Representative democracy

Representative democracy

• Voters elect representatives to govern on their behalf

• Representatives chosen through regular elections

• Professional politicians represent the people, not themselves

Basis of RD

• Popular control via democratic elections

  • Relies on people exercising right to vote

Power in rep. demo.

• Indirect

• Limited

Problem of DD solved by RD

• Few people want to/can spend time involved in politics

3 key features of representative democracy

1. Mediated participation

2. Indirect participation

3. Limited participation

Mediated participation

• Link to govt is through representative instutitions

Indirect participation

• Public don’t exercise power but choose those to rule on their behalf

Limited participation

• Voting only every few years

3 principles of democratic elections

1. Freedom/fairness/regularity - ability to freely express own views

2. Universal suffrage

3. Party and candidate competition

Freedom/fairness/regularity

• Ability to freely express own views

Universal suffrage

• Voting equality

  • All adults can vote

  • 1 vote per person

Party and candidate competition

• Voter choice and opportunity to learn about choices and outcomes

Representative democracy in the UK

• Previously limited to general elections

• More voters = more opportunities to participate

5 things you can vote for in the UK

• Devolved govts (since 1998)

• London Mayors and Greater London Authority (since 2000)

• Metro mayors (since 2017)

• MEPs (1979-2019)

• PCCs (since 2012)

Types of representation: social

• Characteristics of representatives should be in line with characteristics of the population as a whole

  • Should be close to a ‘microcosm’ of society

• Difficult to achieve due to social inequality and other factors

• UK Plmt definitely not representative

Types of representation: national interest

• Despite being elected locally/regionally, those that sit in the national Plmt are expected to represent the interests of the nation as a whole

• May clash with constituency wants/needs

  • E.g. Heathrow 3rd runway

• National interest difficult to define, often debated

Types of representation: constituency (3 types)

1. Whole constituency - funding for local services, new infrastructure

2. Individuals - redress of grievances

3. Taking constituents’ views into account when deciding a national issue (may clash with view of the representative - Nikki Morgan, gay marriage)

Types of representation: party

• Campaigns are done on the manifesto

• The representative is expected to represent this manifesto

Types of representation: occupational

• Representation of an occupational group - trade unions (workers), teachers, doctors, other professions

• Also applies to social groups

Types of representation: casual

• Representation of ideas/principles/causes - often the whole community is encompassed in this as beliefs are claimed to benefit everyone

• E.g. environment, individual rights and freedoms, animal rights

Advantage - professional politicians

• Representatives required to be well-informed

• More likely to make better educated decisions than the majority of the public

Advantage - issues with the public

• Stops the public making decisions on emotion and lack of understanding of the complexities and nuances of the question

Advantage - protection of rights

• Representatives balance conflicting interests and therefore protect all citizen’s rights

• Especially: minorities, controversial decisions

Advantage - accountability

• Public use elections to decide if they want to renew the mandate of the elected representatives

Advantage - practicality

• Works on a large scale

• Efficient and prevents everyday citizens from making day-to-day decisions

Advantage - stability

• Distances ordinary citizens from politics

• Encourages them to accept compromise

Disadvantage - representatives | population

• MPs seen as metropolitan elite that doesn’t represent trad. population values

• “Westminster bubble”

• Plmt is white, straight and male

• Leads to political apathy

• “Government by politicians” distort public opinion through imposition of their own views and preferences

% of MPs that supported remaining in the EU

74%

Disadvantage - conflict of interest

• MP’s outside interests and second jobs can cause a conflict of interest

  • 2021 - Owen Paterson resigned for lobbying on behalf of companies that employed him

  • Sir Geoffrey Cox MP also criticised for earning £900,000 in legal work as well as £71,000 as an MP

    • Criticised as excessive when primary job should be representing constituents

Disadvantage - FPTP

• Allows L/C to dominate the HoC so unrepresentative

Disadvantage - HoL

• Unelected so unaccountable and unrepresentative

Disadvantage - legitimacy

• Participation crisis means the govt isn’t legitimate

2019 - % of people felt the political system was rigged to the advantage of the rich and powerful

63