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democracy and participation summary
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DEMOCRACY AND PARTICIPATION1.1 – Current systems of representative democracy and direct democracy
Direct democracy: a form of democracy in which citizens themselves, rather than their representatives, make
political decisions. The most significant modern example of direct democracy is a referendum.
The debate of representative vs direct is not an accurate or useful framing and focus of the topic.
Population and complexity of the 'modern world' is too great for wholly direct.
To refine the question would be to ask the balance/mix of representative (what system of representative?)
and direct (How much? How?)
Advantages Disadvantages
Direct expression of interests No everything is yes/no – limits what can be
Allows/promotes a wide debate and awareness defined by referendum
Allows people to accept the decisions, transparency,
legitmacy
Clear and fair
Simple
Example Why they are used and the ways they When they have been used
can be criticised
Referendums This allows the public to determine Indy ref
A majoritarian form of democracy government policy on vital issues. EU
in which the public vote for a
single issue. The side which gains
over 50% of the vote wins
outright.
Electronic petitions Official way of communicating with the government
Zombie apocalypse, Meningitis B
If a petition on the government vaccination available to all
Can be trivialised (Zombie apocalypse) or something
reaches 100,000 signatures it will children
be considered for debate in the quite small can be forced onto the government books.
House of Commons. This does not
mean that legislation will have to
be forthcoming.
Consultative exercises How representative is the survey? - Communities that have been
They can be set up when London Heathrow: should we invite affected are consulted over the
governing bodies want to assess pressure groups like Plane Stupid, how expansion of Heathrow/HS2.
the likely reaction to their many residents? How close? Business?
proposed policies. What is a representative group? As soon
as you start deciding, bias occurs.
Open primaries Jeremy Corbyn vs Tony Blair choose MPs The Independent MP Sarah
A small number of constituencies to represent constituencies that represent Wollaston became the
have opted to select their political bias - by using open Conservative candidate for Totnes
parliamentary candidates through primaries the public get to vote for the in 2008 when she won an open
open primaries, in which the candidates. primary.
public directly decide whom the
candidate should be.
Election of the leadership of Supporters argue that this makes the Jeremy Corbyn was not popular
political parties leadership accountable to the whole with many Labour party
All the main political parties now party. This is an especially powerful members. In 2015, Jeremy Corbyn
allow their membership to decide argument in the Labour party, which sees was elected leader with 59.5% of
whom the leader of their party itself both as a political party and a the vote. He was re-elected with
will be. This is significant power popular movement. Critics respond that it 61.8% of the vote.
, since it may determine whom the gives too much influence on activists, who
prime minister will be. are often more radical than the Momentum - left wing sub-
electorate. political party. They de-selected
Labour MPs who weren't left-wing
enough.
Against the 'spirit' they would get
membership in one constituency
and then leave and join another.
Recall of MPs Act 2015 If an MP has been imprisoned, suspended In 2018 Ian Paisley Junior just
Allows constituents to force a by- from the house by the Committee of survived a recall petition. He had
election. Standards or convicted of false expenses been suspended from the House
claims then a petition by 10% of his/her of Commons for not declaring 2
constituents can trigger a by-election. family holidays paid for by the Sri
Lankan government. However,
only 9.4% of his constituents
signed the petition.
Representative Democracy: voters elect representatives to make political decisions on their behalf. These
representatives are then held accountable to the public in regular elections.
They should weigh up the feelings of the people they represent with the party's manifesto and their wider
understanding of the issue, otherwise they are just a delegate.
Each of the 650 MPs are held accountable to their constituencies.
Advantages Disadvantages
They are more likely to make politically educated MPs are often disengaged from the public -
decisions. 'Westminster bubble' which disconnects voters from
their representative.
Not swayed by emotion. MPs have second jobs which can further contribute to a
conflict of interest or compromise their ability to fully
represent their constituents. E.g. George Osborne was
former Chancellor of the Exchequer, whilst also being
editor of the Evening Standard.
They balance conflicting interests when reaching a FPTP means that big parties dominate whilst parties like
decision (protects the rights of citizens, especially the Greens struggle to gain appropriate representation
minorities) even when they have been polled highly.
Minimise upset (TYRANNY OF THE MAJORITY)
Direct democracy is based on voting according to yuor The social make-up of Parliament is still largely white,
own self-interest without needing to consider the effect male, and middle class.
on others, therefore the rights of minorities may not be
protected. Representative democracy does the
opposite.
Comprises the principle of accountability, so if Critics suggest that poorer voters are poorly
constituents don't like their representative, then they represented.
can elect another one.
Elect for who you want - FPTP you vote for people and The Lords is unelected and so unaccountable to the
not parties. public. Further undermining Parliament's representative
function.
You can vote and then switch off. People aren't Are they actually representative? How were they
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