Direct democracy - A form of democracy where the people themselves make key decisions
- The assembled free citizens would make important decisions
o For example, if a country should go to war
o Laws are also made in this way
o The people who run the state also were elected this way
- Athenian democracy declined in the 4 th century BC the main part of direct democracy
disappeared as a democratic form until the 19 th century
- The swiss have used many types of direct democracy
- Today direct democracy has returned in the form of the referendum now relatively common
in Europe in some States of America
- However direct democracy cannot replace representative democracy completely rather in
addition to democracy
Representative democracy
- This is the most common model to be found in the Democratic world today
- The basis of this type of democracy is that the people do not make political decisions but
instead they choose representative to make decisions on their behalf
- The most common way of treating representative to elect them
- Elections are what we think of when we consider representation, but it is not only elections
that characterise representative democracy those elected also need to be accountable
Accountability
- Representative on to act responsibly in the interest of the people
- Individual representatives such as MPs in the UK and the government are held accountable
when the people go to the polls
- Opposition parties will highlight the shortcomings of the government and will offer their
own alternative
- The government will seek to explain and justify it done to be re elected
- Individual representative will be held to account for their performance
- Accountability is Less certain
- Legislators can hold government to account regularly
Social representation
- This implies the characteristics of members of representative bodies whether they be
national Parliament, regional assemblies on local council should be broadly in line with the
characteristics of the population as a whole
- They should be close to a microcosm game of society as a whole
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,Representing the national interest
- If they sit in the national Parliament, they are expected to represent the interests of the
nation as a whole
- Let's make clash with the local constituency that they represent so they must resolve the
issue in their own way
Constituency representation
- Locality that elect a representative in UK national politics is known as a constituency
o In other countries different names were given
- Whatever the kind of representation exists though it concerns local interest it can imply 3
things
1. It could mean representing the interests of the constituency as a whole
2. It can also mean representing the interests of individual constituents this is often described
as the redress for grievance
3. It can simply mean that a representative listened to the views of his or her constituents
when deciding about in national issue this can lead to another dilemma
Party representation
- All modern democracies are characterised by the existence of political parties
- The vast majority of those seeking and winning elections are members of a political party
- This is unusual in modern democracies to find any examples of independent representative
who do not belong to a party
- Parties state their manifestoes at election times
o Members of the party who wish to be elected would follow the manifesto when
representing their party
- In some political systems notably the USA party candidate my battery in my personal stance
from their party's manifesto for agreed policies in such cases party representation is weaker
Functional representation
- This refers to the fact that some elected representatives will present not only their
constituency or region but also a particular occupational or social group
Casual representation
- Representative bodies are not representing people so much and ideas principles and causes
- This represents the whole community and that the belief and demand involved are claimed
to benefit everyone not just a particular group in society
- Typical called the concern Environmental Protection individual rights and freedom greater
quality and animal rights
- Though the elected representative Often support such causes and principles most casual
representation is carried out by pressure groups
The nature of representative democracy in the UK
- Democracy is regulated by the Electoral Commission this body ensure that representation is
fair that although the title to fight can register to vote and that the parties do not have any
undue influence through spending
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, - The spending of a political party is now tightly controlled in the UK so the process is even
handed it can be said that representation in the UK today is fundamentally uncorrupted fair
and honest
Levels of representation in the UK
- The citizens of the UK or represented at 3 levels at least and that many enjoy 4 or 5 levels of
representation
- It should also clear that representation have become increasingly decentralised with the
advent of devolution and delegating of increasing powers to city administrations
Forms of representation in the UK
Constituencies
- Into the corner state and acknowledge strength of representative democracy in the UK that
every elected representative should have a constituency to which they are accountable and
whose interests they would pursue
- These constituents may be quite small doctor Parrish, or a local Ward and then maybe very
large regions represented by members of the European Parliament MEPs Until the UK's exit
in 2019 or in the London assembly but the same principle applies to all
o This principle is that individuals in the constituency should have their grievances
considered that the interests of the whole constituency representative I'm not the
elected representative there's regularly made accountable to their constituency
Parties
- UK is unusual in that party playing much more central role and representation done than in
most other democracies
- This is for 2 reasons
1. In some systems parties are on the loose federations of his political outlook may vary good
deal this is especially true of the USA in the UK by contrast a representative party label tells a
great deal about their beliefs and most representative from the same party hold similar
views, so UK parties are tight a more United body
2. This is usually the case that one single party government in the UK there is an exception
between 2010 and 2015 when a coalition road but the norm is for a single party government
after the June 2017 general election however an entirely new situation right now they hung
Parliament and no party has an overall majority The Conservatives decided with the
approval of the Queen to form a minority administration in order to ensure its survival the
government reached a formal agreement with the DUP his timesheet added to the
Conservatives 318 which formed a majority in return for an extensive investment in
Northern Ireland infrastructure and public services the DP agree to support the government
in key votes even cite the new government had to abandon many of its 2017 manifesto
commitment nevertheless the 2 parties put together a legislative programme
- These 2 factors place parties at the centre of representation in the UK
- The road is also connected to the doctrine of mandate and manifesto
Mandate and manifesto
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