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Politics paper 1 revision- UK politics and core political ideas
1 Democracy and participation
Democracy= when people hold the power over political decisions, allowing the government
to be held accountable.
Direct democracy= a political system where the people make political decisions themselves
with modern uses being referendums. The UK use direct democracy to resolve constitutional
issues.
Representative democracy= a political system where citizens elect representatives who
make decisions on their behalf and are accountable to them. The UK uses representative
democracy with parties and parliament.
Direct vs representative
Similarities
Both involve voting and participation
Direct democracy may require consultation in the form of representative democracy
Differences
Voters do not elect an individual in direct, in representative the individual makes decisions
for the people
Voters are more active in decision making in direct
Representative focuses on a wide range of issues, not just one
Direct democracy- advantages
Everyone gets a say e.g., 33 million voted in 2016 EU referendum
Encourages participation more than general elections e.g., Scottish Independence
referendum 85% turnout
Equal weight to all votes e.g., votes are counted (52% to leave EU)
Direct democracy- disadvantages
Political instability resulting from voters conflicting with representatives e.g., compromised
Brexit
Impractical for large populations e.g., Zelensky emergency decisions, not enough time to
consult all of Ukraine
Can allow people to make ill-informed decisions which impact everyone ‘tyranny of the
majority’ e.g., many people confused in the EU referendum
Representative democracy- advantages
Accountability- can vote representative out e.g., liberal democrats lost seats in 2015 after
poor education policies
Practical approach for complex issues e.g., COVID 19 specialists balanced businesses and
scientific research
Gives a voice to minority opinion e.g., parliament has passed several Human Rights Acts to
empower citizens
,Representative democracy- disadvantages
Representatives may act in their own interests, not the people’s e.g., Lib Dem raised tuition
fees after promising not to
Politicians may be incompetent or corrupt e.g., Chris Huhne MP found guilty of perverting
course of justice
Not all voters get their view represented e.g., FPTP leaves many constituents under-
represented
Pluralism and democracy
Pluralist democracy components
Power widely dispersed, not concentrated
Acceptance of a wide range of types of people and cultures
Parties are abundant and free to campaign
Pressure groups can operate freely
Range of media sources independent from the state
Democratic deficit= where standards of a functioning democracy have fallen short
Assessing UK democracy
Feature How it works in the UK Issues
Pluralism- power lies in many Article 50 on leaving the EU Power concentrated in the
places involved parliament and hands of a few- IEA bribed
judges, not just the PM ministers to gain influence
Free and fair elections All adults can vote, results are 16/17-year-olds and prisoners
accepted can’t vote
Citizens’ rights protected HRA allows UK courts to HRA is not entrenched so
enforce ECHR could be scrapped
1.2 The franchise
Franchise/ suffrage= the right to vote. Modern democracies should extend suffrage to all.
UK suffrage principles
Everyone over 18 can vote except prisoners, certified insane and the royal family
No groups discriminated against
Responsibility of the individual to register to vote
Key milestones in the widening of the franchise
Great Reform Act 1832- gave representation to cities and extended vote to small
landowners and householders
Representation of People Act 1918- granted vote to men over 21 and women over 30 with
less focus on property ownership
Representation of the People Act 1928- granted greater electoral equality to women
Representation of the people act 1969- lowered voting age to 18
Forms of participation
, Voting
Joining a party
Joining a trade union
Joining a pressure group
Signing a petition
Possible reasons for falling turnout
Disillusionment with parties- especially young
Greater focus on single issues
FPTP causes wasted votes
Lack of distinction between parties
Participation crisis= when so few people are participating that there is a crisis in democratic
legitimacy
Is there a crisis in the UK?
Form of participation There is a crisis No crisis
Voting in general elections GE turnout is roughly 10% Turnout has gradually
lower than in the 1970s at 67% increased from 2001 to 2017
in 2019
Joining a party Only 1.7% are members of a Labour saw massive increase
party in 2015 due to Corbyn
Union membership Only 13% of private sector Membership has risen for 4
employees belong to a union consecutive years entering
2020
How to improve UK participation
Method Arguments for Against
Lowering voting age 80% youth turnout in Scottish Only 43% of 18–24-year-olds
independence referendum vote anyway
Compulsory voting Turnout would reach 100% People may spoil ballots
e.g., Australia
Online voting May boost youth turnout e.g., Breaches in cybersecurity
Estonia similar to Russia in US
1.3 Pressure groups
Pressure groups= organisations that seek to influence public policy. Can be promotional or sectional.
Promotional pressure groups
Serve the whole community
Often use widespread support to pressure the government with direct action
(demonstrations etc.)
Often focus on a specific issue/ cause e.g., BLM
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