Title: Democracy and empowerment
1Democracy and empowerment
- Some perspectives
- Empowerment participation in the Network
Society 21 March 2006
2 In a nutshell Beyond the Soundbite (BBC, 2002)
3Deconstructing the problem electoral issues-
registration Electoral Commission figures, based
on 2000 ONS dataNon - registration and social
exclusion Total population 8 - 9 - Around
3.5 million
4Deconstructing the problem electoral issues -
turnout trends General elections, 1945-2005
5Deconstructing the problem electoral issues -
turnout (millions)2001 General Election 59.4
(2nd lowest since 1847, lowest since 1918)2005
General Election 61.4 (3rd lowest since 1847,
2nd lowest since 1918)More than 1 in 10 voted
for parties other than Labour, Conservative or
Lib/Demabout half the increase in turnout in
2005 was due to the trebling of the postal vote
to 12Whilst 12 encouraged others to vote for a
party, 37 encouraged others not to vote for a
party (compared with 15/19 spilt in 1997)
6Deconstructing the problem political party
membershipMembership of the 3 main parties 1964
- 2001
7Deconstructing the problem political party
loyalties - age very strongly identifying with a
political party 1964 2001, British Election
Survey
8Deconstructing the problem trades union
membership (millions)
9Deconstructing the problem trust ICM poll for
BBC News 24, March 2005
- 92 said politicians never gave "a straight
answer". - 87 said politicians did not keep the promises
they made before elections - 73 said politicians had shown themselves to be
dishonest too often.
10Political engagement activity An Audit of
political engagement 2 Electoral
Commission/Hansard Society, March 2005
11Political engagement contentment An Audit of
political engagement 2 Electoral
Commission/Hansard Society, March 2005
12Political engagement contentment - young people
and having influence on local issues
13Isolated from politics? Beyond the Soundbite
(BBC, 2002)
14Main Research findings summary
- Current political climate
- Lack of competition, centralisation, similarity
of parties, decline in political efficacy - Political culture and public attitudes
- Weakened sense of personal impact, consumerist
approach, disconnection - Individual resources
- Lack of knowledge/skills, time and money
- State structures
- Lack of influence, reduced accountability,
complexity, out of date, out of touch, too
infrequent - Mobilising agencies
- Decline of traditional networks, growth of single
issue advocacy and leisure networks - Social and economic change
- Shifts in post-industrial society, social
exclusion, disconnected youth culture
increasing future impact - Role of media in British politics
- Weakened political knowledge
- Long distance lens
15Red Herrings and key explanations Power to the
People, 2006
- RED HERRINGS
- Apathetic, uninterested public with a weak sense
of public duty - Culture of contentment
- Low calibre of politicians nowadays
- Lack of competitive elections
- Media causes disengagement
- Lack of time
- KEY EXPLANATIONS
- Citizens and party members do not have influence
- Political parties seen to be too similar
- Electoral system seen as unequal and leading to
wasted votes - Political parties require too broad a commitment
- Lack of knowledge
- Inconvenient voting procedures
16What is the Government is doing and criticisms
by the Power Inquiry
- What has been particularly strikinghas been the
extent to which none of the above responseshave
been fundamentally democratic in their
inspiration. They are primarily technocratic or
self-interested electoral responses. At
bestuseful addendums to a democratic system, but
nobody in government seems to have looked
seriously at the principles, practices, or
history of democracy, as a possible source of
answers to the worrying problem of disengagement.
- Alternative voting systems
- More consultation
- Citizenship education
- Greater regulation and scrutiny
17A few other things the Government is doing
18Key proposals by others for reform
- Electoral reform
- Party Funding
- Devolving power
- Greater public participation in decision making
- Action on social exclusion from democracy
- Youth focus
- Compulsory Voting
- Access to Parliament and MPs
- Improved scrutiny
- Building citizenship
19POWER INQUIRY Proposals
- SELECTED RECOMMEDATIONS
- Limits on the powers of whips
- 70 elected House of Lords
- Decentralisation
- Responsive electoral system
- State funding for local political activity
- MPs required to engage with their constituents
- MAJOR SHIFTS
- Rebalancing of power away from the Executive and
unaccountable bodies towards Parliament and local
government - Introduction of greater responsiveness and
choice into the electoral and party systems - Allowing citizens a much more direct and focused
say over political decisions and policies
20Cherry picking?
- These three imperatives stand or fall alongside
each other. The implementation of only one or two
of the three will not create the reengagement
with formal democracy which many people now
want.Cherry-picking a folly repeated time and
time again by our political masters will not
work.
21Democracy and empowerment
- Some perspectives
- Empowerment participation in the Network
Society 21 March 2006