Partcipation crisis Flashcards
How has recent turnout been?
Decreased significantly in 2001 59.4%
But has risen a tiny bit (possibly due to brexit) e.g. 2017 68.8% turnout
Whys turnout important in a representative democracy?
Low turnout threatens govt legitimacy
Can’t say their acting on will of the people as not any people voted them
Why may we have a decline in participation in voting?
Younger people disinterested
Misinformation
All parties are same
No easy way to vote
People don’t agree with any party
Religion/area lived in
Boycotting
Media impact
Don’t feel that vote will make a difference
Unfair election results
Social class
Evidence for declining party membership?
Conservatives? 1953 vs 2014
1953- 2.8 mill nearly 3
2014- 135000
Evidence for declining party membership Labour 1953-2014?
1953- 1 mill
2014- 190,000
Case study of 2001 low turnout- Similarity’s with areas with low turnout?
And what area had the lowest turnout?
-Up north
-Poor city’s w/c
-Inner city’s
-High crime rates
Low educational attainment and school attendance
-Poorer people
Liverpool riverside- 34.1%
Similarity’s in seats with high turnout?
South, richer city’s, M/C
High educational attainment and school attendants
High age average
Less diversity
Winchester- 72.3%
What is differential turnout?
Social groups, age, regions
Examples to show participation crisis?
2016, police and crime commissioner elections
What was the turnout in police and crime commissioner elections 2016?
26.6%
What has the highest ever turnout for a refferendum?
Scottish independence referendums 85%
What is partisan dealignment? and example
Votes no longer strictly identify with a party and their support changes between parties from election to elections
Example- 2019 breaking down of labours red wall
What is apathy?
Uninterest in politics
What is hapathy?
Removed from politics due to have stable, happy life and now accept the status quo
Reasons for the participation crisis?
To busy- lack of free time
-To little choice- put off by main parties
Anti-politics- A considerable increase in numbers of people who say they don’t trust politicians
-No say
-religion
-Location too far from polling system
-
Why could turnout figures be incorrect?
Possible to appear more than once on a register
-Due to increase in house buying and uni students so people are registered in 2 different elections
-Or moving house and forgetting to have old register removed
How much higher should turnout be without double registration?
9.4%
How to work out registered voters?
Total eligible voters (if a person appears twice on electoral list) + Total votes (but only vote once) = Turnout (appears to be 50% rather then 100%)
Other reasons why their is no participant crisis?
Non electoral participation
-Pressure groups
-E-democracys
-E-petitions
-38 degrees
-Social media
Non participant crisis- pressure groups?
A groups that wants to influence gov but not be it
Huge increase in pressure groups
e.g. The royal society for the protection of birds has more members then conservative+ Labour +Lib dem combined
Non participant observations- E democracys/ petitions?
From 2011-2015 over 150 e-petitions collected 10,000 signatures, receiving responses from the gov-37 e-petitions reached over 100,000 signatures with 31 going on to be debated in the HoC
Non-participation crisis?
38 degrees
An online community’s giving opportunity’s of participations by the internet with concerns and actions to take part in
Petitions started and planned
Non participation crisis- Social media?
Social media platforms makes it easier to participate as they can contact their local MPs
What did the 2019 audit of political engagement found?
A 15 yr high in the number who strongly disagree that political involvement can change the way the UK is run 18%
A record 47% felt they had no influence over national decision making while 32% said that didn’t want to be involved at all in local decision makings
-30% never discuss gov and politics and 53% have not done any form of online political activity in the past year
