Solving The Participation Crisis Flashcards
Arguments in favour of lowering the voting age
+ Governments make decision that effect young people like tuition fees and the curriculum
+ Law permits 16 year old to pay income tax, joint army, get married and claim benefits
+ Improves political education and inspires future generations
Arguments against lowering the voting age
- Maturity
- Turnout rates among young people are already low, lowering the voting age could encourage a further drop
- Young people may just vote how their parents do
Arguments in favour of compulsory voting
+ Improves turnout
+ Stops people being intimidated into not voting
+ Forces education
+ Government becomes inherently more representative
Arguments against compulsory voting
- Limit of individual freedom
- May cause people to vite randomly without getting informed
- Ill informed votes
- Enforcing fine could cost more than its worth
Arguments in favour of digital democracy
+ Easier to participate
+ Referenda would be much easier, quicker and cheaper if conducted online
+ Improved access to information
Arguments against digital democracy
- Malpractice and corruption much more likely
- Cuts some people out of democracy like the poor or the elderly
- Demeans value of politics
Arguments in favour of using more direct democracy
+ Improves opportunities for political education
+ People fall more involved
+ Politicians used less so decisions more representative and limits corruption
+ Government forced to listen to public between general election
Arguments against increasing the use of direct democracy
- Undermines representative democracy and parliamentary sovereignty
- MPs more likely to make informed decisions
- Simplifies issues too much
- Tyranny of the Majority
- Not always decisive due to low turnouts or narrow margins
