Representative democracy Flashcards
Define ‘representative democracy’
A more modern form of democracy, through which an inidividual selects a person/political party to exercise political choice on their behalf
Define ‘accountability’
Those who have been elected in representative democracies must be made accountable for their policies, actions, decisions and general conduct.Without such accountability, representation becomes largely meaningless
What are polls?
Another term for an election; they establish the support for a particular person, party or issue
What are ‘constituents’?
The ordinary voter who elects a representative, usually based on residence in a specific geographical area
What is the most common way of choosing representatives?
Through a formal, competitive election process
What would be the problem if representatives were elected without a vote?
It would call democracy into question
What does representative democracy ensure?
That those elected to positions of power and responsibilty are held to account by the people
Why is accountability important?
It ensures representatives act responsibly and in the interests of the people
What will opposition parties do during an election?
Highlight the shortcomings of the government and offer alternatives
What will the government do during an election?
Explain and justify what it has done in an effort to be re-elected
How are representatives held to account at election time?
They are judged on how well they have represented their constituents and whether their voting record in the legislature has the approval of those same constituents
Explain the dilemma that elected representatives face
They have to decide whether they should vote in accordance with their confidence or their constituents’ wishes
What did 18th century conservative thinker Edmund Burke write about the dilemma faced by elected representatives?
‘Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgement too: and he betrays you instead of serving you if he sacrifices it to your opinion
How can those in power be held to account between elections?
- Investigations
- Media scrutiny
- Representatives asking questions on behalf of their constituents
Explain the idea of ‘national interest’
A term for something that may not be popular but is best for the nation as a whole, and, therefore, MPs have a duty to prioritise it over the demands of citizens.
Who normally decided what is in the national interest?
The government, but it is still a source of debate
What is ‘redress of grievances’?
This is an ancient function of the house of commons. It involves an MP pursuing a grievance that an individual constituent may have against a public body, usually claiming that they have been unfairly or unequally treated. MPs may lobby ministers and officials or raise the matter in the commons
Describe social representation
This implies that the characteristics of the members of representative bodies should be broadly in line with the characteristics of the population as a whole. In other words, they should be a ‘microcosm’ of society and should ‘look like’ society
What is the consequence of locally elected MPs sitting in a national parliament?
They are expected to represent the interests of the nation as a whole and do what they believe is right, rather than what people may want. Sometimes this causes them to clash with the local constituency they represent, so they have to resolve the issue in their own way
What is the idea behind constituency representation?
A geographical area will have similar socio-economic concerns
How can an MP represent their constituency as a whole?
Advocating for increased funding for local services or raising community concerns in parliament
How can an MP represent an individual constituent?
This is also referred to as ‘redress of grievances’. This happens when an MP champions a constituent who feels they have been treated unfairly
The vast majority of elected representatives are part of what?
A political party
Explain the idea of party representation
Members of a party are elected on the basis of its manifesto. This means they are representing their party, and voters understand this
Explain the idea of occupational/social representation
Some elected representatives will represent a particular occupational or social group alongside their constituency
What wil representatives supported by trade unions often do?
Pursue the cause of groups of workers
Give some examples of different social groups a representative could champion
- The elderly
- The disabled
- Members of the LGBT
- Low-income groups
What is causal representation?
When representatives are not representing people so much as they are ideas and causes
How can causal representation be seen as representing the whole community?
The beliefs and subsequent demands are thought to benefit all, not ust a particular group
Which organisations carry out most causal representation?
Pressure groups
List some examples of causes that representatives will commonly champion
- Environmental protection
- Individual rights and freedoms
- Greater equality
- Animal rights
List the advantages of representative democracy
- Elected representatives normally have better judgement than the masses, as they will be more rational and less swayed by emotion, as well as better informed
- Representatives can protect minority interests
- Representatives have more time to develop their expertise on the specific issues
- Representatives can be held accountable at election times
- If representatives deal with complex political matters, it leaves their constituents able to get on with their own lives
- In a large modern country, it is the only practical way of transfering public opinion into government action
List the disadvantages of representative democracy
- Representatives may not act in the best interests of their constituents
- It can be difficult to hold a representative to account between elections
- Allowing the public to delegate responsibilty to a representative can cause them to disengage from social issues and other responsibilities
- Representative bodies can be unrepresentative
- Representative bodies can ignore minority interests
