Democracy and participation Flashcards

Question

What are the advantages of representative democracy?

Answer 1

1. Elected representatives have the knowledge and skills to make complex decisions on behalf of voters 2. They are responsible for nearly all areas of policy so can take a broader view of issues and balance them- this is particularly important when deciding priorities for allocating spending, balancing budgets and setting taxes 3. Belonging to a political party enables voters to have a good idea of how representatives will act once in power 4. Representative government is more efficient than laying numerous laws before the people for approval or rejection

Answer 2

Referendums are associated with this type of democracy where votes take place on specific questions eg the 2016 eu referendum The use of e-petitions is growing where members of the public can raise issues to the government, any petition with more than 100,000 signatures is considered for a debate in parliament eg there was a 2019 petition with 6 million signatures for the UK to remain in the EU, however it failed to change the government's mind

Answer 3

1. It promotes political participation as people can take part directly in the decision-making process 2. It improves accountability and can be a useful corrective when the PM's views don't align with the country as a whole eg Brexit 3. It improves political education as people feel motivated to become politically well informed on a subject before arriving at a considered decision 4. It enhances legitimacy as decisions have the mandate of the people, when people vote in an election they may not agree with every policy in a party manifesto 5. It works well. It's popular with voters and engages them eg the 2014 scottish independence referendum had an 84.6% turnout. It functions well elsewhere eg Switzerland 6. It is a 'purer' form of democracy as the whole adult population can directly have a say

Answer 4

1. There is a lack of a political education, the public might not fully understand the question whereas elected representatives are often better placed to analyse the issue. It also undermines representative government 2. Referendums don't bind the government as the UK constitution means parliamentary sovereignty prevails 3. Populist outcomes can prevail with people voting for emotional reasons instead of taking a more considered, long term view. Many sources of information are one sided 4. Turnout for referndums can be very low eg the 2011 AV referndum had a meagre 42% turnout- this undermines any sense of democratic legitimacy 5. The majority may vote for something that undermines the rights of a minority- tyranny of the majority 6. It is impractical as holding regular referendums would be costly and time consuming

Answer 5

Before the Great Reform Act of 1832, Britain was in reality an oligarchy where political power lay exclusively in the hands of wealthy, male members of the Church of England who owned property. This was a small minority of the population, about 2.7%. By the end of the enfranchisement process virtually all adults except prisoners, peers, those who failed to register and foreign citizens had the right to vote. Extension of the franchise was accompanied by other measures to enhance democracy eg the 1872 introduction of a secret ballot, the 1883 ban on direct bribery of voters and the 1885 redrawing of constituency boundaries to make them more equal

Answer 6

It meant one in five males could now vote, about 5.6% of the population. It abolished rotten boroughs eg Old Sarum where there were almost no voters, but which elected MPs

Answer 7

The act was much bigger in scope than the Great Reform Act. Allowed many working class men in cities to vote, doubling the size of the electorate. Roughly one third of all men could vote.

Answer 8

It established a uniform franchise across the country for men. All working men who met the property qualification could vote. About 40% of adult men were still excluded.

Answer 9

All men over the age of 21, or 19 for veterans, could vote. Women over 30 who met the property qualification could now vote. It was a result of the social and political changes caused by WWI

Answer 10

Women finally received the vote on equal terms to men, all men and women over 21 could vote. Property qualifications were removed

Answer 11

The voting age was lowered to 18

Answer 12

The chartists emerged following the 1832 reform act which did nothing to extend the vote to the working class. Primarily, they were concerned with ending the political domination by the aristocracy. They demanded the adoption by parliament of the six points of the people's charter. In the long term they were quite successful as they had a significant legacy and influenced the creation of other political movements.

Answer 13

1. All men can vote regardless of wealth or property ownership 2. Voting should take place by secret ballot 3. Parliamentary elections should occur annually, not once every 7 years 4. Equally sized constituencies 5. Members of parliament should be paid 6. The property qualification to become an MP should be abolished

Answer 14

The compilation and submission to parliament of three monster petitions in 1839, 1842 and 1848, they gained up to 6 million signatures. Unsurpsiningly, Parliament rejected the petititions. Several violent protests associated with the movement were in turn violently surpessed by the authorities.

Answer 15

They believed working class men were too poorly educated to be able to use their vote wisely They feared some would use their power to seize the wealth of the rich They feared radical change would threaten Britain's global wealth and trading empire They were frightened to lose their own power

Answer 16

They both wanted equality for women Suffragists used peaceful and constitutional methods eg meetings and petitions. Their leader Millicent Fawcett described them as like a glacier 'slow moving but unstoppable' Suffragettes were more militant and broke the law eg chained themselves to railings and commited criminal damage. The highest profile martyr was Emily Davidson who was trampled to death at the epsom derby in 1913 Both stopped their campaign in 1914 during WWI

Answer 17

They are intellectual equals Women paid equivalent taxes and obeyed the same laws Women could already vote in local elections Their role as wives and mothers was a vital contribution to the nation The franchise had already been extended and now included 2/3 of men Women would bring their own insight into political debates eg on childcare and social reform

Answer 18

The concept of separate spheres which theorised that areas like politics were better suited to men Women were too emotional to deal with the tough world of politics Politics would be a distraction from women's key role as wives and mothers Women couldn't make the ultimate sacrifice to serve and die for their country in the war The extreme actions of Suffragettes demonstrated how unsuited they were for the world of politics Women would outnumber the men and would therefore take over politics

Answer 19

Unlike the US Jim Crow laws, in the UK there has never been systematic or quasi-legal exclusion of voters however ethnic minorities have been consistently and significantly underrepresented. It took until 1987 for the first people of colour to be elected as MPs

Answer 20

Paying income tax and national insurance Obtaining welfare benefits Consenting to sexual relationships and getting married Becoming a company director Joining the armed forces These are often used as reasons why they should be able to vote especially since Scotland and Wales were gien the right to vote in local and assembly elections

Answer 21

The UN universal declaration of human rights issued in 1948 stated that everyone 'has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives'

Answer 22

It is a civic responsibility so removing it makes rehabilitation harder It is a fundamental right that cannot be removed There is no evidence that removing it acts as an effective deterrent Removing the vote makes a prisoner a non-person and further alienates them from society The European Court on Human Rights ruled against a blanket ban so the UK government has a commitment to abide by this ruling

Answer 23

Those who commit serious crimes against society should lose the right to have a say in how that society runs Losing the vote serves as a deterrent to law breaking Prisoners are concentrated in certain constituencies, they are not normally members of those communities so shouldn't choose the MP for that area Public opinion is against that change It undermines parliamentary sovereignty The european court of human rights ruling is a classic example of judicial overreach

Answer 24

Voting in elections Membership of a political party Standing as a candidate in elections Joining a pressure group Writing letters to MPs Going on marches Going on strikes

Answer 25

Signing e-petitions Retweeting and liking political posts on social media Organising and participating in protests via social media eg BLM Boycotting goods and businesses out of moral principle

Answer 26

It can be viewed as a renewal of political engagement which provokes lively debate and exchange of views Some argue clicking 'like' on a post is a minimalist form of engagement requiring little effort or personal commitment The term 'slacktivism' is often used to describe this shallower level of activism The abusive tone of much online political discourse and the advent of trolling undermines participation Twitter bots can be used to autonomously tweet, retweet, like, follow, unfollow, or message other accounts. This can distort support for a cause or politician

Answer 27

Voter turnout in elections Membership of political parties Increasing volatility among voters

Answer 28

Scandals like MP's expenses Drawn out potential Brexit Deals that dogged Westminster Parliament from 2017 to 2020

Answer 29

Generally, the older the voter, the more likely they are to vote. In 2019, polling from MORI found 47% of 18-24 year olds voted whilst it was up to 74% among the over 65s

Answer 30

The highest turnout in the UK in 2019 was in East Dunbartonshire with 80%. High turnout constituencies were usually in affluent areas with an above average level of education and a high proportion of graduates

Answer 31

Membership of political parties has fallen. The combined membership of Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats was just 1.7% of the electorate. Labour did have a surge in membership under Corbyn, in Labour they had around 485,000 members. However, in the 1950s Labour had well over a million

Answer 32

Voters are much more likely to switch political parties, suggesting a wider dissillusionment with political parties known as partisan dealignment

Answer 33

There is growing disenchantment with political parties, especially the two dominant parties. Social class is becoming less reliable as an indicator of voting behaviour, voters have begun to vote based on policies and personalities, not tribal loyalties

Answer 34

Could just show disillusionment with the main, more established parties. New parties have been gaining in popularity, UKIP and Brexit topped the polls in the last two European elections. A protest vote is still participation Some growth in political promiscuity is due to the decline of traditional notions of class Doesn't necessarily show a wider disengagement

Answer 35

Turnout in recent elections has been low Membership of political parties has declined Partisan dealignment suggests voters feel no affiliation to a particular party Dissilusionment with politicians has increased eg the 2009 MP's expenses scandal Political apathy is prevalent amongst young people Much modern political participation is simply 'slacktivism'

Answer 36

Some parties like the Green party have had a growth in membership Electoral turnout is not always low, and referendums often have good turnout There is a shift from traditional participation, often centers around social media eg e petitions Less structured campaign groups eg BLM can attract strong support and commitment, especially from young people Pressure group membership has grown, some have millions Internet based movements can be powerful eg the MeToo movement sparked debate

Democracy and participation Flashcards

(63 cards)