Democracy

Question 1

what is democracy?

Answer 1

democracy refers to political systems whether people are either directly or indirectly involved in decision-making

it means rule by the people

two types of democracy: direct and representative

Question 2

features of a democracy

Answer 2

everyone is subject to and equal before the law

everyone gets to have their say (e.g. via voting in elections and referendums)

universal suffrage — every eligible person has the right to vote

free media

freedom of speech

accountability and transparency

equal rights and protection of minorities

political office is open to all

secret ballots and fair elections

a choice of parties and the existence of opposition

government should serve the interests of the people

Question 3

types of democracy

Answer 3

direct democracy

representative democracy

Question 4

what is direct democracy?

Answer 4

individuals express their opinions themselves and have direct influence on decisions made, instead of having representatives act on their behalf

this system originated in Athens, Ancient Greece and is still used in Switzerland today

examples of direct democracy = referendums, strikes and petitions

Question 5

what is representative democracy?

Answer 5

elected representatives act on behalf of the people (their constituents) to exercise political choice

they make decisions and speak for them

this is the most common form of democracy in existence today

example of representative democracy = MPs in the House of Commons

Question 6

features of direct democracy

Answer 6

individuals directly express their opinion themselves

citizens are more active in decision-making as representatives are not acting on their behalf

based on the concept of majority rule

when voting, people directly vote and that vote will be counted and have influence on final decisions

not elective

Question 7

features of representative democracy

Answer 7

citizens elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf, they pass authority to them

all adult citizens have the right to vote for representatives

elections for representatives are free and fair

representatives do not act as delegates or merely take instructions, they are expected to use their own judgement too

if they do not satisfy voters, representatives can be held to account and removed at the next election

based on the concept of majority rule

Question 8

advantages of direct democracy

Answer 8

everyone’s voice can be heard because the people have a direct say in decision-making and can exercise their opinions themselves, they are also more active in decision-making

gives equal weight to all votes, unlike in a representative democracy where the varying sizes of constituencies means votes do not all have equal value

encourages political participation by expecting people to take their citizen duties seriously by getting involved in politics, this then develops a higher sense of community and encourages genuine debate as well as leading to people becoming more politically informed and educated

removes the need for representatives as people take responsibility for their own decisions

close connection between people and the government

usually if people are unhappy with a decision they can demand a referendum

Question 9

disadvantages of direct democracy

Answer 9

impractical in large, heavily populated modern states, where decision-making is complicated and needs to take place regularly, because it is a time-consuming system that is not easy to control

many people will not want to or feel qualified to take part in decision-making and the high amount of involvement required may result in voter fatigue, which means that the final result may not be representative of the whole population — political activists and those with interests will decide what happens rather than the whole country

open to manipulation by the most powerful, influential and articulate speakers who can persuade people to support their view point (e.g. demagogues in Athens), this also means that the system can be abused by those advocating in favour of hate and discrimination

tyranny of the majority is more likely to take place because it is not mediated by parliamentary institutions so minority viewpoints may be disregarded

divisions may occur between those of different viewpoints (e.g. tensions rising between people on the Brexit vote)

Question 10

advantages of representative democracy

Answer 10

the only practical system for large states where issues are complex and often need rapid responses (e.g. deployment of troops) because it speeds up decision-making and does not require multiple referendums

there is a wide range of choice of representative, there are clear parties to choose from as well as pressure groups representing different interests, this promotes genuine debate and encourages a pluralist democracy

politicians are professionals and are better informed than the average citizen about political issues, so will do a better and more efficient job at making crucial decisions on behalf of the people

elections allow representatives to be held to account and removed if they do not satisfy voters, these elections are free and fair and anyone can vote

reduces the chance of minority rights being over written by tyranny of the majority as the system includes better and more safeguards for minorities

less voter fatigue as voting is only required ever so often (e.g. every five years in the UK)

Question 11

disadvantages of representative democracy

Answer 11

may lead to reduced participation as the people hand over responsibility to politicians and no longer feel that it’s necessary to engage in politics as it’s been done for them by MPs

parties and pressure groups are often run by people pursuing their own agendas, they may not truly represent the interests of the people, may be influenced by party loyalty or have links to businesses, only interested in themselves rather than being loyal to the electorate, corrupt or incompetent

minorities can still be disregarded and unrepresented because politicians are more likely to follow the views of the majority to secure an election, the system is still based on the concept of majority rule

politicians can avoid accountability, especially since elections in the UK are held five years apart, this makes it hard to hold them to account if they’re making decisions that you do not agree with

first past the post is used in elections which means votes are wasted if they do not go to the winning party, this can lead to voters becoming disenchanted and furthermore, smaller parties have very small chances of being properly represented in parliament due to the two party system, which further adds to the issue of disenchantment

Question 12

CASE STUDY: Switzerland

in what ways is Switzerland the ultimate democracy?

Answer 12

Switzerland has had a strong and persistent use of direct democracy in a wide range of both national and local issues — the use of democracy was formalised by the Swiss Federal Constitution and ratified in 1848

provision of significant amounts of local power and compels a mandatory popular vote for changes to the Constitution

Switzerland has not been in any state of declared warfare since the Napoleonic era, certainly not matched by its Italian, French or German neighbours

managed to successfully balance the linguistic differences of its population, ensuring that German, French, Italian and Romansh speakers are treated equally and fairly under the law, whereas places like Belgium, Ukraine and Spain are obviously divided on issues related to linguistic differences

groups of citizens can easily 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 placed on the ballot

this is nearly unprecedented in modern democracies and has allowed for the citizenry to make its voice directly, especially when they believe political groups or the Federal Council are not representing their interests effectively

close connection between government and the people

Question 13

CASE STUDY: Switzerland

examples of referendums held

Answer 13

in 2002, the Swiss voted in favour of the accession of the Swiss state to the United Nations

in 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 infrastructure, taxes, equal representation of women in parliament, judicial reform and many other topics

there have been some interesting votes, including one which would have abolished compulsory service in Swiss Army and another that would have provided for the medical prescription of heroin — Swiss citizens are able to have their say on almost any issue

Question 14

CASE STUDY: Switzerland

in what ways is Switzerland not the ultimate democracy?

Answer 14

the negative effect on minority groups and a clear tyranny of the majority

the will of the majority, unchecked, could infringe upon the rights or abilities of minority groups to live their lives as their fellow countrymen could

while this system gives a voice to the citizens, it can also be easily abused by those who advocate in favour of hate and discrimination

Question 15

CASE STUDY: Switzerland

example of the negative effect on minority groups (Jewish)

Answer 15

the problem with direct democracy in Switzerland is not a new one

in 1893, 60.1% of the citizenry voted in favour of banning the ritual slaughter of animals

this was presented as an animal rights issue but the initiative 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 — tyranny of the majority

Question 16

CASE STUDY: Switzerland

example of the negative effect on minority groups (citizenship)

Answer 16

when certain cantons allowed citizenship to be directly voted on (a process which was discontinued in 2003 after a Swiss court ruled that such a process violated the Constitution) voters in perceived anti immigration regions and cantons consistently voted against citizenship applications from people with Turkish and Yugoslavian backgrounds

in 2004, the people of Switzerland rejected, through a direct referendum, the naturalisation of foreigners who had grown up in Switzerland and the automatic provision of citizenship to the children of third generation foreigners

seems to show a specific targeting of distinctly disadvantaged minority groups (although the vast majority of Swiss referendums tend to revolve around mundane issues like tax policy and social welfare spending)

Question 17

CASE STUDY: Switzerland

example of the negative effect on minority groups (Muslim)

Answer 17

in 2009, Switzerland held a vote that banned the construction of further minarets on mosques

this was viewed by many 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

Question 18

example of direct democracy: ATHENS

Answer 18

earliest known direct democracy

adult male citizens had the right to take part in decision-making at public meetings/assemblies

they were chosen to take part via a random lottery and from a pool of citizen volunteers

meetings took place several times a month and during them, people would have their say and propose laws

meetings were overlooked by a 500 member governing council called a boule

parties and groups were prevented from forming so the process was more fair and equal

no elections except for jobs that require a lot of skill, such as military leaders

Question 19

example of direct democracy: ATHENS

advantages and disadvantages

Answer 19

+ increased political involvement as people saw it as their duty to attend meetings and so wanted to take part

+ tried to represent the whole population

• excluded women, slaves foreigners, which is unrepresentative of the whole population (only 10% could have a say)
• Plato called it chaotic and anarchic with no real rule or order, making it impractical as a regular means of decision-making
• demagogues were the loudest and therefore the only ones heard, they were often manipulative and abused the system for their own gain

Question 20

example of direct democracy: SWITZERLAND

Answer 20

a direct democracy still in use

the people can have a say in almost everything — they can propose and overturn legislation (100,000 signatures are needed to put a proposed measure on the ballot) and any change to the Constitution must pass through the people

the Swiss have voted on a variety of issues, including judicial reform, citizenship, equal representation in parliament and even whether heroin should be allowed to be medically prescribed

vote in referendums (2 types; mandatory and optional)

three voting areas: municipal (town), cantonal (county) and national (country)

Question 21

example of direct democracy: SWITZERLAND

advantages

Answer 21

+ everyone can have an opinion on what happens, which means that everyone’s voice is heard

+ population is more politically informed and there is typically more debate

+ people can demand a referendum if they’re unhappy with a decision

+ local power is distributed to the 26 cantons/counties

+ close connection between the government and the people

Question 22

example of direct democracy: SWITZERLAND

disadvantages

Answer 22

• voter turnout/participation is very low — only 40% of the whole population vote, which means that the final decisions are not representative, low turnout may be due to voter fatigue because of all the referendums held
• some non-Swiss citizens may not be able to vote on every level
• only 16 laws and policies were successfully accepted in the last 150 years, which suggests it is ineffective and that genuine action rarely happens
• open to manipulation by the most powerful
• tyranny of the majority (negative impact on minority rights e.g. rejection of citizen applications from people with Turkish and Yugoslavian backgrounds, laws targeting Muslim and Jewish populations)

Question 23

what is a pluralist democracy?

Answer 23

a type of democracy where the government makes decisions as a result of the interplay of various ideas and contrasting arguments from competing groups and organisations

there is a wide range of political parties, pressure groups, political ideologies and opinions to choose from — they all coexist instead of there being a single elite

Question 24

examples of direct democracy in a representative system

Answer 24

national referendums

recall of MPs act (2015)

Question 25

direct democracy in a representative system: NATIONAL REFERENDUMS

Answer 25

a direct vote on a single issue, usually requiring a response to a straight yes or no question

the UK has only had three national referendums….
• 1975 — Britain’s membership of the EEC
• 2011 — Westminster voting system (changing FPTP to AV)
• 2016 — Brexit

Question 26

examples of direct democracy in an representative system: RECALL OF MPs ACT (2015)

Answer 26

if an MP is sentenced to imprisonment or has been suspended from the House of Commons for more than 21 days then a petition can be triggered

if 10% of voters in that MP’s constituency signs the petition then a by-election will be called

this is an example of direct democracy holding representatives to account

Question 27

case for reform of the UK democratic system

Answer 27

there is an ongoing debate about how well the democratic system in the UK functions

• legitimacy
• democratic deficit
• participation crisis

Question 28

what is legitimacy?

Answer 28

the legal right to exercise power in accordance to preset criteria or widely held agreements

for example, a government’s right to rule following the win of an election — the government gains legitimacy from the consent of the people

by being elected, democracy validates the policies of those who exercise power

Question 29

what is a democratic deficit?

Answer 29

a perceived deficiency in the way a democratic body works, especially in terms of accountability and control over policy-making

lacking democracy

some argue that the UK is suffering from a democratic deficit and that our democratic system does not function or work properly

Question 30

what is a participation crisis?

Answer 30

a lack of engagement with the political system

evident in low voter turnout and a decline in party membership

Question 31

positive democratic features of the UK

Answer 31

free media

independent judiciary

free and fair elections

wide range of political parties and pressure groups

devolved governments

Question 32

positive democratic features of the UK: FREE MEDIA

Answer 32

challenges government policy and scrutinises the government

exposes the misdeeds of politicians, holding them accountable

represents a wide variety of views and opinions

Question 33

positive democratic features of the UK: INDEPENDENT JUDICIARY

Answer 33

separate from other branches of government and free from political influence

upholds the rule of law and protects a wide range of personal freedoms

Question 34

positive democratic features of the UK: FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS

Answer 34

largely free from corruption and intimidation

anyone can stand for office and have the chance of getting in — we are not a one party state

Question 35

positive democratic features of the UK: WIDE RANGE OF POLITICAL PARTIES AND PRESSURE GROUPS

Answer 35

encourages a pluralist democracy where people are free to choose from a wide range of parties to support

a huge variety of political opinions are represented

people can participate in politics by belonging to a group or party

Question 36

positive democratic features of the UK: DEVOLVED GOVERNMENTS

Answer 36

powers transferred to regions such as Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

this decentralises power and distributes it more fairly

decisions can be made by local people in these regions, who are most suited to make such decisions

Question 37

undemocratic features of the UK

Answer 37

unrepresentative voting system

House of Lords

lack of citizens’ rights protection

media control/influence

Question 38

undemocratic features of the UK: UNREPRESENTATIVE VOTING SYSTEM

Answer 38

the House of Commons is still elected using first past the post, which is unrepresentative and nonproportional

the number of votes a party wins does not equate to the number of seats they are awarded

this means that minority viewpoints are often not represented in parliament

Question 39

undemocratic features of the UK: HOUSE OF LORDS

Answer 39

the Lords lacks democratic legitimacy as they are unelected, meaning they do not have the consent of the people and are not subject to proper accountability, yet they can still play a major part in decision-making

attempts at reform of the House of Lords have failed

however, while many of its members have been appointed by prime minister, some are chosen by other party leaders and some non-party crossbench peers are nominated by an independent House of Lords Appointment Commission

thus ensuring that a wide range of professions and fields of experience are represented in the upper house, possibly making the Lords more suited to making decisions due to their wide range of expertise

Question 40

undemocratic features of the UK: LACK OF CITIZENS’ RIGHTS PROTECTION

Answer 40

the Human Rights Act 1998 incorporated the ECHR into UK law

but this arguably provides an inadequate protection of citizens rights as the government can derogate from articles in the act and state that they no longer have legal authority in certain situations

Question 41

undemocratic features of the UK: MEDIA CONTROL / INFLUENCE

Answer 41

sections of the media are controlled by wealthy and unaccountable business interests, which means that not all of the media is completely free

for example, the Murdoch group has owned numerous newspapers such as The Sun and The Times, thus having a platform to influence their readers

Question 42

what is a participation crisis?

Answer 42

a lack of engagement with the political system by a significant section of society

can be seen in low voter turnout and declining party membership

there is a widely held belief that the UK suffers from a participation crisis

Question 43

indicators of a participation crisis

Answer 43

voter turnout

party membership

Question 44

participation crisis: VOTER TURNOUT

Answer 44

the most obvious measure of participation

falling turnout indicates an obvious lack of participation and engagement in politics

low voter turnout is democratic issue as it means the government is elected on a reduced share of the popular vote, which raises questions on the strength of the mandate (right to rule) and means it may lack legitimacy

Question 45

participation crisis: VOTER TURNOUT

average voter turnout at general elections

Answer 45

average turnout from 1945 to 1997 was 76%

since then, it has been much lower….
• 2001 = less than 60% (the lowest since the end of WW1 in 1918)

although it has been rising modestly since then....
• 2005 = 61.4% 
• 2010 = 65% 
• 2015 = 66%
• 2017 = 68%

but this it is still quite low and definitely not high enough to suggest there is NOT a participation crisis

Question 46

participation crisis: VOTER TURNOUT

young people, EU elections, world ranking

Answer 46

average turnout for 18 to 24-year-olds is particularly low — according to YouGov, turnout for them was only 57% in 2017 whereas it was 77% for over 65’s

in European elections, the average turnout for EU countries is 42% but the average turnout for the UK in European elections is only 35%

the UK is ranked 76th in the world for voter turnout, which is very bad considering the UK is supposedly one of the leading democracies yet its voter turnout suggests that citizens do not engage in the democratic system

Question 47

participation crisis: VOTER TURNOUT

second order elections

Answer 47

turnout is even lower in ‘second order’ election such as local council elections and those for devolved bodies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

the average turnout in the May 2016 local elections in England was around 33% — this could be because voters see these less powerful bodies as unlikely to make a major difference to their lives so do not feel the need to vote

turnout in by-elections is also low — only 38% voted in the 2017 Stoke-on-Trent by-election, which is significantly less than the already low 49% turnout for that seat during the 2015 election (possibly because people aren’t helping choose a government so do not care)

only 15% of people voted in the 2012 Police and Crime Commissioner elections (this is the lowest average turnout in any UK contest) — although there was a slight improvement to 27% in 2016

Question 48

participation crisis: PARTY MEMBERSHIP

declining party membership

Answer 48

only 1.6% of the electorate belong to one of the three main UK parties, this fell from 3.8% in 1983

Conservatives — 400,000 members in the mid 1990s but this fell to around around 150,000 by 2016

party membership seems to have fallen considerably since the 1950s, people may feel unrepresented by the range of parties available so are disengaged in politics

the average age of a Conservative party member is 72, the average age of a Labour party is just under 51 — suggests a lack of political engagement in young people

Question 49

participation crisis: PARTY MEMBERSHIP

why might this declining party membership not be an issue?

Answer 49

this might not be so important as there are other ways to engage in politics, such as through pressure groups or e-petitions

partisan dealignment — people do not vote for one party every time, so just because party membership is falling does not mean that there is a participation crisis, especially since it is more common for people to not be loyal to one party

Question 50

participation crisis: PARTY MEMBERSHIP

increasing membership: main parties

Answer 50

Labour — increased membership in the run-up to the 1997 election, but this fell to around 190,000 when Labour was actually in government

the election of Jeremy Corbyn as leader has been associated with the huge rise in membership to 515,000 in 2016 (Corbyn effect)

Lib Dems — 70,000 members in the early 2000s, falling to 49,000 during the 2010-15 coalition, but rising again to over 82,000 by 2017

this demonstrates a rising membership, not every party has seen a drop in membership — while membership has fluctuated, the overall trend seems to be towards growth

Question 51

participation crisis: PARTY MEMBERSHIP

increasing membership: smaller parties

Answer 51

there has been an increase in the membership of smaller parties….

• in 2013, the SNP only had a membership of 25,000, but in 2016 this rose to 120,000
• the Green Party only had 13,000 members in 2013, but by 2016 this had risen to 55,000
• UKIP also saw a small increase in its membership from 32,000 in 2013 to 39,000 in 2016
• in the 2015 general election, a record 24.8% of the vote went to smaller parties rather than the three major ones

Question 52

participation crisis: OTHER WAYS TO PARTICIPATE IN POLITICS

Answer 52

besides voting and being a member of a party, there are other ways that people are still getting involved in politics, which might suggest there is not a participation crisis…

• pressure group membership increasing
• increased use of social media

people are finding other ways to express their opinions, possibly because they feel that traditional politics has let them down

it may be positive that new forms of political engagement are emerging, however it is still concerning that so many are uninvolved in traditional politics

Question 53

participation crisis: PRESSURE GROUP MEMBERSHIP / DIRECT ACTION

Answer 53

pressure group membership is increasing, particularly concerning groups that advocate specific causes and single issues, such as tuition fees and the Iraq war, which have all had well-attended protests and demonstrations

There has been an increase in pressure group membership with one internal UK adults being a member of an environmental pressure group

There has been an increase in large-scale protest and organise streaks for example the recent student walk out pressuring the government to take more action on climate change

Direct action has become a recognised feature of modern politics indicating that people may be turning to new methods of political expression

Even if there are less members of political parties though to turn out is still low people are still joining pressure groups and movements for example the momentum has 40,000 members

Although arguably this may just be armchair participation which involves people joining but not actually getting involved

Pressure groups are often ignored by the government unless they are inside a group that the government relies on for specialist information so the level of real influence that they have on the government is debatable for example the National farmers union was able to use its links with DEFRA To bring about a badger cull in 2013 which only 38% of the population supported this was despite opposition from animal rights groups and this was only possible due to the inside of links which many pressure groups lack

Question 54

participation crisis: SOCIAL MEDIA / DIGITAL DEMOCRACY

Answer 54

Social media has enabled people especially young to exchange political views participate in online campaigns Allows young people to get informed through social mediaand so on

For example and a petition against row charging proposals were signed by more than 1.8 million people in 2007 and Parliament must discuss the issue if a petition reaches over hundred thousand signatures

E petitions have been introduced and seen millions of signatures gathered for issues that the public feel are important for example 4,1 million signatures were gathered for a petition that any vote on the membership of the EU should need 60% of the photo and at least 75% turnout

Are you petitions have attracted the support of many millions including 84 million signing up for a second you referendum in 2016 issue based politics seems to be thriving

Social media campaigns have been used By parties to spread the message to younger people who statistically or less likely to vote than any other group for example labours pro Corbin momentum group has been contributed with increasing the labour you at five and increasing over 30 percentages dramatically in the 2017 general election

However there is a lot of false information spread of media through unreliable sources

Although the petitions have been introduced many are often ignored by Parliament as they are not obligated to discuss any topics that the Parliamentary a petitions committee does not think are suitable for example a petition with 580,000 signatures to block a state visit by Donald Trump to the UK was ignored by the government who recently extended an invitation to the US president to visit the country

Participating in and a petition is much easier than going out to vote as there is no need to leave the house and it’s a much more simple process as the person affectively only needs to click a button petition participation may not be as valid as genuine participation in elections for this reason as it can be argued that it shows less of an engagement in the political system as people do not have to take much initiative

Question 55

reasons for participation crisis: political apathy

Answer 55

Political apathy and lack of interest or awareness of political events and issues people do not want to vote as they do not really care about being Involved in politics or don’t see you need to push for political change

This could explain the unusually low levels of turnover in 2001 and 2005 a time when the economy was booming people are possibly more content with how things were and didn’t see the need to push for change

Turn out in 2001 was only 59.4%

Question 56

reasons for participation crisis: disillusion/disenchantment

Answer 56

Disillusioned disenchantment people feeling letdown and losing faith and trust in politicians and the political system to bring about any real change or do their jobs properly

Maybe due to the MPs expenses scandal which exposed widespread dishonesty and corruption

Due to dishonest politicians broken electoral promises and a general sense that voting doesn’t change anything

This explains declining voter turn out but also explains why people are turning to alternative types of political activity as the addition disillusioned with traditional politics

Question 57

reasons for participation crisis: depends on the issue at stake

Answer 57

Depends on the issue at stake if a critical issue that affects our country is governed is at stake them or people tend to express their views and vote e.g. in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum of 84% of people voted and over 72% of people voted in the 2016 EU referendum

Question 58

CASE STUDY: MPs Expenses Scandal, 2009

Answer 58

In 2009 the daily Telegraph published evidence of widespread abuse by MPs of the system that allows them to claim expenses for living costs

Some MPs have made false claims for mortgage repayments and home insurance among some very absurd and unnecessary claims such as the purchase of a duck house

This led to numerous MPs apologising repaying claims and stepping down at the next election five form MPs and to Lords what even sentenced to prison

Although steps have been taken to change the expenses system this does not seem to have altered perceptions of politicians as untrustworthy the 2015 survey has found the politicians were the least trusted profession below estate agents and bankers

Discount to cause people to lose faith and trust in politicians to do their jobs properly

Question 59

potential reform of the political system to tackle the participation crisis and increase turnout

Answer 59

possible ways of Increasing turn out by making it easier to vote and letting more people vote

Changing election days to the weekend instead of on Thursdays like it is in mainland Europe allowing people to vote anywhere in their constituency rather than the particular polling station allowing voting to take place over several days encouraging the wider use of postal voting allowing electronic voting reducing the voting age from 18 to 16 Allowed in the 2014 Scottish referendum making voting compulsory Like in Belgium in Australia with failure to vote attracts a small fine

Question 60

problem with electronic and postal voting

Answer 60

Open to cyber attack and electoral fraud fraud such as online impersonation of others to vote also may discriminate against all the people and poor areas you might find it difficult to access technology either because they are unfamiliar with it or cannot afford it

Both electronic voting and postal voting open to security threats

All postal voting was trialled in for regions during the 2004 EU Parliament elections and there are complaints of an increase in the rate of fraud including multiple voting and intimidation voters also dislike to being deprived of other means of voting

Question 61

broader reforms of the democratic system

Answer 61

Changing the electoral system used in Westminster to a more proportional one so that the number of votes proportionate a number of seats one and that the outcome more accurately reflects the boat is preferences people who want to vote from my naughty party might Then feel that there is more of a chance of the viewpoint being represented and feel more inspired to vote and may begin believing that their vote actually makes a difference

Further reform to Parliament to make it more democratic and transparent and enabling it to hold governments to account more affectively issue this helps tackle the issue of disillusionment as people will be able to trust Parliament more

Maude evolution to local and regional bodies

Question 62

need for broader reforms to the democratic system

Answer 62

The proposal is to increase turnout will only have a limited impact if the real reason for the lack of participation lies deeper than the inconvenience of voting broader reforms to address deep issues should be considered such large-scale reform is unlikely as seen in 2011 when the proposal to change the Westminster boating system to AV was rejected

Question 63

what is compulsory voting?

Answer 63

Voting is Manda Tory and a legal requirement voting is compulsory in Australia and Belgium failure to vote results in a fine

Question 64

arguments for compulsory voting

Answer 64

Voting is a social duty as well as the right people should be in gauged in our democratic system I have a same processes that affect their lives

Would produce a more legitimate government as Parliament would be more present to tiff of the population as a whole seeing as everyone is voting due to low turnout in 2015 only 24% of the whole population actually voted Conservative yet the still from the government

Governments would have to cater its policies to the whole electorate which means they had better address everyone’s issues in order to win more votes they also run better quality campaigns and be more responsive to all groups in society in 2015 turn out for over 65 to 78% which explains why many policies were centred around them

Question 65

arguments for compulsory voting (continued)

Answer 65

voters do not have to vote for a party they still have the freedom to exercise political choice by spoiling the ballot paper or ticking none of the above

Would result in higher turnout in Australia turn out rose from 60% to 90% when they made voting compulsory

Increases participation in politics and could solve the U.K.’s participation crisis point gauging in educating more people as well as raising more please call awareness only 66% voted in 2015 general election perhaps if everything was made compulsory a similar rising turnout as seen in Australia would happen in the UK

Question 66

arguments against compulsory voting

Answer 66

Forcing people to vote and taking away their rights to freedom of choice is undemocratic we should not have to take part in something if we do not want to not voting can be a political statement

People may just like randomly or for whoever is at the top of the ballot which decreases the legitimacy of the government as it leads to a skewed and unrepresentative result

Does not address deeper reasons why people do not vote because forcing them to vote does not mean they care about politics or are politically informed they just vote because it is illegal not to lead into a cosmetic and not genuine democracy

Question 67

arguments against compulsory voting (continued)

Answer 67

Could turn voting into a chore rather than a privilege or duty which may mean it won’t be taken as seriously

Would not solve the issue of politicians focusing on marginal seats and they collecting save seats for the outcome is predictable thus not addressing the concerns of voters in safe seats

Question 68

participation crisis: REFERENDUMS

arguments to suggest there is a crisis

Answer 68

Many might argue that there is a participation crisis in referendums on like general elections they aren’t a regular occurrence and they are all on different complex topics meaning that they may feel overwhelmed with what to vote for as they lack the knowledge needed to vote for example in the 2016 EU referendum many were given false information which led them to vote Brexit Boris Johnson promoted Brexit via bus passes with writing on which stated we send the EU £350 million let’s find our NHS instead without going into detail at all about how this money but if it’s a UK citizens and the prospects we will lose from leaving the EU therefore confusing photos and losing votes in the referendum

A lack of referendum participation may also be due to the lack of opportunities one receives to get interested in politics politics in schools is on tour and this is the same in further education and letting individual voluntarily takes part in a political club et cetera for example in the Greater London authority referendum on whether there should be a mayor of London and Greater London authority 1989 the turnout was extremely low with the highest turnout being in Richmond and 44% in fact one BBC reporter said that he could only see six people in the church house that had been decked out to host the year celebration party to have a big policeman suggesting a lack of enthusiasm due to little interest in politics

Question 69

participation crisis: REFERENDUMS

arguments to suggest there is not a crisis

Answer 69

Participation in the 2016 EU referendum was 72.2% 32 million votes out of a possible 46,.9 million out of those who are eligible to vote when comparing this with other recent referendum is this is a way better turnout for example in the AV 20 to 11 referendum the turnout of eligible voters was 42.2% therefore implying that the publics political interests are increasing suggesting that there isn’t a participation crisis

In the recent EU referendum the turnout was 64% among 18 to 24-year-olds and 65% among 25 to 39-year-olds which is closer to the population average that could have been expected 71% of people aged 18 to 24 voted to remain in the EU and 62% of 25 to 39-year-olds consequently suggesting that when the referendum outcome largely affects the future of many individuals money take an interest and vote hopefully this election in courage to such an interest in politics in the young population with more higher turnout later to come in future referendums

One could argue that there might be a participation crisis in politics in general but not in referendums this is due to the belief that individuals tend to find it easy to get passionate about an individual issue than they do about a party in 20 1175% agree the parties are only interested in votes in 1987 it was 64% suggesting that many feel that political parties don’t bother with them resulting in the public not bothering with the parties therefore with particular issues expressed in referendums the public find it easier to engage with and therefore participate in referendums as they can connect with them on a larger scale and feel that their vote actually counts towards something

Question 70

lowering the voting age to 16 to tackle the participation crisis

Answer 70

This could increase voter turnout

And ONS analysis has shown that lowering the voting age to 16 could change the winner in 88 seats These 88 seats are constituencies were young people aged 16 and 17 outnumber the sitting MPs majority if they voted then this would significantly impact the political system

Scottish independence referendum demonstrates that young people are politically engaged and will vote when given the opportunity to turn out for 16 and 17-year-olds was 75%

Question 71

factors to consider when debating whether there is a participation crisis

Answer 71

Voter turnout

party membership

referendums

digital democracy social media

direct action pressure groups

Question 72

is there a democratic deficit in the UK?

FREE ELECTIONS

Answer 72

Everyone can vote over 18 secret ballot minimal electoral fraud

However 16 to 17-year-olds cannot vote neither can prisoners despite this being in violation of the ECHR

unelected House of Lords

Question 73

is there a democratic deficit in the UK?

FAIR ELECTIONS

Answer 73

Multiple parties to vote for pluralism electoral commission independent body that regulates the conduct of elections e.g. campaign funding one vote per person first past the post keeps extremist parties out devolved areas use proportional voting systems

Proportional representation has been successfully introduced in devolved administration is

First past the post encourages the two party system minor parties are not adequately represented and have no real chance of getting into power lack of proportionality not all votes are equal due to the varying sizes of constituencies government can win by one vote and on a low percentage of the vote which means they lack legitimacy

Question 74

is there a democratic deficit in the UK?

WIDESPREAD PARTICIPATION

Answer 74

Give the government legitimacy increasing pressure group membership As seen in large protests general elections slight rise in turn out in the last three elections and referendums tend to have a high turnout although not always as seen in 2011

Turn out is low in elections especially younger voters local council elections have very low turnout in EU elections the UK is below the average voter turnout across EU countries decreasing party membership

Question 75

is there a democratic deficit in the UK?

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

Answer 75

Everyone can express their views can side with any party and there is no single party domination pluralist democracy and free speech on the press the independent BBC et cetera who can criticise and openly scrutinise the government

Hate speech right wing press control several newspapers on sky News is owned by Rupert Murdoch bias anti-Corbyn bias

Question 76

is there a democratic deficit in the UK?

FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION

Answer 76

Free to side with any party without being persecuted by the state pluralist democracy

Extremist views

Question 77

is there a democratic deficit in the UK?

PROTECTION OF RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES

Answer 77

Protected by the human rights act equality act et cetera pressure groups can Uphold them by bringing a sister called e.g. understand the national judicial review Parliamentary sovereignty

Brooks it back to rights Parliament can appeal legislation and ignore the courts as they are sovereign judicial review gives unaccountable forces too much power emergency situations in which the government me derogate from human rights act and declare that certain rights no longer have a legal standing

Question 78

is there a democratic deficit in the UK?

RULE OF LAW

Answer 78

Impartiality and neutrality of the judiciary MPs expenses judges role that they were not protected by Parliamentary privilege

Question 79

is there a democratic deficit in the UK?

LIMITED GOVERNMENT

Answer 79

The judiciary can hold the government to account no Parliament combined future government fixed term parliament act judicial review

House of Lords is on elected if the government has a large majority they can do as they please and there’s nothing to stop them taking away rights

Question 80

is there a democratic deficit in the UK?

Answer 80

The UK has a strong democracy with laws rather than a flawed democracy

With uncertainty growing in the UK over the future of the union over Britain’s place in the world after Brexit and three indecisive general election results in 2010 2015 and 2017 questions are now being raised about the state of our democracy

On the face of it the many constitutional reforms That have been introduced since 1997 of strengthen democracy in the UK but below the surface new tensions arising

Question 81

is there a democratic deficit in the UK?

Answer 81

The EU referendum in 2016 reveal deep divisions in society and has led to the fresh tomatoes for Scottish independence furthermore when the Supreme Court declared in the Miller case of 2016 to 17 at the government did not have the prerogative power to trigger article 50 taking the country out of the EU there was a storm of protest from parts of the press claiming the judges with the enemy of the people even the cherished independence of the judiciary seems to be under threat

Question 82

is there a democratic deficit in the UK?

Answer 82

The increasing importance of social media with questions going over so-called fake news on the legitimacy of some political campaigns may well be undermining democracy

Question 83

is there a democratic deficit in the UK?

Answer 83

The House of Lords the most recent attempt to reform the second chamber failed in 2012 when a combination of opposition from within the Conservative party in the House of Lords itself together with a lack of political will on the part of the coalition government defeated proposals for an elected house

The lack of reform was put into shop focus at the beginning of 2017 when the Brexit bill was presented to Parliament this followed a constitutional conflict over who have the power to trigger the U.K.’s exit from the EU the government are those probative powers all the Westminster Parliament under the sovereignty of Parliament

The Lord is amended the bill twice demanding that there should be a Parliamentary vote on the final exit deal with the EU and guaranteeing the residency rights of EU citizens already in the country against the wishes of the government ultimately the Commons overturn these amendments on the Lord’s conceded this avoided a major constitutional conflict but reduced the question of what is the on reform the House of Lords actually for if it can only delay legislation in this case for a few days it’s usefulness must be questioned the reason it has such a limited role is that it lacks democratic legitimacy the uncertain status of the Lord’s remains a problem for democracy in the UK

Question 84

is there a democratic deficit in the UK?

Answer 84

The electoral system although forms of proportional representation have been introduced in the devolved administration is AMS in Scotland and Wales STV in Northern Ireland on the regional list in London first past the post is still used in Westminster

The failed attempt to replace first past the post in the 2011 referendum a large majority were rejected the alternative an outcome that led many to claim that there was no appetite to ditch first past the post however the flaws in that referendum And the result of the 2015 and 2017 general election is rekindled the question of electoral reform

In 2015 UKIP won nearly 3,9 million votes 12.6% of the total however the party only gained one seat the SNP won almost exactly half of the popular vote in Scotland but this was converted into victory in virtually all constituencies the party won all that three of the 59 Scottish seats

The Liberal Democrats and the greens also suffered discrimination meanwhile the Conservative party was returned to office with only 37% of the national vote in 2005 the Labour government which one is 66 seat majority of only 35% of the national vote

In June 2017 election some order was restored in that the two main parties dominated with the 80 to 89.2% of the seats and 82.4% of the national vote for small parties including UKIP the greens and the SNP all fell back

Disproportionate results wasted votes and no longer produces strong stable governments with decisive Parliamentary majorities

Elections that do not produce governments with a clear mandate call into question the whole democratic legitimacy of government

Question 85

is there a democratic deficit in the UK?

Answer 85

Devolution is an ongoing process the shift in power towards the national minorities and to city regions represents an increase in democracy in two senses

First decentralises power and brings it closer to the people

Second the new devolved administration is a more democratic than when Westminster the electoral system is used on the proportional of the representative assemblies in devolved administration is good exercise more control over executive government in Westminster can

There are also signs that indicate that more devolution may well be introduced in the near future

Question 86

is there a democratic deficit in the UK?

Answer 86

The independent judiciary the constitutional reform act 2005 brought the Supreme Court into existence it also introduced a number of measures to ensure that the senior judiciary should be fully independent senior judges on our appointed by an independent commission and the government was made legally responsible for ensuring independence meanwhile the Supreme Court judges were taken out of the House of Lords to ensure a greater separation of powers

Since its introduction the Supreme Court has been extremely active in preserving the rule of law controlling excesses of power exercised by public bodies and imposing the European convention on human rights are truly independent judiciary such as that in the UK is a cornerstone of modern constitutional and democratic government

Question 87

is there a democratic deficit in the UK?

Answer 87

The human rights act 1998 was a huge step forward in the protection of citizens rights and liberties it was quickly followed by the freedom of information act in 2000 coupled with the reinforced independence of the judiciary after 2005 there is no doubt that the UK democracy has been greatly strengthened in this area of course Parliament remains sovereign so rights are always in jeopardy from an over mighty government but the UK has moved one step nearer to the kind of democratic safeguards that exist in most other modern states and it is very unlikely that the government would revoke rights as they would be widescale protest

Question 88

is there a democratic deficit in the UK?

Answer 88

Referendums would seem to be a considerable step in the direction of greater democracy they are pure form of democracy and are able to settle political conflicts and issues within with the direct consent of the people however recent experience is called into question the democratic claims of referendums three examples from recent times raise a number of concerns the 2011 AV referendum 2014 Scottish independence referendum on the 2016 EU referendum

Referendums have revealed a mixed picture at first sight they enhance democracy but the reality is that they undermine representative institutions I do not necessarily solve conflicts

Question 89

is there a democratic deficit in the UK?

Answer 89

The 2011 AV referendum on reform of the electoral system was flawed in a number of ways the system being considered was seen as too complicated for voters to understand the primary role of any referendum is that the question should be understood there was also a very low turnout at 42% many voters used as a opportunity to punish the Liberal Democrats for a broken promise on university tuition fees and therefore were not voting on the issue at all

Question 90

is there a democratic deficit in the UK?

Answer 90

The 2014 Scottish independence referendum had a high turnout and 55 to 45 majority against independence the issue was clearly understood

However it has not resulted in the issue going away because Scotland circumstances are going to change after Brexit most Scots wish to remain in the EU but the country will be forced out along with the rest of the UK Scottish voters were not in possession of all the facts when they went to the polls so cool for more in for another independence referendum

Question 91

is there a democratic deficit in the UK?

Answer 91

The 2016 EU referendum raised several problems the deep divisions it reviewed in British society it is hoped that referendums can heal the conflicts in the country but the EU vote opened up deep breaths Scotland and London showed a marked preference for staying in the EU but the rest of the UK wanted to leave all the photos showed an even larger preference for leaving all the young mostly voted to remain most middle-class voters wanted to remain well most of the working class voted to leave the divisions thrown out by this referendum will make negotiations for that leaving the EU especially delicate and potentially dangerous if the minority feel that they are being severely let down

Question 92

is there a democratic deficit in the UK?

Answer 92

It has been argued in recent years of the UK suffering from a participation crisis a problem which is so severe that democracy itself is threatened by politically active population is in danger of losing its democratic rights

Widespread disillusionment with the main parties following membership of these parties and low turnout elections I’m referendum is voting for the two main parties has it has been in long-term decline in 1979 Labour and the Conservatives together attracted the votes of nearly 81% of the population but by 2015 this had fallen to about 67%

Referendum turnouts 1997 to 98 Devolution to Scotland 60% devolution to Wales 50% devolution to Northern Ireland to 81% 1998 should London have an elected mayor and assembly 34% turnout 2011 introduction of the AV electoral system 42%

However party memberships are writing again in the early 1980s nearly 2,000,000 people were members parties by 2015 is it slumped are less than 400,000 but label Liberal Democrat Scottish National and green parties have all reported significant increases a membership in 2015 to 17 especially among other people

The long-term decline in voting turnout has been arrested and has begun to turn around

Question 93

is there a democratic deficit in the UK?

Answer 93

Social media has both widened political activity and bought many more people into the political process that was the case when participation was limited to traditional pressure group and party membership and voting in elections

The spread of knowledge and influences disbursing power more evenly throughout the population there are encouraging signs that young people are really engaging with politics as was indicated by the ground swell of support among that age group for Jeremy Corbyn and higher voting turnout of 18 to 24-year-olds rising from little over 40% in 2010 to 2015 to nearly 60% in 2017

Although it can be argued that participation in such platforms is much less intensive than direct action participation in a petitions and writing campaigns on such sites such as 38° may represent political activity but it is of an extremely limited nature

Question 94

positive democratic features of the UK

Answer 94

Proportional representation has been successfully introduced in the devolved administrations

The House of Commons has become more influential and more affective in calling on the government to account

Referendums have brought more people into the political arena and turn out for two recent referendum was very high 84% in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum and 72% in the British membership of the EU 2016 referendum

The continuing Devolution process is decentralising power

Social media and the Internet have provided many new platforms but the political participation encourage pluralism and dispersed influence more widely

The judiciary is now properly independent

Question 95

indecisive democratic features of the UK

Answer 95

Some referendums have had serious flaws

Membership of political parties is growing after many years of decline

The U.K.’s exit from the EU may improve democracy by removing the power of external EU institutions

Rights and liberties remain well protected unless the human rights act was repealed which the Conservative government have expressed a desire to do and replace it with a British bill of human rights

The last three general election is none of which produced decisive government majority is maybe a temporary anomaly

Question 96

negative/undemocratic features of the UK

Answer 96

The House of Lords remains on reformed and therefore undemocratic

The electoral system for general elections produces an on representative Parliament

Turn out at elections is generally low by European standards and party membership remains limited

Strong elements of elitism remain in society and politics

The Prime Minister and government retain wide prerogative and therefore arbitrary powers gives rise to the risk of an elective dictatorship