ETVT reforms to Uk democracy can tackle the democratic deficit in the UK Flashcards
Voting and Electoral reform can solve the democratic deficit
Compulsory voting, this would increase engagement and participation, low voter turnout would be solved.
Australia introduced compulsory voting into the countries elections in 1924 and since then turnout has never dropped below 91%. This is because of the failures of the current FPTP, leading to wasted votes. All votes casted for MPS more than they win and all votes casted for losing candidates are wasted. In Belgium 2014 federal election turnout was 89% due to compulsory voting.
In 2015 David Winnick raised the need for compulsory voting in the commons, ‘If we want our democracy to flourish, common sense dictates we should do what we can to get far more people to participate in elections’.
Reducing the voting age to 16 could increase youth turnout in the short term but also increase voter turnout across all the age groups In the long term. If they are encouraged to engage in politics now they may also in the future.
The 2014 Scottish independence referendum demonstrated huge engagement from 16-17 year olds, 75% of this age group voted in the election.
In 2019 the Electoral Commission found that more than 9 million people, around 17% of the population are eligible to vote but are not registered. As a result Automatic vote registration would help increase the size of the electorate and make decisions more legitimate.
Online voting could increase convenience, the Reform Committee claimed that 85% of students at the University of Shefield said they were more likely to vote if it was online.
Voting and electoral reform cannot solve the democratic deficit
Critics firstly argue that lowering the voting age will just result in lower turnout, this is because younger people have less interest in politics and less knowledge on the topic. The Isle of Man enfranchised 16-17 year olds and in 2006 turnout in this groups was 55.3% and then declined even further in 2016 to 46.2%.
Not voting may be a positive decision by some, only 25% of the electorate voted for the police and crime commission elections in 2016, some argued this indicated that voters regarded this post and insignificant. Forcing the electorate to vote for a choice they disagree with is a infringement of civic rights.
Referendums can solve the democratic deficit
Since 1993 there have been 12 referendums in the UK, with 8 of these happening after 1997.
Increased use of referendum firstly increases representation but also gives the optimal level of legitimacy to decisions when they are made.
They are the ‘purest’ form of democracy, direct representation and legitimacy of decisions.
In the 1998 referendum to establish the Good Friday agreement received a turnout with 81% and 71% of the voters gave the new set up of the NI political system the legitimacy that it needed.
The Hansard Society of political engagement 2019 confirmed that 55% of the public agreed that important questions and political decisions in the UK should be made through referendum.
High level of engagement in Scottish referendum.
