Democracy And Participation Flashcards
(60 cards)
1
Q
What is representative democracy?
A
- people vote for elected representatives; in local/general elections; makes decisions on people’s behalf
- can either be party or person
2
Q
What is direct democracy?
A
- people’s views relayed directly from them
- all decisions reflect majority view; binary
- multiple access points for direct action/influence
- lack of political pluralism
3
Q
Definition of democracy?
A
- power in hands of all/system of gov that allows all citizens to participate/influence gov decisions
4
Q
key features of democracy - elections
A
- fair, free, secret elections w/equal say
- turnout varies according to age group.
- GEs in UK; free/fair, but FPTP makes it difficult to achieve majority, so many votes wasted.
5
Q
Ad/dis of direct democracy
A
Ad:
- purest from
- encourages participation
- encourages genuine debate
- can avoid deadlock/delay
- great legitimacy
- removed need for trusted representatives
- equal weight to all votes
Dis:
- can lead to tyranny of the majority
- some issues too complex for ordinary citizens
- open to manipulation
- many don’t want to take part is decision making
6
Q
Ad/dis of representative democracy
A
Ad:
- practical where issues complex
- reduces tyranny of majority
- politicians from parties; coherence/choice
- pressure groups form/encourage pluralist democracy
- representative hold to account during elections
- expert knowledge/experience in representatives
Dis:
- minorities lack representation
- politicians skilful in avoiding accountability
- decreased participation
- parties/pressure groups run by ppl perusing own agenda
- politicians sometimes corrupt/incompetent
- FPTP produces highly unrepresentative result
7
Q
What is suffrage?
A
- the right to vote
- universal suffrage = democracy
8
Q
What is the Great Reform Act 1832?
A
- passed by Whig gov of Lord Grey
- 1/5 males could vote; 5.6% of population
- abolished rotten boroughs such as Old Sarum; constituencies that had almost no voters, but elected two MPs every election
9
Q
What is the Second Reform Act 1867?
A
- bigger in scope
- passed by Tory gov of Disraeli
- allowed many working class men in cities to vote; 1/3 of men
- retained difference between cities/countryside
10
Q
What is the Third Reform Act 1884?
A
- passed by Gladstone’s Lib gov
- est. uniform franchise for men
- all working men who met property qualification
- 40% of men still excluded
11
Q
What is the Representation of the People Act 1918?
A
- product of WWI; Lloyd-George coalition gov
- all men over 21 (19 for veterans)
- women over 30 who met property qualification
12
Q
What is the Representation of the People Act 1928?
A
- Baldwin’s Tory gov
- women receive vote on equal terms to men
- all over 21
- property qualifications removed
13
Q
What is the Representation of the People Act 1969?
A
- Wilson
- lowered voting age to 18
14
Q
Who were the Chartists/what were their aims?
A
- demanded adoption by parliament of the People’s Charter
- all men to have vote irrespective of wealth/property
- secret ballot
- parliamentary elections every year
- equally sized constituencies
- MPs to be paid
- property qualification abolished
- key leaders - William Lovett, Francis Place, Feargus O’Connor; used petitions (big in 1839, 1842, 1848)
15
Q
Who were the suffragists?
A
- National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies; 1897; Millicent Fawcett
- peaceful/constitutional methods including meetings, leaflets, petitions, marches, lobbying
- 100,000 members by 1914
16
Q
Who were the suffragettes?
A
- Women’s Social and Political Union; 1903; Emmeline Pankhurst
- more militant/prepared to break the law; chained themselves to railings, hackling/disrupting public meetings, criminal damage/arson
- went on hunger strike when imprisoned; gov passed the Cat and Mouse Act to enable force-feeding.
17
Q
Arguments used to demand votes for women
A
- women are intellectually equal
- women paid equivalent taxes/obeyed same laws
- woman could already vote in local elections/serve as mayors
- roles as wives/mothers made vital contribution
- franchise had already been reformed to include 2/3s of men
- women could bring additional experience
18
Q
Arguments deployed against women
A
- men naturally better suited to some areas
- women too emotional
- politics would distract from roles as wives/mothers
- women not able to serve in war
- drastic actions of suffragettes proved unsuitability
- women would outnumber men among electorate
19
Q
Should prisoners have the right to vote?
A
YES:
- civic responsibility; makes rehabilitation harder
- fundamental right
- no evidence that taking away vote acts as effective deterrent
- alienates them
- ECtHR ruled against blanket ban
NO:
- rights come with responsibilities
- prisoners concentrated in certain areas; not necessarily permanent members of community
- public opinion against it
- undermine parliamentary sovereignty
- ECtHR ruling/interpretation goes beyond original framework; example of judicial overreach
20
Q
key features of democracy - representation
A
- those elected must act in best interest of citizens in area/rep views effectively
- most elected reps belong to political party/rep their party’s views.
21
Q
key features of democracy - legitimacy
A
- govs/legislatures have legal authority as have been fairly chosen in elections.
- fptp distorts party representation at Westminster; no recent UK gov has won supper of over 50% of those who voted.
22
Q
key features of democracy - participation
A
- ppl can get involved/contribute to politics and policy-making in no. of ways.
- wide range of participation opportunities; some require more commitment than others.
23
Q
key features of democracy - accountability
A
- those elected are held accountable for actions; should be transparent, open, free from corruption.
- frequent complaints about how gov/public bodies try to cover up mistakes;
allegations of partisan favouritism in many areas of gov - R. Miller vs Secretary of State for Exiting the EU; British business owner challenged gov over ruling to implement Brexit without allowing Parliament’s approval to do so.
24
Q
key features of democracy - rule of law
A
- laws apply equally to everyone including gov/elected officials; anyone who breaks law is punished.
- many argue that they sometimes see themselves as above/exempt from laws everyone else has to follow.
25
key features of democracy - smooth transition of power
- there is formal process for hand power from one gov to next; takes place peacefully without violent or mass protests.
- calm in general in UK; prolonged hiatus/debate over Brexit deal views by many Leave supporters as attempt to thwart will of the people
26
key features of democracy - civil rights
- right of the people protected/defended through the courts.
- UK lacks embedded set of civil rights/relies largely on parliamentary statues that could be repealed.
- access to justice can be prohibitively expensive.
- Human Rights Act; rights defended in UK courts; public organisations must treat everyone equally.
27
kay features of democracy - education/information
- public well education politically/have access to accurate info from trustworthy sources; enables effective/informed participation in political process.
- many sources of news/info biased; election campaigns rely on highly simplified messages that at worst can be very misleading.
28
How are e-petitions used?
- originally statues in 2006/relaunched in 2011; end and members of public to identify/raise issues with gov; more than 10,000 signatures - receives response from gov; 100,000 - considered for debate.
- 2019 - 6m signatures to revoke Article 50/remain in EU.
- 2019 - 1.7m in opposition to planned prorogation of parliament in midst of debates/stalemate.
- 2017 - 1.86m to stop Trump from making state visit to UK.
29
should there be greater use of direct democracy in UK? - YES
YES:
- enhances legitimacy; decisions have direct authority/mandate of people; when ppl vote, they may not necessarily agree with all policies in party manifesto.
- it works; popular with voters/engages them; turnout of 2014 Scottish Independence referendum = 84.6%; works in other countries such as switzerland.
- improves accountability; wishes of ppl cannot be ignored; can sometimes provide useful corrective when MP’s views out of step with country, such as Brexit.
30
what was the main tactic of the Chartists?
- compilation/submission of three monster petitions in 1839, 1842, 1848; up to 6m signatures, though some of dubious authenticity eg Queen Victoria more than once.
- each occasion - overwhelmingly rejected by parliament.
- movement collapsed after 1848 failure; over time - all but one aim achieved/influenced creation of other political movements such as the Reform League.
31
how successful were the suffragettes and suffragists?
- witnessed success quicker than Chartists; women given vote in 1918/remainder in 1928.
- contribution of women during war especially as munitions workers played part in their success; need to settle aspects of male suffrage by war’s end.
- took far longer for women to be elected in any large numbers; first was Nancy Astor in 1919, but not until after 1997 that large numbers began to get elected; Thatcher = first female PM in 1979.
32
should 16-17 year olds be given the vote?
YES:
- allowed to vote in Scottish Independence referendum.
- can vote in the Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernesey, Brazil, Austria.
- 16 = age you can legally marry, have sex, enter armed forces.
- around 1.5m; evidence from S.R suggested they may be expected to have large turnout.
- no. of organisations pressing case including Electoral Reform Society.
NO:
- some people argue that 18 year olds shouldn’t even be able to vote.
- need life experience; should pay taxes/think independently -> personal maturity.
33
traditional forms of participation
traditional forms:
- voting in range of elections eg national, local, regional, referendums.
- membership of political party
- standing as candidate in elections.
- joining pressure group
- writing letters to MPs/councillors
- going on march/strike
34
modern methods of participation
- e-petitions
- following, retweeting, liking political posts on social media.
- organising/participating in protests such as those associated with BLM via social media.
- boycotting certain goods/businesses.
35
political participation crisis in the UK? - what does evidence cited tend to focus on?
- voter turnout in elections
- membership of political parties
- growing volatility among voters
36
what is the current/general trend of participation through voting?
- overall, turnout in GEs lower than historically; 1945-1992 - usually 75%; 2024 - fell to 60%.
37
what was the turnout of the 2019 European elections?
- 37% (34% in 2014)
38
what was the turnout of the 2018 local elections for unitary councils?
- 33% (37% in 2017)
39
what was the turnout of the 2016 police and crime commissioner elections?
- 27% (15% in 2012)
40
what was the turnout of the 2016 Scottish Parliament elections?
- 56% (50% in 2011)
41
what was the turnout of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum?
85%
42
what was the turnout of the 2011 AV referendum?
42%
43
What do the turnout figures suggest?
- turnout = poor; don’t necessarily prove turnout falling consistently
- significant variation according to age; older = more likely to vote; turnout in 2019 ranged from 47% among 18-24 up to 74% among over 65s.
—> wider gap than 2017; 54% and 71%.
44
what is the general picture of participation through party membership?
- falling membership
45
What was the membership of the Labour Party in 2019 and what is it in 2025?
485,000 in 2019; 309,000 in 2025
46
What was the membership of the Conservative Party in 2019 and what is it in 2025?
180,000 in 2019; 131,000 in 2025
47
What was the membership of the SNP in 2019?
126,000
48
What was the membership of the Liberal Democrats in 2019 and in 2023?
115,000 in 2019; more than 90,000 in 2024
49
What was the membership of the Green Party (England/Wales) in 2019 and in 2024?
48,500 in 2019; over 59,000 in 2024
50
What was the membership of UKIP in 2019?
29,000
51
What was the membership of Plaid Cymru in 2019?
10,000
52
What do the membership figures show?
- combined membership of Tories, Lab, Lib Dems = 1.7% of electorate.
- compare favourably to historic low of 0.8% in 2013.
- Labour enjoyed surge in years of Cornyn leadership.
- figures lower than earlier decades; 1950s - Conservatives = 2.8m, Labour = 1m + several million through affiliated TUs
53
overall assessment of membership figures
- clear decline of formal membership, but not of terminal; Labour grew considerably in years after 2014.
- membership of SNP/Greens has grown in recent years.
- churches/TUs have also seen sharp decline in membership since 1950s.
54
how is membership of parties skewed by age and social class?
- majority of party members belong to higher social classes (ABC1); 2019 figures suggest this ranged from 85% of Lib Dem members to 65% of UKIP members.
- average age is above 50 for all main parties; more than half (53%) of current Tory members aged 60+; 18-24 make up 4-6% of overall Lab, Lib Dem, Tory memberships
55
what is meant by electoral volatility?
- far more likely to switch between parties, suggesting wider disillusionment with parties/politicians —> partisan dealignment
56
why could partisan dealignment be seen as part of wider pattern of disenchantment with parties/politicians?
- social class less reliable as indicator of voting behaviour; voters more prepared to shop around/vote according to policies and personalities as opposed to trad tribal loyalties.
- new parties have gained in recent elections; UKIP/Brexit Party tipped last two European elections contested; Greens gained nearly 200 seats in 2019 local elections; independents gained in excess of 600 new councillors in same; Greens and Reform gained 9 seats combined in 2024.
57
Is there a participation crisis in the UK? - yes
Yes:
- turnout low in many recent elections.
- membership has declined in past half century.
- partisan dealignment = voters feeling no affiliation particular party.
- disillusionment increased since 2009 expenses scandal.
- political apathy particularly marked among 18-24; less likely to vote/join party than older.
- many modern political participation methods amount to slacktivism.
58
Is there are participation crisis in the UK? - no
- some parties (SNP/Greens) have seen growth in membership recently
- election turnout not consistently low
- shift away from traditional modes of participation
- social movements/less structured campaign groups focus on direct action eg XR/BLM; can attract strong support/commitment, esp from younger voters
- internet based movements can be powerful; #MeToo campaign against sexual harassment led to much public debate.
59
additional aspects of democracy?
- different beliefs, parties, associations tolerated; encourages political pluralism; Just Stop Oil - able to cause commotion without much fear, however recent controversy with sentence given to member.
- media free/independent; freedom of expression/prevents propaganda; headlines about Prince Andrew being on Epstein list; able to be critical of key figures without fear of closure.
- legal limited to powers of gov; ensures no branch can be more powerful; SC ruling that Rwanda bill breaches human rights; can check gov independently with no fear of being removed.
60
What is the membership of Reform in 2025?
Over 200,000
