Democracy And Participation Flashcards
(21 cards)
Representative democracy
-In the UK, citizens elect MPs to the HOC
-HOL is unelected, but members also amend and approve laws
-Scottish parliament, Welsh Parliament and Northern Ireland Assembly also form part of this
Direct democracy
-Has been used more in recent decades
-Referendums best known form of direct democracy in the UK
—> has been 9 between 1997-2016
-Also use e-petitions, which allow citizens to express views on political and social issues
-Over 100,000 signatures = parliament debate
Recall of MPs Act 2015
-Constituents can recall MP if they are:
1) convicted of a crime/ given a prison sentence
2) Convicted of a false expenses claim
A by election is then done if 10% of eligible voters sign a petition
An example of this is Margaret Ferrier 2023
Defenders of the UK political system
-Argue system upholds the principles of a pluralist democracy
-Human Rights Act 1988 sets out fundamental rights that belong to all in the UK
-Parliament has passed many other laws to protect rights and minorities and vulnerable individuals
-Supreme court frequently defends minority rights in its rulings
Democracies can be based on:
1) Levels of participation
2) How all individuals and groups have opportunities for political influence
3) Levels of trust
4) How rights are protected
Critics of the UK political believe that it is becoming elitist
-Have been high profile examples of wealthy party donors achieving signicant political influence
-Influence of corporations and lobbyists seen as examples of elitism
-Privileged backgrounds of MPs can also been as evidence
-Appointment process for HOL has also been criticised for a lack of democracy, PM oversees most nominations, with no oprtunity for voters to express their views
EG. 29 peers were appointment to HOL during Liz Truss even though she had an extremely short term
Advantages of Representative democracy:
1) Political decisions are made by specialists who understand the complexity of issues they’re voting on, therefore they can be held accountable
2) Representatives have time to consider impact of legislation, whereas general public may not
3) Reps can take minority interests into account, whereas referendums reflect majority views
Disadvantages of RD:
-Relies on good performance of those in power
-Several scandals in Parliament 2019-2024 at least 20 MPs either suspended from HOC, suspended by party of chose to resign
- If turnout is low, their can be questions about mandate or representatives
—>Turnout 2001-19 between 59% and 69%
—> 2024 dipped below 60% for the first time since 2001
—> As of 2021, Welsh Parliament has never attracted above 47%
-Reps need to remain popular with electorate, so sometimes avoid reforms that are unpopular with influential voters groups eg Public Accounts Committee consistently called for long term funding for adult social care but neither party has been willing to introduce
Supporters of Direct Democracy
-Gives people most power
-Referendums give decision making power to people, which can lead to reforms that would be unlikely under RD
-Can help engage electorate, when participation is low in general elections
Critics of direct democracy
-Referendums over simplify complex issues, no consensus over terms of BREXIT, was more complex than just leave or remain
-Referendums can only be held accountable via Acts of Parliament, so unlikely to happen without PM support
-Outcomes of referendums only reflect majority choice
-E-petitions create illusion of democracy without meaningful influence
Should the UK hold more frequent referendums?
YES✅
✅ Referendums can help to legitimise constitutional changes
✅ Holding more UK referendums oils allow public to express their views on areas of policy that politicians might not want to tackle
✅ In other political systems, referendums are held on social issues like the legislation of drugs
NO❌
Referendums harm the UK political system
❌
Corporations- benefits ✅
✅Important stakeholders in the UKs economy
✅Government needs to work together with them to carry out many aspects of gov policy for example, transitions to renewable energy would be difficult to carry out without close relationships with BP and shell
✅Some sponsor policy initiatives, eg Barclays and Satander funded bike rental schemes in London
✅Can boost and stimulate economy growth eg Nissans £2 billion deal to build electric cars in Sunderland
Corporations- criticisms❌
❌Some argue corporations led to disproportionate influence, which can lead to improper behaviour
❌Randox health caught up in scandal when they paid Tory MP Owen Paterson £500,000 to lobby in their behalf which was controversial as Randox won £777million government contracts during COVID
❌House of Commons science and technology committee criticised for producing report which promoted e-cigarettes health benefits, without disclosing members links to vaping industry
Lobbyists
-Used by corporations to manage their relationships with politicians eg Hanbury strategy is influence lobbyists, with close links to Vote/Leave campaign. Also has represented Deliveroo corporation
-In 2020, Hanbury strategy used to hire special advisors in no10 which caused controversy as it gave a direct line to Boris Johnson
-Can also represent non-profit groups eg Solidarity Consulting lobbied on behalf of trade unions and charities, has close links with Labour MPs
Think tanks
-Persuade politicians to adopt agenda
-Some have close links to the two major political parties eg Chatham house specialises in foreign affairs and provides advice on issues of national security and foreign policy
Individual and collective rights
Individual rights- rights enjoyed by individuals eg free speech, right to a fair trial
Collective rights- rights enjoyed by society eg right to safety from criminals and public health threats
Major milestones in the rights in the UK
-Magna Carta 1215-no imposing taxes without consent from the nobles and right to fair and impartial trial
-Bill of Rights 1689-established principles of free elections and free speech within parliament
Some believe that rights in the UK are well protected
-UK’s constitution is more flexible than the constitutions of other countries, can be updated more easily for example meant that same-sex marriage could be introduced through an act of parliament, whereas it needed a referendum in the Republic of Ireland
-Media campaigns frequently expose rights abused by public bodies and criminal networks
-Court rulings protect the rights of the vulnerable in society
Some argue that individual rights have priority over collective rights
-In 2017, Supreme Court ruled that Mays policy of ‘deport first, appeal later’ for dealing with foreign nationals convicted of crimes was unlawful
-In 2023, Supreme Court also ruled that Sunaks Rwanda policy was unlawful as it is an unsafe destination
Other right related tensions
1) Public Order Act 2023 aimed to protect CR by reducing pressure groups abilities to cause disruption, but instead eroded the right of freedom of assembly
