Democracy –
Representative democracy - Small group of people
chosen by the people to act as their representatives
and citizens express their own opinions through
representatives.
Advantages –
Reps are more informed on issues so they can make
decisions that are best for the common good.
Since reps have to get 're-elected it prevents twos from getting too much power.
Allows for people to have a voice thru their reps on issues they care about.
Disadvantages –
Since representatives are the ones making the decisions Eva people might choose
not to get involved – apathy
Reps can be swayed to make decisions for themselves or a particular group NOT for
the greater good.
The majority of voters elects reps so the minority voice may not be heard.
Direct democracy - public vote on all issues –
Advantages –
Equal weight to all votes – all votes have equal value vs. varying constituency
sizes.
Encourages popular participation in politics
Removes the need for representatives and develops a sense of community
Disadvantages –
Impractical in large, heavily populated modern states where decision-making is
complicated
Some people do not want to/feel qualified to take part in decision-making –
political activists decide what happens.
Open to manipulation – and minority viewpoints can be disregarded.
Participation crisis –
Voter turnout – elected on a reduced share of popular votes (strength of
mandate into question) – average turnout in 20 years = 65%. Average turnout
in the May 2016 local election was 33.8%.
Devolved nations even lower turnout – voter fatigue?
New forms for political engagement – members of pressure groups have
increased. With well-attended demonstrations on issues such as fuel prices,
the Iraq war, fox hunting and tuition fees. Social media has enabled online
campaigns, and e-democracy in e-petitions allows them to register a
viewpoint. BUT this is a minority who are acting more frequently in more ways
(unrepresentative of society, those of those with degrees being 10% higher)
Increased use of referendums – Ireland good Friday turnout = 85% but wales
2011 35%.
Negative perception of politicians, dishonest behaviour by MPs and broken
electoral promises.
Party membership – only 1.6% of the electorate now belongs to the 3 main political
parties.
Political party views are outdated in age, ethnicity, education, and incomes.
2013 resurgence in political party membership – in smaller parties like SNP.
, More active members – Joshon elected within party on 86% turnout.
Group politics –
Decline of TU, 2016 all-time low of 6.23 million.
Rise of new groups (environment) – charities and organisation growth, growth of
single-issue groups, 139 environmental groups had 4.5 million membership.
Social movements and direct action –
Mass peaceful protest and civil disobedience, emerge quickly in response to issues as
they appear on the political agenda. 2020 Black Lives Matter protests. However, this
challenges democracy and could undermine legitimacy.
Individual politics –
Political consumerism
Petitions/ E-petitions
Clicktivism
Allows them to express concerns rather than them being moderated by political party,
but this is fleeting rather than sustained, and has low level of engagement due to the
little effort required.
Reform options –
Voting age – e-voting, voting
procedures – should make it
easier to vote, changing election
days from Thursday to the
weekend, allowing people to vote
anyway in their constituency
rather than a specific polling
station. Let voting take over
several days – E-voting, open to
questions over security.
2004 parliamentary election complaints of electoral fraud. E-voting has issues
of cyberattacks and potential online impersonation of voters .
Voting reduction to 16, allowed in the 2014.
Electoral system – other radical proposals to make voting compulsory, a
social duty, and produce more representative parliament. Politicians would
need better campaigns, in a preferential voting system. It is undemocratic to
force people to take part in something that should be a matter of choice –
would not stop politicians campaigning on marginal seating.
Devolution – transfer of more government powers and functions to local
bodies.
, The franchise refers to those people who can vote in elections
Widening the Franchise
1832 Great Reform Act
o Addressed the issue of 'rotten boroughs'
o Disenfranchised 56 boroughs and reduced another 31 to only one MP
o Created 67 new constituencies
o Broadened the property qualification
o Gave the vote to householders who paid a yearly rental of £10 or more
o In response to growing demands for greater representation
1867 Representation of the People Act (Second Reform Act)
o Gave the vote to working-class men for the first time
o In response to the Chartists' campaigning
1918 Representation of the People Act
o Granted the right to vote to women over the age of 30 who met a property
qualification
o Granted the right to vote to all men over the age of 21
o Following pressure from the Suffragettes and the success of working women
during World War One
1928 Representation of the People Act (Equal Franchise Act)
o Granted equal voting rights to women and men
o Both men and women could vote at the age of 21
1969 Representation of the People Act
o Extended the franchise to men and women over the age of 18
Current Voting Rights
o All males and females who are citizens of Britain, Ireland, and some
Commonwealth countries
o Over the age of 18
o Resident in the UK or a British citizen living abroad who has been registered
to vote in the UK in the last 15 years
o Exceptions: prisoners and mental health patients who have committed a
criminal offence
Importance of Extending the Franchise
Increased Representation
o Elected politicians were chosen by a very small group of landed gentry
o Representatives have to take the concerns of (nearly) all adults into account
o Regardless of gender, class background, ethnicity, etc.
o Enhances the UK's democratic character
o Makes politicians accountable for their actions
o Educational benefits as people may be encouraged to take an interest in
politics
No Taxation Without Representation
o If people are made to give away some of their income to the government
o It was only fair that they had a say in how this money was spent
Female Suffrage
Achievement of Female Suffrage
o Achieved in 1918
o Equal basis to men in 1928
, o Following years of campaigning by figures such as Emmeline Pankhurst
o Women's rights campaigners recognized the injustice of women not having
the right to vote
o Arguments in favor of female suffrage based on equal rights
o Early campaigners relied on peaceful protest
o More extreme, sometimes violent methods used by suffragettes
o Public support for women's suffrage grew
o Efforts turned to increasing the representation of women in politics
Continued Efforts
o Efforts to increase the representation of women in politics continue to this day
o For example, the 2015 election returned 191 women MPs, or 29% of the total
Widening the Franchise
Voting at 16
o Support for voting at 16 increased
o Votes at 16 coalition formed in 2003
o 2014 Scottish independence referendum allowed 16-17 year olds to vote
o 2015 Scottish parliament legislated 16-17 voting on Scottish and
parliamentary elections
o Argument against voting at 16: lack of life experience and freedom, limited
knowledge on current affairs, lack of political education in schools
o Argument for voting at 16: young people face democratic disadvantage,
encourages political education, inclusivity, secure future of voting
Prisoner Voting
Current Position
o Prisoners cannot vote as they are regarded as having renounced citizenship
rights during incarceration
o Challenges to the current position: John Hirst's legal challenges, position of
the European Court of Rights, pressure groups campaigning for change
o Arguments against prisoner voting: they have broken the law, inability to make
responsible decisions, distorted view of society, can vote after leaving prison,
ethical concern
o Arguments for prisoner voting: prisoners remain citizens, promotes civic
responsibility, encourages consideration of wider community interests, loss of
voting rights is disproportionate, severity of offense should be considered
Compulsory Voting
Current Situation
o Optional voting in the UK, but 22 states and countries like Australia have
compulsory voting
o Low voter turnout among young people (44% of 18-24 year olds), potential
alienation if voting is made compulsory
o Concerns about lack of fit parties to govern, uninformed voting, retaliation
against compulsory voting
o Political parties target policies towards older generations, further alienating
younger generations
o Austria has compulsory voting, but voter turnout has decreased
