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UK Government and Politics > Elections and referendums > Flashcards

Elections and referendums Flashcards

1
Q

Where does direct democracy originate?

A

Athenian State

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2
Q

How does direct democracy work?

A

Putting a propositions directly to voters for resolution - most referendums seek to elicit a yes/no response to a question asked.

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3
Q

Why is the UK a newcomer to direct democracy?

A

Seen as a blunt instrument and a breeder for dictators

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4
Q

When was direct democracy first used in the UK>

A

1970s

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5
Q

How do some people view direct democracy?

A

As a way of involving citizens in key national or constitutional decisions.

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6
Q

How do others see direct democracy?

A

A way of “fixing” the shortcomings of representative democracy.

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7
Q

How did parties on the left see referendums in the 1990s?

A

A way of increasing participation and adding legitimacy to a range of planned constitutional changes

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8
Q

Who argues for the strengths of direct democracy?

A

Progressive Parties

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9
Q

What do people view direct democracy as?

A

The will of the people - greater democratic legitimacy

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10
Q

Example of legitimate direct democracy

A

Good Friday Agreement referendum

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11
Q

What was the issue with Brexit?

A

Vote Leave broke electoral law and neither side covered themselves in glory over truthfulness

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12
Q

What was the turnout of the 1997 Welsh referendum?

A

50.1%

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13
Q

What was the result of the Welsh referendum?

A

50.3% for devolution - lacks legitimacy

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14
Q

What is a benefit of direct democracy?

A

Increase public engagement - lead to discussion of national significance

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15
Q

Example of highly significant discussion

A

Scottish Independence

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16
Q

Example of a insignificant discussion

A

Greater London Assembly

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17
Q

What is the benefit of a binary choice?

A

Simple questions and simple answers

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18
Q

What is an exception to the simple question rule?

A

Brexit - no one knew what brexit meant

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19
Q

What do referendums do?

A

Increase political education - brings awareness through research and campaigning

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20
Q

Example of widening education

A

Scottish Independence - research from both sides lead to scrutiny

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21
Q

How can referendum results be overturned?

A

With another referendum

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22
Q

What is the impact of this?

A

Can entrench constitutional change

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23
Q

What kind of response do referendums provide?

A

Clear response on a political questions - governments can avoid expensive and unpopular measures

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24
Q

Why doesn’t the UK use referendums to resolve moral issues?

A

Powers still remain with parliamentarans

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25
Q

Who supported the Yes Scotland Campaign?

A

SNP and Greens

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26
Q

Who supported the Better Together campaign?

A

Labour, Tories and Lib Dems

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27
Q

What caused a growth in independence for Scotland?

A

Brexit

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28
Q

Who supported Vote Leave?

A

Cummings, UKIP, Tory ministers, Boris, Gove

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29
Q

Why was the Brexit referendum called?

A

Pressure on Cameron after 2015

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30
Q

When was the Welsh devolution referendum?

A

1997

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31
Q

What is a critique of direct democracy?

A

Not a practical way to run a modern state - can’t quickly resolve a lot of issues

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32
Q

What do referendums undermine?

A

Parliamentary sovereignty and elected representatives - risks the tyranny of the majority

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33
Q

What did Mill believe?

A

Representative democracy was a moderator of public views.

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34
Q

What undermines legitimacy?

A

Low turnout

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35
Q

What can happen in referendums?

A

Dominated by one sided debate - public funding or media coverage - tends to adopt a certain position

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36
Q

What is the significance of the wording of the question?

A

Can influence the outcome - 1998 London GLA

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37
Q

How can some people vote?

A

Basis of emotions rather than practical considerations

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38
Q

What is the view of Tories on referendums?

A

Traditionally opposed to direct democracy but under recent leaders like Howard and Cameron, they came to see referendums as a way of managing Euroscepticism in the party and harnessing Euroscepticism in the wider electorate.

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39
Q

What is the Labour view on referendums?

A

Blair and Brown were in favour of referendums and made widespread use of them as a means of securing legitimacy for constitutional reform.

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40
Q

What is the Lib Dems view on referendums?

A

Consistently the most enthusiastic party in regards to referendums at every level of decision making.

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41
Q

What is Rational Choice theory?

A

Assumes voters will make a rational or logical choice based upon what is in their own best interest.

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42
Q

What is the ideal world for rational choice theory?

A

Fully informed about the range of options - they will then choose the option which is right for them

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43
Q

What doesn’t sit well with rational choice theory?

A

Voters are politically ignorant - however people do know what’s right and wrong

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44
Q

What does aggregating people’s choices do?

A

Means the winning view will reflect what is best for society as a whole

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45
Q

What is issue voting?

A

Voters choose the party or candidate which best reflects their own opinion on an issue they consider more important than all others

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46
Q

What is valence issue voting?

A

The economy is often the key factor influencing voting behaviour, with voters supporting the party or candidate most trusted to deliver prosperity (no one is going to vote to be poorer)

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47
Q

What is valence issue linked to?

A

Perceptions of governing competency

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48
Q

What has challenges the idea of competence?

A

Populism

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49
Q

What has given rise to a range of other factors influencing voting behaviour?

A

Partisan and class dealignment

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50
Q

What do voters compare in terms of policies?

A

Voters comparing contrasting party manifestos, choosing the one which suits them best

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51
Q

What is comparing policies an example of?

A

Rational Choice theory

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52
Q

What do voters asses in terms of issues?

A

Voters focussing on the policies parties have and again making a rational choice on which party or candidate is “strongest”

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53
Q

Example of key issues?

A

Immigration and crime

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54
Q

What does looking at record in office do?

A

Turning elections into a kind of “referendum” on their performance, this example of valence issues driving

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55
Q

What is the impact of looking at leadership?

A

Politics taking a more presidential feel since the 60s - much more focus is given to personal qualities and even appearance with voters seeking strong, competent and charismatic leaders.

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56
Q

What is also important in looking at?

A

Image of party unity being key in decision making - if a leader cannot lead their party, they are seen as weak, but if a party is at war with itself, it is seen as incapable of governing the country.

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57
Q

What often happens in constituencies?

A

Tactical Voting: a feature in recent elections in the UK, especially in 1997, though this is consequence of the limited options available to voters under FPTP.

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58
Q

Where do the conservatives dominate?

A

Rural and suburban votes

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59
Q

Where do Labour dominate?

A

Urban and metropolitan area - lost group of the small towns

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60
Q

Who dominates in scotland?

A

SNP - usurped Labour since 2005

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61
Q

What is the nature of Lib dem support?

A

Distributed across the UK

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62
Q

Where is support for UKIP and greens focussed?

A

Particular communities

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63
Q

What was a key influencer on voting behaviour?

A

Class - not so much now

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64
Q

What blurred the line between the working and middle classes?

A

Embourgeoisement in the 1980s

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65
Q

WHta started to matter more than class?

A

Economic and social issues

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66
Q

Who found it hardest to adapt to the new landscape?

A

Labour

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67
Q

What happened to the aggregate share of the vote for the Tories and Labour after 1970?

A

Declined

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68
Q

What did class dealignment allow?

A

New parties emerge that cut across class lines

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69
Q

Which campaigns relied on the ability to broaden the social base of their party?

A

Thatcher and Blair

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70
Q

Who are “Left behind voters”?

A

Not directly benefitting from globalisation and have borne the brunt of austerity since the global financial crisis - older, white, less well-off, less educated and non-metropolitan.

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71
Q

How do Left behind voters tend to vote?

A

Not labour - sees it as dominated by a metropolitan, highly educated liberal elite

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72
Q

Why do they vote for Tories?

A

Immigration

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73
Q

What was key to the success of Heath and Thatcher?

A

Housewife vote

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74
Q

Who enjoyed the female vote in 1997?

A

Blair

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75
Q

How has the female vote been split in recent years?

A

Pretty equally

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76
Q

What issues do women favour Labour for?

A

Health and education

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77
Q

What Brown and Blair programme appealed to women?

A

Surestart

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78
Q

What is the trend in terms of age?

A

Older you are, more right leaning - younger is more left - reflects very different social and cultural values

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79
Q

Who is more likely to vote?

A

Older voters

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80
Q

What is the greater influence of older voters called?

A

Grey Lobby

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81
Q

What areas do parties focus on because of the grey lobby?

A

Immigration, health, pensions and crime

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82
Q

Where do younger voters tend to congregate?

A

Met areas

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83
Q

What does the participation of older voters mean for labour?

A

Make it harder for Labour - continue to gain big margins in met areas by can’t cut through with the oldies

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84
Q

How do BAME voters tend to vote?

A

Labour

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85
Q

Why do BAME voters vote progressively?

A

Cultural legacy of conservatism in the 20th century which often sounded anti-immigrant and hostile to multi-culturalism - the ideas of Enoch Powell and Norman Tebbit.

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86
Q

Why has there been an increase in black voters voting conservative?

A

Higher paying jobs - look at economic policies

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87
Q

What has hindered both parties?

A

Issues of Islamophobia and Anti-semitism

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88
Q

What is the trend with education?

A

Those less educated are less likely to vote for progressive parties, more educated you are the less likely you are to vote for the Tories.

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89
Q

What is a central pillar of liberal democracy?

A

Free media

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90
Q

What role does the media play?

A

Providing knowledge, holding all three branches of the government to account

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91
Q

Who restricts the BBC?

A

Ofcom

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92
Q

What faces fewer regulations?

A

Print media - conservative bias

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93
Q

What is the concern with online media?

A

Toxic nature of online debate

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94
Q

What are the worst offenders of bias?

A

Tabloids - mockery and ridicule rather than informed debate.

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95
Q

What have many newspapers focussed too much on?

A

Personality vs Policy

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96
Q

What exacerbated the focus on personality and image?

A

Move towards televised leaders’ debate in 2010

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97
Q

When was the media valuable?

A

Issues like MPs expenses, investigative journalism played a key role in exposing wrongdoing and holding public office holders to account

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98
Q

Which media-owners have huge amounts of influence?

A

Lord Rothermere, Barclay Brothers and Murdoch

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99
Q

Who is against the reform of UK democracy?

A

Conservatives - current set up benefits them the most

100
Q

What proposal would increase turnout?

A

Compulsory voting

101
Q

What has made it easier for people to vote?

A

Postal voting - has brought up concerns about voter fraud

102
Q

What would remove the argument that people were being forced to vote for parties they disagreed with?

A

Option to vote for none of the above

103
Q

Where uses compulsory voting?

A

Australia

104
Q

What is a concern about compulsory voting?

A

Not truly democratic to force people to vote - in a free society people should be able to choose whether they vote or not.

105
Q

Is there any major party support for compulsory voting?

A

No

106
Q

What has happened in some areaS?

A

VOTER SUPPRESSION

107
Q

What is another reform to democracy?

A

Reforming the voting system

108
Q

What is the argument against FPTP?

A

Could be a turn-off for voters - their votes don’t matter

109
Q

What could boost participation?

A

STV - more proportional systems

110
Q

What do opponents argue?

A

Proportional systems will dilute the relationship between MPs and their constituents, might boost extreme parties and would increase the likelihood of hung parliaments and coalition or minority government

111
Q

What is the issue of the HoL

A

Unelected

112
Q

What is the proposed reform?

A

Get rid of the hereditary peer or having an elected second chamber

113
Q

What is the issue with life peers?

A

Cronyism

114
Q

What is the issue with elected second chamber?

A

Risks challenging the primacy of the Commons and could result in legislative gridlock. Could lose the experience of life peers

115
Q

What has been suggested about the House of Commons?

A

Less arcane and adversarial - reduce points scoring - more scrutiny

116
Q

When was the Recall of MPs Act?

A

2015

117
Q

What did the Recall of MPs Act do?

A

Allowed MPs to face recall elections if found guilty of wrongdoings - custodial sentence of a year, suspension for more than 10 days or conviction for false or misleading expenses.

118
Q

How many MPs have faced recall?

A

3

119
Q

How many MPs have lost?

A

2 - Fiona Onasanya for custodial sentence and Chris Davies for misleading expenses

120
Q

What do recall elections allow?

A

Greater accountability to constituents

121
Q

What is the fear of recall elections?

A

Critics fear a tyranny of recall which would undermine their role as representatives and make them mere delegates.

122
Q

What is a reform for devolution?

A

Greater devolution - more power to metro mayors - little support amongst voters

123
Q

What is the issue with further devolution?

A

Undermines parliamentary sovereignty

124
Q

What is the issue with the monarchy?

A

Everything - non democratic

125
Q

Is there much support for a president?

A

No - mainly just for the centre left

126
Q

What would the president create?

A

Rival to parliament - how would this work in a parliamentary democracy

127
Q

What is a reform for the constitution?

A

Codification - biggest weakness of the UK system

128
Q

What highlighted the weakness of an uncodified constitution?

A

BREXIT

129
Q

What are rights too dependant on?

A

Statute laws which can be changed easily

130
Q

What would a shift away from parliamentary sovereignty mean?

A

Transfer power away from elected representatives to unelected judges.

131
Q

What is another suggestion for elections?

A

Greater use of e-democracy - easier to vote - online questioning of ministers

132
Q

What are the concerns surround e-democracy?

A

Security of online voting and marginalising those who are not tech savvy - toxic impact of digital media

133
Q

When did representative democracy emerge?

A

Along with the modern nation state

134
Q

What is representative democracy?

A

Default setting of a liberal democracy.
Most practical form of democracy and has evolved because of this.
Would be impractical to expect people to make all political decisions.
So, we elected representatives to make those decisions on our behalf

135
Q

What are elections?

A

Designed to be a competitive process, not just about one candidate or party competing against others, it’s about the competition of ideas.

136
Q

What must elections be in a liberal democracy?

A

Free and fair

137
Q

What are those elected elected for?

A

Fix terms in office

138
Q

What is the standard length of an MPs term?

A

5 years

139
Q

What is the standard length of a Mayor’s term?

A

4 years

140
Q

What are elected representatives accountable for?

A

Legal and politically for their action

141
Q

Why are they not above the law?

A

Rule of Law

142
Q

What is the representative function of elections?

A

The people who are elected make decisions on their behalf

143
Q

What are elections also used for?

A

Choose a government - elect the House of Commons from which the executive is formed

144
Q

What do elections promote?

A

Participation via voting

145
Q

What do elections allow the public to influence?

A

Public policy because voters get to choose between competing manifestos - the winning party then has a mandate to implement those policies.

146
Q

What is the limitation of manifestos?

A

Lack of choice - therefore the public can’t influence what is actually in the manifesto

147
Q

What does FPTP do?

A

Make a binary choice - modern Labour vs Tory

148
Q

How many candidates were in the North Shropshire By election?

A

15

149
Q

What do elections provide?

A

Democratic accountability - citizens can both renew or revoke a mandate based on perceptions of competence.

150
Q

How has the UK become like the US system?

A

We vote for the party leader rather than the candidate or for the party

151
Q

How have past leaders impacted future leaders?

A

Tarnished them - 2015, 2017 and 2019 - could be a result of 2008

152
Q

What was Labour 1997?

A

An irregularity

153
Q

What could it be said about elections?

A

Elections are lost by the government, not won by the opposition.

154
Q

What do elections do?

A

Inform citizens about political issues - votes can then be cast from a position of knowledge not ignorance.

155
Q

Where does the information come from?

A

Media

156
Q

What have criticisms of representative democracy been?

A

Relatively niche - but some issues are becoming hard to ignore

157
Q

How has party organisation changed?

A

Much more organised and rigid with a greater expectation for discipline from MPs

158
Q

What has become the norm?

A

Party delegation with common manifesto and discipline

159
Q

What do MPs risk if they rebel?

A

Sanctions and suspensions

160
Q

What limits Burkean representation?

A

Whipping

161
Q

Example of whipping?

A

Owen Patterson Case
Fracking ban

162
Q

What is parliament dominated by?

A

White, male, middle class professionals

163
Q

What are UK constituencies?

A

Single member constituencies

164
Q

Who do constituents vote for?

A

Candidates not parties - seen by supporters as key to the principal of Burkean Trusteeship.

165
Q

How are members elected?

A

Simple plurality

166
Q

What is the vote share like?

A

Most candidates are elected with under half the popular vote

167
Q

How are constituencies divide?

A

Equal size of population

168
Q

When was the last government who won more than half the popular vote?

A

1935

169
Q

What are the majority of seats regarded as?

A

Safe seats - therefore defeats the idea of choice

170
Q

Who voted labour in 2017?

A

Kensington

171
Q

How does the system benefit large parties?

A

They can concentrate their vote in geographic areas

172
Q

Where do Labour concentrate their votes?

A

London, met England and Scotland and Wales

173
Q

Why do minor parties not gain the same benefit?

A

Can’t concentrate their vote this way

174
Q

Why do the Tories defend FPTP?

A

Have always been the biggest beneficiary

175
Q

What does the system usually produce?

A

Strong single party government with an exaggerated majority

176
Q

What can happen?

A

Winning party lose the popular vote - 1974 and 1951

177
Q

How many coalitions have there been since the war?

A

One official coalition

178
Q

What was Major’s majority in 1992?

A

21/22

179
Q

What is the benefit of a strong majority?

A

Government can withstand back bench rebellions

180
Q

What was good about 2015?

A

Stable government was formed - no minor parties - just Tory mandate - know who to blame

181
Q

How does FPTP uphold Burkean representation?

A

MP is there to represent the constituencies. Hold surgeries to address a whole range of issues.

182
Q

What is the benefit of FPTP being simple?

A

Important not to have a complex electoral system that discourages re-motivated voters

183
Q

What does FPTP provide?

A

Government with a clear electoral mandate and makes it possible to hold the incumbent government to account

184
Q

What was the 2019 general election about?

A

Inviting voters to make a judgement on Brexit and BoJo’s ability to get Brexit done.

185
Q

What was the 2010 election about?

A

Judgement on Labour’s handling of the financial crisis.

186
Q

Evidence of FPTP being popular?

A

Lack of turnout for the 2011 referendym

187
Q

What does FPTP mean for many votes?

A

Results in millions of wasted votes - unless you vote for a winning candidate, your vote is essentially discarded - other systems allow a ranking opportunity, which mean votes aren’t wasted.

188
Q

What brings about questions of legitimacy?

A

Most MPs are elected with less than half the popular vote

189
Q

What was the issue with Brexit?

A

More people voted against Brexit in 2019 than voted for it in 2016

190
Q

What does FPTP highlight?

A

Regional Politics

191
Q

How is the value of Burkean representation overstated?

A

People believe that their MPs don’t represent them, and therefore don’t consult them on issues.

192
Q

Example of an MP doing what they like?

A

Anne Mane for St Albans - Tory MP representing a progressive, pro EU constituency.

193
Q

What kind of results does FPTP produce?

A

Disproportionate results - exaggerates the representation of major parties

194
Q

What can be produced due to FPTP?

A

Elective Dictatorships - harder for the legislature to check the exectuive

195
Q

What are usually ignored?

A

Safe seats

196
Q

What % of the vote share did Labour get in 1983?

A

27.6%

197
Q

How many seats did Labour get in 1983?

A

209

198
Q

What % of the vote share did the Alliance get?

A

25.4

199
Q

How many seats did the alliance get in 1983?

A

23

200
Q

What % of the vote did Labour get in 1987?

A

30.8%

201
Q

How many seats did Labour get in 1987?

A

229

202
Q

What % of the vote did the Alliance get in 1987?

A

22.5

203
Q

How many seats did the Alliance get in 1987?

A

22

204
Q

What happened to the Lib Dems in 1997?

A

Lib dems lose vote share but double their seats - magnifies the conservative failing

205
Q

Why were the Tories so unpopular in 1997?

A

Tactical voters with people voting for the Lib Dems

206
Q

What was the Lib dem vote share in 1992 and 1997?

A

17.8 and 16.8

207
Q

How many seats did the Lib Dems get in 1992 and 1997?

A

20 and 46

208
Q

What happened to Labour vote share in 2001?

A

Gone to the Lib dems - decreased to 40.7%

209
Q

What was significant about 2005?

A

Lowest share of the vote to any party with a working majority - 35.2%

210
Q

Why was Labour losing the vote share?

A

Upsetting the core vote over Iraq and tuition fees

211
Q

Why do small c conservatives like FPTP?

A

Maintain traditions

212
Q

What do democratic socialists think about FPTP?

A

More wedded to FPTP - believe the only way to reach full socialism is to control the legislature and executive

213
Q

What do revisionist socialists think of FPTP?

A

More pragmatic - liberal on the idea of a coalition

214
Q

What is a majoritarian system?

A

Designed to produce single party government - these systems retain single member constituencies. Designed to put one party in power on its own with a majority over the opposition parties. FPTP. USA politics as well. Sacrifice representation.

215
Q

What is a proportional system?

A

Produce fair representation - multi-member systems - ensure to translate as accurately as possible votes cast to vote outcome

216
Q

What is a hybrid system?

A

Combine elements of both - they are generally majoritarian with an element of added proportionality. Mid point between the two above. Examples of all three operating in the UK.

217
Q

What is the AV system?

A

Voters rank candidates in order of preference with as many votes as candidates.

218
Q

What % must candidates win of first preference to be elected?

A

50%

219
Q

What happens to least popular candidates?

A

Eliminated and their votes are redistributed to remaining candidates

220
Q

How many times does the process continue?

A

Until one candidate has 50%+ of the vote

221
Q

What is retained under AV

A

Single member constituencies

222
Q

Where is AV used?

A

Elect hereditary peers and used in Labour Leadership

223
Q

What is SV?

A

Only get to rank first and second choices

224
Q

Where was SV used?

A

Mayor of London and PCC

225
Q

What is the List?

A

Representation is allocated according to the share of the vote cast.

226
Q

What happens in the Open List?

A

Voters can choose between competing candidates from the same party with those achieving the vote threshold elected.

227
Q

What happens in the Closed List?

A

Parties determine the rank order of their candidates and voters cast one vote for their party of choice with the highest scoring candidates elected.

228
Q

What is the norm in the list?

A

Multi-member constituencies

229
Q

Where was the List used?

A

1999 to 2019 for MEPs

230
Q

Why was the closed list not introduced?

A

The house of lords blocked it due the fact that it appeared to run contrary to Burkean trusteeship

231
Q

What does Proportional Representation do?

A

Gives too much power to political parties as it allows them to rank the party members depending on ranking within the party - “closed list” more problematic here.

232
Q

What is STV?

A

Representatives are elected in large multi-member constituencies e.g. in Northern Ireland, 18 constituencies each elect 6 Ams in the Stormont Assembly.

233
Q

What is voting like in STV?

A

Voting is preferential and voters can make as many choices as there are candidates - crucially choices can be made within party lists as well as between them.

234
Q

What is the benefit of STV?

A

No votes are wasted

235
Q

What quota must be reached for candidates to be elected?

A

Droop Quota

236
Q

What happens if no candidate reaches the quota

A

The lowest placed candidate is eliminated and second preferences are transferred with process continuing until all seats are filled by candidates meeting the quota

237
Q

Who is an advocate for STV?

A

Lib Dems and the Electoral Reform Society - more proportional

238
Q

What does it mean for how much of the vote the winner commands?

A

More likely to command over 50% of the vote

239
Q

What does STV weaken?

A

Weakens link between representatives and constituents

240
Q

What is AMS?

A

A hybrid system which combines elements of FPTP with a regional list.

241
Q

Where is AMS used?

A

Currently used in the UK to elect Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly and the Greater London Authority.

242
Q

How many seats are elected with FPTP in Scotland?

A

73/129

243
Q

How many seats are elected with FPTP in Wales?

A

40/60

244
Q

How many votes do you get in AMS?

A

Two votes - one for a constituency and another for an additional representative from a region.

245
Q

How does the list correct FPTP?

A

Using the d’Hondt formula.

246
Q

What does AMS produce?

A

Fairer outcomes without sacrificing single member constituencies and voters can split the ticket in terms of voting.

UK Government and Politics (10 decks)

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