1.0 Democracy and Participation

Advantages of Direct Democracy

• Purest form of democracy. Voices of the people are heard clearly.

• Improves participation, public engagment and political education.

• Increased legitimacy through the support of the majority of the public.

• Can avoid deadlock and delay on decisions.

Disadvantages of direct democracy

• Some issues may be too complex for people, leading to low turnouts.

• People may respond emotionally, or just follow popular short-term choices.

• Impractical with modern population sizes.

• Can lead to tyrnanny-of-the-majority

Advantages of Representative Democracy

• Representatives develop expertise on specific topics.

• Everyone is represented through an MP who can be held to account.

• The public will not have to vote on every day-to-day decision.

• It is the only practical way to translate mass public opinion into political action.

Disadvantages of Representative Democracy

• Representatives may not act in the best interest of their constituants.

• Can be difficult to hold to account between elections.

• The public could politically disengage, especially when they feel they are not represented.

• Can ignore the needs and concerns of minorities, espcially when using the system of FPTP.

Does the UK have a peaceful transition of power?

• Yes: The UK is remarkably conflict free

• No: Short-lived disuptes have arisen when results were unclear eg/. 2010 or 2017

Does the UK have free elections?

• Yes: Nearly everyone over the age of 18 can vote and there is little electoral fraud

• No: Prisoners and the homeless can’t vote and some members of the House of Lords are unelected peers

Does the UK have fair elections?

• Yes: Proportional systems in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and other devolved bodies

• No: FPTP leads to disproportionate results and wasted votes and governments are often only elected on a modest proportion of the vote

Does the UK have widespread participation?

• Yes: Pressure groups are free and active

• No: Since 2001 turnout has decreased for general elections and party membership has fallen since the 1950s

Does the UK have freedom of expression and information?

• Yes: The press and broadcast media are free of government interference and there is free access to the internet

• No: Much ownership of the press is in the hands of a few, large, powerful companies such as News International, each with their own politcal preference. Further, some information on the internet is false abd detrimental

Does the UK have the rule of law?

• Yes: Upheld strictly by the judiciary with judicial review, the judiciary is independent and non-political

• No: The monarch is exempt from legal restrictions. Statistical evidence that those of higher social and economic standing are treated more leniently

Does the UK have protection of rights and liberties?

Yes: The country is signed up to the ECHR and the courts enforce it. The HoL and judiciary also enforce and protect rights

No: Parliament is sovereign, meaning rights are at the mercy of the government. The ECHR is non-binding on the UK Parliament

Does the UK have freedom of association?

• Yes: There are no restrictions on legal organisations and people may protest

• No: The government has the power to ban some associations based on terrorism or racial hatred. Public meetings can be closed down for ‘public safety’

Does the UK have a constitution?

• Yes: Parliament and the courts ensure the government acts within the law, the HRA acts as a restraint on government and constitutional checks exist

• No: There is no codified constitution so the limits are vague. Parliamentary sovereignty means the government’s powers could be increased without a constituional safeguard. The prerogative powers of the PM are extensive and arbitary

Potential democratic reforms for the UK

• Make the HoL completely elected

• Replace FPTP with a more proportional electoral system

• Codify the constitution

• Create a devolved english parliament to equalise devolution

• Introduce state party funding

• Introduce complusery voting

• Replace monarch with an elected head of state