democracy and participation Flashcards
(298 cards)
1
Q
forms of democracy: what is liberal democracy?
A
the right to vote is widespread and representatives act in the interests of everyone in society
2
Q
forms of democracy: what is majoritarian democracy?
A
the will or desires of the majority of the population are the prime considerations of government
3
Q
forms of democracy: what is parliamentary democracy?
A
parliament stands as the highest form of authority. the executive branch will be drawn from and accountable to the peoples representatives in parliament
4
Q
forms of democracy: what is presidential democracy?
A
the executive will be elected separately from the legislative body and is therefore chosen by and directly accountable to the people
5
Q
forms of democracy: what is direct democracy?
A
the citizens are directly involved in the decision making process
6
Q
what is representative democracy?
A
the people transfer the power to make decisions to an elected representative
7
Q
what is a pluralist democracy?
A
a system of government where there is competition between different groups who represent popular concerns to the government of the day
8
Q
functions of democracy: what is representation?
A
must be means of the people to be able to put forward their views to the government of the day
9
Q
functions of democracy: what is accountability?
A
must be a process by which the government of the day can be made responsible for its actions
10
Q
functions of democracy: what is participation?
A
must be a way for people to be engaged and participate in the political process
11
Q
functions of democracy: what is power dispersal?
A
should be a system that ensures a spread of power across different political bodies to avoid one becoming overly dominant
12
Q
functions of democracy: what is legitimacy?
A
the process for the selection of the different branches of government should have legal authority and fairly represent the will of the people
13
Q
functions of democracy: what is education?
A
political process should be open to all and there should be an educates and informed citizenry who are able to understand the issues and make informed decisions
14
Q
where is direct democracy frequently used?
A
Switzerland
15
Q
what is the most common form of direct democracy?
A
referendums- called by representatives of those in charge
16
Q
what are initiatives, commonly used in the US?
A
proposed and called by a percentage of the population- the public has more direct control over the issues being considered
17
Q
what other forms of direct democracy are used in the UK?
A
juries and petitions
18
Q
arguments in favour of direct democracy: how is it a pure form of democracy?
A
everyone has a say on an issue rather than having their views expressed by representatives
19
Q
arguments in favour of direct democracy: how is there increased legitimacy?
A
decisions have greater democratic legitimacy because they have the support of the majority of people
20
Q
arguments in favour of direct democracy: how does it improve participation?
A
greater when people have more opportunities to be involved in issues that directly affect them
21
Q
arguments in favour of direct democracy: how does it increase public engagement?
A
regular public debates and discussion of issues help to improve public engagement in the running of the country
22
Q
arguments in favour of direct democracy: how does it improve political education?
A
people need to be informed to make decisions
23
Q
arguments in favour of direct democracy: how has it been proven to work?
A
it is used regularly in Switzerland
24
Q
arguments against direct democracy: how is it not practical?
A
in a modern state the number of issues, plus the size of the population, means a system of direct democracy would be unresponsive and impractical
25
arguments against direct democracy: what is tyranny of the majority?
minority groups and interests may have their needs and concerns overlooked when decisions are based on a majority vote
26
arguments against direct democracy: how does it undermine elected representatives?
undermines their role and allows them to pass the responsibility for difficult decisions to the public.
27
arguments against direct democracy: how is there low turnouts?
only a small group of people make decisions which affect everyone. this undermines the legitimacy of the decisions being made
28
arguments against direct democracy: what is emotional responses?
people can tend to vote on the basis of emotion rather than the practical considerations of major issues
29
arguments against direct democracy: what are populist outcomes?
people tend to vote on popular short-term measures that will benefit them, rather than consider what will be national interest and good for everyone
30
positive aspects of democracy in the UK: what are free and fair elections?
UK has a wide variety of elections, allowing citizens to choose representatives for a range of local and national bodies
31
how are elections free from government manipulation ?
they are conducted by the Electoral Commission, which is independent of any particular party
32
what measures are in place by the Electoral Commission to make elections fair?
laws in place about campaigning in and around ballot stations, campaign spending limits, ban on campaigning during purdah and restricting on amount of broadcast campaigning
33
when and who created the Electoral Commission?
2000 by the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act
34
positive aspects of democracy in the UK: how is turnout improving?
after hitting an all time low in 2001 (59%), turnout has increased to 62% in 2005, 65% in 2010, 66% in 2015 and 69% in 2017
35
what are examples of referendum that have had high turnout?
Scottish Independence referendum was 84.6% and the EU referendum 72%
36
positive aspects of democracy in the UK: what is universal suffrage?
everyone over the age of 18 who is not a prisoner, mentally incapable or a peer has the right to vote on a basis of one person one vote
37
positive aspects of democracy in the UK: how is the party system good?
currently there are 10 parties represented in the House of Commons. The wide variety provides a wide range of options for voters
38
positive aspects of democracy in the UK: how are pressure groups good for democracy?
pressure groups provide an alternative avenue of representation on small or minority issues- they provide a mouthpiece for minority group-they are legally equal to compete with each other
39
positive aspects of democracy in the UK: how is parliamentary sovereignty good for democracy?
government is drawn from members of parliament and is accountable to parliament-the government must get consent from the House of Commons gaining it indirectly from the people
40
positive aspects of democracy in the UK: how is devolution good for democracy?
allowed constituent parts of the UK to make decisions on a local basis- representatives are closer to the community and provide better quality representation
41
negative aspects of democracy in the UK: how are the unelected elements negative for democracy?
unelected hereditary monarch and an unelected the concept of representative democracy in the UK
42
what are the only way peers can be removed?
by death, or following the House of Lords Reform Act 2014, resigning or being expelled for failing to attend an entire annual parliamentary session or committing a serious crime
43
how are the powers of the monarch and the Lords only theoretically limited?
the Salisbury doctrine can be ignored by the Lords if they choose to do so
44
how is the House of Lords suspected of cronyism?
after reform 92 hereditary peers still remain making the House seem even more undemocratic
45
Case study money or welfare: in October 2015 what did the House of Lords reject?
a series of proposed cuts to the tax credit system by 289 to 272 votes which had been narrowly passed through the Commons
46
how did them rejecting the cuts raise questions over the democratic legitimacy of the Lords?
its not allowed to reject and claimed it was a welfare bill and aw it as delegated legislation giving them the power to veto it
47
how was the nature of the peers voting raising question?
the 289 peers who rejected the cuts were mainly Labour or Lib Dem and Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber who is conservative and resides in the US flew home to vote, despite it not affecting him
48
negative aspects of democracy in the UK: how is turnout decreasing?
turnout is often low with recent general election below historic average of 75%- claims of a participation crisis.
49
what are some examples of really low turnouts in 2016?
local council- 34.33% and Police and Crime Commissioner- 27.31%
50
negative aspects of democracy in the UK: what is the problem with the West Lothian Question and EVEL?
Devolved institutions can vote on issues that do not affect their constituents eg tuition fees in England and Wales were only passed in 2004 due to Scottish votes
51
what has happened in order to try and address this issue?
EVEL have been limited and run the risk of creating two tiers of MP's which would undermine the parliamentary chamber
52
negative aspects of democracy in the UK: how does the FPTP system create wasted votes?
any vote casted in a constituency towards a candidate who does not win play no role in the selection of representatives
53
negative aspects of democracy in the UK: How does the FPTP system create safe seats?
some constituencies elect the same candidate every election and the level of support required to win the constituency is too high e.g. Blythe Valley
54
negative aspects of democracy in the UK: how does the FPTP system create Unrepresentation?
differences in concentration of support across the UK mean that the result of elections does not reflect the way the public voted eg 2015 SNP 56 seats and 2% of vote
55
negative aspects of democracy in the UK: how does the FPTP system create Winner's bonus?
system exaggerates support received by most popular party, the party receives more seats than in proportionality to votes, boosting majority in parliament
56
negative aspects of democracy in the UK: how does the FPTP system discriminate against parties with widespread support?
parties that have support which isn't concentrated in a geographic area find it difficult to gain seats such as the Green party and Lib Dems
57
negative aspects of democracy in the UK: how does the FPTP system affect minority constituents?
in these constituencies, an MP wins the most votes but does not gain more than 50% of the total vote, meaning majority didn't vote for their representative
58
negative aspects of democracy in the UK: how does the FPTP system affect the two party system?
it favours parties with a lot of support spread evenly across the country and generally results in one of the main parties gaining government and the other opposition
59
negative aspects of democracy in the UK: what is lack of meaningful choice?
with only two parties gaining chance of power, many people just vote for them even in devolved areas- SNP competing with Labour and Conservatives with N. Ireland
60
negative aspects of democracy in the UK: what is the weakness of the electoral Commission?
its reactive rather than proactive and passes sanctions after an event, meaning its message has already had impact alongside loopholes with spending and social media
61
negative aspects of democracy in the UK: how is there a lack of entrenched rights?
without a codified constitution, key rights can be overturned by government without effective redress through the judicial system
62
examples: how is freedom of speech undermined?
creation of 'safe spaces' in universities has been criticised for restricting forums for debate and discussion
63
examples: how is freedom of protest undermined?
additional measures have been taken t restrict protests outside of parliament
64
examples: how is the right to vote undermined?
some people still cant vote eg prisoners
65
who has franchise?
everyone over the age of 18 who isn't a criminal, mentally incapable or a peer- 71.5 % of the population approx
66
what was franchise like 200 years ago?
2.7 % of the population had franchise
67
what is the essential argument over franchise?
those who pay tax should have a say in how it is spent, hence the rallying cry of the colonies in the American War of Independence "no taxation without representation"
68
what was the Great Reform Act 1832?
after the Industrial Revolution the middle class grew rapidly and the largest economic group weren't represented as franchise was based on land ownership- extended vote to extra 300,000 people
69
how was the extension to the model class still a modest change?
only 5.6% of the population had the vote (about 20% of adult men)
70
what was the Representation of the People Act 1918 and women's right to vote?
the vote was extended to all women over 30 and men over 21
71
how had the role of women changed by 1918?
women had contributed to the war effort, women had provided invaluable work in the war, women proved to be capable of maintaining a safe country, suffragettes had stopped during the war and David Lloyd George became PM who was more supportive of women's rights
72
how did women's rights change by 1900?
more women were paying taxes due to new job roles eg typists and doctors and changes to marriage laws meant women could gain property independence
73
after 1918 and the disbanding of the NUWSS and WSPU what became the new social group for change?
National Union of Societies for Equal Citizenship with leader Eleanor Rathbone replacing Millicent Fawcett
74
what were NUSEC's 6 key aims?
equal pay, equality in sexual conduct and morals, benefits for widows and children, equality in franchise, equal recognition as mothers as guardian and equal access to legal profession
75
when did NUSEC achieve equality in the franchise?
Stanley Baldwin's Conservative government in 1928 extending franchise to all citizens over 21
76
how did the Representation of the People act 1969 come about?
since WW2 status of 18-20 year olds changed with ore gaining employment, higher education and financial independence- some even tried to marry and rent housing but weren't viewed as adults in the eyes of law
77
what was set up in 1965 to reflect on whether voting age should be extended to 18 year old's?
a committee by Justice John Latey- focus was to review issues with marriage, wardship, contracts and property
78
why did the committee report to change voting age to 18 in 1967?
18 year olds were more financially astute, more physically developed, radio and TV meant they were better informed and age of 21 no longer served a service
79
what was the journey to the Representation of the People Act 1969?
the marriage act 1949 lowered marriage age to 18 and then the representation of the people act in 689 which lowered voting age to all people over 18
80
when was the first petition to give women the vote presented to parliament ?
1866
81
after its failure, failure what was the first movement ?
Manchester Society for Women's Suffrage
82
what happened to all these movements in 1897?
unified by Millicent Fawcett under National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) or 'suffragists'
83
what was the NUWSS like?
internally democratic, members were mostly middle class and some men did join - usually campaigned for other issues such as marriage rights and employment
84
what methods did the suffragists use?
writing letters, pamphlets, educational letters, organising petitions, peaceful marching/ protest
85
by 1914 how many members and branches did the NUWSS have?
more than 100,000 members in 400 branches across the country
86
who and when founded the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU)?
founded by Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughters Christabel and Sylvia in 1903
87
where was the WSPU based and what was membership like?
initially based in Manchester and drew support from working-class women , though it started to recruit more middle and upper class women when it moved to London in 1906
88
what were the aims of the WSPU?
secure equal voting rights for women, female only membership, deeds not words and only focus on issue of political inequality and nothing else
89
what methods did the Suffragettes use?
disrupting party meetings, chaining to public railings, smashing windows, attacking police officers, blow up buildings, burning buildings, hunger strike blow up letter boxes
90
why was 18th November 1910 known as Black Friday?
the WSPU protest resulted in a fight with police that saw many women assaulted, both physically and sexually by the police- police said they brought it upon themselves
91
why did the government announce the cat and mouse act in 1913?
women were dying of starvation on hunger strike so when women were on the brink of death they would be temporarily released from prison to gain strength
92
how was it costly the suffragettes causing a raise in profile?
the NUWSS became alarmed that the violent actions of the suffragettes were causing hostility from the government towards the cause
93
what happened by 1914?
public opinion was against them so it was easy for government to ignore them however when war broke out they promised to end violent methods and helped the government organise female workers
94
what do prisoners lose by removing their franchise?
part of their citizensip
95
what campaign has been able to extend the vote to at least some prisoners?
John Hirst
96
what did John Hirst do?
he went to the European Court of Human Rights which declared that the blanket ban on all prisoners was a violation of their human rights
97
what other pressure groups have campaigned for such change?
Howard League for Penal Reform, Prison Reform Trust and Amnesty International
98
what have such groups done to help campaign to give atleast some prisoners the vote?
supported more than 2000 legal challenges, produced article, set up petitions and used their insider status to lobby politicians
99
what is the goal of the campaign?
to extend franchise to prisoners serving less than 1 year, in order to comply with the ECtHR ruling and ensure the full rights of prisoners are recognised
100
what happened to John Hirst?
in 1979 he beat his landlady to death and in 1980 was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 15 years in prison
101
how many years did Hirst spend in prison and why?
24 years with additional sentences for violent protesting and rioting against life conditions in prison
102
what happened with his campaign that he began in the 1990's?
high court dismissed it in 2001 but Hirst launched a new appeal under the Human Rights Act which was successfully upheld by the European Court of Human Rights in 2005
103
what is votes at 16 and what do they believe?
a coalition of different groups that believe 16 and 17 year olds should be granted the right to vote on the basis of engage, empower, inspire
104
what is engage?
votes at 16 will engage 16 and 17 year olds, who have a lot of responsibilities in our society, to influence key decisions that affect their lives and ensure youth issues are represented
105
what is empower?
votes at 16 will empower 16 and 17 year olds, through a democratic right, to influence decisions that will define their future
106
what is inspire?
inspire young people to get involved in the democracy
107
what are some examples of things 16 year olds can do legally?
pay income tax and national insurance, get married or enter civil partnership and join the armed forces
108
where are examples of places where 16 year olds have the right to vote?
Isle of man, Austria, Brazil, Ecuador, Scotland (for the Scottish Independence referendum 2014)
109
votes at 16 is an umbrella group that involves what other 5 groups?
British youth council, Children's rights alliance for England, National Union of Students, Public Achievement and Scottish Youth Parliament
110
What happened in 1999 to encourage franchise for 16 to 17 year olds?
Simon Hughes MP proposed an amendment to give 16 and 17 year olds the right to vote: it is defeated by 434 to 36
111
What 2000?
The young people’s rights network is established
112
What happened in 2001?
Representatives of the young people’s rights network meet with the electoral reform society to discuss jointly campaigning for votes at 16. The Lib Dem’s publicly support the campaign
113
What happened in 2005?
Stephen Williams MP introduces a private members bill- representation of the people bill. Supported by 128 and -136 against it
114
what happened in 2015?
votes at 16 private members bill, proposed by Vicky Foxcroft MP, has its second reading in the House of Commons
115
what happened in 2017?
Liberal Democrats manifesto contained a commitment to lowering voting age to 16
116
what resources are on the votes at 16 website to encourage people to join the campaign?
the opportunity to adopt a lord, opportunity to email MP, suggestions of how to spread awareness of campaign, passing a model motion, resources for schools, engaging community groups, planning a campaign and advice on lobbying representatives
117
what has been the impact of the votes at 16 campaign?
it has gained strength with 16 local councils, Scottish Parliament and Welsh and N. Irish support votes at 16 with a number of MP's voting for it rising in Parliament
118
what are some traditional methods of participation?
voting, joining a party, joining a pressure group, organising or signing petition, march, strike and standing for public office
119
what are modern developments in participation?
e-petitions, blogging, protesting on social media and organising a demonstration on social media
120
what is slacktivism or clicktivism?
people think clicking 'like' on social media is a form of participation however the level of engagement is superficial
121
participation crisis: what has happened to general election turnout?
from 1945-92 it was usually above 75% (84% in 1950), however it has declined since then 2001- 59%, 2005- 61%, 2010-65%, 2015-66% and 2017- 69%
122
participation crisis: what did Tony Blair winning the 1997 general election with a turnout of 71% mean compared to other governments?
the 'landslide' Labour win by 179 seats was achieved with half a million less fewer votes than John Major's narrow 22-seat win in 1992
123
participation crisis: how bad has participation been in other elections/ referendums? (4 examples)
Scottish parliament election- 50%, European Union election- 34% PCC elections 2012- average 12-14% and AV referendum in 2011- 42%
124
participation crisis:how is legitimacy questioned due to low turnout?
Labour Party won a landslide majority in 2001 with only 26% of all registered voters- 74% of voters didn't bestow a mandate on the government that launched invasion on Iraq
125
participation crisis: what two things can low turnout result in which are dangerous?
small extremist parties can gain a larder voter share and raise their profile alongside a lack of accountability as politicians don't need to fear an electorate who isn't interested in holding them to account
126
participation crisis: what was part membership like from the 1950's to now?
in the 1950's labour had more than 1 million members while the Conservatives had 2.8 million. as recently as 1983, 3.8% of the UK population was members of a political party
127
participation crisis: what has happened to party membership since the 1980's?
1% of the population are currently members of a political party `
128
participation crisis: what has Labour's party membership been growing since?
2015 which is thought to be due to the introduction of cheap membership fees and the buzz created by Jeremy Corbyn's leadership big (517,000 in 2017 compared to conservatives 149,800)
129
participation crisis: how did Margaret Thatcher end corporatism ?
Thatcher disrupted group activity and tended to favour individual and free policies- she weakened power of trade unions and reduced role of key economic groups (CBI)
130
participation crisis: what was the effect of ending corporatism?
there was a decline in power of group activity, most in trade union activity which declined participation, as well as union membership
131
participation crisis: how has turnout been increasing?
since 2001, general election turnout has increased suggesting engagement and participation is increasing. also Scottish Independence referendum and EU show if people care they will vote
132
participation crisis: how does more parties suggest higher participation?
the UK had 11 parties represented in the last parliament and still 8 since the 2017 general election with greater manifestos to choose from
133
participation crisis: what incentives have been introduced to encourage more party membership?
Labour's £3 membership fee have encouraged more people to join
134
participation crisis: what has happened to pressure group membership since the 1980's?
they have increased with the largest pressure groups in membership of the millions. with thousands of groups it shows the nature of participation has changed not declined
135
participation crisis: how have social campaigns proved there is not a participation crisis?
the internet makes it easier to get involved in campaigns and petitions eg 'Justice for 96' campaign used online participation to address the Hillsborough disaster
136
what are sectional pressure groups?
they look after their own section of society (eg BMA or a trade union such as National Union of Rail, RMT) with members having similar occupation and shared interests
137
what are sectional groups membership like and how do they act?
they are often closed membership acting in the best interest of their members
138
what are cause pressure groups?
groups that campaign for a cause that doesn't necessarily affect its members- they campaign on behalf of others
139
what is the aim and membership of cause pressure groups?
membership includes those from a wide variety of backgrounds with open membership- they aim to improve society eg RSPCA
140
what is the difference between insider and outsider?
insider groups have special relationship with the government and outsider groups don't have close links and resort to activities that gain attention from press to publicise their cause
141
why do people join pressure groups for representation?
people can join pressure groups if they feel they aren't represented in the main political parties eg ,minority interests such as gay rights
142
why do people join pressure groups for personal belief?
pressure groups may reflect someone's personal beliefs
143
why do people join pressure groups for material beliefs?
People often join pressure groups to get something out of it eg joining AA to get breakdown cover. While this boosts membership a lot of members aren't passionate for the cause
144
why do people join pressure groups for participation?
some people join pressure groups to get involved in political issues eg public demonstration
145
why do people join pressure groups as a need?
some people join because they feel they have to, either for job protection (joining a trade union) or because they see it as the only way to achieve a desired goal
146
how does insider status make a pressure group successful?
in 2014, the Howard League for Penal Reform successfully campaigned to end the ban on prisoners receiving books sent to them by family or friends
147
how does wealth make a pressure group successful?
in 2012, the British Bankers' Association paid lobbyists to persuade ministers to cut corporation tax and taxes on banks overseas subsidiaries
148
how does large membership make a pressure group successful?
in 2015, the RSPB utilised over 50,000 members for its Big Garden Birdwatch
149
how does organisation make a pressure group successful?
in 2012, the RMT union organised a series of strikes to secure a bonus for members during the Olympics
150
how does expertise make a pressure group successful?
in 2016, the AA provided evidence and statistics to persuade the government to increase the penalties for using a mobile phone while driving
151
how does celebrity endorsement make pressure groups successful?
in 2009, Joanna Lumley and the Gurkha Justice Campaign secured equal rights for British and Commonwealth soldiers
152
what happened in the Gurkha Justice Campaign?
Gurkhas are Nepalese soldiers who serve in the British army. Until 1997, they were based in Hong Kong then relocated in the UK. in 2004, Labour government said they were aloud to settle in Britain
153
how did Joanna Lumley joining the campaign in 2008 benefit the success of it?
the Gurkha Justice Campaign spent 4 years trying to persuade the Blair and Brown governments to give equal rights to all Gurkhas. In may 2009, Gordon Brown announced all Gurkhas would be given equal settlement rights
154
what 4 factors are reasons for failures of pressure groups?
Chequebook membership- joining for benefits, Slacktivism, Small Membership and outsider status
155
how does the goal contradicting a government policy cause pressure group failure?
Conservative government of 2015 was determined to introduce new policies for a 7 day NHS, therefore the BMA campaign against proposals has largely failed
156
how can the government being able to resist pressure groups cause pressure group failure?
the Stop the War Coalition organised mass rallies and activities to stop the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Large majority of Blairs government meant they could resist
157
how can countervailing forces from other pressure groups cause a failure?
the pro- smoking group Forrest has failed to prevent restrictions on smoking in the UK, largely because it has lost out to the group ASH
158
how are the goals of the group act acting against popular opinion cause pressure group failure?
Groups such as the Coalition for Marriage failed in their campaign against the legal recognition of gay marriage because most public opinion has been in favour -2014, legalisation of gay marriage
159
how does the group alienating the public cause pressure group failure?
Violent groups such as ALF and PETA fail to achieve their goals because the public are opposed to their methods
160
What is the RMT Union?
National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport workers founded in 1990 following merger between National Union of Railwaymen and National Union of Seamen
161
What are the aims of the RMT Union?
Promote and defend the rights and conditions of all members employed in the transport industry
162
How did the RMT Union use insider status?
Until 2004, the Union was part of the Labour Party but since the Conservative government it’s insider status has been reduced
163
How have the RMT Union put up candidates for election?
In 2009, union put up anti-EU candidates for election to EU parliament and went to create its own left wing party
164
What was the left wing party the RMT Union created?
The Trade Union Socialist Coalition,which contested the U.K. general elections in 2010 and 2015
165
How have the RMT Union lobbied politicians?
Union lobbies key politicians and consults them to secure a transport policy that works for its members
166
How did the RMT Union use strikes?
The union routinely uses strikes or threatens of strikes to pressure Transport for London into adopting its policies
167
How does the RMT Union use social media?
The union uses social media to raise awareness of its campaigns and to gain public support and sympathy
168
What is the success story of the RMT Union?
Throughout 2011 and 2012 they lobbied Transport for London, London Underground and the Mayor of London over their concerts about additional workload during 2012 olympics
169
What was the outcome of lobbying for e Olympics ?
In January 2012, London Underground offered staff £500 bonus but it was rejected, then in March and £850 bonus which was also rejected
170
What was the bonus that was eventually agreed by the RMT Union?
May 2012- £1000 for London Underground and all other £850, RMT general secretary Bob Crow said he would accept
171
What are the four key reasons for success for the RMT union?
Importance of Olympics and international spotlight on London, unions membership could effectively close the tube, threat of strike and Bon Crow raised media profile
172
How was the RMT Union a failure?
Throughout 2015 and 2016, London Underground began to close ticket offices across the Tube network raising questions of job security and safety
173
What did the RMT Union do as a result of how many closures ?
They punched 48 hour strikes as well as taking case to high court - by June 2016 there was 289 ticket office closures
174
What were the four reasons for failure in the ticket office closing event?
Strikes failed to gain support, lack of public sympathy over issue, Transport of London, Mayor and Gov supported closures and court case was rejected
175
What is Greenpeace?
Non governmental organisation that operates on international scale- founded in Canada in 1971 and now has 2.9 million members worldwide
176
What is the aim of Greenpeace?
‘To ensure the ability of the Earth to nurture life in all its diversity’, thus making it a casual group
177
What are the 6 specific campaigns that Greenpeace centre around?
Climate change, forests, oceans, agriculture, toxic pollution, nuclear
178
What methods did Greenpeace use?
Greenpeace relied on direct action campaigns to raise awareness. Over time it has moved from them wetsuit to the business suit’ as its increasing use of insider methods
179
What’s an example of insider status used as a method by Greenpeace?
Group holds consultative status at the UN and it’s views are sought on environmental issues
180
What campaign has been a success for Greenpeace?
In 2011, a campaign to stop the practice of tuna fishing using aggregating devices and purse-Seine nets which catch and kill other fish- ends up in canned tuna
181
What did a combination of indirect and direct action result in?
All the U.K. supermarkets announcing they would provide clearer labelling on their tuna products and stop purchasing tuna caught in unsustainable methods by 2014
182
How has Greenpeace also been a failure?
In 2011-12 they failed to prevent Cairn energy, an oil and gas exploration company from exploring gas reserves in Greenland
183
What was the failure of preventing drilling gas in Greenland due to ?
Insults alienated local population, previous campaigns also alienated locals, financial and political considerations of Greenland and lack of support from Greenpeace from UN to do anything more than protest
184
What are think tanks?
A group formed with the specific purpose of formulation and developing policy ideas
185
What have think tanks taken the role from?
Party’s, offering an alternative that is based on focused and academic research rather than partisan ideals - grew under Tony Blair as he sought to develop third way policy ideas
186
How are some think tanks single issue groups?
Adam Smith institute which focuses on free market issues
187
How might think tanks focus on general issues?
Such as Reform, which develops proposals to better deliver public services and economic prosperity
188
How are think tanks funded?
Privately funded by a group or individual that wishes to have workable ideas made into government policy
189
How are think tanks like pressure groups ?
They attempt to persuade the government to adopt their policy goals
190
How do think tanks differ from pressure groups?
Their methods rely on working with the government of the day aligning themselves with a particular part rather than on a populist campaign
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Where did lobbying originate from?
In the 1870’s US President Ulysses Grant would visit his favourite hotel for a drink where people would begin petitioning him for jobs or favours- he called them lobbyists
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What is lobbying?
Meeting with key political figures and trying to persuade them to support your aims
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Today there is professional lobbying firms, what do they do?
Employ people who have contacts with, and access to, key political figures to gain access
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What does access gain?
Might not the desired outcome but a face to face meeting adds personal element -argues elitism
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How do governments and corporations work together?
Governments consult corporations on certain policy ideas to check they are practical and less able to help implement key proposals
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How do corporations exert pressure on those in charge to gain advantage?
Lobbying themselves or employing lobbyists or exerting influence and pressure through control of economy
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How might businesses such as Nissan and Ford exert pressure on the government?
They might propose relocation which would increase unemployment and loss of economic strength
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How might the banking sector pressure the government?
Threaten relocation which would weaken economy and loss of employment but also support from industries ghat sell services to those employees
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What corporations were leave and remain?
Leave =dyson and remain= HSBC and Ford
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Humans rights are absolute meaning what?
They can’t be compromised or finished in any way
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Human rights are universal meaning what?
They are applied to everyone equally, regardless of any other considerations, such as race or gender
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Human rights are fundamental meaning what ?
Meaning they are an essential part of life and cannot be removed for any reason
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What did think tank Westminster Social Policy Forum meet to discuss in June 2016?
‘How transgender equality issues are dealt with by Whitehall departments and agencies , how they are treated by schools, the NHS, and the criminal justice system
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What acts were considered to be rewritten for the sake of trans people?
Gender Recognition act , The equality act 2010 and marriage act (same sex couples)
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Before the human rights act how were acts passed ?
In a negative way meaning a person had a right to do anything as long as it was not expressing lay forbidden in the law
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What did the Human Rights act give regarding positive rights?
A more codification, replacing the common law with statute giving citizens much greater legal protection and securing more democratic freedoms
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What happened in 1215?
Magna carter - restrictions on monarchy to stop abuse of power
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What happened in 1689?
Bill of rights - limited monarchy and set out rights of parliament
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What happened in 1953?
European convention on human rights - government actions had to comply with ECHR but could only be challenged in European Court on Human rights not U.K. courts
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What happened in 1973?
The U.K. joined EEC which meant that the European Court of Justice had the power to protect workers rights in the U.K.
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What happened in 1984?
Data protection act- established protection surrounding personal information held by public institutions l. Was updated in 1988 and 1998
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What happened in 1998?
Human rights act- codified ECHR into statute U.K. law
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What was in 2000?
Freedom of information act- ensured political transparency by allowing citizens to access any non security information held by public institutions
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What happened in 2010?
Equality act- consolidated and codified all anti-discriminatory measures into one document
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How was someone defended by the human rights act in 2004?
Prevented a gay partner from inheriting a council flat was struck down as discrimination
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What happened in 2011 that defended someone’s rights?
A special court ruled that local councils can let force a vulnerable adult to live in a care home as it undermines their right to a family life
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How was someone’s rights protected in 2012 under the Human Rights act?
Home Secretaries were prevented from deporting Abu Qatada, a Jordanian national who was accused of having links to terror its organisations, on the basis that the evidence against him was obtained through torture
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What are civic responsibilities?
Duties which a citizens is expected to perform or abide by in return for the rights and liberties that have being granted
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What’s re the 7 civic responsibilities?
Respect and obey law, pay taxes, don’t cause harm to others deliberately or negligently, perform certain duties in relationships such as parents, show respect for parliament and gov institution, vote and serve in a jury
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What did political figures such as John Stuart Mill consider civic responsibilities to be in the 19th century?
An integral part of civil rights and liberties which was further established in the European Convention on Human Rights
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What are three arguments in favour of individual rights?
Ensures protection from government abuse, leads to civil responsibilities and necessary for a free society
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What are the four areas have been growing number of conflicts between government and judiciary regarding rights?
Introduction of HRA has given judges more power to challenge gov ministers, made it easier for ordinary people to challenge gov, increased threat of terrorism has caused gov to take action on basis of national security and perception that ministers are attempting to expand their powers at expense of civil rights and liberties
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What five key areas have seen conflict between the judiciary and the government over rights protection?
Anti-terrorism, deportation, detention, free speech and the rights to protest and anti-social behaviour
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What are strengths of judiciary being best placed to defend rights?
Judges use power of judicial review , dosent have political pressure due to being a separate branch and judges are neutral and can make decisions without discrimination
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What are the weaknesses of judges being the best to defend rights l?
Judges are in democratic and accountable, judges have had a role in creating legislation and are less likely to approach issues on human rights with neutrality, judiciary can’t strike down primary leg and unrepresentative on society with narrow social and gender background
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What are strengths of Parliament being placed to defend the rights of citizens?
Parliament holds sovereignty , more representative of people and society, introduced and passed all HRA, democratically elected
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What are the weaknesses of Parliament being the best to defend rights of citizens?
Short term political considerations may be more important ha defending rights, has ability to suspend HRA, role of H of L undermines democratic arguments of parliament and reluctant to champion cause of human rights
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What 5 pressure groups defend rights?
Liberty, amnesty international, centre of housing rights and evictions, equality now and witness
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What has liberty campaigned to do?
‘Save our human rights act’ in opposition to the governments proposals for a British Bill of Rights and previously campaigned against the introduction of the investigatory powers act
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What have Stonewall campaigned against?
Campaigned hard to end discrimination against homosexuals fighting legal battles, providing education and organised campaigns and demonstrations to make age of consent for homosexuals same as heterosexuals
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Aims to improve democracy in the U.K.: what could compulsory voting be introduced to do?
Increase public participation
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Aims to improve democracy in the U.K.: what would compulsory voting provide?
It would fine those who do not favour perhaps £20-£50 which would encourage more people to vote in elections and referendums
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Aims to improve democracy in the U.K.: what would be added to the ballot paper to encourage people to vote ?
Adding a ‘bone of the above’ option
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Aims to improve democracy in the U.K.? Where has the compulsory voting system proved to have worked?
In Australia and Belgium where turnout rates are typically between 93 and 96% , increasing participation and legitimacy
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Aims to improve democracy in the U.K.: what would be the positive aspects of compulsory voting be?
People might take greater interest In political issues and might be more inclined to join a political group or party, leading to improved education and participation. The fines fines could b spent on public education programmes
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Aims to improve democracy in the U.K. what would be the negative impacts of conpulsory voting ?
There’s a belief that the right to vote includes the right not to vote and any attempt to force people into voting would undermine fundamental British value
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Aims to improve democracy in the U.K. what is a reason for calling for reform of the voting system ?
In the 2015 general election, the Conservatives won a majority of MP’s with 36% of the vote. UKIP Gaines one seat with nearly 4 million votes and SNP 53 with fewer than 1.5 million votes
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Aims to improve democracy in the U.K.? What would reform of the voting system do?
Changing it to a proportional one such as single transferable vote or closed part list, would distribute votes more fairly, end the problem of safe seats and reduce wasted votes
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Aims to improve democracy in the U.K.? What is the downside of reform for he voting system?
Alternative systems can be confusing and far more complicated than FPTP system, proportional systems can lead to extremist parties gaining seats and weakens links between representative and their constituency
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Aims to improve democracy in the U.K. what are some proposals in reform of the House of Lords?
Removing the remaining hereditary peers and a proposal for a partially or fully elected House of Lords
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Aims to improve democracy in the U.K. what would reform for the House of Lords do to British democracy m?
Improve legitimacy
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Aims to improve democracy in the U.K. what is the problem with these changes to the House of Lords?
The House of Lords would mirror the commons , while a more powerful second chamber could lead to gridlock politics with nothing being decided or passed
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Aims to improve democracy in the U.K: what would an elected House of Lords see a reduction in?
The number of experts and an increase in professional politicians, losing a source of advice and expertise that currently informs legislation
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Aims to improve democracy in the U.K.? What system of recalling Mp’s was introduced just before the 2015 general election?
It remains quite limited- a more rigorous method of recall would make MP’s more responsive to the demands of their constituents for fear of being recalled or removed
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Aims to improve democracy in the U.K.? What might the prospect of greater recall of Mp’s defeat the object of?
Hindering MP’s in other aspects of their role. It would also undermine ‘Burkean representation’ and the idea MP’s should use their judgement and not just follow wishes of constituents
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Aims to improve democracy in the U.K.? What reforms would be made to the House of Commons?
Reforms to make PMQ time less adversarial, to make all members of select committees elected by the whole house, bestow more power to the speaker and introduce modern tech for online questioning
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Aims to improve democracy in the U.K. why would reform of the House of Commons be hard?
Many of the traditional elements of the Commons are popular and do not face serious or broad calls for reform
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Aims to improve democracy in the U.K. why would reforming the devolved system be necessary?
The West Lothian question underlined the most pressing need for reform of the House of Commons because representatives from Scotland are able to vote on issues that do not affect their constituents eg tuition fees
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Aims to improve democracy in the U.K. how did the Conservative government 2015 try to reform the system?
Introducing ‘English votes for English laws’- now an extra stage in the legislative process where only MP’s representing English constituencies can vote on an issue which affects only England
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Aims to improve democracy in the U.K.? What is the issue with EVEL?
The whole chamber still votes on the final stages of the bill and which parts of the U.K. are affected by a Nikki anodyne not clear cut
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Aims to improve democracy in the U.K.? What would be a reform to the devolved system in England itself?
Through an English assembly or parliament to mirror the power of those in Scotland wales and Northern Ireland
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Aims to improve democracy in the U.K.? What would happen if an English assembly was created?
Westminster would be a federal government overseeing national affairs, such as defence and foreign relations.
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Aims to improve democracy in the U.K. why is the call for an English assembly not necessary?
When regional devolution was proposed for the northeast in 2004, it was rejected by 77.93%
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Aims to improve democracy in the U.K. why is it necessary for reform of the monarchy?
Unelected monarchy is undemocratic
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Aims to improve democracy in the U.K. what would be reformed in the monarchy ?
Introducing an elected head of state, wether by having an elected monarchy or replacing the monarchy with a presidency would make the U.K. more democratic
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Aims to improve democracy in the U.K how is reform for the monarchy hard?
There is little win for this reform and the costs of a president would be far more than the system of the monarchy alongside an elected head of state having more power and authority to create a rival centre of power, undermining parliamentary sovereignty
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Aims to improve democracy in the U.K. what would codifying the constitution do for democracy?
It would help to entrench citizens rights and may lead to greater public education
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Aims to improve democracy in the U.K. what would be a problem with codifying the constitution?
By transferring sovereignty to the constitution rather than an elected parliament , much more power would be transferred to an unelected and accountable judiciary
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Aims to improve democracy in the U.K.? What would be the advantage and disadvantage of online voting?
Would make it easier to vote and would be difficult to monitor and ensure free votes
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Aims to improve democracy in the U.K. what size the advantage and disadvantage of online questioning of ministers ?
Would allow people to ask direct questions and would undermine roles of MP’s
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Aims to improve democracy in the U.K what is the advantage and disadvantage of digital campaigning ?
Would reduce costs and make it easier for people to access information and would disadvantage people unable to get online and risk increased partisanship
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Aims to improve democracy in the U.K. what is the advantage and disadvantage of online public consultation of a bill?
Would allow the public to give thoughts on legislation before its passed however would undermine the legislative role of parliament and risk a tyranny of the minority
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Voting behaviours: what was the chartist movement?
Working class movement between 1838 and 1857 primarily in industrial north- included mass meetings and petitions to get male sufferage
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What was the reform league?
Established in 1865 to campaign for universal male suffrage - organised demonstrations and campaigned successfully for the reform act of 1867
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Voting behaviours: what did political historian Peter Pulzer believe class was in 1867?
Class is the basis of British party politics, all else is embellishment and detail’
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Voting behaviours: what does sociological theories say about voting and social class?
Emphasis the importance of upbringing and family in embedding strong support for ‘natural party’. ( in 1964 the number of very strong party supporters was measured at 44%)
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Voting behaviours: what does class identification state about social class and voting?
Reflects the common bonds felt to exist between those with shared socioeconomic characteristics- bonds highly likely to shape cultural and political outlook
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Voting behaviours: what does partisan alignment stress about social class and voting?
The strong relationships between the parties and the classes that they were perceived to represent eg labour and working class and conservative and middle class
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Voting behaviours: in 1966 , what percentage of voters were deemed to be class voters?
67%
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Voting behaviours: how has the 1959 general election compared to 1983 proved dealignment in voting?
In 1959 62% of working class voted labour which had fallen to 38% by 1983
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Voting behaviours: what other examples have labour enforcing class dealignment?
Many traditional middle class voters supported Tony Blair in 1997 and in 2005 just 9% of voters expressed very strong support for one of the two main parties
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What is the change from 1979, 1987 and 2010 for percentage of voters supporting their natural class?
51% , 44% , 38%
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What is dealignment ?
Explains the weakening links between parties and their traditional class based supporters as a consequence of changing socioeconomic forces
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What is embourgeoisement?
The expansion in the number of people who consider themselves middle class - partly explained by changing employment trends it is also a result of deliberate attempts by political parties to broaden appeal
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What did YouGov’s post election analysis reveal in 2017?
‘The class divide in British politics seems to have closed and it is no longer a very good indicator of voting intention’
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Voting behaviours: in the 2010 general election how was their a gender voting gap?
Women’s turnout was 4% lower than that of men. More than 9 million women failed to vote opposed to 8 million men
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How was their a distinct gender difference in party support in the 2015 general election?
In an election won by conservatives, labour enjoyed a 6% lead among women under 50
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How was there only a small gender gap in voting in the 2017 general election?
Women were equally split between Labour and the a conservatives (43-43%) men supported the conservatives more than women (45-39%)
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What has been a traditional home truth about how women vote and how has it changed?
More conformist, family orientated and therefore more likely to identify with the Conservative party and in decades up to 2010, the changing role of women has seen labour court the female vote ( 101 female MP’s voted in 1997)
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How was Jeremy Corbyn branded as patronising in women’s voting ?
He suggested childcare was the number one priority women, with the policy to extend nursery vouchers
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How many people were there in 1950 in the U.K. from the BAME group?
Less than 100,00
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Postwar immigrants were usually of what origin?
Caribbean but since has changed
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How has the non white Uk population grown ?
From 6.6 million in 2001 to 9.1 million in 2011 according to the most Recent U.K. census
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In 2017 what percentage of the U.K. population was non white and what were predictions of its growth by 2050?
Just over 13% with predictions that it will rise by a third by 2050
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What has franchise traditionally been like amongst BAME groups?
Significantly lower than national average
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In 1996 what was Operation Black vote l?
Founded to encourage black and Asian voters to register and participate by running imaginative campaigns
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What did black celebrities do in 2015 to support operation black vote ?
They painted their faces white and appeared in advertisements alongside the OBV slogan ‘ if you don’t register to vote, you are taking the colour out of Britain’s
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Statistically what have traditionally been the traits of minority group voters?
Less affluent, urban communities and have disproportionality supported the Labour part whose policies have been more sympathetic towards them
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What has minority group voting been like in 2010 for Conservative and Labour?
16% votes Conservative vs 68% voting labour
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Following the 2015 general election what did a report by British think tank British Future show ?9
33% of BAME voters supported the Conservative a new record and for the Labour Party, a high concentration of BAME supporters in a small number of constituencies means their strength of support isn’t reflected in a large number of winning seats
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Following the 2017 general election what happened with change of Mp’s?9
Ten new black and minority ethnic MP’s entered the commons including Preet Gill first female Sikh in Birmingham
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How are BAME mps in Parliament not reresentative of the wider population?
BAME mps still make up 7.8 % of new Parliament, compared to around 14% of the population as a whole
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What are the two main issues relating to age and political and electoral participation ?
Older people vote in disproportionately higher numbers meaning issues are skewed in their favour and the disengagement of 18-35 year olds has led to their perceived marginalisation
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What did the 2015 general election expose about voting age ?
Among first time voters, Labour was 47% points ahead of the Conservatives, while among over 70’s , the Conservatives were 50 % points clear of Labour
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What are the three main theories that surround long-standing support of the Conservatives from older voters?
Kind of policies usually favoured by the tories (pro family traditional values) fit older voters, people come more ‘Conservative’ as they grow older and older voters in 2010’s were young voters in the 70’s and 80’s when the Conservatives were popular and their views became embedded
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How is turnout an issue with voting age behaviour?
The age difference in turnout is significant and in 2017, young people were less likely to vote than older: 57% of 18 and 19 year olds vs 84% of those aged 70+
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How are issues the Conservative party address more likely to address issues of older people?
Pensions healthcare non means tested benefits ( free bus pass and Tv license)
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What is the main argument for letting 16+ vote?
The Acottish independence referendum 2024 saw 89% of 16 and 17 year olds register and 75% actually voted compared to 54% of 18-24 year olds
