Democracy and Participation
1.1 Current Systems of Representative Democracy and Direct Democracy
- Features of direct democracy + representative democracy:
Representative:
1) Elections should be regular, competitive, secret, not forced + universal adult suffrage -in the
UK, elections are held every 5 years, in secret and results are legally binding.
Are competitive, with Labour, Tories and Lib Dems.
2) Civil liberties must be protected, like press and freedom of assembly (join parties, TUs or
protests freely). In UK, these enshrined by HRA Act 1998
3) An assembly exists which reflects make up society and passes laws. In the UK, we have MPs
who sit in Parliament and represent views of electorate, surgeries.
4) Independent judiciary should exist - in UK, judiciary separated from Exec and Legislature
after 2009's Constitutional Reform Act. Office of Lord Chancellor cannot be Lord and establishing
independent Judicial Appointments Commission to recommend judicial appointments.
Direct:
1) Referendums - A vote on a single issue that demands a yes/no answer. Governments and
Parliament decide when this is to be used. - Brexit/Scottish Referendum Leave/Remain in 2016 and
2014. Usually Yes wins due to positive bias.
2) E-petitions - Official government website enables citizens to sign petitions.
If a petition reaches 10,000 signatures parliament will consider debating the issue. In a technological
age, these are increasing in use.
"Safe refuges, save lives" petition to stop closing of refuge accommodation for women fleeing
domestic violence. Successful as Department for Communities and Local Government committed a £10
million for refuges.
3) Recall of MPs Act 2015 - Allows constituents to recall MP and trigger by-election on the
condition that the MP is sentenced to prison term / suspended from HoC for >21 days
Petition open for 8 weeks, if 10% of electorate signed, then by-election triggered.
Ms Onasanya petition to recall successful 2019 following 3-month prison sentence.
- Similarities and differences between direct democracy and representative democracy:
Same:
1) Direct democracy and representative democracy are similar in that they both rely on a vote by the
masses.
2) Both democracies have established guidelines to follow when scheduling a vote. These guidelines are
often defined by a constitution or legislative body.
3) Both democracies also frequently have some type of limitation on who is allowed to cast a vote, such
as an age limit.
4) Both can integrate petitions and e-petitions.
Different:
1) Direct democracy is purer
2) Referendums could carrry more legitimacy > decisions made by representatives
, 3) Direct democracy - constitutional change whereas representative democracy - day to day running of
state
4) Direct democracy - tyranny of majority but in representative democracy - MP weights up different
interests of sections of community
5) Direct democracy - people are unaccountable to themselves but in representative democracy there
are representatives accountable.
- Advantages and disadvantages of direct democracy and representative democracy and consideration of
the case for reform:
Direct democracy:
+: 1) Promotes participation - Participation has great instrumental value, in helping to protect
democracy from public apathy. 72% turnout is high, as with Brexit.
2) Popular sovereignty. 46.5million people voted in the brexit vote, This may be
symbolically important, or may it be necessary for the legitimation of key decisions
3) All citizens' voices are equal - Elected representatives may, once in office, put the interests
of privileged elites before those of ordinary citizens, treating their position as a personal entitlement
rather than a public office. For example, 2016's Brexit could've ended in remain if the conservative
politicians made the choice. Instead the people made the decision, and it left its EU status.
4) Resolving unexpected questions, authorizing changes in direction. Like with the Scottish
referendum, it was brought up due to politicans not wanting to make a choice without
gaining a specific subject-related mandate in case it hurt their careers later on. This retains
their legitimacy. Holding a referendum allows a government to seek popular endorsement and thus to
legitimate a response to such changed circumstances.
-: 1) Impractical as all citizens involved in decision-making daily
2) If direct democracy mechanisms are used too often, and in particular if they are used to
decide relatively complex and technical issues rather than important matters of principle,
there is a risk of voter fatigue. This = low turnout, low legitimacy, illegetimate mandate?
Eg. 1998 London Devolution referendum: 35% because the Greater London Authority
proposed was a complex thing.
3) Direct democracy demands from citizens a relatively high level of knowledge of issues
that are sometimes complex. It is likely that reprentatives are better suited at making such
decisions as 19% of MPs (2019) were Oxford educated, compared to 1% of the General
population.
4) No minority voices heard, tyranny of the majority.
Representative:
+: 1) Representative democracy allows citizens to carry on with their ordinary lives without
having to research complex political issues, attend political meetings and participate in debate,
which would be extremely time-consuming. ¨ For example, MPs participate in debates and committee
work 5 days a week, and hold surgeries on Fridays or weekends after sittings of parliament in
westminster. In a direct ‘Athenian’ democratic system everyone would be a full-time politician"
2) Representative government is government by experts or specialists. MPs are usually highly
educated in relevant subjects and have the time to research issues in depth to inform their decisions.¨
For example, many MPs, like Boris, have degrees in PPE (Philosophy, Politics & Economics) and
Law, which helps them to understand the issues on which they are legislating. As well as this,
1.1 Current Systems of Representative Democracy and Direct Democracy
- Features of direct democracy + representative democracy:
Representative:
1) Elections should be regular, competitive, secret, not forced + universal adult suffrage -in the
UK, elections are held every 5 years, in secret and results are legally binding.
Are competitive, with Labour, Tories and Lib Dems.
2) Civil liberties must be protected, like press and freedom of assembly (join parties, TUs or
protests freely). In UK, these enshrined by HRA Act 1998
3) An assembly exists which reflects make up society and passes laws. In the UK, we have MPs
who sit in Parliament and represent views of electorate, surgeries.
4) Independent judiciary should exist - in UK, judiciary separated from Exec and Legislature
after 2009's Constitutional Reform Act. Office of Lord Chancellor cannot be Lord and establishing
independent Judicial Appointments Commission to recommend judicial appointments.
Direct:
1) Referendums - A vote on a single issue that demands a yes/no answer. Governments and
Parliament decide when this is to be used. - Brexit/Scottish Referendum Leave/Remain in 2016 and
2014. Usually Yes wins due to positive bias.
2) E-petitions - Official government website enables citizens to sign petitions.
If a petition reaches 10,000 signatures parliament will consider debating the issue. In a technological
age, these are increasing in use.
"Safe refuges, save lives" petition to stop closing of refuge accommodation for women fleeing
domestic violence. Successful as Department for Communities and Local Government committed a £10
million for refuges.
3) Recall of MPs Act 2015 - Allows constituents to recall MP and trigger by-election on the
condition that the MP is sentenced to prison term / suspended from HoC for >21 days
Petition open for 8 weeks, if 10% of electorate signed, then by-election triggered.
Ms Onasanya petition to recall successful 2019 following 3-month prison sentence.
- Similarities and differences between direct democracy and representative democracy:
Same:
1) Direct democracy and representative democracy are similar in that they both rely on a vote by the
masses.
2) Both democracies have established guidelines to follow when scheduling a vote. These guidelines are
often defined by a constitution or legislative body.
3) Both democracies also frequently have some type of limitation on who is allowed to cast a vote, such
as an age limit.
4) Both can integrate petitions and e-petitions.
Different:
1) Direct democracy is purer
2) Referendums could carrry more legitimacy > decisions made by representatives
, 3) Direct democracy - constitutional change whereas representative democracy - day to day running of
state
4) Direct democracy - tyranny of majority but in representative democracy - MP weights up different
interests of sections of community
5) Direct democracy - people are unaccountable to themselves but in representative democracy there
are representatives accountable.
- Advantages and disadvantages of direct democracy and representative democracy and consideration of
the case for reform:
Direct democracy:
+: 1) Promotes participation - Participation has great instrumental value, in helping to protect
democracy from public apathy. 72% turnout is high, as with Brexit.
2) Popular sovereignty. 46.5million people voted in the brexit vote, This may be
symbolically important, or may it be necessary for the legitimation of key decisions
3) All citizens' voices are equal - Elected representatives may, once in office, put the interests
of privileged elites before those of ordinary citizens, treating their position as a personal entitlement
rather than a public office. For example, 2016's Brexit could've ended in remain if the conservative
politicians made the choice. Instead the people made the decision, and it left its EU status.
4) Resolving unexpected questions, authorizing changes in direction. Like with the Scottish
referendum, it was brought up due to politicans not wanting to make a choice without
gaining a specific subject-related mandate in case it hurt their careers later on. This retains
their legitimacy. Holding a referendum allows a government to seek popular endorsement and thus to
legitimate a response to such changed circumstances.
-: 1) Impractical as all citizens involved in decision-making daily
2) If direct democracy mechanisms are used too often, and in particular if they are used to
decide relatively complex and technical issues rather than important matters of principle,
there is a risk of voter fatigue. This = low turnout, low legitimacy, illegetimate mandate?
Eg. 1998 London Devolution referendum: 35% because the Greater London Authority
proposed was a complex thing.
3) Direct democracy demands from citizens a relatively high level of knowledge of issues
that are sometimes complex. It is likely that reprentatives are better suited at making such
decisions as 19% of MPs (2019) were Oxford educated, compared to 1% of the General
population.
4) No minority voices heard, tyranny of the majority.
Representative:
+: 1) Representative democracy allows citizens to carry on with their ordinary lives without
having to research complex political issues, attend political meetings and participate in debate,
which would be extremely time-consuming. ¨ For example, MPs participate in debates and committee
work 5 days a week, and hold surgeries on Fridays or weekends after sittings of parliament in
westminster. In a direct ‘Athenian’ democratic system everyone would be a full-time politician"
2) Representative government is government by experts or specialists. MPs are usually highly
educated in relevant subjects and have the time to research issues in depth to inform their decisions.¨
For example, many MPs, like Boris, have degrees in PPE (Philosophy, Politics & Economics) and
Law, which helps them to understand the issues on which they are legislating. As well as this,
