direct and representative democracy Flashcards
(30 cards)
1
Q
voting in a direct democracy
A
- citizens in a direct democracy vote themselves on the policies and laws which are made by the government as opposed to acting through others
- decisions are reached by a majority voting decision
- most UK decisions are not made by direct democracy
2
Q
direct democracy - referendums
A
- citizens directly vote on issues and gov creates policy based on response
- the UK EU referendum 2016 (33 million voted whether the uk stays or leaves the EU, 51% voted leave)
- The alternative vote referendum 2011 (over 19 mill voted against adopting the AV system and chose to keep FPTP)
3
Q
direct democracy - online petitions
A
- UK parliament has set up a platform for citizens to make and sign online petitions
- if a petition gains over 100,000 signatures then parliament may debate the topic
- however must be sponsored by the ‘backbench committee’ so its not entirely direct democracy
4
Q
examples of online petitions
A
- 1.6 million people signed a petition to stop US president donald trump from making a state visit to the UK
- MP’s then debated Trump’s visit to parliament and changed it from a ‘state visit’ to a ‘working visit’
5
Q
direct democracy - rallies and protests
A
- groups of people concerned about the government and gather to demonstrate their support/disapproval
- gov doesn’t have to respond
- eg in 2010 thousands of students matched in london to protest rising tuition fees
6
Q
advantages of direct democracy
A
- transparency: strong level of openness between citizens and gov
- wishes of the people: ensures the will of the people is clear
- cooperation: people are more likely to engage if they believe their opinion will make a difference
- education: citizens become educated on key political issues
- votes count equally: each vote counts the same towards important decisions
7
Q
disadvantages of direct democracy
A
- impractical: time-consuming and expensive, not practical for frequent decisions (estimated cost of 2016 EU referendum was 142.4m)
- can be manipulated: the way in which questions are phrased can manipulate results (2016 EU referendum was changed from yes/no to remain/leave, as yes/no questions may benefit the yes side)
- voters may not be experts: public are making important decisions even though they may be less knowledgeable and less able to make an informed decision compared to a politician
8
Q
representative democracy
A
- representatives from organised parties make decisions on the behalf of voters
- UK is a representative democracy, MPs are elected to parliament by the electorate in the general election
- MPs are accountable to the citizens who have voted for them
9
Q
representative democracy - members of parliament
A
- general elections involve voters voting for a candidate to represent their local area, called a constituency
- 650 constituencies in the UK, so 650 representatives
10
Q
representative democracy - general elections
A
- take place every 5 years
- parliament can decide to hold an election earlier by voting to support motion of no confidence in the government or by voting by a two thirds majority in favour of a GE
11
Q
representative democracy - question time
A
- MPs question members of the government about issues which they are responsible for, which will often be matters of concern for their constitutes
- PM question time; takes place once a week, PM gets questioned on significant issues, often of behalf of voters they represent
12
Q
representative democracy - debate
A
- MPs can propose a debate, amd debate themselves in parliament, on various issues which will have importance for the votes they represent
13
Q
advantages of representative democracy
A
- expertise: representatives are better informed to make important political decisions
- representation: help make sure all public is accounted for (can protect minority groups better than the whole population)
- accountability: the public and institutions can hold representatives accountable for their decisions
- practicality: citizens cannot be expected to always make decisions so therefore a representative is more practical and beneficial
14
Q
disadvantages of representative democracy
A
- inaccurate representation: 29% of MPs are privately educated, only 7% of UK, doesn’t always have substantive representation (advocate on behalf of certain groups), not truly representative
- self-interest: representatives may choose to act in self-interest, rather than the best interest of the public
- low participation levels: turnout for EU Parliament elections in the UK was only 35.6% in 2014 (most likely because they don’t see a point)
15
Q
similarities with both types of democracy
A
- both forms of democracy which allow voters to make important decisions
- both use mandates from the public to make decisions
16
Q
differences in the democracies
A
- voters make decisions on their own in direct democracies
- in representative a repressive makes most decisions
- in representative democracies, each vote might be worth different amounts depending on constituency size
- in direct democracy mandates are from public votes
- in representative democracies votes are taken as a mandate
17
Q
mandates
A
- mandate is when a political party or decision-maker has the authority to make decisions or put policies in place
- winning a seat in an election gives the member of parliament a mandate from their voters
18
Q
a case for democratic reform?
A
- there have been some calls for democratic reform in the UK, as institutions may not represent the public to bes fit of their ability
19
Q
democratic deficit?
A
- democratic deficit is the belief that democracy is not working as intended as is failing to ensure sufficient accountability and legitimacy
20
Q
example; low voter turnout
A
- UK election turnout fell after 1997
- turnout is incredibly low in elections other than general elections, such as European parliament elections and local elections (35.6% in the 2014 EU parliament election)
21
Q
examples; intitutions
A
- the HOL has a mostly unelected membership and the house doesn’t share any characteristics as the UK public
- The UKSC is unelected and has the power to change laws
22
Q
examples; the EU
A
- EU regulations are binding and member states don’t get to pick and choose the ones they want to obey
- eg, free movement of labour means that governments cant restrict immigration from the EU
- there have been several movements across europe to leave the EU as a result (brexit)
23
Q
democratic reform - electoral reform
A
- some believe it’s time to change the voting system, eg away from the FPTP to the AV system
24
Q
democratic reform - HOL reform
A
- some want a HOL reform as its unelected, unrepresentative, but still has a say in legislation
- lib dems have suggested a second chamber (eg a senate)
25
democratic reform - online voting
- setting up polling stations and providing resources in very costly and timely
- online voting may reduce these costs and increase voting levels with younger voters
26
democratic reform - compulsory voting
- legal duty and fining if people don't vote
- compulsory in australia and turnout is usually 95% in elections
27
democratic reform - lowering the voting age
- many argue that 16-18 year olds are citizens that should have parliamentary representation
- in Scotland legislation was passed in 2015 to allow 16 year olds to vote
28
against democratic reform - importance of pressure groups
- allow the representation of minority interests and scrutinise the government
- they inform the public of key issues and engage the public in politics
29
against democratic reform - no demand for reform
- many changes to the voting system have been rejected (HOL reform in 2012 and 2011 AV referendum)
30
against democratic reform - media scrutiny
- media acts to scrutinise politics and hold politicians to account
- effective way of monitoring UK politics and informing voters
