topic 1 democracy and participation Flashcards
(103 cards)
1
Q
define democracy
A
a system of gov. by the whole population, typically through elected representatives
2
Q
define direct democracy
A
all individuals express their opinions themselves and not through representatives acting on their behalf
3
Q
define representative democracy
A
a more modern form of democracy, through which an individual selects a person/political party to act on their behalf
4
Q
define legitmacy
A
the rightful use of power in accordance with pre-set criteria or widely held agreements eg. the gov’s right to rule following an election
5
Q
define accountablity
A
where those who have been elected must be made responsible for their policies, actions and decision
6
Q
define pluralist democracy
A
a political system where there is more than one centre of power
7
Q
define democractic deficit
A
when govs/institutions fall short of fulfilling the principles of democracy in their practises of operation
8
Q
define participation crisis
A
a situation where a large proportion of the population don’t engage with the political process, such as not voting in elections
9
Q
define think tank
A
an organisation that gathers a group of interdisciplinary scholars to perform research around particular policies, issues or ideas
10
Q
define franchise/suffrage
A
the ability and right of someone to vote in an election
11
Q
define lobbying
A
the act of lawfully attempting to influence the actions, policies or decisions of gov officials
12
Q
define common law
A
the part of English law that is derived from custom and judicial precedent rather than statutes (laws passed through gov)
13
Q
define formal equality
A
equal status for all members of society regardless of social background
14
Q
features of a direct democracy
A
- pure ‘Athenian’ form of democracy
- all tax paying citizens have a vote of equal value
- everyone makes decisions equally and fairly
- can avoid delay/deadlock in politics
- eg. Switzerland
15
Q
cons of a direct democracy (and how is it now used)
A
- impractical due to current nature of modern politics
- can lead to the ignoring of minorities
- people may be too easily swayed by short term emotional appeals
- some issues may be too complex for the ordinary citizen to understand
- now used as an enhancer of legitimacy in democracy
- eg. in the form of referendums
16
Q
features of a representative democracy
A
- most common type of democracy
- people choose representatives to make decisions for them (elected in a formal process)
- representatives are held accountable by the people
- during campaign parties put forward their ideas and opinions
- regular investigations and media scrutinies ensure those representing are being held accountable
- eg. UK
17
Q
general pros of direct democracy
A
- people directly vote (more legitimacy)
- makes people more educated
- everyone’s vote has equal value
- moves away from authoritarianism
- reduces the chances of a participation eg. Brexit ref - 72% voted
18
Q
general disadvantages of direct democracy
A
- people may be easily influenced
eg. lie during Brexit ref. that claimed to give £300 million a week to the NHS using the money that would have been spent on the EU - polarising - politcal chaos
- Gov has control over question
- results CAN (but realistically won’t) be ignored
- tyrany of the majority
- less compromisable
- general public has a lower level of understanding of political issues
19
Q
general pros of representative democracy
A
- representative can develop expertise to deal with matters
- representatives can be held accountable of their actions - representatives have time to deal with complex matter
- the most practical way of dealing with general public opinion
- elected representatives can protect the interests of minorities
- compromises
20
Q
general cons of representative democracy
A
- MPs may not act in the best interest of constituents (party allegiance)
- can lead to public disengagement from social issues
- representative bodies can be unrepresentative and may ignore the concerns and needs of minorities
21
Q
forms of representation in the UK
A
- constituencies
- parties
- mandate and manifesto
- pressure groups
22
Q
ways constituencies are representative
A
- individuals should have their grievances considered
- interest of the whole constituency should be given a hearing
- elected reps are held accountable
23
Q
ways parties are representative
A
- UK parties have an ideology centred belief, so everyone is represented through the party’s common belief
HOWEVER: only one party governs the UK
24
Q
ways government is representative (mandate and manifesto)
A
- the elected gov represents everyone as a whole
HOWEVER: they may represent one group more than others
25
ways pressure groups are representative
- policies are formed by people in a society to benefit their group eg. Farmer's Union
- casual representation represents the beliefs of people
26
CASE STUDY: 'the Doctor's mandate'
- theoretically, if the PM believes if a policy is best for a country they may go against a manifesto
- eg. boris johnson going against his manifesto and raising taxes for the NHS
27
CASE STUDY: May's Heathrow decision
- going against her local constituents' beliefs, and her prior promises
- trying to restore a post-Brexit economy
- TM attempted to open a 3rd Heathrow at runway
- locals would be forced to move away from the building
28
features (criteria) for a liberal democracy
- peaceful transition of power
- free elections
- fair elections
- widespread participation
- freedom of expression
- freedom of association
- protection of rights and liberties
- rule of law
- a constitution
29
IS THE UK A LIBERAL DEMOCRACY? arguments FOR
- UK is conflict free in terms of transition of power
- nearly everyone over 18 can vote
- proportional systems in place in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
- there is extensive membership of PG, which are free and active
- growing participation in e-democracy
- press and broadcast media are free of government influence
- no restrictions on legal organisations
- public protests may be organised
- strong protection of rights and liberties (ECHR)
- rule of law strictly upheld by judiciary
- parliament and courts make sure gov acts within the law
- HRA acts a restraint on gov
30
IS THE UK A LIBERAL DEMOCRACY: arguments AGAINST
- short lived disputes when there have been unclear election results in 2010 and 2017
- some groups can' vote eg. prisoners and the homeless
- HoL remains unelected
- FPTP disproportional system
- low voter turnout
- much of the media is owned by few large powerful companies
- uncodified constitution
- Parliament is sovereign so could technically overturn right protection laws
- those of higher socio-economic status are treated differently in the eyes of the law
31
C.S - Police, Crime and Sentencing Act 2022 (protest bill)
- empowers police to take action against crime and sentencing legislation, restrictions of protests
- Priti Pratel - post extinction rebellion and BLM
- impacts the rights and liberaties/freedom of expression AND freedom of association
- supposedly helps the justice system/rule of law
32
C.S - Bill of Rights 2022
- replacing the HRA 1988
- new permission state (you have to claim that you've had a severe infringement on your rights)
- lowered the level of protection and weakens the ability to enforce rights through courts to hold the state accountable
- harder to access courts
- damages UK international reputation
33
C.S - Elections Act 2022
- required photo ID at elections
- impacts democracy since most photo IDs cost money
- meaning lower income people may have limited access to voter participation
- infringes on rights to free and fair elections
34
C.S - Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022
- the court will no longer need to justify making a regular quashing order
- any decision taken by a public body can be challenged in a judicial review by a HC judge
- gives more power to unelected judges to challenge public bodies and cases
35
C.S - Nationality and Borders Bill 2022 (small boats legislation)
- made provisional to differentiate between asylum seekers and people entering the country illegally
- supposedly strengthens the protection against modern slavery (human trafficking)
- goes against people's rights and liberties to seek asylum
36
what are the 6 ways to participate in UK politics
1. standing for office (MP)
2. active party membership
3. active PG membership
4. passive party or group membership
5. digital activism
6. voting
37
MP work
- most intensive
- attending meetings, campaigning, meeting constituents, making decisions
- lots of time and effort
38
active party membership
- fully engaging with the party you support
- attending local meetings, voting for officers, campaigning
- trying to gain support
39
active PG membership
- helping to raise money and awareness
- attending/organising demonstrations and other forms of direct action
40
passive party or group membership
- supporting the group
- minimal active participation
- helping at elections/signing petitions
41
digital activists
- individuals take part in online campaigns and movements
- signing e petitions, joining social media campaigns, expressing support
42
voting
- most fundamental and least taxing
- citizens vote at least once a year
43
evidence for a lack of participation in democracy
gen elect turnout
1950: 83.9%
2010: 65.2%
only 2.11% of electorate have party membership
44
define participation crisis
- a lack of engagement with the political process by a significant number of citizens
45
how do Parliamentary institutions contribute to democratcic deficit
- FPTP leads to wasted voted, sometimes over half ( 2010: 52.8% voted against)
- other elements of parliament are undemocratic eg. HoL
46
what does current political party participation look like in the UK
- steady decline since 1940/50s
- currently only 2.11% of the electorate are part of a political party
47
recent exceptions in low party membership
- surge in Labour party membership in 2015 when Ed Miliband changed the subscription to £3 which enabled a wider selection of young supporters
- post Scottish ref. in 2014 there was a surge in SNP membership
- surge in UKIP membership in the run up to 2015 election
48
what does current political participation look like in terms of voting
- 2019 election had a turnout of 67.3% from high of 77.7% in 1992
- general trend of falling turnout
49
improving engagement with politics
- compulsory voting
- digital democracy and e-petitions
- pressure groups
50
compulsory voting pros
- voting is the least intensive form of participation
- may force people into making themselves more politically informed
- gives a greater demographic to the winning party and therefore a larger mandate
- supposedly a civic duty
51
compulsory voting cons
- civil liberties violated
- uninformed voters would spoil the participatory system
- would involve large amounts of public expenditure
- would favour large over small parties
- some people don't vote as a political statement
52
digital democracy and e-petitions pros
- fast growing in popularity
- require little effort
- can be done quickly
- EG. investigation into Hillsborough football stadium tragedy
- EG. offer more support to the arts amidst the Covid 19 pandemic
53
digital democracy and e - petitions cons
- requires little effort so people may not know what they're signing for
- no political regulation on social media
- target specific areas meaning lots of people will go unknowing
- polarising
- didn't work when trying to stop Article 50 - 6 million signed and no effect
54
PG pros
- replacement of party membership and activism
- millions of people involved
- eg. trade unions
55
PG cons
- rely on mass participation
- rely on movement and active support rather than membership
56
overall assessment of participation crisis in UK
- political action is more widespread than ever before
- may be less intensive
- the fall in voting turnout and party membership has been largely overtaken by the growth of alternative forms of political participation
- the UK isn't in a crisis, its just simply evolving and adapting to modern society
57
CASE STUDY - Labour's 'youthquake'
- Ed Miliband's change membership fee to £3, attracting younger votes
- Jazza's youth quake was largely due to the increased social media presence (digital democracy)
58
3 suffrage acts over the years
- Great Reform Act 1832 - franchise extended to various rent-owners and now 6% can vote
- Representation of the People Act 1918 - most adult men given the right to vote, plus women over 30 (married or property owners)
- Representation of the People Act 1928 - all adults over 21
59
voting and suffrage in the UK case study - SUFFRAGETTES
- the idea first presented in Parliament in 1866, but ignored
- Manchester Society for Women's Suffrage established, inspiring other local communities in the UK
- these communities came together in 1897 as the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) (suffragists)
- gained up to 100,000 members in 1914
- open to all and practised peaceful protest eg. letters, petitions etc
60
voting and suffrage in the UK case study - suffragettes - what happened after the peaceful methods weren't working?
- some women felt the pace of change was slow
- the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) was formed in 1903
- open exclusively to women and practised violent protest
- including disrupting meetings, changing themselves, hunger strikes (to die as martyrs)
- in 1918, married women over 30 were granted the vote
61
modern campaigns for suffrage - should 16/17 year olds be allowed to vote? argument FOR
- would increase public participation as more of the public is allowed to take part
- would require increased political education, resulting in a more educated public on political affairs
- younger votes could help balance the radical and the older votes (typically older voters)
- would force politicians to think about young people's issues
62
modern campaigns for suffrage - 16/17 year olds allowed to vote? argument AGAINST
- the younger generations are undereducated and possibly can't be trusted to make big decisions like who to vote for
- most would only vote how their parents vote
- the young tend to be excessively radical as they have not had the experience to consider things carefully
63
CASE STUDY: votes at 16
- Votes at 16 is a coalition of a number of different groups that believe franchise should be extended o 16/17 year olds
- founded in 2001 under the British Youth Council
- producing and publishing information through its website
- some success in moving the opinion of political supporters and gaining wider support
- Scottish and Welsh elections have lowered the age
64
modern campaigns for suffrage - should voting be compulsory? arguments FOR
- creates a stronger mandate
- improves demographic variation for electorate
- improves democratic legitamacy
- creates a more knowledgable nation
65
modern campaigns for suffrage - should voting be compulsory? arguments AGAINST
- can create an elective dictatorship
- expensive
- reduces people's rights not to vote (some people choose not to vote as a political statement) - issue of free speech
- would mainly only help the 2 main parties
66
modern campaigns for suffrage - should prisoners be allowed to vote? arguments FOR
- prisoners are still people at the end of the day
- currently going against ECHR
- prisoners are still members of society
67
modern campaigns for suffrage - should prisoners be able to vote? arguments AGAINST
- by committing a crime you sign your rights away
- prisoners don't pay tax
- prisoners aren't really a part of public life
68
define pressure groups
a membership based organisation whose aim is to influence policy making without seeking power
69
what are some functions of pressure groups
- call gov to account
- to inform/educate the public
- to pass key information to gov
- to influence policy and gov
- to protect the interests on minority groups
- to represent and promote the interests of certain sections
- to give the public an opportunity to participate in politics
- to promote certain causes that have not been adequately taken up by big political parties
70
list the different types of PG
- causal groups
- sectional groups
- insiders
- outsiders
71
features and examples of causal PG
- seek to promote a particular cause (could to be broad or specific)
- campaign to change laws
- Greenpeace, Liberty
72
features and examples of sectional PG
- represent a particular section of the community
- self interested in the hopes to change things for the community
- eg. unions, Age UK, Fathers 4 Justice
73
features and examples of insider PG
- close links to decision makers
- seek to be involved in early stages of policy
- used to help make decisions
- give advice and info
- eg. National Farmers Union
74
features and examples of outsider PG
- usually promotional groups
- no position within governing circles
- the group wishes to remain independent
- lots of public campaigning
- seek to demonstrate that the public is on their side
- eg. Animal Liberation Front
75
methods used by PG
- access points and lobbying
- e-petitions
- civil disobedience
- media campaigns
76
PG methods: access points and lobbying
- an activity that promotes causes and interests
- eg. large gatherings, seeking direct meetings, and employing organisations
77
PG methods: public campaigning
- groups without direct access to the gov tend to mobilise public demonstrations to convince the gov to listen to them
- organising mass demonstrations
- creating e-petitions
- using celebrities to gain support
- eg. Extinction Rebellion
78
PG methods: civil disobedience
- illegal methods, often used as a last resort
- used as means of gaining publicity
- eg Greenpeace, Just Stop Oil
79
PG methods: media campaigns
- can be very important
- using press TV, radio
- publicising concerns
- although most broadcast media is neutral, some programming may publicise an issue to the benefit of the cause
80
factors in the success and failures of PG
- size of membership
- finance
- strategic position of a particular sectional group
- public mood
- attitude of the movement
81
C.S - causal PG
ASH
82
C.S - causal PG: ASH
- Action on Smoking and Health
- spreading information about tobacco use
- conducts research and publicises information
- insider group, concentrating on lobbying lawmakers and gov
83
C.S successes of ASH
- restrictions on advertising tobacco products and tobacco sponsorship
- health warnings on cigarette packs
- persuading governments to increase taxf
84
C.S failures of ASH
- no success in changing gov policy in areas of e-cigarettes
85
C.S reasons for ASH success
- helps government make policy by providing evidence and information
- acts responsibly and has built up a network of supporters within gov
86
C.S sectional PG
- RMT Union (National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers)
87
C.S: sectional PG - RMT Union
- founded in 1990
- promotion of better pay and conditions for its members including shorter hours and safer working hours
- negotiates contracts with major transport companies, including TFL
- lobbies gov for better legislative protections
- organises and conducts strikes
- has, in the past, put up members for election and affiliated with the Labour party
88
C.S: successes of the RMT Union
- in 2016 secured a £500 consolidation payment to all operational staff following Night Tube service
- the RMT has helped members bring legal cases following injury
- securing bonus payments during 2012 Olympics
- improving safety standards on offshore oil platforms
- credit union to help members with their finances
89
C.S failures of the RMT union
- closed ticket offices on the tube network
- gov removed guards from trains
- campaigns for higher wages not always met
90
C.S reasons for RMT Union success
- represents workers on a strategically important transport network
- strikes have large consequences on the country
91
C.S causal outsider PG
Greenpeace
92
C.S causal outsider: Greenpeace
- dedicated to preserving endangered species of animals, preventing animal abuses, heightening awareness
93
C.S methods of Greenpeace
- investigations into exposing those responsible for the destruction of habitats
-lobbying
- peaceful direct action
94
C.S successes of Greenpeace
- wind power
- low emissions
- diesel and petrol cars to be banned 10 years early
95
C.S failures of Greenpeace
- emissions are still high
- world leaders not responding fast enough
96
C.S reasons for Greenpeace failures/successes
- harder for them to access gov as they are an outsider group
- large membership
97
C.S sectional PG
- BMA (british medical association)
98
C.S sectional PG: BMA
- promotes the medical and sciences
- to maintain the interests of the medical profession on behalf of doctors and nurses
99
C.S methods of BMA
- research top back the cause
- negotiate contracts
- campaign to raise awareness
- lobby and influence policy
100
C.S successes of BMA
- has had successful campaigning on many issues
101
C.S failures of BMA
- some say it doesn't strike to protect staff or NHS, just itself
102
C.S reasons for successes/failures of BMA
- large organisation with lots of funding
103
