DEMOCRACY & PARTICIPATION - THEORY

Rule by the people

• participation

• Voting equality

• Understanding what you are voting for

• Agenda setting

• Universal

provides the basis for legitimacy

• consent - citizens consent to being governed

• Dispersion - participation such as joining a party or pressure group

• Feedback - people can change representatives if the current one doesn’t meet their wants

People make the decisions rather than voting for politicians to make them for them

People vote for representatives to act on their behalf

• councils and devolved governments

• National governments

• Political parties, unions or pressure groups (formal memberships)

A flaw in the democratic process where decisions are taken by people who lack legitimacy due to nit having been appointed with sufficient democratic input or not being subject to accountability

• participation has declined since the 20th century

• Not everyone is participating equally

• Turnout in elections and referendums are low

• voter participation has risen since 2004

• Since devolution there has been an increasing number of opportunities to vote

• Since 1997, there have also been a number of referendums

• mass membership of political parties has declined

• since 2013, party membership has resurged

• A drop in amount of participation may have led to a rise in the quality of participation

• decline of trade union movement

• Direct action is seen as a real challenge to democracy and traditional forms of participation

• Individual politics = slacktivism

• new groups have risen around certain issues (EG environment)

• Social movements have emerged quickly to respond to issues

• Individual politics allow the expression of individuals

YES

• allows people to have more say in decisions

NO

• people have no control over when a referendum is called

YES

• allow people to suggest new legislation Etc

NO

• undermines representative democracy

• Not very practical

YES

• improves indirect democracy as people have more control over who represents their constituency

• Reduces corruption

NO

• people may not know the full story - may be unfair

• Recall of politicians is not immediate

YES

• brings out diverse perspectives and draws attention to specific issues

• Everyone can be heard so reduces corruption

NO

• no guarantee there is diverse representation

• People could lack expertise

• Government doesn’t have to listen so not always very effective

YES

• ensures everyone can vote

• Could improve participation

NO

• undermines representative democracy

• Potential for more voter fraud

• May not increase peoples participation

• Increases costs

YES

• weekend and online voting improves - youth representation

• Compulsory voting improves turnout

• Lower voting age could improve youth representation

NO

• online could risk voter fraud

• Compulsory voting removes freedom of choice

• Youth can lack understanding

And organised group of people who aim to influence the policies or actions of the government