Politics of the UK
Democracy and participation
Forms of democracy:
● Direct Democracy- will or desires of the majority of the population are the prime
considerations of the government
● Representative Democracy- people transfer the power to make decisions to an elected
representative
Reasons for democracy:
● Representation- a way for people to put their views to the government
● Accountability- government can be made to explain and take responsibility for its actions
● Participation- a way to engage and allow people to take part in the political process
● Power dispersal- ensures power is spread across different political bodies to avoid one
body becoming overly dominant
● Legitimacy- ensure legal authority and the fair representation of the people
● Education- helps ensure the public is informed and to be able to understand the issues
and make informed decisions
Democracy in the UK:
● Direct Democracy- eligible citizens vote directly on a matter
● Includes referendums and (e)-petitions
● Examples- Scottish Independence(2014), Welsh devolution(1997), Irish referendum on
abortion(2018), Mayor of London(1998)
Advantages Disadvantages
Pure form of democracy- everyone has a Unpractical- size of the population means this
say on the issue system is unresponsive and impractical
Increased legitimacy- decisions have greater Tyranny of the majority- minority groups needs
legitimacy because they have the support of and interests may be overlooked when
majority of the people decisions are based on a majority vote
Improves participation- participation is Low turnouts- small number of people make
greater when people have more decisions which affect everyone, undermining
opportunities to be involved the legitimacy of the decisions
Increases public engagement- regular Emotional and Populist responses- people may
debates help improve public engagement in not be practical and may vote on measures
the running of the country that will benefit them rather than considering
national interest
Improves political education- political Undermines elected representatives-
education is improved as people become representatives are less accountable for their
informed in order to make decisions policy decisions if people are voting on big
, matters themselves
● Representative Democracy- people elect someone to represent them in a legislative
body. These people will debate laws on behalf of the people who have elected them
● Includes House of Commons and local MPs
Advantages Disadvantages
Everyone is represented through a Minority MPs aren’t voted in because of the
constituency MP FPTP system
The FPTP system is simple and provides a Electoral system leads to wasted votes and
clear winner for each seat unrepresentation in Parliament
Britain has a variety of parties that contest Safe seats mean there’s a lack of choice in
elections constituencies- only 2 parties are a real choice
which reduces the level of choice
Everyone over the age 18 who is mentally Issues regarding the extension of the franchise
capable can vote to 16-17yr olds and prisoners.
Some are disenfranchised by the process of
registration e.g. homeless people
There are thousands of pressure groups Wealth, size and status of the competition
representing a wide variety of groups between pressure groups is unfair giving some
groups more power than others
New groups and parties can easily be Campaigns can drown out important issues
created to take on new issues
Low turnout raises concerns about the
democratic legitimacy of the government
Is democracy effective in the UK:
Yes No
● Free and fair elections allow citizens to ● Unelected hereditary monarchy and
choose representatives for local and unelected House of Lords undermine the
national bodies, free from government concept of a representative democracy.
manipulation These people don’t represent a part of
● Process provides education society
● More and more people are participating in ● Turnout is quite low which leads to claims
the political process of a participation crisis
● Everyone over the age of 18 can vote, ● West Lothian Question creates imbalance
meaning, votes are equal and not based as MPs in other parts of the UK can vote
on wealth, race, gender or etc on matters that don’t affect them e.g the
● Number of political parties has increased increase in tuition fees in England and
which increases the degree of Wales in 2004 was passed with the votes
representation and provides a wide range of Scottish MPs
, of options for voters ● Flawed voting system as some votes are
● Pressure groups increase minority wasted, there are safe seats,
representation which helps the unrepresentative elements, minority
government make an informed and constituencies
balanced decision ● Elitist pressure groups might be able to
● Parliament needs consent from the dominate because of a number of factors
Commons to pass laws, thereby indirectly including size of the group, wealth, public
gaining consent from the people profile
● Devolution allows decisions to be made
on a local level instead of a central
government making decisions for all
Franchise developments:
● Before 1832- right to vote was based on the amount of land owned, limiting voting to
members of the upper class. However, after the industrial revolution the middle class
rose as an economic force and contributed more to the economy than land-owners,
resulting in the most economic group in the UK denied representation. The Great
Reform Act 1832 extended the right to vote to 300,000 people
● 1832- voting rights extended to property owners
● 1867- voting rights extended to skilled workers
● 1918- voting rights extended to all men over 21 and women over 30. After the wars
women took over new jobs and responsibilities. Arguments in favour of giving women
the vote were: it would help end inequality, men would treat women with respect, women
had proven themselves capable, it was happening in other places, it would make Britain
a true democracy. Arguments against giving women the right to vote were: men and
women had separate roles, women should focus on local affairs and not national, it
would undermine a working system, women did not fight for the country, they were
represented by their husbands
● 1928- voting rights extended to all women over 21
● 1969- voting right extended to everyone aged 18 or above as 18 year olds were more
financially astute and independent than in previous generations, were more physically
developed, better informed because of radio and television and increasingly mature and
better educated
Campaigns to extend the franchise- women:
● Suffragists- in 1866 the suffragists campaigned for equal rights for women by writing
letters, pamphlets, giving lectures, organising petitions and holding peaceful marches
and protests
● Suffragettes- in 1903 the suffragettes worked for equal voting rights and female
leadership by disrupting political party meetings, chaining themselves to railings,
smashing windows, attacking police officers, burning buildings and going on hunger
strikes in prison
Current campaigns to extend franchise:
