democracy and participation paper 1

Question 1

strengths of direct democracy

Answer 1

-increases accountability and political awareness
-increases legitimacy
(public petitions, citizens jury, referendums)

Question 2

weaknesses of direct democracy

Answer 2

-referendums arent legally binding, so dont improve accountability
-citizens juries and petitions need elected members so not entirely direct, more rep
-could reduce participation by increasing apathy therefore tyranny of the minority

Question 3

strengths of representative democracy

Answer 3

-mps represent people
-fused power gives legitimacy
-mp-constituency link
-recall of mps act 2015 - accountability

Question 4

weaknesses of representative democracy

Answer 4

-trustee mps act how they want
-popular participation in gov is limited
-reduce political awareness of electorate as someone else makes decisions
-infrequent voting opportunitys

Question 5

who should mps represent?

Answer 5

• constituency
• social ( e.g more ethnic minorities/women in parl)
  -national interest
  -party
  -

Question 6

form 2018 to 2019 what % did people unwilling to participate in any political activity change to

Answer 6

2018 - 12%
2019 - 22%

Question 7

in 2022 how many strike days were participated in?

Answer 7

2.5 million

Question 8

how many petitions were submitted to the HoC website in 2022?

Answer 8

over 33,000

Question 9

how many hereditary peers currently sit in the house of lords after the house of lords act 1999

Answer 9

92 - allegedly on a temp basis 2nd stage proposals were never agreed

Question 10

how can the recall of mps act 2015 be implemented?

Answer 10

mps must be one of the following
-convicted of an offence
-barred from hoc for 10 sitting days or 14 calendar days
-convicted of false or misleading expenses under parliamentary standards act 2009
a recall petition is then opened for 6 weeks in the constituency and if over 10% of the electorate sign it then goes to by election

Question 11

when and why was fiona onasanya (labour) recalled?

Answer 11

-2019
-convicted of driving offences and perverting the course of justice, sentenced to 3 months
-seat now held by another labour candidate

Question 12

when and why was chris davies (conservative) recalled?

Answer 12

-2019
-false expenses claims
-seat lost to the lib dems

Question 13

when and why was margaret ferrier (snp) recalled?

Answer 13

-2023
-breaking covid rules
-seat won by labour (rutherglen)

Question 14

when and why was peter bone (conservative) recalled?

Answer 14

-2023
-bullying and sexual misconduct
-ongoing

Question 15

how many signatures did the revoke article 50 petition get?

Answer 15

over 6 million signatures

Question 16

how many signatures did provide free school meals get?

Answer 16

> 1 million, cause gov u turn but arguably only because of rashford

Question 17

arguments for 16 year olds being given the right to vote

Answer 17

-can have other responsibilities e.g 28.8% of the army are under 18
-youth interests are ignore by politicians, policy tailored to older voters e.g triple lock pensions
-stronger political engagement, 49% of teens dont think theres enough in school about politics, 71% feel that politicians dont direct things to young ppl
-irrational cut off age

Question 18

arguments against 16 year olds being given the right to vote

Answer 18

-too immature, 84% in full time education and only 25% have a job
–undermines turnout, youth turnout been lower since 1974

Question 19

arguments for prisoners getting the right to vote

Answer 19

-welsh + scots mayb being given vote if sentence under 12 mths
-court in strausberg says they should
-voting is a human right, only fair if everyone
-could help reintigration into society
-prisoners rights maybe taken more srsly by gov if they could vote
-t.o and legitimacy

Question 20

arguments against prisoners getting the right to vote

Answer 20

-broken laws therefore lost right to vote?
-potential deterrent (weak)
-potential increased cost to tax payer
-no popular demand to extend the vote to prisoners
-yougov found in 2012 that 63% said prisonsers shouldnt be given the right to vote
-cross party support for denying prisoners this right

Question 21

arguments for voting being compulsary?

Answer 21

-turnout would go up, resolve participation crisis in australia t.o is over 90%, and can still demonstrate apathy
-more likely for govs to have a popular majority
-division in politics may decrease as more centrists voting
-younger, poorer and minority voters now have the opportunity to be represented

Question 22

arguments against voting being compulsary?

Answer 22

-violation of individual freedom
-still be apathy, focus should be on education or reform not extending the franchise
-increasing no. of votes cast not based on consideration of manifestos
-disengaged voters may vote against mainstream as a protest

Question 23

what is the BMA

Answer 23

British Medical Association an insider interest pressure group
-trade union
-rep all drs and medical students
-health and social care reform 2022
(less close with gov, sunaks comments jan 2024 that jr dr strikes cause waiting lists)

Question 24

what is the ASH

Answer 24

Action on Smoking and Health - insider cause
-wants to end harm caused by tobacco
-2003 advertising ban, 1976 parliamentary ASH group formed

Question 25

what is XR

Answer 25

Outsider cause pressure group
-got a climate assembly in 2020, UK first to declare climate emergency in 2020

Question 26

what is Just Stop Oil

Answer 26

outsider cause pressure group
-largely use only civil resistance in sustained media stunts, arguably has no impact over government or parliament, many believe it has a negative impact because it gives the conservatives electoral gold

Question 27

what is the confederation of the british industry

Answer 27

insider interest pressure group, represents 190,000 businesses
-Seize the Moment (economic strategy to reform uk economy)

Question 28

what is the NEU

Answer 28

insider (?) interest pressure group
-gov keeps pushing back alleged decisions and pay rises

Question 29

what is RMT

Answer 29

outsider interest, trade union representing transport sector
-hoping to influence labour

Question 30

what is RSPB

Answer 30

insider cause
-protection sites and species reintroduction

Question 31

what has “centre” right think tank The Adam Smith Institute influenced

Answer 31

1980s privaisation of key industries
NHS- establish internal market w/ hospitals buying use of facilities from other areas
-lowering of top rate tax (1998)
-education reform act 1988

Question 32

what has think tank the Institute for Economic Affairs influenced/linked to

Answer 32

-linked to Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng, Hancock received £32,000, Raab, Patel and Rees Mogg all linked, significant lack of transparency on donors
-tried to stop plain packaging laws on cigarettes in 2015 bc of links 2 tobacco industry
- had an “unparalleled access” to Brexit
-funding from oil giant BP

Question 33

proof of revolving door politics

Answer 33

-brexit £675,000 funelled through BeLeave, illegal co ordinated campaign by 9 Think Tanks with horrible influence over brexit, including the IEA

Question 34

What was the owen paterson scandal?

Answer 34

owen paterson broke lobbying rules, £100,000 on top of MP salary, broke conduct rules on behalf of Lynns country foods and randox, didnt declare his interest as a paid consultant

Question 35

what is the lobbying act 2014?

Answer 35

need a register of consultant lobbyists, regulates election campaign spending