Evaluate the View that there is a participation crisis

Question 1

P1: Voter Turnout

Answer 1

1. Low turnout, undermining representative democracy.
2. Before 2001, there turnouts tended to be above 70%. 1979 was 76%. . 1992 was 78% and 1997 was 71%.
3. Has been recovering but hasn’t reached that peak, 2005 61%, 2015 66%, 2017 69%, 2019 67% and 2024 60%.
4. Low turnout in devolved regions Welsh Parliament 1999 was 46% and in 2021 it was 46.5%.
   5.Low turnout in mayoral elections. 2021 London 42.2%.
5. Raises concerns about democratic legitimacy.

Question 2

P1: May not vote for other reasons

Answer 2

1. Turnout has been recovering (with the exception of 2024) hovering at around the mid-sixties range).
2. Low turnout (like in 2001 for example 59%) does not necessarily constitute a crisis). In 2001, after Blair’s landslide victory many felt that Blair’s government would win comfortably without their vote.
3. Unlike previous general elections, there was no major crises or unpopular government policies driving people to vote (hapathy).
4. Similar can be said about the 2024 general election, people could’ve thought that Labour was going to win anyways and new voting regulations (like photo ID)>
5. Labour’s commanding lead in the polls and the perception of an inevitable victory may have discouraged turnout.

Question 3

P2: Party Membership

Answer 3

1. In 1953, the Conservative Party membership was 2.8 million and by the end of 2024 it was 131,000.
2. In 1953, the Labour party membership was 1 million and had fallen to 370 000 by the end of 2023.
3. 25% drop in members of the Conservative party membership from December 2022 to December 2023.
4. Dramatic decline in party membership, which weakens traditional forms of democratic engagement.
5. . The decline in membership, particularly among young people, raises concerns about long-term civic disengagement.

Question 4

P2: PM Counter

Answer 4

1. SNP membership surged from 20,000 in 2011 to almost 120,000 members in 2015.
2. There was a pro-Corbyn surge. The number of full members has moved from 190,000 in May 2015 to 515,000 in July 2016 – an influx of 325,000 new members.
3. When voters feel a party represents their values they will actively participate. Since then it has declined, this engagement is more leader-driven than long-term
4. Short-term spikes indicate that people remain willing to participate under the right conditions.
5. Political disillusionment may reflect dissatisfaction with current choices rather than politics itself.

Question 5

P3: Referendums

Answer 5

1. Often see high turnout. Scottish Independence Referendum had an 85% turnout. The Brexit referendum had a turnout of 72%.
2. Approving the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 had a turnout of 81%.
3. When people feel that they have a direct say they are more likely to engage
4. These democratic exercises challenge the narrative of a disengaged public and show that the format and framing of political participation matters.

Question 6

P3: Referendums Counter

Answer 6

1. Referendums are not a long term solution and do not always increase participation, in fact more times than not they don’t.
2. For example, the AV referendum had a turnout of 42%.
3. The 2011 referendum to give primary powers to the Welsh Assembly had a turnout of 36%.
4. The 1998 election for London to have an elected mayor only had a turnout of 34%.
5. May only engage citizens when the issues are emotionally charged or widely publicised.
6. While referendums can mobilise voters in specific circumstances, they are not a reliable or long-term solution to declining political participation.

Question 7

P4: Alternative forms of participation

Answer 7

1. Social justice movements like the Black Lives Matter movement mobilised protests worldwide including tens of thousands in the UK demanding action in racial inequality.
2. Momentum, a left-wing outsider pressure group that was set up after Jeremy Corbyn’s 2015 election campaign was to engage with young left-wing voters who had not felt a connection with the New Labour direction created by Tony Blair.
3. E-petition by Marcus Rashford was signed by 1.1 million people. Then the Conservative government announced a £120 million ‘covid summer food fund.’
4. These newer forms of participation demonstrate that public engagement remains strong — it has simply changed form.

Question 8

P4: Counter

Answer 8

1. Protests and pressure groups tend to attract those who are already politically active, rather than broadening participation to disengaged citizens.
2. Online activism may be dominated by younger individuals, some groups are disproportionately engaged.
3. Lack the universal reach of traditional forms of participation, may not be a complete solution to declining formal political participation.
4. These forms of activism are disproportionately used by younger, more educated, and urban populations, meaning participation remains uneven and potentially exclusionary.