Essayzzz + Examplezzz Flashcards
To what extent is there a democratic deficit in the UK? (25)
FOR
> Low turnout at elections
> Govt has little legitimacy + weak mandate
e.g. 1950 = 83.9% 2015 = 66.6%
> Apathy and Hapathy
> Don’t care and are content with the current system
e.g. 2011 AV Referendum = 41% turnout
> FPTP
> Not proportional - not fair
e.g. 2015 General Election - UKIP
> 12.6% of votes but only 1seat in HofC
> EU Membership
> EU law supersedes UK law
> Decisions are taken away from the legitimate UK power
> Undemocratic Institutions
> HofL and the Monarchy
e.g. There are still 92 hereditary peers in HofL
AGAINST
> Electoral Turnout
> UK turnout isn’t that low compared to other western democracies
e.g. France (2012) General Election = 55.4%
> Active Media
> Checks politicians and elected officials
> Corruption is dealt with and exposed
e.g. Daily Telegraph leaked the details of the expenses scandal
> No major demand for electoral reform
> People are content with FPTP
e.g. 2011 AV Referendum = 67.9% voted NO
> Pushed by Clegg after he raised uni fees
> EU Membership
> Increased UK trade
> Helped people’s rights
e.g. ECHR - helps to protect civil liberties and rights
> Pressure Groups
> Supplement to UK democracy
> Membership and influence are growing
e.g. RSPB membership > C+L+LD combined
Assess the strengths of representative democracy as it operates in the UK (25)
FOR
> Knowledge and Experience
> MPs have better political knowledge and experience
e.g. Bombing Syria 2015 - MPs used their own knowledge
> Despite public opinion
> Tough Decisions
> Representatives have the ability to weigh up the needs of minorities against the demands of the majority
e.g. Stop the War Campaign 2003
> Over 1,000,000 people showed up - didn’t change decision
> Rational Approach
> Representatives may have a more rational approach to problems
e.g. Iain Duncan Smith got rid of the PIP (for disabled people)
> Controversial but it cut the budget (necessary)
AGAINST
> Low rates of participation
> Low electoral turnout and party membership
e.g. 2015 General Election - 66.6%
> Losing touch with the electorate
> Representatives can lose touch with the electorate
> Safe seats aren’t fair
e.g. 2010 General Election - 382/650 seats in HofC were safe seats
> Political elite rule
> Politicians rule from a ruling class POV
e.g. 33% of MPs were privately educated
> Compared to the 7% of the UK population
Assess the various measures, other than electoral reform, that have been suggested to improved democracy in the UK (25)
FOR
> Encouraging active participation and engagement
> Simplifying voter registration
> Lowering the voting age to 16
> More use of online petitions
e.g. E-petition to ban Trump from the UK - 2016
> Sparked a debate in Parliament
> Delivering fair representation
> Changing constituency boundaries - make votes count more equally
e.g. 2015 Conservative Mandate
> Want to change the constituency borders
> Providing for good governance and restoring trust
> Complete HofL Reform
> Allow for the recall of MPs
> Enhance local democracy
AGAINST
> Low political participation
> Low electoral turnout and party membership
e.g. 2015 General Election = 66.6%
e.g. RSPB membership > C+L+LD combined
> Cosmetic change
> HofL Reform
> Multiple governments have planned to but it hasn’t ever happened
> Not a priority, unlike the EU referendum
e.g. 2012 General Survey
> 79% of people want HofL reform
> 72% of people don’t think it’s a priority
Should direct democracy be more widely used in the UK? (25)
FOR
> People are more involved
> Participate directly in decision making
e.g. 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum
> 85% of the electorate turned up to vote
> Legitimacy
> People are more in control
> Corrective influence on the power of the state
e.g. Blair’s 1997 Landslide Majority Government
> Very legitimate - had a strong mandate
> Easier Access
> Directs political involvement to the correct place instead of the streets
e.g. Pressure Groups like Britain First
> Direct Democracy would stop PGs from rallying in the streets
AGAINST
> Lack of political experience
> Some people may not understand the issue
> The media could become too powerful
e.g. 2015 General Election - 66.6% turnout
> 33.1% didn’t know who to vote for
> Not practical
> No way that all of the UK could participate
e.g. Athens was much smaller than modern day UK
> Tyranny of the Majority
> Majority rules at the expense of a minority
e.g. Descriptive Representation in HofC is very poor when people can choose their representatives, let alone if tyranny of the majority happened
Should referendums be more widely used in the UK? (25)
FOR
> A form of direct democracy
> Allow the direct involvement of citizens
> Necessary because representative democracy is inadequate
e.g. FPTP isn’t proportional
e.g. HofL is unelected
> Encourage political participation
> Allow the government to consult the electorate other than at elections
> Especially importand under a coalition government
e.g. The 2010 coalition government committed itself to a ‘referndum lock’ over any EU treaty
> Shows the govt value referendums
> Force policy makers to explain their proposals
> Force policy makers to explain their side of the debate
e.g. Boris Johnson and Michael Gove did an open letter to Cameron on their POV regarding the EU debate
AGAINST
> Undermines parliamentary sovereignty
> Representative democracy is the heart of our democratic process
> MPs need to be able to carry out their functions
> Some issues are too complex for a yes/no answer
e.g. We were promised a referendum on the European Constitution
> A complex issue
> Low turnout
> The electorate shows little desire to participate in referendums
e.g. 2011 AV Referendum = 41% turnout
> Decisions bind future generations
> Different generations have different opinions
> Could bind future generations with an unpopular outcome
e.g. 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum - 85% turnout
> 55% voted NO - 45% voted YES
> Not a large majority but it binds future generations
Tp what extent does democracy in the UK suffer from a ‘participation crisis’? (25)
FOR
> Low electoral turnout
> Voter turnout has decreased dramatically over the years
> Lack of political participation
e.g. 1950 = 83.9% - 2015 = 66.6%
> Partisan Dealignment
> Voters don’t identify as strongly with political parties
e.g. RSPB membership > C + L + LD membership combined
> Trade Union Membership
> Declined dramatically
> Participation has decreased in multiple ways
e.g. 1979 = 13 million - 2013 = 6.5 million
AGAINST
> Small parties
> People are supporting more upcoming parties
e.g. Green = 3.8% - UKIP = 12.6% (2015 General Election)
> Technology
> People are getting involved in other ways
> Social media + E-petitions
e.g. E-petition to ban Trump from the UK
> Got enough signatures to spark a HofC debate
> Other methods
> Protests
e.g. Stop the War Campaign (2003)
> 1,000,000 supporters
