2.1 Democracy and political participation

Question 1

should the franchise be extended for prisoners??

Answer 1

yes:
- the right to vote is a human right
- there is no proof it acts as a deterrent
- removes civic responsibility and makes rehabilitation harder

no:
- those who commit a crime lose the right to say how society is run
- giving criminals the right to vote undermines principals of justice
- the threat of losing the right to vote acts as a deterrent

Question 2

shold the franchise be extended to 16 year olds?

Answer 2

yes:
- they already have numerous rights that make voting a natural additional one
- it would increase participation and political education
- the can already vote in devolved regions

no:
- they’s just not bothered lol
- turnout from 18-25 year olds is the lowest group already

Question 3

is there a participation crisis?

Answer 3

yes:
- there has been a general decline of electoral participation
- politics has lost its ‘shine’
- decline in party membership
- weakening of political group power

no:
- there has been a growth in pressure group membership
- the nature of participation has changed
- there has been a high turnout for referendums
- social media campaigns
- there are more parties

Question 4

what are the factors determining pressure group success/failure?

Answer 4

success:
- insider status
- wealth
- large membership
- effective organisation
- expertise
- celebrity endorsement

failure:
- the groups alienates the public
- the goal of the group goes against popular opinion
- contradicting pressure groups
- the government can resist pressure from the group/contradicts government policy

Question 5

do pressure groups undermine democracy?

Answer 5

yes:
- they are unelected causing a tyranny of the minority and may have too much influence on the government
- there are too many of them

no:
- raises awareness for topics neglected by the government
- the nature of participation has changed and pressure groups are taking over, getting more young people involved

Question 6

overview of pressure groups?

Answer 6

• insider status with parliament is powerful for pressure groups
• sectional groups work to look after their own section in society
• outsider groups often struggle to have the same influence

Question 7

overview of lobbyists and corporations

Answer 7

• major companies have a huge influence on the economy meaning they often influence political decisions
• that is the nature of a capitalist society but there is sometimes a concern they influence the government to the detriment of others

Question 8

overview of think-tanks?

Answer 8

• they offer independent review of policies
• they successfully further democracy as they have no direct power only influence
• an argument could be made that we already have the civil service but there’s no harm in having more influence