elective dictatorship Flashcards
(25 cards)
what is meant by elective dictatorship ?
the term ‘elective dictatorship’ to describe the context to which the government controls the parliament of the day. essentially, the term implies that in the UK political system, when elected a government can take whatever actions it wants without effective scrutiny.
why is it questioned that it might not exist
- example
depending on the make-up of parliament and the circumstances of the day, it can significantly subside in certain circumstances.
example, Theresa may’s premiership, in which she lost two votes on her withdrawal agreement, can certainly not be described as an ‘elective dictatorship’. equally, until the general election of 2019, her successor was not in control of parliament
why dose elective dictatorship exist ?
- first past the post
there are a number of reasons why elective dictatorship exists.
the fist past the post has effected of creating a clear two party system.
it is also a ‘winner takes all system’ this means that minor parties find it incredibly difficult to establish a presence in parliament
this is because votes cast for smaller parties in most constituencies are unlikely to topple one of the two major parties.
first past the post
example
2019 general election, the conservatives won 265 seats and the greens won 1. nationally, it took an average of 38,264 votes for each seat the conservatives won, but 865, 707 votes led to the greens just wining one.
key terms - elective dictatorship
a concept developed to explain the fact that in the UK a government can normally do as it wishes with little constraint.
who was the first to use the term elective dictatorship ?
Quintin Hogg, who was a conservative cabinet minister.
what did he propose ?
describes how labor governments where able to use parliamentary majorities to push through the major reforms without significant checks.
hogg argued that this concentration of powers in parliament needed to be restrained.
what reforms did he propose ?
regional parliaments
British bill of rights, judicial oversight
and fixed term parliaments.
what would these changes allow ?
they would allow elected experts, such as judges, to stop government policy they deemed harmful
what has Hoggs vision implanted ?
although his vision has nor been fully implanted, it echoed in concerns raised by lord judges about a majority government being able to legislate without limits.
However, what dose the British constitution offer
the British constitution offers significant checks on government power
the electorate MPs are accountable to voters, and their self-preservation instincts prevent unchecked government actions.
example of this
Boris Johnstone resignation shows that MPs can remove PMs if they sense electoral defeat.
overall, the British constitution allows ?
it allows for transformative action, as seen with the creation of the NHS, but also ensures political accountability.
there are three democratic constraints, what are they ?
electoral defeat
a vote of no confidence
removal by MPs
these serve as safeguards
elective dictatorship was not driven by a desire for more popular influence, but by hoggs preference…
for power to be wielded by unelected experts the British constitution, in contrast, place under ultimate power in the hands of voters, offering a safeguard against accountabl authority.
another important factor which creates the impact of elective dictatorship is ?
party loyalty
why is this ?
in the UK political system it is exceptionally difficult to become a MP without standing as part of a political party.
example of this
at the 2019 general election only one MP was elected as an independent.
what do MPs rely on
not only do they rely on their party’s to be elected they also rely on their party for there career development.
Most MPs want to advance their careers wither by becoming a select committee member or minister, they have to keep their party onside.
there are numbers of problems that the concept of elective dictatorship in a labral democracy what are these
1
1- there is a erosion of democratic accountability.
when the government has such control over parliament, the government may feel less accountable for its actions, particularly when it may be another 5 year period before another election is maintained.
2 point
there is a lock of parliamentary scrutiny.
when the government have such complete control of the parliamentary agenda, it is exceptionally difficult for effective scrutiny of the executive to take place.
3 point
minority voters can be discounted
an important part of liberal democracy is that minority and not just minority votes are heard. this can lead to policies and decisions that do not adequately protect minorities
4 point
there is a lack of political comprise.
the fact of elective dictatorship can mean there is little need to comprise on policy. as such, polices are likely to be created that are extremely partisan and lack consensus. upon a change of government, these are likely to be reversed, leading inconsistency in policy.
5 point
civil liberties can be eroded.
governments who can avoid accountability because of the elective dictatorship are more to use their power to limit fundamental civil liberties in their own political interests.
