the role of elections in democracy

elections

they have various functions and roles

• they are a device for ensuring that the will of the majority is made clear

• they confer legitimacy on government and politicians

• they help to form government if a party wins a general election, it secures the right to govern. the party that loses recognises the loss and leave

• they provide choice of political programme by manifesto

• they are a means by which citizens can actively participate and feel involved in political life

• they provide representation by ensuring that MPs are accountable to their constituents at regular intervals

• they are a means of holding an incumbent government to account

mandates and manifestos

• mandate is the authority extended to the winning party or candidate after winning an election, it grants permission to act or produce legislation in accordance with the promise or manifesto offered

do elections promote democracy YES

• they educate the public as political parties try to explain current issues and how they would deal with them if elected

• popular participation is a core feature of democracy elections encourage participation

• elections offer the electorate choice instead of having elections where only one party can stand such as in china in the UK there are many parties to choose from

• through elections MPs are individually and gov are collectively responsible this ensures they are acting in the interests of the electorate and not their own aims

• political change over during elections ensures peaceful change. democracy requires that those who have lost an election accept the authority of those that have won

• elections are the ultimate expression of the popular will they allow people to show preference between different candidates parties programmes and ideologies

do elections promote democracy NO

• they can fail to educate the wider electorate; it rather misinforms them with biased propaganda

• elections are also a form of indirect democracy take decision making away from the people no guarantee politicians will stick to their mandate in the run up to the 2010 election lib dems pledged to not raise tuition fees however after joining the coalition with the torys they changed their minds

• at general elections it is accepted that the winning party has a mandate to carry out is manifesto however elections do not indicate which parts of the manifesto people agree with

• it could be said that the choices presented at elections are largely an illusion because there are not many differences between the main parties