. Designed to put one party in power on its own with a majority over the opposition parties. FPTP. USA politics as well. Sacrifice representation.
215
What is a proportional system?
Produce fair representation - multi-member systems - ensure to translate as accurately as possible votes cast to vote outcome
216
What is a hybrid system?
Combine elements of both - they are generally majoritarian with an element of added proportionality. Mid point between the two above. Examples of all three operating in the UK.
217
What is the AV system?
Voters rank candidates in order of preference with as many votes as candidates.
218
What % must candidates win of first preference to be elected?
50%
219
What happens to least popular candidates?
Eliminated and their votes are redistributed to remaining candidates
220
How many times does the process continue?
Until one candidate has 50%+ of the vote
221
What is retained under AV
Single member constituencies
222
Where is AV used?
Elect hereditary peers and used in Labour Leadership
223
What is SV?
Only get to rank first and second choices
224
Where was SV used?
Mayor of London and PCC
225
What is the List?
Representation is allocated according to the share of the vote cast.
226
What happens in the Open List?
Voters can choose between competing candidates from the same party with those achieving the vote threshold elected.
227
What happens in the Closed List?
Parties determine the rank order of their candidates and voters cast one vote for their party of choice with the highest scoring candidates elected.
228
What is the norm in the list?
Multi-member constituencies
229
Where was the List used?
1999 to 2019 for MEPs
230
Why was the closed list not introduced?
The house of lords blocked it due the fact that it appeared to run contrary to Burkean trusteeship
231
What does Proportional Representation do?
Gives too much power to political parties as it allows them to rank the party members depending on ranking within the party - "closed list" more problematic here.
232
What is STV?
Representatives are elected in large multi-member constituencies e.g. in Northern Ireland, 18 constituencies each elect 6 Ams in the Stormont Assembly.
233
What is voting like in STV?
Voting is preferential and voters can make as many choices as there are candidates - crucially choices can be made within party lists as well as between them.
234
What is the benefit of STV?
No votes are wasted
235
What quota must be reached for candidates to be elected?
Droop Quota
236
What happens if no candidate reaches the quota
The lowest placed candidate is eliminated and second preferences are transferred with process continuing until all seats are filled by candidates meeting the quota
237
Who is an advocate for STV?
Lib Dems and the Electoral Reform Society - more proportional
238
What does it mean for how much of the vote the winner commands?
More likely to command over 50% of the vote
239
What does STV weaken?
Weakens link between representatives and constituents
240
What is AMS?
A hybrid system which combines elements of FPTP with a regional list.
241
Where is AMS used?
Currently used in the UK to elect Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly and the Greater London Authority.
242
How many seats are elected with FPTP in Scotland?
73/129
243
How many seats are elected with FPTP in Wales?
40/60
244
How many votes do you get in AMS?
Two votes - one for a constituency and another for an additional representative from a region.
245
How does the list correct FPTP?
Using the d'Hondt formula.
246
What does AMS produce?
Fairer outcomes without sacrificing single member constituencies and voters can split the ticket in terms of voting.
