1 Democracy and participation

First form of democracy, sometimes known as Athenian, key decisions made by the people themselves, e.g Referendums

Most common today, elected representatives make decisions on behalf of the people, when representatives are not elected this threatens democracy

Purest form of democracy, can avoid delay within the political system, increased legitimacy

Tyranny of the majority - ignores the interests of the minority, some issues may not be understood by the electorate

Government is run by accountable representatives, PMs should make better informed decisions, representatives have a duty to deal with conflicting interests and find a solution

MPs can be disengaged from the public and not fully represent the electorates interests - encouraged by powerful pressure groups, lobbyists and London-based media, MPs can also have second jobs which can become a conflict of interest and prevent them from representing their constituents fairly, FPTP = unrepresentation

Resigned as an MP after he was criticised by the Commissioner of Parliamentary Standards for lobbying on behalf of companies that employed him

MP (former attorney general) was criticised for earning £900,000 for legal work he did in addition to his MP salary

Individual MPs and the Government are both held to account during elections - if they haven’t done what they said, they can be voted out

members of a representative body should be broadly in line with the characteristics of population as a whole. E.g. Parliament should be 50% female.

The 2019 election did elect the most diverse HoC ever!

85% of MPs attend university

19% graduated from either Oxford or Cambridge

29% were privately educated (compared to 7% nationally)

34% were women (51% nationally)

10% ethnic minorities (14% nationally)

Although representatives are by local constituencies, if they sit in the national Parliament they are ALSO expected to act in the national interest

Sometimes may cause clashes with constituency interests

A local MP may have strong constituency support for blocking HS2, however MP may agree that HS2 overall is in the national interest. It is up to the MP how they resolve these issues and conflicts

Representing the interest of your constituency as a whole

Representing individual constituents

Listening to views of constituents in relation to national interest

Some MPs might represent occupational or social groups (as well as constituency/religion)

Trade Unions

Social groups like the elderly. LGBTQ, disabled

Not representing people but causes/ideas

In a sense, represents the whole community

Causes like environment, greater equality, animal rights

Jurisdiction of UK parliament at Westminster and the UK government

Government in Wales, Scotland and N.I. Varying powers, but all have elected representative

Big cities like London or Manchester.

Usually have an elected Mayor. Deal with city issues like emergency services, health, large planning

County/district or metropolitan councils depending on the area.

Deal with public transport, roads, education, public health and social services at a local level

Lowest level of government.

Deal with local issues like parking restrictions, parks and gardens, public amenities, some planning issues.

Franchise extended to shopkeepers and small farmers

doubles the electorate to 2 million

Introduced the secret ballot

Franchise extended to most working men

Married, graduate or property owning women over 30 given the vote

Franchise extended to all adults over 21, including women

voting age reduced from 21 to 18

Extends the franchise to British citizens residing abroad

16-17 year olds allowed to vote in all elections in Scotland (excluding General Elections and Referendums)

More militant

Direct Action

More violent and disruptive action to draw attention to their cause

Emily Davidson was killed when she threw herself in front of the King’s horse in the Derby.

Chaining themselves to the railings of Buckingham Palace. Queen Victoria had called the campaign for women’s suffrage a ‘mad and wicked folly.’

Burning down the homes of MPs who opposed women’s suffrage.

Burning down churches. The suffragettes felt the Church of England was opposed to women’s suffrage.

Breaking shop windows on Oxford Street, the main shopping street in London.

The acts guaranteed them publicity

Although the press was often negative and associated the movement with violent extremism or even terrorism

Emily Pankhurst established the WSPU

Emily Davidson

Sophia Duleep Singh - was of Indian origin and born in London. She was a prominent suffragette in the WSPU and a key figure in the campaign to refuse paying taxes

Britain’s campaign did not discriminate against race and supported all women’s right to vote

Lobbying government

No direct action.

Their aim was to peacefully protest and campaign for the right for women to vote

In 1867 the London Society for Women’s Suffrage was formed

Similar groups were set up across the country and in 897 they were joined together.

Petitions

Writing letters to politicians

Speeches

Posters

By 1903 some women were increasingly frustrated at the lack of progress the NUWSS was making

May have been a more influential cause for extending the franchise than the campaigning by the Suffragettes and the Suffragists

Established the NUWSS to lobby parliament to extend the franchise to women

citizens’ activities affecting politics

an indispensable feature of democracy

Voting in elections

Standing for public office

Being an active member of a party

Being an active member of a pressure group

Being a member of a trade union

Being a passive party member (paying membership but not really joining in)

Digital activist (e-petitions)

Community activist, campaigner

Being an ethical consumer

Membership of the Conservative, Labour and the Liberal Democrat parties has increased to around 1.5% of the electorate

All time historic low of 0.8% in 2013

New rules by leader Ed Miliband, party membership became £3 (much lower than any other party)

enabled a wider section of Labour supporters to vote in leadership elections - It was the largely young new cohort who elected Jeremy Corbyn as the leader of the labour party and changed the direction of the party

Surged - claimed to have over 100,000 members in a population of just over 5 million

nearly 50,000 had signed up to the party by the time of the election, making UKIP the 4th largest UK party based on membership

In conventional politics, the overall membership of political parties is declining

people still see parties as a vehicle for political action if they are proposing some kind of radical change (e.g SNP, UKIP, Greens)

2017 - 1.2%

2021 - 0.9%

2018 - 3%

2021 - 2.5%

In the 2010 election 29,687,604 people (65%)

In 2017 it was 32,204,124 (68.8%)

In 2019 it was 32,014,110 (67.3%)

more people feel disaffected by our political system than ever before

35% of voters believed that politicians were ‘out for themselves’

36% believed they were largely selfless people

22% saying they put their party first

63% of people now believe politicians are only ‘out for themselves’

only 5% believe they are in it for the best interests of the country

Compulsory voting

Online voting

More political education in schools

Increased use of referendums to engage more people in the political debate

Electoral reform making parties more electable

Reduce party subscriptions (Like Labour in 2015)

A change in the electoral system might encourage support for smaller parties and independent candidates 

More political education and politics encouraging direct consultation with citizens

Distrust of politicians, dislike of traditional parties and disaffection with democracy

Complacency in rich Western countries

A lack of interest in political institutions (especially in the young)

People feeling they are being taken for granted and turning away from political elites who seek power and break promises

Voters no longer committed to one party

50% of those surveyed said - the main parties and politicians don’t care about people like them

72% said the system of governing needs ‘quite a lot’ or a ‘great deal’ of improvement

54% said Britain needs a strong leader who isn’t afraid to break the rules