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What is Direct Democracy?
In which individuals express their opinions themselves and not through representatives acting on their behalf. An example of direct democracy.
What is Representative Democracy?
In which people elect representatives (or political party) who make decisions on their behalf.
What are the advantages of Direct Democracy?
Gives equal weight to all votes, unlike a representative system where the varying sizes of constituencies mean that votes do not all have equal value.
Encourages popular participation in politics by expecting people to take their duties as citizens seriously.
Removes the need for trusted representatives, as people can take responsibility for their own decisions.
Removes the need for trusted representatives, as people can take responsibility for their own decisions.
Develops a sense of community and encourages genuine debate.
Disadvantages of Direct Democracy
Impractical in a large, heavily populated modern state where decision-making is complicated.
Many people will not want to - or feel qualified to - take part in decision-making, so political activists decide what happens.
Open to manipulation by the cleverest and most articulate speaker, who will persuade people to support their viewpoint.
Will of the majority is not mediated by parliamentary institutions, so minority viewpoints are disregarded.
Advantages of Representative Democracy
The only practical system in a large modern state, where issues are complex and often need rapid response (e.g. deployment of troops).
Politicians form parties, bringing coherence and giving people a real choice of representative. Pressure groups form to represent different interests, promoting debate and encouraging pluralist democracy.
Reduces chances of minority rights being overridden by 'tyranny of the majority'.
Elections allow people to hold representatives to account.
Politicians are (in theory) better informed than the average citizen about the many issues on which they must take a view.
Disadvantages of Representative Democracy
May lead to reduced participation as people choose to hand responsibility to politicians.
Parties and pressure groups are often run by elites pursuing their own agendas, not truly representing the people.
Minorities may still find themselves underrepresented as politicians are more likely to follow the views of the majority to secure election.
Politicians are skillful in avoiding accountability, especially as general elections are five years apart in the UK.
Politicians may be corrupt and incompetent, may betray election promises or put loyalty to their party before responsibility to the electorate.
Define Pluralist Democracy
A type of democracy in which a government makes decisions as a result of the interplay of various ideas and contrasting arguments from competing groups and organisations.
What Positive Democratic Feature does the UK Have?
Free Media that challenges government policy and exposes the misdeeds of politicians.
Independent judiciary that upholds the rule of law and protects a wide range of personal freedom.
Devolved governments for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and elected majors for London and other English cities, enabling more decisions to be takes closer to local people.
Free and fair elections, largely free of corruption and intimidation, in recent years supplement by opportunities to vote in referendums.
Wide range of political parties and pressure groups to which people may belong.
What are some arguments that suggest the UK isn't democratic?
Underrepresentation of minority viewpoints due to the voting system (First Past The Post)
House of Lords lacks democratic legitimacy. The House of Lords is wholly unelected.
Lack of protection for citizens' rights. Governments can 'derogate from' (suspend) articles of the Human Rights Act in certain situations.
Control of sections of the media by wealthy, unaccountable business interests. For example, the powerful Murdoch group has owned a number of British newspapers simultaneously including, The Times, The Sunday Times and The Sun.
Define legitimacy
The legal right to exercise power (for example, a government's right to rule following an election)
Define Democratic Deficit
A perceived deficiency in the way a particular democratic body works, especially in terms of especially in terms of accountability and control over policy-making.
Define Participation Crisis
A lack of engagement with the political system, for example where a large number of people choose not to vote, join a political party or stand for office.
Party Membership and Participation Crisis
Only 1.6% of the electorate now belongs to one of the three main UK-wide parties, whereas in 1983 the figure was 3.8%.
What should be done to reform the system? (Participation Crisis)
Changing the day for elections from Thursay to the weekend like in mainland Europe
Allowing people to vote anywhere in their constituency, rather than insisting on attendance at a particular polling station.
Allowing voting to take place over several days.
Reducing the age from 18 to 16.
Encourage wider use of postal-voting and to allow electronic voting or 'e-voting'. (Open to questions about security and fraud)
Make voting compulsory.
Arguements in favour of making voting compulsory
Voting is a social duty as well as a right, people should be engaged in the processes that affect their lives.
It would produce a Parliament that is more representative of the population as a whole.
Politicians would have to run better quality campaigns, and governments would have to frame their policies with the whole electorate in mind.
Voters are not obliged to vote for one of the candidates if they conscientiously cannot do so; it would be legal to spoil one's ballot paper, or a 'none of the above' box could be provided on the paper.
Arguements for keeping voting voluntary
In a preferential voting system, where voter number candidate in order, compulsoray voting might lead to participants simply placing candidates in rank order.
It is undemocratic to force people to take part in something that should be a matter of choice.
It would not stop politicians focusing their campaigning on marginal seats, and neglecting safe seats where the outcome is predicatble.
Compulsary voting does not address the deeper reasons why people decide not to vote.
Broader reforms of the UK democratic system that could be considered.
Changing the electoral system for Westminister to one based on proportional representation, so that it more accurately reflects voters' preferences. People who wish to vote for minority parties might then feel that there is more chance of their viewpoint is represented.
Further reform of Parliament, to make its processes more democratic and transparent, and enabling it to bring government more effectively to account for their actions.
The transfer of more govenrment powers and functions to local bodies - for example, devolving power to English regions or to an English parliament.
What does suffrage mean?
The suffrage (also known as the franchise) is the ability or right to vote in public elections.
Who are excluded from taking part in parliamentary elections?
People under 18.
Eu citizizens (apart from those from the Irish Republic), although they can vote in local elections.
Members of the House of Lords (on the grounds that they have a permenant voice as members of one of the Houses of Parliament.
Prisoners
Those convicted of a corrupt or illegal electorate practice, who are barred for five years.
People who are compulsary detained in a psychiatric hospital.
How democratic is the UK: Free Elections
Positives:
All over 18 can vote.
There is little electoral fraud and there exists strong legal safeguards
Negatives:
The House of Lords is entirely unelected, nor is the head of state: the monarch.
How democratic is the UK: Fair Elections
Positives:
There are proportional systems in place in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales and for European parliamentary elections.
Negatives:
The first-past-the-post system for general elections leads to disproportionate results and many wasted votes. Governments are elected on a modest proportion of the popular vote.
How democratic is the UK: Widespread Participation
Positives:
There is extensive membership of pressure groups, which are free and active. There is also a growing level of participation in e-democracy.
Negatives:
Turnout at elections and referendum has been falling. So too has party membership, especially among the young However, membership of some parties began to rise in 2015 and turnout at general elections recovered considerably in 2015 and 2017.. It is still below levels experienced in the 1950s though.
How democratic is the UK: Freedom of Expression
Positives:
The press and broadcast media are free of government interference. Broadcast media maintain political neutrality. There is also free access to the internet.
Negatives:
Much ownership of the press in the hands of a few large powerful companies such as News International.
How democratic is the UK: Freedom of Association
Positives:
There are no restrictions on legal organisations.
Negatives:
Some associations are banned but this is because they are seen as based on terrorism or racial hatred.
How democratic is the UK: Protection of Rights and Liberties
Positives:
Strong in the UK. The country is signed up to the ECHR and the courts enforce it. The House of Lords protects rights, as does the judiciary.
Negatives:
Parliament is sovereign, which means rights are at the mercy of government with a strong majority in the House of Commons. The ECHR is not binding on the UK Parliament.
How democratic is the UK: The Rule of Law
Positives:
Upheld strictly by the judiciary. The right to judicial review underpins this. The judiciary is independent and non-political.
Negatives:
None
How democratic is the UK: Limited Government and Constitution
Positives:
Parliament and the courts do ensure the government acts within the law.
Negatives:
There is no codified UK Constitution so the limits to government power are vague. Parliamentary sovereignty means the government's powers could be increased without a constitutional safeguard. The prerogative powers of the prime minister are extensive and arbitrary.
