Lecture 9: Elections, Petitions, and Referendums Flashcards
What is government accountability to Parliament?
Government accountability to Parliament is indirect, meaning the government is held accountable through parliamentary procedures, debates, and scrutiny by elected representatives.
What is government accountability to the public?
Government accountability to the public is direct, achieved through mechanisms such as elections, referendums, and petitions.
What is the ideal conception of a democratic society?
In an ideal democratic society, people continuously and actively participate in political affairs, engaging in decision-making and holding the government accountable.
How are constitutions regarded as democratic in practice?
Constitutions are regarded as democratic if people can freely elect a government and have the ability to dismiss it at frequent intervals and elect a new one.
What is the difference between parliamentary sovereignty and popular sovereignty?
Parliamentary sovereignty means that Parliament has the supreme power to make and unmake laws, while popular sovereignty refers to the idea that the people hold the ultimate authority in a democracy, typically through elections and direct participation.
What role do elections play in accountability?
Elections serve as a key accountability mechanism, determining the government and providing the public with the ability to choose and potentially remove leaders.
How often are elections held, and who can call an election earlier?
Elections are held at least every five years, though the Prime Minister has the discretion to call an earlier election.
What do the Representation of the People Acts regulate?
The Representation of the People Acts regulate voter eligibility and the conduct of elections, ensuring fairness and consistency in the electoral process.
What was the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act 2011, and how was it changed?
The Fixed-Term Parliaments Act 2011 originally set fixed election dates, but it was repealed by the Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022, restoring the Prime Minister’s discretion to call elections.
What is the role of the Electoral Committee?
The Electoral Committee oversees election integrity, ensuring compliance with rules on campaign finance, spending limits, and advertising.
What is a recall election?
A recall election allows the electorate in a constituency to trigger a special election to remove an MP before the end of their term.
What are the three circumstances under which a recall election can be triggered, as defined by the Recall of MPs Act 2015?
The Recall of MPs Act 2015 allows recall in these three circumstances:
Conviction in the UK for any offence leading to imprisonment, after appeals are exhausted.
Suspension from the House following a recommendation by the Committee on Standards for at least 10 sitting days (or 14 days if no sitting days are specified).
Conviction under the Parliamentary Standards Act 2009 for making false or misleading claims about parliamentary allowances.
How long is the recall petition open for, and what is required for it to be successful?
The recall petition is open for six weeks, and to be successful, 10% of eligible registered voters must sign the petition.
What happens if a recall petition is successful?
If the recall petition is successful, the MP’s seat becomes vacant, and a by-election is required. The recalled MP may stand as a candidate in the by-election.
What is the historical significance of petitions in reaching Parliament?
Petitions have a long history of allowing the people’s voice to directly reach Parliament. They were initially used for personal grievances but became more political, addressing issues like parliamentary reform, the abolition of slavery, and religious toleration, especially from the eighteenth century onward.
How were petitions used by radicals and reformers in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries?
Since the later eighteenth century, radicals and reformers used petitions to make demands on issues like parliamentary reform, the abolition of slavery, and religious toleration. This movement culminated in the Chartists mass petitions of the 1830s and 1840s, which were part of a working-class movement.
How can petitions be submitted to Parliament today?
Petitions can be submitted as paper petitions to either the House of Commons or House of Lords. In 2015, a new e-petition system was introduced, allowing digital submissions.
What does the House of Commons Petitions Committee do?
The House of Commons Petitions Committee examines petitions, holds debates in Westminster Hall, and ensures the Government provides responses to the petitions.
What is the significance of 10,000 and 100,000 signatures on petitions?
Petitions with 10,000 signatures receive a response from the Government.
Petitions with 100,000 signatures are considered for a debate in Parliament.
What is the primary purpose of a referendum in a democratic system?
A referendum allows the electorate to give a clear judgment on a single issue of immediate importance, unlike elections, which typically involve a broader range of policies.
How is the UK democracy described in terms of representation?
The UK operates as a ‘representative’ democracy, not a ‘direct’ democracy, meaning elected officials make decisions on behalf of the public, and there is no general legal framework for referendums.
How were referendums historically used in the UK?
Referendums were historically used for local matters, such as issues like Sunday opening of cinemas and the establishment of public libraries. The Local Government Act 2000 also mandated referendums for adopting executive governance forms like a directly elected mayor.
What was significant about the 1975 referendum in the UK?
In 1975, the UK held its first nationwide referendum on whether the country should stay in the European Communities (later the European Union). The question was: “Do you think that the UK should stay in the European Community (the Common Market)?” The result was 67.2% Yes, with a 65% turnout.
What did the European Union Act 2011 establish regarding referendums?
The European Union Act 2011 required a referendum to ratify any proposed amendments to the EU Treaties or for any transfer of power from the UK to the EU.
What was the outcome of the 2016 EU referendum (Brexit)?
In the 2016 EU referendum, the question was: “Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?” 51.9% voted Leave, with a 72% turnout. The UK Government, despite no legal obligation, decided to implement the result and initiate the process of withdrawal from the EU.
What was the purpose of the Referendums (Scotland and Wales) Act 1997?
The Referendums (Scotland and Wales) Act 1997 held referendums to decide:
Whether there should be a Scottish Parliament
Whether a Scottish Parliament should have tax-varying powers
Whether there should be a Welsh Assembly
What happened in the Scottish Independence Referendum of 2014?
In the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum, the Scottish Government was given the power to hold the vote via a section 30 order. 53.3% voted to remain part of the UK, with an 84.6% turnout.
What was the outcome of the 2011 Electoral System Referendum in the UK?
In the 2011 Electoral System Referendum, voters rejected the proposal to replace the First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) system with the Alternative Vote (AV) system.
What does the Scotland Act 2016 and Government of Wales Act 2017 stipulate regarding Scottish and Welsh Parliaments?
The Scotland Act 2016 and Government of Wales Act 2017 ensure that the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly cannot be abolished unless decided by the people of Scotland or Wales in a referendum.
