DEMOCRACY+PARTICIPATION:
CURRENT SYSTEMS OF DEMOCRACY:
DIRECT DEMOCRACY:
DIRECT democracy is where all individuals %%express their opinions themselves and not through representatives acting on their behalf-%% this idea was 1st conceived in Ancient Greece and can be seen today through %%referendums.%%
However, direct democracy today, should be seen as an %%addition to representative democracy rather than separate systems%%- should be seen as one that can %%add great legitimacy%% to the decisions made by politicians
LEGITIMACY-the rightful use of power in accordance with pre-set criteria or widely held agreements, such as government’s right to rule following an election or a monarch’s succession based on the agreed rules
Some decisions are considered so vital,and also unsuitable for representatives to make them,that they are left to the people
HOWEVER, %%the size and nature of modern politics would make the regular use of direct democracy impracticable%% and so cannot be considered as an alternative to representative democracy in the 21st century.
| ADVANTAGES: | DISADVANTAGES: | SUMMED UP/TRIGGERS |
|---|---|---|
| It’s the purest form of democracy- the people’s voice is clearly heard | It can lead to the ‘tyranny of the majority’,whereby the winning majority simply ignores the interests of the minority and imposes something detrimental on them | ADVANTAGES:PUREAVOID DELAY/DEADLOCKLEGITIMACY |
| It can avoid delay and deadlock within the political system | The people may be too easily swayed by short term, emotional appeals by charismatic individuals | DISADVANTAGES:TYRANNY OF MAJORITYEASILY SWAYED/CHARISMATICCOMPLEXITY |
| The fact that people are making a decision gives it great legitimacy | Some issues may be too complex for an ordinary citizen to understand |
REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY:
A %%more modern%% form of democracy, through which an %%individual selects a person/chooses a representative to act on their behalf%%- most common way of choosing an representative is %%through an election process.%%
In addition to choosing representatives, representative democracy ensures that those elected to positions of power and responsibility, have to be %%held to account by the people.%%
ACCOUNTABILITY-Where those who have been elected in a representative democracy must be made responsible for their actions,policies,decisions and general conduct
Without such accountability, representation becomes largely meaningless.
WAYS OF HOLDING THEM ACCOUNTABLE:
-POLLS- another term for elections;polls simply establish the number of people who support a particular party, person or issue
-INVESTIGATIONS
-MEDIA SCRUTINY
-INDIVIDUAL REPS ASKING QUESTIONS ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENTS
During the election campaign, %%opposition parties will highlight the shortcomings of the government and will offer their own alternatives%%. At the same time, government will seek to justify and %%explain what they done to in an effort to be re-elected%%. Similarly, individual representatives will be held to account for their %%performance%%:how well they have represented their constituents and whether their voting record in the legislature meets the approval of those same constituents.
CONSTITUENTS-The ordinary voters who elect a particular representative, usually based on residence in a particular geographical area
DIFFERENT TYPES OF REPRESENTATION:
SOCIAL REPRESENTATION:
Social representation implies that %%characteristics of members of representative bodies-%%whether national parliaments, regional assemblies or local councils- %%should be broadly aligned with the characteristics of the population as a whole%%(they should be close to a %%microcosm%% of society as a whole). E.G: just over half should be women, a representative proportion should be drawn from ethnic or religious minorities, and there should be good ranges of age and class backgrounds in representative bodies.
HOWEVER, this is difficult to achieve and UK parliament certainly falls short
REPRESENTING THE NATIONAL INTEREST: