✅Representative democracy

Representative democracy =

a limited + indirect form of democracy. It operate through the ability of representatives to speak for, or act on behalf of, the people

Key features of representative democracy:

• Participation is indirect- the public don’t exercise power over themselves

• Participation is mediated- the people are linked to govt through representative institutions

• Participation is limited- it’s infrequent + brief, restricted to voting every few year

What basis does RD operate on?

Popular control

• The basic condition for RD is the existence of democratic elections based on what rules?

• Freedom, fairness + regularity

• Universal suffrage

• Party + candidate competition

What was voting previously limited to?

general elections + local elections

New range of elections?

• Elections for devolved govts since 1998

• Elections for London mayor + Greater London authority since 2000

• Elections for metro mayors since 2017

• Elections for police crime commissioners

Why is the UK an e.g. of a representative democracy ?

• because there are regular, free elections where virtually all adults can vote or stand for office

Why can it be said we have a ‘deliberative democracy’

• There are elected representative at every level, national, regional + local, these assemblies debate + discuss issues, the HOC is the nation’s debating chamber

who are individuals represented by?

• Every individual is represented by an MP, a regional assembly member + a local councillor, who may take up an individual’s grievances in govt

What is every locality represented through?

• Every locality is also represented through the constituency responsibilities of MPS, e.g. responding to correspondence, meeting constituents in surgeries

PMs power in their constituency:

MPs have no ‘power’ in their local constituency, they don’t run local services or make decisions locally, the local authority does, but they have influence + the ability to raise local issues in parl or w ministers, they can also try to influence local issues in through the media

e.g. of a minister trying to influence local issues in through the media

2023 Zak Goldsmith resigned as MP for Richmond park after the govt decided to go ahead w the new run way at Heathrow

MPs:

• Today, MPs listen to the cross-section of views in their constituencies + balance these views against their own individual judgement, as well as, having to adhere to their party’s direction

• On occasions, MPs will defy the party line + vote in accordance w their conscience/ majority will of their constituents

Theories of representation:

the resemblance model

The delegate model

The trustee model

The mandate model

The resemblance model:

• Representative assemblies should reflect or resemble the society they represent in terms of class, age, gender, region + ethnicity

The delegate model

• MPs should seek to represent the wishes of their constituents. MPs will speak about local issues + raise the concerns of individuals + sometimes oppose the policy of their party as a result

The trustee model

• MPs should represent what they believe to be in their best interests of their constituents even if this might not be popular w them

The mandate model

• MPs should represent their party’s policies since the party ran on a manifesto which gives them the mandate to carry out these policies. Party whips will remind any MP who is considering opposing a policy of their own party of this model