Representative Democracy Flashcards
What is the role of the MP?
To use own judgement about issues. Faces judgement at elections. Places huge power on the political parties.
Office seeking vs policy seeking
OS aim to win power to put in place a legislature. PS run for one policy to attempt to put them on agenda, so major parties pick them up to not give votes to them. Ie, women’s equality party, green party. Can shift into OS parties. Reform – began as policy seeking [UKIP], shift towards OS trying to replace the Conservatives.
Historical social cleavages
multi-national union state, statewide and substate party systems, N/S economic divide, land vs industry & owner vs worker, Prot state vs Minority religious positions. Historically a Protestant state.
Centre vs periphery
Entirely diff system in NI. Wales and Scotland. North South divide stark, 210 L MPs in the North, 10 in the South.
Electoral system
FPTP
Since 1970, no gov achieved more than 45% of the vote.
Referendum on bringing AV in only 10 voted for it. Lack of support for proportional representation.
2024 election results
2024 election: 80% of the electorate did not vote for Labour, won 63% of the seats. Comparable to Tony Blair at the peak of New Labour.
What are parties less linked to?
Parties themselves less and less linked to communities. Less people therefore vote and turnout falls. Election of Corbyn increases Labour membership. 1.9% of population members of a political party.
Mills: three-level gradation of power distribution
Top: those in command of major institutional hierarchies [exec branch of national gov, large business corps, military establishment]
Middle: semi organized interest groups
Bottom: “the masses”
What does elite theory argue?
History is a graveyard of aristocracies. Fall but replaced by other aristocracies. There will always be an elite.
