Democracy and Participation

1
Democracy and Participation
What is democracy? Democracy means rule by the
people. Democracy is based on two
values I.)POLITICAL PARTICIPATION- where key
decisions are made by the people, reflecting the
notion of government by the people. In this
context the participants are the
electorate. II.)POLITICAL EQUALITY- where each
citizen is free and has an equal opportunity to
influence political decisions.
What is a democratic country? A democratic
country is where the major decisions that affect
society are made by the people, whether directly
or indirectly. Each person has an equal right to
make their opinion count. The more popular
consent or agreement on a policy, law,
representative or government, the more
legitimate it is.
2
Types of democracy
Types of democracy
There are two types of democracy I.) DIRECT
DEMOCRACY- where the people make the key
political decisions by themselves. This abolishes
any distinction between the state and the
citizens as it is a form of self-government. The
effectiveness of this model of democracy is
directly proportional to the extent of popular
participation. II.) REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY-
this is an indirect and limited form of democracy
where the people choose who shall make decisions
on their behalf. The people vote for their
representative who speaks on behalf of their
constituents. The representative can be
re-elected or removed during elections. The
success of this model of democracy is also
directly proportional to popular control over the
government.
3
Direct democracy
Features of direct democracy I.) Popular
participation is direct citizens themselves make
decisions, they are not confined to choosing
individuals who do. II.) Popular participation
is unmediated the people are the government,
there is no separate elite or ruling-class
between the government and their people. III.)
Popular participation is continuous. Citizens
engage in politics on a regular basis as all
decisions are directly made by the people.
Historic examples of direct democracy include
Ancient Athens and communal tribes, whilst modern
day examples are the use of referendums which
inform a governments decision.
4
Direct democracy
Benefits of direct democracy I.) It is the only
form of pure democracy. It ensures that people
will obey the law, as many are likely to obey the
laws that they personally approve. Their general
will becomes law. There is not a gulf between
the government and the people. II.) Personal
development direct democracy leads to an
educated society. Citizens are informed and
knowledgeable as many are encouraged to take part
in politics to understand how their society works
or even should work. III.) Direct democracy does
not allow for the people to put their faith with
elected politicians who constantly spin doctor
the truth in order to distort public
opinion. IV.) Legitimate government direct
democracy ensures that government is stable and
100 legitimate as citizens are responsible for
the decisions they make and cannot blame anyone
else.
Drawbacks of direct democracy I.) Direct
democracy is incredibly unworkable in the modern
world. This form of democracy requires all
citizens to engage in politics and
decision-making (reflected in the idea of
political equality.) All citizens must be able to
meet in a single place to express their opinion.
This is impossible for the entire
population. II.) Also direct democracy implies
that politics is the only job for citizens, they
cannot be expected to have careers or a personal
life, citizens would not be able to engage in any
other activities.
5
Representative democracy
Benefits of representative democracy I.)
Practical democracy. Representative democracy is
the only form of democracy that is effectively
workable in the modern world popular
participation is brief and limited. II.)
Government by experts. Representative democracy
places decision-making with professional
politicians, these people are generally more
educated and experienced than the masses of the
people. Therefore they are able to govern
according to their superior knowledge they
possess for the national interest. III.)
Representative democracy provides mediation
between the public and the government. Ordinary
citizens are free to get on with their lives as
they are relieved from the burden of
decision-making, allowing many citizens to have
careers and social life as they only choose who
gets to govern. IV.) Political stability is
created. Representative democracy maintains
stability as the public are distanced from
politics the more involved we become the more
passionate and committed we become, unwilling to
accept compromise. Political stability is
maintained as citizens of the state are likely to
accept compromise.
Features of representative democracy I.)
Popular participation is indirect citizens
choose who make the decisions through the
electoral vote. II.) Popular participation is
limited as the act of voting is limited to every
few years. III.) Popular participation is
mediated people are linked to the government
through various institutions.
6
Representative democracy
Liberal democracy A liberal democracy is a form
of representative democracy, therefore indirect.
The right to rule and govern is gained through
electoral success based on political equality
(one person, one vote). It combines the liberal
goal of limited government with a commitment to
democracy and popular participation. In a
liberal democracy, the basic conditions must be
met -Elections must respect the principle of
universal suffrage and are to be free and
fair. -Civil liberties and individual rights are
guaranteed -The government must operate in a
legal, constitutional framework -A capitalist or
private enterprise economy. A Liberal democracy
attempts to balance the need for democracy with
individual freedoms and rights.
Drawbacks of representative democracy I.)
Representative democracy in theory is a
formality. This is because the act of voting is
when the government decides the election. The
people in theory do not hold any control over the
government between elections, making
representative democracy unsuccessful. II.)
There has been a growing concern of how
politicians represent the people, whether it is
through the doctrine of the mandate, the delegate
model, trusteeship or by descriptive
representation. Seems that all have failed to
represent those who they claim to represent.
7
Liberal democracy
There are 2 main types of liberal democracy I.)
There is CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY where the
government operates within clear constitutional
guidelines, ensuring the protection of individual
and minority rights. Constitutional democracy is
associated with countries that have a codified
constitution, USA, France and Germany. II.)
There is MAJORITARIAN DEMOCRACY where majority
interests take precedence over the minorities, as
the majority speaks on behalf of the people. This
majority rule emphasizes the collective interests
of society, rather than the individual interests.
8
Democracy in the UK
The main features of the British democratic
system
Elections Elections in Britain are free and fair
as they are based on universal suffrage and they
provide electoral choice. Also votes are cast via
the secret ballot bringing an end to bribery and
intimidation which ensures that voters can freely
express their views at election time. In 1948,
Parliament passed another reform which
established the idea of one person, one vote
creating political equality. Before this reform
many privileged members of society were able to
vote plurally. In 2000, the Electoral
Commission had been established aiming to restore
confidence and integrity in British
democracy. However many have questioned the
fairness of our electoral process as I.)
Certain key political posts remain unelected,
like the Head of State, the House of Lords. Both
institutions lack democratic legitimacy. II.)
The first-past-the-post method has been
criticised as many votes are wasted as the winner
needs to achieve a simple plurality of votes.
Incredibly tight elections distort the real
preferences of the public.
9
Democracy in the UK
Universal Suffrage In 1928 the vote was extended
to females, ending gender discrimination, whilst
in 1968 the voting age was lowered to 18. In this
country all 18 year olds regardless of their sex
are eligible to vote. However I.) There are
requirements for the electoral register,
resulting in the homeless, the Lords, prisoners
and the mentally ills right to vote being
denied. II.) Although a right to vote is
guaranteed, this does not ensure that all
eligible members of society do vote. There have
been growing levels of voter apathy especially in
the 1997, 2001 and 2005 elections. Furthermore,
non-voting is common amongst the poor and the
most disadvantaged in society.
10
Democracy in the UK
Electoral Choice This element is vital to
democracy as voters must have a choice on the
ballot paper. This is ensured by party and
candidate competition. Initially we have had the
Conservative Party and the Whigs, and then
followed by the formation of the Liberal, Labour
and Social Democratic Parties. Electoral choice
in Britain has constantly evolved. As a result
multiparty systems have emerged from election
results. BUT I.) The two-party system still
remains in Westminster as Labour and the
Conservatives remain the dominant parties,
despite the Liberal Democrats. II.) Electoral
choice seems to be an apparent illusion with
growing consensus politics. Both New Labour and
the Tories have advocated free market economics.
Voters have little choice on key issues.
Elections are mainly won based on partys
position on the EU and Crime. Contrasting
policies are incredibly narrow.
11
Democracy in the UK
Parliament Parliament is the only popularly
elected institution in the UK and it is the heart
of the democratic process. Parliament ensures
representative government as MPs are elected by
their constituents and represent their views.
(In theory!) Parliament ensures responsible
government as it oversees, scrutinises and passes
the actions and bills of the government.
Parliament may call a vote of no confidence and
dismiss the government. BUT the effectiveness of
Parliament in promoting democracy has been
criticised I.) As the House of Lords remains
unelected, the representative role of
Parliament is weakened. II.) Party discipline
weakens MPs from using their own judgement to
represent their constituents and freedom of
debate. III.) The executive is able to dominate
Parliament as their party usually has a majority
in the Commons. Members of the executive can in
effect bribe politicians with career promotions.
Parliament has been labelled as an elective
dictatorship. Parliamentary democracy is a form
of indirect, representative democracy which
operates through a fully, elected assembly. This
balances popular participation against elitism.
Governments are indirectly accountable to the
public as the government are directly accountable
to elected representatives.
12
Democracy in the UK
Pressure Groups Pressure groups add to the
democratic process as they give a voice to those
who are ignored by the majoritarian system. By
joining pressure groups citizens exert influence
over the government through elections as they
provide a vehicle for participation beyond the
act of voting. Thus pressure groups supplements
democracy as it promotes pluralist democracy
leading to real developments in political
equality. BUT I.) Some pressure groups
concentrate power rather than distribute it.
Financially powerful groups are able to buy
influence through donation to political parties.
Many argue that business groups have an unfair
advantage as the government relies on their
cooperation for the economic proposals. II.)
Pressure groups seem to undermine Parliament as
an elected body. They undermine the
representative process, weakening the role of
elected officials. Pressure groups are not
popularly elected and unaccountable to the public.
13
Democracy in the UK
Devolution In 1998 after successful referendums,
Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish regional
assemblies were created. These nations were given
a distinctive political voice to run local
affairs. Parliament would always be dominated by
English Mps likely to ignore other nations.
Voters in the respective regions can express
their concerns about their regional issues.
Devolution has also widened participation,
strengthening political education. BUT I.)
Devolution has fallen short as many powers are in
reality limited and can be overturned by
Westminster. Major economic decisions and foreign
policy lies with the cabinet and Whitehall. II.)
Devolution has raised the West Lothian Question.
Devolution has failed to advance English
democracy. Tam Dayell has called for a separate
English assembly as most British people in
England.
14
Democracy in the UK
The European Union Britons are able to exercise
their influence through the European Union. This
is done via the proportional, fixed term
elections to the EU. The proportional voting
system has strengthened the democratic process as
parties gain a fair share of seats from their
votes, for example the Green Party, UKIP and the
BNP have done well in the EU elections. But
I.) Many eurosceptics have argued that the
growth in EU power has come at the expense of
Westminsters. The sovereignty of Parliament has
been undermined and threatened. II.) In reality
the EU has very little influence and control over
the European Commission with little policy-making
powers, suffering from an internal democratic
deficit.
15
A democratic deficit?
Is the UK a truly democratic nation? British
democracy has come under attack by the
conflicting ideas of popular democracy and
parliamentary democracy. For example the majority
of Britons opposed the Iraq invasion, yet
Parliament declared war. The UK conforms to a
majoritarian democracy. The executive is
accountable to Parliament however public
interest is determined by the executive, not by
the public themselves? If the UK ensures majority
rule, civil liberties are likely to be threatened
or curtailed.
The Participation Crisis. Due to increasing
voter apathy, many claim that the UK is suffering
from a participation crisis. In 1997 only 71 of
the electorate actually voted, New Labours
landslide victory was won by more votes that
the narrow result of the 1992 election! The
membership of the UKs political parties has
dramatically decreased over the years. Party
loyalty has declined. Many people do not identify
themselves with a party or a set of values. This
leads to more marginal seats and more floating
voters. However the growth of pressure group
membership and activism has increased, negating
the notion of a participation crisis. Maybe the
problem lies with disillusionment of Westminster
politics. Nonetheless election turnout is vital
to the health of a representative democracy.
16
A democratic deficit?
There are three main factors that could explain
declining turnouts at election time. Blame the
electorate- it could be argued that society in
general has become more materialistic in this
current consumerist society. Thatcher asserted
that there is no such thing as society. have we
become individuals concerned with our
self-welfare. The declining turnout can be seen
as an epidemic with union membership and church
attendance also are at an all time low. Blame
the media- the media have caused immense problems
for the public to trust and put their faith into
politics. The media have moved away from
political analysis to scandalous allegations to
sell papers. Examples include the expenses
scandal, cash for honours and the Tory Sleaze
during the 1990s. Blame the politicians-
politicians have done nothing to improve and
restore faith back into politics. ? Politicians
seem to care about nothing other than getting
elected, thus lacking a sense of direction and
moral values. Bigotgate proved to be the final
nail in the coffin for Labours 2010 defeat. This
claim is also supported by the transition from
programmatic parties to catch all ones. ? There
has been a growth in spin-doctoring. Parties
distort the truth to establish a favourable
response in order to gain support. Politics has
become style over substance. Politicians seem
to create the impression of being lying snakes
desperate to have a career. ? Parties have
distanced themselves from their grass root
ideologies. The consensus politics have explained
electoral decline as parties seek to gain the
support of middle England. ? During election
time, parties target marginal seats, thus
ignoring the majority voters in safe seats.
17
Enhancing democracy
Many reforms have been advocated in order to
improve democracy in the UK. I.) Widening
Direct Participation- this reform includes the
wider use of referendums. A referendum is a
popular vote by which the electorate expresses
their view on a particular policy. They are used
to inform the government regarding public
opinion. They differ from elections as they do
not fill a public office. Referendums are a
device of direct democracy. However referendums
are only used when decided by the government.
Citizens cannot initiate them. Government only
call referendums that they are likely to win.
Examples include entry to the EU and the issue of
devolution.
18
Enhancing democracy
II.) Compulsory Voting- electoral choice depends
on the electorate choosing to vote as well. The
participation crisis may be resolved by
introducing compulsory voting.
19
Enhancing democracy
III.) Digital Democracy- maybe the cause of the
participation crisis lies with the physical act
of voting being out of touch with the public.
Many of us are tied with jobs, families and
social lives to find time to vote. Voting
essentially becomes a burden. Many call for a
modern form of democracy. Maybe we could
incorporate democracy with the digital age
interactive screening, e-mails etc.
20
Enhancing democracy
IV.) Reducing the voting age- Todays youth are
incredibly disaffected due to the tabloid press
labelling us as a bunch of juvenile
delinquents who carry knifes and post their
crimes on youtube. Maybe lowering the voting age
will improve maturity in young people and they
may not get such a hard time from the media. Even
the age of the majority is inconsistent. At 16 we
can gamble and join the army but at 18 we can
purchase alcohol and violent video games. Many
minor parties have backed the call for votes at
sixteen. Independent commissions have also backed
this call. With the growth of a number of youth
democratic organisations, lowering the voting age
seems to be the next step.
21
www.politicalpromise.co.uk

• UK's number one student politics website