Democracy + Participation

• Democracy

  A political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them. The members are held accountable
• Direct Democracy

  Democracy where people vote first hand , often in referendums or initiatives.
• Representative Democracy

  A system of government in which citizens elect representatives, or leaders, to make decisions about the laws for all the people.
• Similarities of Direct and representative

  1. both involve voting and participation

  2. Some forms of direct require consultation, same as representative

  3. most forms of representative democracy involve some measure of direct, and vice versa
• Differences of direct and representative

  1. voters do not elect individual in direct, instead referendums

  2. voters consider range of issues in direct

  3. voters in direct are more directly involved in decision making
• Advantages direct

  1. Everyone gets an equal vote e.g 2016 Brexit with turnout of 72.2%

  2. organisation is easier due to technology e.g growth of e-petitions e.g 2015 petition to scrap the "tampon tax" - a sales tax on sanitary products - in the UK.

  3. Equal vote- 52% voted leave

  4. High turnout- Scottish independence saw 84% turnout whereas UK GE saw 67%

  5. Sense of community and responsibility- Good friday referendum

  6. Encourages debate / education
• Good friday referendum

  may 1998

  71% yes

  29% no

  81% turnout
• Brexit Referendum results

  June 2016

  Turnout 72.2%

  Yes- 52%

  No- 48$
• Scottish Independence Referendum

  2014

  Yes - 45%

  No -55%

  Turnout =85%
• Disadvantages of direct democracy

  1. Decision by people conflict with politicians interest e.g Brexit e.g May parliamentary defeat of 230 over Brexit deal2. Impractical large populations- made quickly by small handful of people e.g UK emergency response to COVID3."Tyranny of the majority" examples of remain voters and Scottish independence voters4.Lack of accountability5. divide communities6. allow ill educated to vote e.g'The money saved from leaving the EU will result in the NHS getting £350m a week' red bus
• advantages representative

  1. Accountability- Lib dems lost 2015 seat after uni fees rose and Neil Parish resignation after porn scandal ( Tiverton and honniton)2. Representatives become experts - e.g Peter Bottomley MP since 1975 and Yvette Cooper chair of high profilw Home Affairs Select committee3. Practicality e.g covid4.Voice for minorities- passed rights for citizes e.g Human Rights act and Freedom of Information Act5. Trains future leaders- e.g Sunak junior ministerial position in Theresa May's Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Local Government, Chief Secretary to the Treasury in July 2019, Johnson promoted Sunak to Chancellor of the Exchequer in the2020 cabinet reshuffle
• Disadvantages of representative democracy

  1. do not act for people - lib dem mps raised tuition 2010

  2. dominated by individuals pursuing personal agenda e.g own paterson lobbying or " no magic money tree" for public services from may in 2017 then signed £1 billion investment for NI dup support

  3. corruption e.g partygate, chris Huhne MP for perverting course if justice or Fiona onasanya

  4. minority group concerns w.g Rwanda deportation scandal or proposed amendments to EU withdrawal effecting child refugees

  5. FPTP under represented
• Pluralism

  A state in which people of all races and ethnicities are distinct but have equal social standing
• pluralist democracy

  a theory of democracy that holds that citizen membership in groups is the key to political power
• Democratic Deficit

  loss of direct control of political decisions by the people
• Pluralism example

  2017 article 50 meant few involved in leaving eu not just pm + referendum he'd
• Pluralism deficit

  . Arguably concentrated with few

  . IEA accused of cash to gain influence over ministers

  .
• free fair elections

  Elections are free and open to all citizens of voting age each individuals vote counts the same.
• free elections deficit

  16/17 and prionsers cannot vote

  fptp leads to elected leadership
• corruption and wrongdoing punished

  2019 two mps fiona onasanya and chris davies recalled successfully
• corruption deficit

  cash for peerage + mps expenses scandal

  Bojo £15.000 holiday from carphone warehouse tycoon David ross
• citizens rights protected

  HRA allows UK courts to r protect rights under ECHR
• rights deficit

  HRA not entrenched
• devolution decision making

  Devolution resulted transfer of power from central govt to regional and local bodies e.g Holyrood and Senedd
• devolution deficit

  . still limited

  . 85% local council budgets in Englad from central govt
• franchise

  the right to vote
• political participation

  All the activities used by citizens to influence the selection of political leaders or the policies they pursue
• political participation examples

  . voting

  . protest

  . trade union

  . party member

  . petition
• falling turnout reasons

  1. disillusionment

  2. partisan dealignment

  3. Single issue concerns

  4. wasted votes

  5. unequal value votes

  6. preference to direct
• Participation crisis

  A lack of engagement by a significant number of citizens to relate to the political process either by choosing not to vote or to join or become members of political parties or to offer themselves for public office.
• Participation crisis- voting in ge

  . 67.3% turnout in 2019, down by 1.5% since 2017

  .1974 turnout 78.8%
• participation- political party

  1.7% population members of pp
• participation political party not crisis

  under corbyn membership rose considerably (2015)
• union membership participation

  . number of private sector employees belonging to trade union = 13% private workforce
• union membership participation (not)

  overall union membership has risen 4 consecutive years to 2020
• participation petitions

  signing = not meaningful
• participation petitions = not crisis

  38 degrees claims 40 million signed an e petition
• jointing pressure group

  only cheque book members
• joint pressure group = meaningful

  fair funding for schools engaged educators in campaign against cuts
• Improve participation

  . lower voting age

  . compulsory voting

  . voting online