Political Participation Flashcards
What are the different ways that people can engage in the democratic process
Electoral participation: Voting in elections or recommendations, standing as a candidate, educating oneself, canvassing and campaigning, organising events and fundraising activities.
Non-electoral participation:
Joining a political party or pressure group, educating oneself (political awareness), writing to an MP, political protest, signing a petition.
In what ways has voting in elections changed?
Over the last 50 years the turnout in general elections in UK has seen a steady decline. From around 70% turnout in the late 90s the turnout dropped to an all-time low of below 60% in 2001 they have remained around the mid 60s since then.
However in the last three elections there has been a slight increase climbing to 66.1% turnout in the May 2015 election.
Lastly differential turnout has increased, the highest turnout being mostly in conservative constituencies where people are old and rich. In general young people have an increasingly low turnout but in the last election that turnout was above 50% where before it had been below 40%
Why are people becoming increasingly more apathetic and hapathetic when it comes to voting in general elections?
Apathy: apathy – people are passive or indifferent about politics which means they don’t bother to vote. This may be a result of political consensus a feeling that they’re not listen to, a feeling that all the same and the political spin put on MPs and candidates.
Hapathy - people don’t engage with politics of it because they are happy with how they are being governed. This could be because they feel that everyone is the same but that all good everyone is a liberal, wealth and stability of the UK
Why has political participation when it comes to voting in elections changed?
A more hapathetic and more apathetic electorate.
Does it matter that political participation when it comes to voting elections has changed?
Yes because differential turnout means that certain parties, in this case the Conservatives, have an unfair advantage. Low turnout also jeopardises the legitimacy of government and that’s the quality and effectiveness of that government.
What should be done about low turnout?
Encouraging voting to existing elections: Political citizenship education, compulsory voting, votes at 16, digital democracy (eg SMS, web voting, e-petitions), encouraging greater take up a postal voting and persuading people to believe that their vote count for example reform of the electoral system.
There is also an argument that providing opportunities for participation by greater use of direct Democracy will vitalise people to participate politically.
In what ways is party membership changed?
Political party membership has fallen significantly in the last 50 years now fewer than 1% of the public are members of political parties(in the past it was 3.8%). Despite this statistics since the 2015 election suggest this declining trend me change since the election the Labour Party has grown from around 270,000 members in August 2000 342,000 members in September. This promising figure suggests party membership may be on the rise in the UK, MA in the future reach 3.8% as it was in 1983. In addition smaller parties for example the greens and you kip have been increasing their membership in recent years or conservative and Labour parties have shown dramatic decline. The Conservative party has around 149,800 numbers as of December 2013, the Green party has around 61,000 members as of June 2015 and UKIP party has around 42,000 members as of January 2015
Why has political participation when it comes to party membership changed?
People feel more strongly about single issues and join pressure groups instead, party or partisan alignment – the weakening of the ties between the major political parties and the voters (something to do with the class system?), there is a broad consensus between the main political parties
Doesn’t matter the party membership has declined?
Yes: members of political parties influence and shape party policies. Members fund political parties
No: party membership does not necessarily influence the outcome of the general election. Therefore it is irrelevant.
What should be done about Low party membership?
Political education, politicians should listen more to members, be more inclusive socially representative, politician should avoid spin and blandness, politicians actually believe in something.
What could be done to improve the U.K.’s Democratic institutions
- Replacing the monarchy with elected head of state
- introducing an elected second chamber
- reforming the electoral system
- increased use of referendums
- introducing a codified constitution
- decentralising the political system
- making constituencies of equal size and ensuring that votes are more of equal value
What could be done to improve democratic participation in the UK
Votes at 16 Compulsory voting More referendums Digital democracy Public consultations Easier to vote- move elections to weekend, vote online or by post
How democratic is the House of Lords? Why?
So-so:
Democratic:
- people from all walks of life - dif non-politician viewpoints
- anyone can do well in a career and get appointed eg Dame Doreen Lawrence.
- don’t have to worry about public opinion so they can focus on their job
Undemocratic: -un-elected and not accountable because they are life peers -corruption and bribery -hereditary peers -
How democratic is the House of Commons
Pretty democratic
Democratic:
- elected
- legitimate
- accountable at elections
- anyone can stand as candidate in their constituency
Undemocratic:
- whips - hard to balance the needs of the constituency and the needs of the party.
- fusion of powers means gov can do what they want
- politicians want to advance their own careers
How democratic is the monarchy?
Not at all because no mechanism for citizens to give their consent but it has wide public support from the public and they don’t really have any political power anyway.
