Democracy

• democracy - "rule by the people" people affected by decisions are the ones who make them
• What makes a democratic system?

  • free and fair elections
  • government checks and balances
  • citizens included in politics
  • citizens support of leaders/government
  • freedom of expression for citizens
• representative democracy - form of democracy where people elect representative to make decisions on their behalf

  e.g. General election (2019) Margaret Hodge maintained positon as Barking's MP
• constituency - area represented by an MP
• PROS of Representative Democracy

  • Practical people can live their own lives without being bombarded by referenda
  • Gives local areas strong voice on how country's ruled
  • voters have sovereignty as decide who represents them
  • MPs well-informed about political issues and more educated than a general public member
• CONS of Representative Democracy

  • Representatives can go against what constituents want
  • 5 years between election is too long, may not reflect public's mood
  • MPs can have outside interests impairing their ability to fully represent constituents
  • Some argue MPs represent a "metropolitan elite" don't represent population - can be disengaged from public opinion and not represent interests 


  e.g. Sir Geoffrey Cox criticised for earning £900k for legal work in addition to MP salary (some argue amount excessive)

  e.g. 74% MPs voted to remain in EU and 52% public voted to leave
• direct democracy - when the people directly decide on the laws and policies of the government
• PROS of Direct Democracy

  • Gives public direct say on what they want done
  • Engages public and makes politics more responsive, creates closer connection to public and political decision-making
  • greater political participation = more politically educated citizenry
  • keeps politicians informed of public opinions
• CONS of Direct Democracy

  • decisions only popular for short time as public opinion changes (no single referendum decisive)
  • single voices are worth less
  • encourage public vote with insufficient knowledge to make informed decisions
  • dangerously simplify questions to binary "yes/no" when issues are more complex 


  e.g. UK's departure from EU raised complicated issues on trade, immigration and markets
• Leadership elections - main political parties allow members to decide leader of party (important as could be next PM)

  e.g. In 2022, Liz Truss defeated Rishi Sunak for leadership of Conservative Party by 57%

  • makes leadership accountable to whole party, not just MPs
  • too much influence to party activists as they are more radical than electorate


  e.g. Liz Truss popular with members and not MPs, resigned after 45 days
• Recall of MPs Act (2015) -  if a Member is sentenced to a prison term or is suspended from the House for at least 21 sitting days claims they can recall petition signed by minimal 10% of constituents and can trigger by-election
• political participation - contribution citizens make to political system

  • measured looking at electoral participation (general elections etc.)
  • low turnout leads to concerns over winning governments legitimacy and mandate (electoral authority to govern)
• In 2019 general election, turnout was 68%, down from 73% in 2017
• Reasons for low voter turnout:

  Voter apathy - growing sentiment among non-voters that elections don't change much

  OR satisfaction with how things going leading to laziness and not voting

  e.g. voter turnout decreased to 59% in 2001 when almost certain Blair government was being re-elected 


  Over the years, numbers MPs held to contempt and ridicule over allegations and scandals

  • media interest in stories exposing MPs, damages credibility of Westminster and fuel voter disengagement
  • e.g. private interests taking precedent over representing the public, "partygate" during Covid
• partisan alignment - strongly identifying with one party
• Statements supporting participation crisis:

  • average turnout in 2016, local elections in England was 33.8% - voters see less powerful bodies unlikely to make major difference to their lives
  • "second order" elections including devolved bodies
• Statements supporting no participation crisis

  • high turnout for two most crucial referendums - EU membership and Scottish Independence
  • less formal ways people get involved with politics - e.g. pressure groups concerned with single issues
  • Twitter enabled people exchange political views and participate in online campaigns on particular issues
• pluralism - theory of distribution of political power evenly dispersed in society, rather than concentrated in hands of elite/ ruling class
• democratic deficit - too little democratic participation by public, little trust in political institutions, that only minority citizens engage in politics
• legitimacy - power that has been legally required and exercised according to the rule of law
• What can we do to increase political participation?

  • further devolution
  • using power of recall more effectively
  • more referendums on important decisions
  • introduce mandatory voting
• House of Lords Reform:

  • 92 hereditary peers unelected therefore unaccountable
  • membership is appointed and claims that encourage political cronyism (practice in favouring close friends) - e.g. David Cameron being appointed to Foreign Secretary
  • danger of elected Lords becoming rival to the Commons - increasing gridlock, making passing laws difficult despite Westminster being fully democratically accountable
• Westminster Reform:

  • replacement of FPTP with proportional representation create fairer connection between votes party receives and representation in Parliament
  • argue FPTP discourages voting limiting voter choice, by over-rewarding Labour and Conservative party
• Digital Democracy

  • voting on mobile phone encourage more voting especially with younger generation
  • no longer carried out in secret and possibility of voter manipulation
  • allegations of cyber interference to Western elections by Russia - electronic voting = more open to fraud than traditional
  • Trump banned from Twitter raises question if media companies should determine who uses social platforms
• franchise - allowing more people to vote
• Representation of the People Act (1918) - allowed men over 21 and rich/ women who owned property over age 30 to vote
• Representation of the People Act (1928) - extended vote to all men and women aged 21 and over
• Representation of the People Act (1969) - lowered voting age from 21 to 18
• Should the UK introduce compulsory voting?

  Agree:

  • greater voter turnout e.g. Australia (2016) had 91% eligible voters
  • make young people more informed about political issues
  • greater democratic legitimacy
  • disadvantage groups voting means all politicians responsive to shades of political opinion
• Should the UK introduce compulsory voting?

  Disagree

  • favour larger parties, voters may have only heard from better-known parties and candidates
  • public should choose, politicians should mobilise public enthusiasm to vote
  • compulsory voting based on coercion is a right not a duty
  • not voting can be positive as decision indicates voters regard post a insignificant