Types of Democracy Flashcards
advantages of direct democracy
everyone’s voice can be heard
equal weight to all votes
encourages political participation
close connection between the people and government
can demand a referendum if unhappy
disadvantages of direct democracy
impractical in large, heavily populated states
voter fatigue
open to manipulation by the most powerful, influential and articulate
tyranny of the majority (Switzerland for examples)
divisions between those with different viewpoints
advantages of representative democracy
the only practical system for large states
wide range of choice
politicians are professionals
elections allow representatives to be held to account
more safeguards for minorities
less voter fatigue
disadvantages of representative democracy
reduced participation
representatives often pursue their own agendas — may be corrupt, incompetent, etc
majority rule — representatives and politicians are likely to cater and appeal to the majority in order to secure elections
politicians can avoid accountability
FPTP is used in elections — wasted votes, small parties are underrepresented, etc
Switzerland: how can citizens make their voices heard?
it is easy for a group of citizens to press for major changes to national law or the Swiss Constitution
100,000 signatures need to be collected to allow a proposed change to be put on the ballot — allows the people to propose and overturn legislation
any change to the Swiss Constitution must pass through the people
this is unprecedented in most modern democracies and allows the citizens to make their voices directly heard, especially if they feel that their cantons or the Federal Council are not representing their interests effectively
Switzerland: examples of the referendum process
2002 = the Swiss votes in favour of the accession of the Switzerland to the UN
2003 = Switzerland became the first country in the world to vote against the provision of nuclear power for the whole country
the Swiss referendum process has also dealt with issues relating to taxes, the equal representation of women in parliament, judicial reform, etc
numerous interesting votes, including one which would have abolished compulsory service in the Swiss Army and another than would’ve provided for the medical prescription of heroin
Switzerland: example of the negative effect of direct democracy on minority groups (Jewish population)
in 1893, a referendum took place in which 60.1% of the population voted in favour of banning the ritual slaughter of animals
this was presented as an animal rights issue but has been viewed by many as a specific targeting of Switzerland’s Jewish population
as it directly hindered the ability of Swiss Jews to secure kosher meat products, while leaving Switzerland’s largely Christian population virtually unaffected
Switzerland: example of the negative effect of direct democracy on minority groups (citizenship)
previously, certain cantons allowed for citizenship to be directly voted on (this process was discontinued in 2003 after a Swiss court ruled that it violated to constitution)
but when this was allowed, voters in perceived anti-immigrant regions and cantons consistently voted against citizenship applications from people with Turkish and Yugoslavian backgrounds
Switzerland: example of the negative effect of direct democracy on minority groups (recent citizenship)
in 2004, the people of Switzerland rejected, through a direct referendum, the naturalisation of foreigners who has grown up in Switzerland and the automatic provision of citizenship to the children of third-generation foreigners
these laws seem to be specifically targeting distinctly disadvantaged minority groups
Switzerland: issue of low voter turnout
voter turnout and participation is very low, only around 40% of the whole population vote
this means that the final decisions are not representative of the whole population
such low voter turnout may be due to voter fatigue due to the large number of referendums held, they begin to lose their significance and people don’t feel as motivated to vote in them as there are so many
Switzerland: other issues with their democracy
some non-Swiss citizens may not be able to vote on every level
ineffective — only 16 laws and policies were successfully accepted in the last 150 years, suggesting that while they have a chance to voice their opinion, genuine action rarely occurs
tyranny of the majority — negative implication on minority rights e.g. rejection of citizenship applications from people with Turkish backgrounds, referendums that negatively affect the Jewish and Muslim population
examples of direct democracy in a representative system
national referendums
recall of MPs act, 2015
3 national referendums held in the UK
the UK has only had 3 national referendums….
- 1975 — Britain’s membership of the EEC
- 2011 — change to the Westminster voting system (FPTP to AV)
- 2016 — Britain’s membership of the EU (Brexit)
recall of MPs act, 2015
if an MP is sentenced to imprisonment OR has been suspended from the Commons for more than 21 days then a petition can be triggered
if 10% of voters in the MP’s constituency sign the petition then a by-election will be called
this is an example of direct democracy holding representatives to account within a representative democracy
Switzerland: example of the negative effect of direct democracy on minority groups (Muslim population)
in 2009, Switzerland held a vote that banned the construction of further minarets on mosques
many viewed this as a direct contravention of the human rights of Switzerland’s Muslim population, which makes up roughly 5% of the overall population
despite opposition from the Confederation of Swiss Employers, the Swiss Trade Association, the Swiss Federation of Trade Unions and 13 of Switzerland’s largest political parties, the measure still passed with a 57.5% majority
