Chapter 1 - Democracy and participation

Representative Democracy

Representative democracy is a system where people choose leaders to make laws for them, instead of voting on every issue themselves.

Direct Democracy

Electorate vote for issues directly themselves.

3 advantages of Representative

• politically informed decisions made, less likely to be swayed by emotion

• Electorate may not have time to dedicate towards affairs unlike MPS

• accountability can be held so electorate can vote out mp/party if they do not approve of their actions

3 disadvantages of Representative

• less engagement with the electorate - participation?

• Mp could act in personal interest and disengaged from public

• can have second jobs eg Sir Geoffrey Cox 900,000 for legal work on side not focused on representing constituency

2 disadvantages of Direct

• encourages public to vote on issues arent educated on

• Influence by various factors eg parents pressure not legitimate'

FOR participation crisis

• voter turnout - downward trend - 2005 - 2019 - 65% less than 1964 -1997'

• party membership - conservative 2 mill to 200,000 labour from 1 mill to 200,000 in 2021

• - Generational 2015:43% of 18-24-year-olds went to the polls, compared with 78% of people aged 65 or over
  2017:18-24 year olds did rise to 58% (corbyn)

AGAINST participation crisis

participation eg petitions - revoke article 50 6.1 mill

marches - black lives matter, stop the war 2003

social media - BBC news 10 million followers corbyn 2million

voting compulsory?

for:

• d+e voters not voting - not represented increasing legitimacy (police and crime turnout of just 15%)

• civic responsbility and function lost

• educative role

against:

• random voting - legitimacy?

• removes incentive for politicans to engage with public and wouldn’t remove safe seats

• limits right to act in way we wish and is undemocractic to force

• doesn’t show apathy for political system

voting for 16/17 yr olds?

for:

• significant responsibility - have sex, join the army

• take duty seriously - more politically informed-Greta Thunburg

• Effects their future-Greenpeace -Tax rates job seekers allowance uni fees

• Under represented

against:

• do not have the right to drink or buy cigarettes - not mature enough-29% of 16- to 19-year-olds in full time work

• most still in education - legislation may not affect their demographic

• Many things they do are still limited by law-Army with parents permission and cant be front-line

• voter turnout lowest category cannot decrease further.

historial content

1215 - magna carta

1832 - great reform middle class

1867 working class

1918 - women (40%)

1928 - women

1969 - representation of the people act

BMA - case studie

BMA founded in 1832 - cholera outbreak

insider pressure group who have direct influence on decision making and representing doctors and nurses.

criticism - called ‘old boys club' - 2019 sexism

Currently Help organising the Junior Doctor Pay strikes in the whole of the UK

What is an insider pressure group?

• direct access on decision making and influence on government legislation, close ties eg BMA

What is an outsider pressure group?

• Do not possess access to political decision making and may be unprepared to work within existing political structures. EXTINCTION REBELLION

Cause/promotional

Promote a particular issue e.g GREENPEACE campaigns on behalf of civil liberties and united by interest in specific cause

Sectional/Interest

• Represents section of society and their interests eg NUS (Union of Students)

• Lobby governments on behalf of these social groups

Success factors for pressure groups

• insider status

• wealth - CBI employs 7 mil & arranges meetings with MPS

• Celeb leadership - eg Emma Watson - HE FOR SHE Rashford - FSM

• social media eg oxfam

• direct action - blm, strikes not extinct rebellion

Think Tanks

• made up of experts in a particular field who produce ideas that form the basis for government policy

  eg Fabian Society

Corporations

• Major corporations and lobbying firms seek to influence decision making by cultivating links with politicians. eg facebook, shell, tesco

• Want to be part of decision making to help themselves

Lobbyist

• can also represent the interests of groups in society who are prepared to pay for their services

rights in context

rights that individuals and the public are all entitled to

rights - legislation

human rights act 1998 - established positive rights that we are all equally eligible eg right to life and a fair hearing

equality act 2010 - discrimination is illegal eg disability age gender, sexuality

collective rights

Group rights, also known as collective rights, are rights held by a group as a whole rather than individually by its members;

individual rights

Individual rights are the rights needed by each individual to pursue their lives and goals without interference from other individuals or the government

Participation Crisis:Voter Turnout 2001

59%

Participation Crisis:Voter Turnout 2015

66%

Participation Crisis:Voter Turnout 1997

71.4%