Democracy and Participation

Democracy Definition

Power to the people

Choice in government by the people, fair and just system

Features of Democracy

• Education

• Representation

• Accountability

• Participation

• Power Dispersal

• Legitimacy

Representative Democracy Definition

A system of democracy in which people vote for elected representatives who then make decisions on their behalf

Representative Democracy Examples

UK system, vote for a Member of Parliament in a constituency to make decisions on behalf of that area

Direct Democracy Definition

A form of democracy in which people decide on policy initiatives directly

Direct Democracy Examples

Referendums (2016, 2014 Scottish independence, 2011 replace FPTP), e-petitions

Advantages of Direct Democracy

• Promotes participation

• Legitimacy of decisions

• Higher turnout (84.6 in 2011)

Disadvantages of Direct Democracy

• Not useful for small issue change

• Lack of education

• Media misinformation (Brexit Bus)

• Inconvinient and impractical

• Voter fatigue

Suffrage Definition

Having the right to vote, being enfranchised is being given the right to vote

Universal Suffrage Dates

• Great Reform Act 1832

• Second Great Reform Act 1867

• Third Great Reform Act 1884

• Representation of the People Act 1918

• Representation of the People Act 1928

• Representation of the People Act 1969

Great Reform Act 1832

• 6% population could vote

• Redrew constituency boundaries

Second Great Reform Act 1867

• Influence of Chartists

• Demands of votes for all men, no land requirement, secret ballots, regular elections, payment of MPs, equal constituencies

• Enfranchise urban working class male

Third Great Reform Act 1884

• 60% population

• All working men could vote

Representation of the People Act 1918

• Influence of suffragettes and suffragists

• All men and some women over 30 could vote (land requirement)

Representation of the People Act 1928

• All men and women over 21

Representation of the People Act 1969

• Lowered voting age to 18

Why race may be a vote barrier

• Language barriers

• Lack of representation of ethnic minority MPs

Prisoner Voting Advantages

• makes rehabilitation into society easier

• No evidence disenfranchisement is a crime deterrent

• Right to vote is fundamental

• Human Rights Act

• alienates prisoners

Prisoner Voting Disadvantages

• Deterrance for crime

• Undermines justice

• Prisons concentrated in constituencies

• Commiting crimes goes against society