Participation Flashcards
What did Aristotle say about man?
“Man is a political animal”
What 4 things is politics about?
People, power, government and consensus.
What did a famous prime minister say about power?
“Principle without power is futile” Tony Blair
What did a famous president say about consent?
“No man is good enough to govern another without his consent” Abraham Lincoln
Give 4 alternative forms of political participation.
Join a party
Write to an MP
Join a pressure group
Strike/ protest
What is turnout?
How many people actually “turn out” and vote.
What happened with the turnout in 2001?
More people didn’t vote than who voted for the winning party.
What is an abstainer?
Someone who chooses not to vote as a political statement.
What is meant by apathy?
Lack of interest in the political process.
What is meant by alienation?
Being estranged from society as a whole.
4 reasons for falling turnout.
Lack of faith in MP’s- expenses saga, manifesto promises not kept.
Shift to the centre
Hapathy
Not a matter of life or death
What has been the turnout trend since 1950?
There has been a general decrease. There has been a 25% drop in turnout since then. Post war was 85% turnout.
What is the etymology of politics?
” of the citizens “
What did EB say about representatives?
Your representative owes you, not his industry only but also his judgement.
Etymology of democracy.
“Power people”
What did AL say about democroacy.
Democracy is the government of the people, by the people, for the people -Abraham Lincoln
Peter Mandelson quote about representative democracy
It may be that the era of representative democracy is slowly coming to an end
EB quote about evil
It is only for the good man to do nothing for evil to triumph- Edmund Burke
Participation and age data
Mori 2015-
18-24 43%
65+ 78%
Participation and social class figures
Mori 2015
A/B - 75%
D/E - 57%
Putnam quote
People spend more time watching friends than making them - Putnam 2000
Milbrath and goel
51% vote only
23% other forms of participation
26% no participation
1977
Ethnic group figure
White- 68%
Other - 56%
Evidence for movement to pressure groups
RSPB has twice as many members that all parties combined
When do people vote?
Time of change eg. 1997 and 2010
When don’t people turnout?
In safe seats- wasted votes
At done deal elections -2001
Why is low turnout an indicator?
Indicator of political satisfaction. Not a matter of life and death. Parties are quite similar anyway.
Time bale quote
The citizens of post modern, post industrial Europe turn to more direct and digital ways of doing politics.
Suggestion of political evolution?
Power report 2006
Tim bale quote
Loss of faith in MP’s?
Expenses scandal- Jackie Smith
Sleaze
Punch and Judy
Avoiding questions- did you threaten to overrule him- 12 times
A01 for shift to the centre?
New labour- tony Blair- Mondeo man, scrapped clause 4
“I am by instinct a liberal”
Neil kinnock expelled the militant tendency
Two models to show indirect democracy?
Trustee- “your representative owes you” Edmund Burke
Advocate model- electorate tells representatives what to do
Turnout in 2001
59.4
Features of pluralism in the UK?
EU- trading laws, human rights
Devolved assemblies- education and health
Judiciary- common law
HOL- rejected tax credits
Turnout in 2015?
66.1
The UK is a representative democracy?
FPTP- MP’s held to account- Ed balls looses seat- trustee model
Increase in house representatives
Move towards multpartism - UKIP- 12.6
UK is not a indirect democracy?
Increase of referendums- 3 in 5 years
FPTP- tactical voting, unproportional
Shift to the centre
Ideology info.
Set of ideas and beliefs
Governing principles- free market or state control
“Laisse faire” let it be
Hayek- classical liberal- influence thatcher- ideologies are not fixed
How are ideologies formed?
Start point- current position
How do we get there
Finish point- where would we end up
Michael Oakshotte-
“Governing a county is like steering a ship in a storm. Not start or finish. All you can do is avoid the worst of the storm”
How is the UK anti pluralistic?
Stacking the lords Role of Lord chancellor Ref. to leave the EU Snoopers charter Suggest tori bias of Judges
What did G say about powers?
“Power should be a check on power” Guizot
