Representative & Direct Democracy

Paper One

Voters in direct democracy

make their own political decisions, are directly involved in the political decision making process

In a direct democracy, decisions are reached by

a majority voting decision

In the UK, decisions are

not made by direct democracy, but some are made by referendums

EU referendum results (2016)

33 million UK citizens voted, 51.89% voted to leave

Alternative vote referendum (2011)

19 million citizens voted to keep FPTP

Online petitions require..

100,000 to be debated in parliament, support from the Backbench Business Committee

Donald Trump petition (2018)

1.6 million people signed to stop his State Visit to the UK, and it was changed to a working visit

Do rallies and protests require a government response

No, they can be ignored

Examples of protests

Protests against austerity measures (2017)

Student protests against rises in tuition fees (2010)

Advantages of direct democracy

Transparency, Wishes of the people, Cooperation, Purest form. Education, All votes count equally

Disadvantages of direct democracy

Impractical, Can be manipulated, Voters may not be experts

Examples of advantages of direct democracy

AV referendum (2011) educated voters on voting systems, constituencies mean that not all votes count the same based on size

Examples of disadvantages of direct democracy

2016 EU referendum cost £142.2m, EU referendum wording was changed to remain/leave

In a representative democracy

citizens vote for an individual to represent them in the making of laws and political decisions

Regular elections mean

giving representative authority, and making the system legitimate

The UK is

a representative democracy

How many constituencies are in the UK?

650

General elections take place

every 5 years in May

How can parliament hold an election earlier

a motion of no confidence in the government, voting 2/3 majority in favour of a general election

Prime Minister’s question time

Once a week, questioned by MPs and leader of the opposition

Advantages of representative democracy

Expertise, Representation, Accountability, Practicality

Disadvantages of representative democracy

Low participation levels, Inaccurate representation, Self interest, Delegates vs Trustees

Examples of advantages of representative democracy

Minority groups can be represented better, representatives can be held accountable for their decisions

Low participation example (RD)

Turnout for EU parliament elections was 35.6% in 2014, and therefore more marginal and radical parties have seats, UKIP won 26.6% of the EU parliament vote but only 12.6% at the 2015 general election

Inaccurate representation example (RD)

29% of MPs are privately educated compared to 7% of the UK (descriptive representation), David Cameron pushed for legalisation of gay marriage despite not being gay (substantive), Parliament must have both types

What is a delegate?

A delegate is a representative who expresses the views of those they representW

What is a trustee?

A trustee is a representative who chooses actions they think will be best for their constituents

Similarities of R and D Democracy

allow voters to make important decisions, and use public mandates

What is a mandate?

When a party/decision-maker has the authority to make decisions or put policies in place

Democratic deficit

Democracy is not working as intended and is failing to ensure sufficient accountability and legitimacy

Low voter turn out case study (democratic deficit)

UK turnout has fallen after 1997 - in 2014 there was a 35.6% EU parliament election turnout

FTPT case study (democratic deficit)

FPTP creates a 2 party system, so its difficult for other parties to gain seats. The two parties can win less than 40% of the vote but win a majority of seats. FPTP creates safe seats.

Institutions case study (democratic deficit)

House of Lords has a mostly unelected membership, and some are hereditary peers.

Electoral Reform

Changing from FPTP to AV/other systems

House of Lords Reform

Liberal Democrats have proposed a second elected chamber (e.g a senate)

Online Voting Reform

Online Voting can reduce time and money setting up polling stations and is more likely to engage with younger voters, so may increase election turnout

Compulsory Voting

Voting as a legal duty and fining non-voters can increase voter turnout, making results more representative. Australia is an example of this, with turnout usually around 95%

The case against reform

Many institutions can hold politicians to account so there may not be a pressing need for reform

Pressure groups can…

represent minority interests and scrutinise the government, inform the public of key issues, and engage the public in politics

AV referendum

2011, public voted against

Media scrutiny can…

hold politicians to account, monitor UK politics, and inform voters