CHAPTER 1 Flashcards

Question

What is the Dikasteria / Popular Courts in Athenian democracy?

Answer 1

- Made up of 501 jurors chosen each day by lot from male citizens over the age of 30 - Resolved court cases brough by the people - This principle is still active in the UK today, where juries are randomly selected from those between 18 and 70, who are on the electoral register - The aim is to ensure a justice system that is fair, democratic and independant

Answer 2

- The use of random selection to fill public offices - Aims to create public bodies which are composed of a representative sample of people

Answer 3

- A limited and indirect form of democracy - It operates through the ability if representatives to speak for, or act on behalf of, the people - At the heart is the process through which representatives can be chosen and can be removed, which is, in practice, usually done through regular and popular elections

Answer 4

- The dominant form of democracy in the modern world because it solves the problem in direct democracy: that only a small percentage of people can or want to spend their time learning about, debating and voting on political issues. - Representative democracy is a way of voters electing a small group of representatives who work full time on getting informed , debating and voting on political issue on behalf of the people - In a representative democracy, people acquire the power to make political decisions by means of a competitive struggle for the people's vote - Those who win elections can claim to 'represent' the people and the legitimate right to govern

Answer 5

3 1) Popular participation is indirect - the public do not exercise power themselves, they choose (usually by election) who will rule on their behalf 2) Popular participation is mediated - the people are linked to their government through representative institutions 3) Popular participation in government is limited - it is infrequent and brief, being restricted to the act of voting every few years

Answer 6

Popular participation

Answer 7

Popular control

Answer 8

Ways of ensuring that professional politicians represent the people and not themselves - this is the role of elections and relies at the most basic level on the people exercising their right to vote

Answer 9

Democratic elections

Answer 10

Election that are based on the following three rules: 1) Freedom, fairness and regularity - voters can participate freely and express their own views 2) Universal suffrage - all adults can vote and there is voting equality, based on the principle of one person, one vote 3) Party and candidate competition - voters have a choice and effective opportunities for learning about the relevant alternative choices and their likely outcomes

Answer 11

Historically in the UK, mass participation in representative democracy has been limited to voting in general election to select MPs and in local elections to select local councillors. HOWEVER The number of opportunities for participation has increased with voters, depending on where they live, now also able to vote in a wide range of elections including: - Elections in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland for the devolved government since their first elections in 1998 - Elections for the London Mayor and Greater London Authority since 2000 - Elections for metro mayors, such as the Mayor of Greater Manchester, since 2017 - Elections for Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) since 1979, which came to an end with the 2019 European Parliament Election - Elections for Police Crime Commissioners, who make sure that local police meet the needs of the community, since 2012

Answer 12

DIRECT DEMOCRACY IS THE ONLY PURE FORM OF DEMOCRACY - This is because it ensures that people only have to obey laws that they make themselves - Popular participation in government is the very stuff of freedom (it is how the people determine their collective destiny / their 'general will') REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY ALWAYS MEANS THAT THERE IS A GULF BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND THE PEOPLE - This can lead to political apathy because citizens feel powerless when they want to make a change - Governments therefore govern in the name of the people, but, in practice, the people may have little meaningful control over government (seems to be a common attitude in the UK)

Answer 13

The Hansard Society 'Audit of Political Engagement 16: The 2019 Report' How much influence, if any, do you feel you have over decision making in the country as a whole? A great deal of influence = 1% Some influence = 14% Not very much influence = 36% None at all = 47%

Answer 14

DIRECT DEMOCRACY CREATES BETTER INFORMED AND MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE CITIZENS - In this sense, it has educational benefits - Direct and regular popular participation in government encourages people to take more interest in politics and to better understand their own society (both how it works and how it should work) IN REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY, WITH VOTES TAKING PLACE SO INFREQUENTLY, PEOPLE CAN LITERALLY SWITCH OFF FROM POLITICS - As a result, effective political understanding decreases - This reduces the ability of people to learn about the relevant alternative choices and their likely outcomes, which are necessary for effective participation and voting equality

Answer 15

The Hansard Society 'Audit of Political Engagement 16: The 2019 Report' How often, if at all, do you discuss government and politics with others? Nearly every day = 10% A few times a week = 22% A few times a month = 19% Less often = 19% Never = 30%

Answer 16

DIRECT DEMOCRACY REDUCES, OR REMOVES, THE PUBLIC'S DEPENDENCE ON SELF-SERVING PROFESSIONAL POLITICIANS - This increases public trust, political understanding and the development of long-term solutions whilst decreasing corruption, which means that decisions will have real legitimacy in the eyes of the people REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY PLACES TOO MUCH FAITH IN POLITICIANS, WHO ARE ALWAYS LIABLE TO DISTORT PUBLIC OPINION BY IMPOSING THEIR OWN VIEWS AND PREFERENCES ON IT - It therefore amounts to 'government by politicians', acting only in the name of the people - It is argued that this political class will not be socially representative of the wider public (in terms of age, gender, wealth, ethnicity etc.) - It is argued that this political class is interested in furthering its own objectives over those of the people, and is more interested in winning elections than arriving at long-term solutions - In the UK, this is increasingly a widely held attitude (in 2019, 63% felt the political system was rigged to the advantage of the rich and powerful - The Hansard Society 'Audit of Political Engagement 16: The 2019 Report')

Answer 17

DIRECT DEMOCRACY ENSURES THAT RULE IS LEGITIMATE, IN THE SENS THAT PEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TO ACCEPT DECISIONS THAT THEY HAVE MADE THEMSELVES - When citizens make political decisions directly, they have to take responsibility for them (there is no one else to blame) - This helps ensure political stability and legitimacy for decisions REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY IN THE UK IS EXPERIENCING SOMETHING OF A CRISIS - Voter turnout remains low and people feel increasingly disengaged from politicians, political institutions and processes - Overall satisfaction with the system of governing in the UK has been on a downward trend from 36% in the first Hansard Audit in 2004 to 25% in 2019

Answer 18

DIRECT DEMOCRACY IS ONLY ACHIEVABLE IN RELATIVELY SMALL COMMUNITIES, ESPECIALLY IN THE FORM OF GOVERNMENT BY MASS MEETING - Such a form of democracy is widely considered to be unworkable in modern political conditions - Athenian citizens devoted a great deal of time and energy to political activity, and were also able to meet together in a single place - Such a high level of face-to-face interaction cannot be achieved in societies with a population of 10,000s or millions of people REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY IS THE ONLY FORM OF DEMOCRACY THAT CAN OPERATE IN LARGE, MODERN SOCIETIES LIKE THE UK - It is therefore a practical solution to the problem of popular rule (this does not mean that representative democracy cannot be complemented by aspects of direct democracy)

Answer 19

- It places ultimate power in the hands of the public (the power to decide who governs), while leaving day-to-day policy making in the hands of experts (professional politicians) - It is therefore based on a compromise between the need for 'government by the people' (popular participation) and the need for 'government for the people' (government in the public interest) - As representative democracy usually operates through the mechanism of elections, its effectiveness is therefore based on the extent to which the electoral process gives people control over the government

Answer 20

ONE OF THE DRAWBACKS OF DIRECT DEMOCRACY IS THAT IT MEANS THAT POLITICS IS A JOB FOR ALL CITIZENS, RESTRICTING THEIR ABILITY TO CARRY OUT OTHER DUTIES AND ACTIVITIES - The answer in ancient Athens was simple but deeply undemocratic: foreigners and slaves did the bulk of the work, and women looked after family life - The 'citizens' of Athens constituted only a tiny minority of those who lived within the city state and so rights were by no means universal - The groups excluded from political participation and voting equality included women, men classified as 'immigrants' and slaves, who made up atleast three-fifths of the population of Athens REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY IS MORE EFFICIENT BECAUSE ORDINARY CITIZENS ARE RELIEVED OF THE BURDEN OF DAY-TO-DAY DECISION MAKING - They simply have to choose who they want to govern them

Answer 21

DIRECT DEMOCRACY IS NOT A SENSIBLE WAY TO MAKE COMPLEX DECISIONS - This is because many of the big issues facing the UK don't have easy or clear solutions REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY PLACES DECISION MAKING IN THE HANDS OF POLITICANS WHO HAVE BETTER EDUCATION AND GREATER EXPERTISE THAN THE MASS OF PEOPLE - They can therefore govern for the people using their superior understanding to act in the public interest

Answer 22

DIRECT DEMOCRACY CAN ENGAGE PEOPLE TOO MUCH, WHICH MAY CREATE DEEP DIVISIONS IN SOCIETY - In cases where direct democracy creates clear winners and losers over a political choice, it will be very hard for the losers to see the political choice as legitimate REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY MAINTAINS POLITICAL STABILITY BY HELPING TO DISTANCE ORDINARY CITIZENS FROM POLITICS, THEREBY ENCOURAGING THEM TO ACCEPT COMPROMISE - A certain level of apathy is helpful in maintaining political stability - The more involved in decision making citizens are, the more passionate and committed they may become

Answer 23

FOR - Direct democracy is genuine democracy with direct, immediate and continuous participation - The continuous participation of direct democracy allows for the personal development of citizens - Direct democracy ends the reliance on a political class by returning power to the people to ensure decisions are in the public interest not the interest of the political class - Legitimacy and political stability are both created by the direct involvement of citizens in decision making AGAINST - Representative democracy is the only practicable form of democracy in modern societies - Representative democracy creates a division of labour which is far more efficient than continuous participation - Representative democracy allows for government by experts; it is the sensible way to make complex decisions in the public interest - Representative democracy is built on compromise, helping to mainting political stability

Answer 24

The idea that there is a crisis in citizen involvement in the processes aimed at influencing the government and shaping politics due to the lack of interest by a significant number of citizens. This creates a serious issue for democracy as it undermines the legitimacy of elected institutions.

Answer 25

- growth of political apathy (which many see as nothing less than a participation crisis) - how can democracy be healthy when, despite increasing opportunities for participation, more and more citizens seem to be uninterested or unwilling to engage in political life?

Answer 26

- not voting - not joining political parties - not engaging with politics due to high levels of dissatisfaction with the current political system

Answer 27

- Which of these would you be prepared to do if you felt strongly enough about an issue - The Hansard Society Audit of Political Engagement 16: The 2019 Report

Answer 28

1) VOTER PARTICIPATION IS SLOWLY ON THE RISE IN RECENT ELECTIONS 2) THE NUMBER OF OPPORTUNITIES TO VOTE HAS BEEN INCREASING 3) THERE IS INCREASED USE OF REFERENDUMS

Answer 29

1) HOWEVER, PARTICPATION IS STILL VERY POOR COMPARED TO ELECTIONS DURING THE TWENTIETH CENTURY 2) IT IS CLEAR THAT NOT EVERYONE IS PARTICIPATING EQUALLY 3) TURNOUT IS EVEN LOWER IN THESE ELECTIONS (THE NEW OPPORTUNITIES TO VOTE) 4) THERE IS LOW TURNOUT IN MANY REFERENDUMS

Answer 30

Since 2001, there has been a slow rise in the voter turnout, back up to 69% in 2017 from the low of 59% in 2001 (although it fell back in 2019 to 67%) suggesting participation is on the rise

Answer 31

- General elections in the UK with universal suffrage have been in place since 1928 and, in the period between 1945 and 1992, the average turnout usually remained above 75%, with a post-war high of 84% being achieved in 1950 - The 2001 general election recorded a turnout of 59%, the lowest figure since 1918 while the recovery to 67% in 2019 is still well below pre-1992 levels - There is a consistent pattern in local elections of much lower turnout that for general elections, possibly because people perceive local councils to have limited power.

Answer 32

- A minority is engaging more frequently and in more ways. - The make-up of this group is likely to be unrepresentative of society as a whole but rather made up for those with higher income, managerial and professional jobs and higher levels of education. - This pattern was clearly evident in the 2019 election, where turnout among those with degrees and above was 69% while it was 59% for those with other qualification and those with no qualification. - Higher managerial, middle manager and professional workers has a turnout of 68% while semi-skilled, unskilled workers and those not working had a turnout of 53% (Ipsos MORI estimates)

Answer 33

Since 1979, there has been a widening in the number of voting opportunities in the UK, with European elections starting in 1979 and elections to the devolved assemblies in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland from 1998

Answer 34

- The turnout in these elections has remained consistently lower than for general elections during the same period. - This could be attributed to voter fatigue from too many opportunities to engage or down to institutions themselves. - The European Parliament was perceived as remote and lacking power, while it had been argued that if the devolved governments were given more power then more people would be inclined to turn out and vote in the elections.

Answer 35

- There has also been a widening of participation opportunities since 1997 with the increased use of referendums across the UK. - The turnout figures for referendums have been inconsistent; where matters have been of considerable historical importance the turnout has been very high but in many other referendums the turnout has remained lower than in general elections. - For example, in the Northern Ireland 1998 referendum on the Good Friday Agreement, the turnout was 81% which was topped by a turnout of 85% for the Scottish Independence Referendum of 2014

Answer 36

Unlike the Scottish independence vote, the referendum on devolution is Wales saw a turnout of 50% while the referendum on the creation of the London Mayor and Assembly saw a turnout of just 33%

Answer 37

A vote in which the electorate can express a view on a particular issue of public policy

Answer 38

Brought to an end 30 years of 'the Troubles' between Republicans and Loyalists and, in the devolution settlement, established a new government and parliament in Northern Ireland with power shared between the parties from both sides.

Answer 39

Conservative: 2,806,000 Labour: 1,005,000 Total: 3,811,000

Answer 40

Conservative: 248,000 Labour: 215,000 Liberal Democrat: 71,000 Green: 5,300 SNP: 9,500 UKIP: 16,000 Total: 564,800

Answer 41

Conservative: 149,000 Labour: 190,000 Liberal Democrat: 43,000 Green: 14,000 SNP: 25,000 UKIP: 32,000 Total: 453,000

Answer 42

Conservative: 180,000 Labour: 485,000 Liberal Democrat: 115,000 Green: 49,000 SNP: 125,000 UKIP: 29,000 Total: 983,00

Answer 43

1) SINCE 2013, THERE HAS BEEN A RESURGENCE IN PARTY MEMBERSHIP 2) IT MAY BE A CASE OF A DROP IN THE QUANITITY OF PARTY MEMBERSHIP BUT A RISE IN THE QUALITY OF PARTICIPATION

Answer 44

1) IT IS INCREASINGLY CLEAR THAT MASS MEMBERSHIP HAS SERIOUSLY DECLINED, AS HAVE STRONG PARTY LOYALTIES

Answer 45

- The Labour Party was traditionally seen as the party of the working class and the Conservatives the party of the middle class - Some argue that the decline reflects the fact that the political parties remain stuck in the past and no longer reflect the modern UK, where age, ethnicity, education and income divides, along with whether you are a renter or home owner, are more important than out-of-date class structures.

Answer 46

- This is true particularly within the smaller parties such as the Scottish National Party (SNP) and the Green Party as people turned to them and away from the Labour and Conservative Parties. - The Labour Party also saw its membership members increase rapidly after 2015, when people joined as personal support for Jeremy Corbyn, with the desire for a new style of Labour politics and, for those who felt left behind, to back a more radical political approach

Answer 47

- Many members of political parties in the post-war period paid a subscription and enjoyed the social facilities provided by Labour and Conservative clubs rather than being active party members. - In the 21st century, parties have changed their structures, giving members a far greater input into policy and the ability to vote for the party leader. - Most current party members joined because of this ability to participate more widely, as was shown in 2019 when Boris Johnson was elected leader of the Conservative party with 66% of the votes based on a turnout of 87.4% of party members

Answer 48

1) THE DECLINE OF THE TRADE UNION MOVEMENT

Answer 49

1) THE RISE OF NEW GROUPS AROUND ISSUES LIKE THE ENVIRONMENT

Answer 50

- Group politics, in some ways, can be seen to be headed in the direction of political parties - The largest and most influential of all groups in UK democracy in the 20th century, the trade unions, reached their peak in 1979 with around 13.2 million members - By 2016, trade union membership has dropped to an all-time low of 6.23 million, although there was slight growth in memberships on all the 3 years that followed. - This has largely come about due to the decline in manual jobs in large, traditional industries like coal mining and ship building. - With this decline in membership, many of the organisational skills and communication and social networks that connected working people to politics are being lost.

Answer 51

- At the same time, there has been an explosion in the number of charities and campaigning organisations, particularly around environmental issues since the 1960s. - This growth has come about as people feel that groups built around single issues are more effective than parties at representing their interests and ensuring that policies are shaped to meet their views. - In 2013, the Passionate Collaboration study found that the 139 environmental groups they analysed had a total membership of 4.5 million, which means nearly 1 in 10 adults in the UK are members of such groups

Answer 52

Groups of employees who join together to maintain and improve their conditions of employment

Answer 53

Political action in the form of protest that aims at forcing change but does not go through the usual channels such as parliament

Answer 54

Law breaking that is justified on the grounds that it is being used to create a more just and fair society

Answer 55

1) THESE MOVEMENTS ARE LOOSELY ORGANISED AND FLEXIBLE, SEEMING TO EMERGE QUICKLY IN RESPONSE TO ISSUES AS THEY APPEAR ON THE POLITICAL AGENDA, AND HAVE MASS PARTICPATION

Answer 56

1) DIRECT ACTION IS SEEN AS A REAL CHALLENGE TO DEMOCRACY AND TRADITIONAL FORMS OF PARTICIPATION

Answer 57

The numbers of people taking part are very large, as can bee seen in the anti-war marches of 2003 and the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020, often engaging many of the people, in particular the younger generation, who have switched off from voting and party membership

Answer 58

- New social movements, like the anti-war movement and anti-capitalist movement, are looking to challenge the traditional politics of working through elections, parties and Parliament with a new form of direct action politics. - This raises the question as to whether new social movements are undermining democratic participation and reducing legitimacy, or are a part of a transformation in the way that people participate and the way that UK democracy works

Answer 59

- It has been argued that, in place of the more traditional forms of participation, the UK is experiencing a rise in individual rather than collective acts of participation. - Individuals are sparked into action by issues that concern them, finding ways to engage on that particular issue rather than joining a formally organised group or party. - This helps to explain the rise of the new forms of protest politics and why these movements appear so quickly, only to disappear at the same speed.

Answer 60

This form of individual action can only be seen in a number of other political actions which are becoming increasingly common place: - political consumerism - petitions - e-petitions - clicktivism

Answer 61

- This is when people use their purchasing power to buy particular products, such as fair-trade products, and boycott other products and brands to force change. - The anti-sweatshop consumerism targeted at key fashion brands has pushed global corporations to take more responsibility

Answer 62

- The arrival of modern technology has made signing petitions online a much more common action. - Campaign organisations such as 38 Degrees claim their campaigns are chosen and led by more than 2 million members, while Change.org claims that globally one of its petitions secures a campaign victory every hour

Answer 63

- The introduction of e-petitions by the government allows the public to petition the House of Commons and press for action from the government. - In 2019, the Revoke Article 50 and Remain in the EU petitions secured 6,103,056 signatures and triggered a debate in Parliament

Answer 64

- The signing of online petitions is part of a wider culture of clicktivism that allows individuals to use social media and other online methods to promote a cause. - This can range from using social media and emails to contact elected representatives, share and comment on news stories, sign petitions and join crowdfunding activities.

Answer 65

1) THIS TYPE OF PARTICIPATION BRINGS THE BENEFIT THAT IT ALLOWS INDIVIDUALS TO EXPRESS THEIR PREFERENCES

Answer 66

1) INDIVIDUAL POLITICS CAN BE SEEN AS MORE OF A CASE OF SLACKTIVISM RATHER THAN ACTIVISM

Answer 67

- Essentially, the individual is able to express their concerns rather than finding them moderated by mass political parties who are seeking to appeal to the widest possible audience. - These forms of individual participation are engaging people in politics in new and innovative ways that may revive democracy’s flagging fortunes.

Answer 68

- Some critics feel that individual participation is fleeting rather than sustained and also at a very low level of engagement because it requires so little effort. - These kinds of individual actions are really no replacement for high levels of political participation like voting or joining a political party

Answer 69

1) There has been a long-term decline in voter turnout in the UK in general elections, with low turnout also a persistent issue in other types of election and many referendums. 2) There has been a long-term decline in party membership since the 1950s in the UK, in particular for the two major parties. 3) There has been a decline in the membership and power of the largest and most influential organisation in group politics: the trade union movement 4) New social movements undermine participation in the key building blocks of representative democracy (political parties and voting) and so reduces the legitimacy of our elected institutions 5) Individual politics is more of a case of slacktivism that activism; participation is shallow and does little to support democracy

Answer 70

1) There has been a widening in the number of opportunities to vote in UK politics, with a revival of turnout in general elections and strong engagement with referendums. 2) There has been a recent revival in party membership and the quality of engagement in political parties is far higher than historically. 3) There has been an explosion in single issue groups, which now have mass membership and engagement. 4) New social movements have been a vehicle of mass engagement in politics in an era of protest politics but now new forms of political engagement are replacing the more traditional methods of voting and party membership. 5) Individual politics has become a way for people to engage in politics in new and innovative ways; these methods are very democratic as they are open to all and are reaching those who have been turned off by party politics. The nature of participation is changing not declining

Answer 71

- The democratic deficit is a flaw in the democratic process whereby decisions are taken by people who lack legitimacy. - Caused by the participation crisis in the UK

Answer 72

Through 3 different but linked issues: 1) Voters are dissatisfied and disengaged so are not voting in large numbers, undermining the support for democratic institutions. 2) Elected representatives are seen as unaccountable for their actions and not widely trusted. 3) There has been a widespread recognition among politicians that there are problems with political participation, yet they have struggled to reform democratic institutions and process to increase voter engagement.

Answer 73

- More direct involvement of the public in modern politics is used to supplement rather than replace representative democracy, in which voters elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf. - Recent years has witnessed a steady trend, evident in the UK and elsewhere, towards the wider use of direct involvement. - This has occurred because representative democracies have been seen to suffer from increased political apathy and growing popular disillusionment with politics. - The great advantage is that is strengthens popular participation in government, by placing power directly into the hands of the people.

Answer 74

A set of rules and principles for the conduct of government and politics within state, which set out the relationship between the different parts of the political system and the relationship between the government and the people.

Answer 75

- A vote on a specific issue - Normally, this would relate to particular circumstances, such as amending the constitution of a country, or to a political issue, such as membership of a political party like the EU, or in relation to any major political issue that is of great importance to society.

Answer 76

- In the UK, unlike other countries, referendums are held whenever and on whatever issue - Parliament decides to call them - Since 1973, there have been 12 referendums in the UK, with 8 of these happening after 1997, including the Scottish Independence Referendum 2014 and the EU referendum of 2016

Answer 77

- In many other countries, referendums are mandatory - Most commonly states, such as Ireland, hold mandatory referendums on any proposed changes to their constitution - It is also the case that in other countries, such as Switzerland, referendums can be held on whether to accept or overturn any legislation of international treaty that has been agreed in the Parliament provided that the right number of signatures is gained (in Switzerland this requires 50,000 signatures within 100 days of the law or treaty passing in order to trigger the referendum)

Answer 78

- Referendums are at their most successful where they are used to provide legitimacy to a key decision - This sense of legitimacy provides a higher level of certainty and stability to key decisions, as can be seen in the 1998 referendum on the Good Friday Agreement

Answer 79

- Referendums are at their most successful where they are used to provide legitimacy to a key decision - This sense of legitimacy provides a higher level of certainty and stability to key decisions, as can be seen in the 1998 referendum on the Good Friday Agreement - The fact that 71% of voters endorsed the agreement, on a turnout of 81%, gave the new setup in Northern Ireland the popular consent it needed.

Answer 80

The site of the Northern Ireland Assembly set up in the Good Friday Agreement

Answer 81

1) THERE IS SUPPORT FOR THE WIDER USE OF REFERENDUMS ON KEY POLITICAL DECISIONS 2) THE PROBLEM OF ‘THE ABSENCE OF POPULAR CONTROL OBVER WHEN AND WHERE THEY WILL BE USED’ CAN BE OVERCOME BY ESTABLISHING PROCESSES THROUGH WHICH CITIZENS CAN INITIATE REFERENDUMS TO OVERTURN LEGISLATION

Answer 82

1) ONE OF THE CURRENT WEAKNESSES OF REFERENDUMS IS THE ABSENCE OF POPULAR CONTROL OBVER WHEN AND WHERE THEY WILL BE USED 2) THERE IS NO NEED TO USE MORE REFERENDUMS BECAUSE THE CURRENT SITUATION OF ONLY CALLING REFERENDUMS ON KEY CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES IS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL WAY OF BOLSTERING THE LEGITIMACY OF SUCH DECISIONS

Answer 83

- Support for the use of more referendums in the UK is reflected in the Hansard Society Audit of Political Engagement 16 (2019), in which 55% of the public in the UK agreed that important questions should be resolved by referendums more often than they are today. - High levels of engagement in the EU and Scottish Independence Referendums point to how this would improve democracy in the UK by encouraging participation and political education.

Answer 84

- This can usually be done by getting the required number of signatures on a petition. - This could be used to create a people’s veto giving far greater popular control over legislation

Answer 85

- This creates the suspicion that governments will only call referendums on issues which they support and when they are confident of winning, especially in light of the EU referendum result.

Answer 86

- Increased referendums use may well lead to voter fatigue and apathy; there is already clear evidence that turnout is low when questions that do not engage the public are asked, such as the referendum on a London Mayor and Assembly, and this undermines the legitimacy of these votes. - In addition, the people’s veto would undermine representative democracy by weakening the power of the government to turn the policy promises on which it was elected into legislation.

Answer 87

Give people the power to propose a new law or constitutional amendment and then vote on it.

Answer 88

- Initiatives are not currently used in the UK but are used in other democracies such as Switzerland and certain states in the USA. - Initiatives allow people to propose a new law or constitutional amendment by gathering the required number of signatures from the public, - If the proposal is then passed by the voters, it becomes part of the law of that state or country. - The key difference to a referendum is that initiatives allow people to put the measure on the ballot paper and then vote on it themselves without any role for elected politicians.

Answer 89

- In 2016, a vote was held on whether Switzerland should introduce a guaranteed basic income of around £1,700 per adult and £400 per child per month for all. - This proposal was placed on the ballot having achieved over 100,000 signatures despite having no support from any major party. - The initiative rejected at the ballot box with 77% voting against and 23% voting for the proposal

Answer 90

1) THE UK COULD INTRODUCE THE USE OF INITIATIVES TO GIVE THE PUBLIC MORE DIRECT CONTROL OVER MAKING LAW

Answer 91

1) HOWEVER, INITIATIVES WOULD UNDERMINE UK DEMOCRACY BY REMOVING POLITICIANS FROM MAKING DECISIONS AND POTENTIALLY CREATE A SITUATION WHERE THE MAJORITY COULD UNDERMINE THE RIGHT OF MINORITY GROUPS

Answer 92

- Essentially, the UK could allow the public to put new laws on the ballot paper and then vote on it themselves without any role for elected politicians as happens in Switzerland or some states in the USA

Answer 93

- In 2009, Swiss voters used an initiative to ban the construction of minarets in a vote that was seen by opponents as an attempt to curb the religious practices of muslims, impacting the right to freedom of religion

Answer 94

- Citizens’ assemblies are made up of a representative group of between 50 to 200 people, who are chosen using sortition. - Certain criteria such as age, gender, ethnicity, region and social background are used as part of the selection process to ensure that the group is broadly representative of wider society; it represent the country in miniature. - The assembly is then given the job of carrying out an in-depth analysis of a particular policy issue; this process involves analysing the problem, deliberating on potential solutions, then making informed recommendations for action.

Answer 95

Two of the most high-profile examples both come from the Republic of Ireland. 1) The Convention on the Constitution 2012 to 2014, made recommendations that led to the 2015 Marriage Equality Referendum 2) The Irish Citizens’ Assembly made proposals on removing the country’s abortion laws; this recommendation was put to a referendum in 2018 and supported by 66% of voters

Answer 96

1) CITIZENS’ ASSEMBLIES ARE A WAY OF EXPLORING THE VIEWS OF THE [PUBLIC ON A POLICY ISSUE AND COMING UP WITH CONCRETE SOLUTIONS

Answer 97

1) HOWEVER, THERE ARE NECESSARY REQUIRMENTS FOR ASSEMBLIES TO BE SUCCESSFUL

Answer 98

- For example, the environmental group Extinction Rebellion campaigns for UK citizens’ assemblies on climate change. - Citizens’ assemblies can reinforce and add to representative democracy, not only by giving elected politicians an understanding of informed public viewpoints on complex policy issues, but also by building trust in the political process through participation and engagement. - For example, Ireland established citizens’ assemblies to deliberate on abortion and same-sex marriage, both of which led to referendums are changes in the law.

Answer 99

In order for assemblies to be successful, the following is required: - Firstly, there would need to be a clear question, sufficient time and a large enough budget to cover the topic in the appropriate detail. - Secondly, there would also need to be the political will, probably backed by cross-party support, to implement rather than ignore the recommendations made by the assemblies. - There are already plenty of ways for politicians to understand the public’s views on key policy issues, including opinion polls, and the rise of social media has made it far easier for the public to make their views known to their elected representatives

Answer 100

- Allow the voting public to trigger a special election to remove an elected representative before the end of their term in office in order to increase their accountability and limit corruption

Answer 101

This is an area whose voters elect an MP; there are 650 constituencies in the UK

Answer 102

These take place when a seat in the House of Common becomes empty between general elections

Answer 103

- An independent body, charged with both reviewing the operation of the UK’s democratic processes and with making recommendations for strengthening democracy. - It was established by the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA)

Answer 104

In the UK, this process was introduced by the Recall of MPs Act 2015 and allows MPs to be recalled under any of the following 3 circumstances: 1) If an MP is convicted in the UK of an offence and sentenced or ordered to be imprisoned or detained and all appeals have been exhausted. 2) If an MP has been suspended from the House of Commons, for at lease 10 days, by the House Committee on Standards for breaking the Code of Conduct for MPs 3) If an MP is convicted of making false or misleading Parliamentary allowances (expenses) claims - Once this has happened, if 10% of those eligible to vote in the constituency of the MP sign a recall petition, then the MP is removed from their post, and a by-election is called to fill that seat.

Answer 105

- Between 2015 and 2020, there were 3 recall petitions opened, and on two occasions the petition was successful and a new election called. - In 2019, the sitting MP, Fiona Onasanya (Labour), was recalled having been convicted and sentenced to 3 months' imprisonment for perverting the course of justice, with Lisa Forbes (Labour) winning the by-election. - In 2019, the MP for Brecon and Radnorshire, Chris Davies (Conservative), was convicted for making false expenses claims and recalled. - He stood as the Conservative candidate in the by-election but lost the seat to Jane Dodds (Liberal Democrats)

Answer 106

1) RECALL ELECTIONS, AS THEY STAND, DO NOT MAKE MPS ACCOUNTABLE ENOUGH TO THEIR CONSTITUENTS

Answer 107

1) CRITICS WOULD POINT OUT THAT THIS ESSENTIALLY REMOVES THE ABILITY OF MPs TO THINK FOR THEMSELVES SO THEY SIMPLY BECOME MOUTHPIECES FOR THEIR CONSTITUENTS

Answer 108

- Recall elections in the UK have a very narrow set of criteria under which MPs can be recalled. - Recall elections could be widened so that constituents could recall their MPs where they feel they have failed to deliver on the promises they made at elections or due to a failure to represent their constituents’ interests. - This would strengthen the link between MPs and their constituents by increasing the accountability of the MP.

Answer 109

- MPs would make decisions based on polling the attitudes of their constituents out of fear of a recall election triggered by supporters of the opposing parties. - The current recall elections legislation does its job of increasing accountability, and so no further reform is needed.

Answer 110

- In 2019, the Electoral Commission found that more than 9 million people (around 17%) who are eligible to vote in the UK are not correctly registered to vote, limiting their ability to participate in elections. - Their investigation also found clear differences in registration levels between younger people, renters, low-income and ethnic minorities, compared with older white people who own their homes.

Answer 111

1) AUTOMATIC VOTER REGISTRATION WOULD ENSURE ENVERYONE IS ABLE TO VOTE

Answer 112

1) HOW ACCURATE, SAFE AND COST EFFECTIVE WOULD THE ONLINE VOTING SYSTEM BE?

Answer 113

- This has led to calls for automatic voter registration, supported by the House of Commons Political and Constitutional Reform Committee in 2014, whereby public officials would directly enrol people without ordinary citizens having to take any action

Answer 114

A number of concerns were raised by the government in response to the Committee in 2014: - The cost of automatic voter registration - The issues with ensuring its accuracy - The concerns around security against fraud

Answer 115

- Elections in the UK are seen as free and fair, are overseen by the independent Electoral Commission and supported by various campaigns to register to vote and get the vote out, such as Bite the Ballot. - However, the downturn in voter turnout in the UK is a significant problem for UK democracy and a number of suggestions have been made to increase voter participation.

Answer 116

1) THERE ARE A NUMBER OF OPTIONS TO EXPLORE WHICH COULD INCREASE TURNOUT

Answer 117

1) FEARS REMAIN OVER ELECTORAL FRAUD AND COST

Answer 118

WEEKEND RATHER THAN WEEKDAY VOTING - The pattern across Europe is that turnout is 10% higher in countries that run weekend rather than weekday voting THE INTRODUCTION OF ONLINE VOTING - This proposal is strongly supported by the National Union of Students in its submission to the Reform Committee where they cited evidence that 85% of students at the University of Sheffield said they were more likely to vote if voting was online.

Answer 119

- There are concerns about electoral fraud when it comes to online voting and worries that it would be difficult to guarantee the secrecy of the ballot, while the move to weekends is seen to involve additional costs for limited rewards.

Answer 120

1) COMPULSORY VOTING WOULD INCREASE ENGAGEMENT IN THE POLITICAL PRCESS ACROSS ALL SOCIAL CLASSES AND AGES

Answer 121

1) PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE A CHOICE WHETHER OR NOT TO PARTICIPATE

Answer 122

- This would increase the legitimacy of the UK’s elected bodies. - In order to tackle the issue that this is a restriction on freedom, it has been suggested that ballot papers should include a voting option for ‘none of the above’ so people could show they did not support any of the candidates.

Answer 123

- Critics argue that, as a matter of principle, voting should not be made compulsory, and that people should be free to not participate at elections if they so choose.

Answer 124

1) REDUCING THE VOTING AGE TO 16 WOULD INCREASE YOUTH TURNOUT IN THE SHORT TERM AND INCREASE VOTER TURNOUT ACROSS ALL AGE GROUPS IN THE MEDIUM TO LONG TERM

Answer 125

1) INTEREST IN POLITICS AT A YOUNG AGE COULD BE LOW

Answer 126

- This could go hand in hand with wider education about citizenship in school, which would encourage people to vote for the first time ,and encourage voting as a habit.

Answer 127

- Critics argues that 16-18 year olds are unlikely to be interested in or have an understanding of politics, and lowering the voting age will lead to lower turnout

Answer 128

1) CHANGE THE VOTING SYSTEM FROM FPTP

Answer 129

1) FPTP IS ALREADY ESTABLISHED WITH VOTERS

Answer 130

- The electoral system used in the UK – First Past the Post (FPTP) – has created a situation in which too many people don’t vote because they feel that their vote does not matter. - Under FPTP, the candidate with the most votes wins the seat while the votes for all the losing candidates elect no one, so are seen as wasted and worthless. - This problem is made worse by safe seats, where one party dominates so strongly that the outcome of the election in that seat is a foregone conclusion, raising the question, why vote? - It is argued by Unlock Democracy that a move to proportional representation, where the percentage of votes equals the percentage of seats in the elected body, would increase turnout by around 3% to 7%

Answer 131

- Opponents point to the fact that FPTP is simple for voters to use, is embedded in UK political culture and helps to deliver clear majorities for the winning party, meaning that the government has clear legitimacy. - Any changes to the electoral system would undermine these key features of UK democracy. - The system simply works well and has the support of the wider public, so why change it

Answer 132

1) SHORTCOMINGS IN EXISTING PROCESSES

Answer 133

1) HOWEVER, WIDE RANGING INSTITUTIONAL REFORMS CAN CREATE FURTH ISSUES IN DEMOCRACY

Answer 134

- These include whether the House of Lords should be a fully elected chamber so there is real accountability, whether devolved bodes should be granted more decision-making power to bring power closer to the people, and whether the system of funding for political parties needs to change in order to reduce the perception that parties are in the pockets of their main donors

Answer 135

- Such as whether a fully elected Lords should have the same power as the Commons, whether devolution is undermining the power of the democratically elected Parliament in Westminster, and whether state funding for political parties would ever be acceptable to the taxpayers who would have to pay the bill.

Answer 136

- More direct involvement of the public in politics would benefit representative democracy by creating higher levels of engagement and participation, increasing legitimacy while also making politicians more accountable. - Automatic voter registration would ensure that all citizens were ready and able to vote, increasing participation across all sections of society. - Voting and electoral reform will increase participation across all sections of society, enhancing the legitimacy of elected politicians. - Institutional reforms are needed to tackle the democratic deficit and participation crisis.

Answer 137

- More direct democracy could increase political apathy and undermine representative democracy by weakening the ability of politics to deliver their election promises. - Concerns remain about fraud, accuracy and the cost of the automatic registration - Voting and electoral reform may not increase effective levels of participation and may undermine key features of UK democracy - Institutional reforms run the danger of increasing opposition to elected institutions and weakening the power of parliament

CHAPTER 1 Flashcards

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