AS PoliticsUnit 1

Booklet 1: Democracy and Participation

PowerpointsHandouts

PoliticsAn Introduction

AS OutlineUnit 1

People and Politics

Unit 2Governing the

UK

50%

50%

Edexcel AS PoliticsAn overview of unit 1 and 2 ...

Unit 1 - People and politicsYou have 4 topic areas in unit 1, these are: 1. Democracy & Political Participation2. Party Politics and Ideas3. Elections4. Pressure Groups

Unit 1 teaching will be from Sept to Dec followed by a unit 1 mock exam.

Unit 2 - Governing the UKYou also have 4 topic areas in unit 2, these are: 1. The Constitution2. Parliament 3. The Prime Minister & Cabinet4. Judges and Civil Liberties

Unit teaching will be from Jan to April followed by a unit 2 mock exam.

Study tipKeep separate folders for both units with clearly labelled sections. Prepare these folders at the beginning of the year as you will inevitably come across material/news examples that may come in handy for future topics.

3

Jan

April

Sept

Unit 1People & Politics Electoral Systems

Party Policy and Ideas

PressureGroups

Democracy & Political Participation

Assessment

You are assessed at the end of your first year: You will sit two exams, they will be: Each worth 50% of your overall As grade and 25% of your overall A2 grade Worth 80 marks in total each Each will be 1 hour 20 minutes long

Unit 1 examFor unit 1 you will have to answer 2 questions related to the 4 topic areas. Each question will have 3 parts - a 5 mark component a 10 mark component and a 25 mark essay.

Unit 2 examUnit 2 is structured differently. You have 2 sections. The first section is a source based question, with the option of answering 1 question from 2. This will have 5, 10 and 25 mark components. The second section will be a 40 mark extended essay, you have to choose 1 from a choice of 2. All 4 topics will come up and can appear in any section.

4

What you have

to do

Organise foldersnow!

Keep newspaper articles in

four sections

Pick a book and start reading

Rules! Must do Homework on time

No phones allowed

Attendance and Lateness

Democracy

Government

People

Democracy Definition

1. Government of the people

Government that originates from the people - people are the ultimate source of legislation. The people are sovereign.

Government that is sensitive to the people

2. Government by the people

People participate in political affairsBeing active in political parties

Often called participatory politics.

3. Government for the people

Government for the interest of the people not personal interests.

Representative Democracy

Types of Democracy

There are 2 types of democracy:

- Direct Democracy

- Representative democracy

Britain’s Representative Democracy

Britain’s representative democracy can be summarised as follows:

1. Citizens elect individuals to represent them in a legislature (British Parliament)

2. In the UK this usually means these individuals belong to a party.

3. MPs (representatives) are not simply delegates

4. Will make decisions based upon their own opinions and judgements, consulting generally

‘your representative owes you not his industry only but his judgement, and he betrays you if he sacrifices it to your opinion’

Changesince2005

Seats won29,692

Votes cast65% electorate

Total 650Seats/MPs

To form a government = 650 / 2 +1 = 326

What are the advantages and disadvantages of Britain’s representative democracy?

Advantages and Disadvantages of Representative Democracy

Advantages

• Elected reps are better educated/articulate

• Access to relevant research - form opinions

• Allows parliament to make difficult decisions

• Allows joined-up government

Disadvantages

• Long terms in office - unaccountable between elections

• Delegates for parties ‘toeing the line’ and the Whips system

• Limits popular participation

• Elitism - e.g. expenses scandal

• Lack of choice between parties

• Party system

• Voter apathy

Democracy & Political Participation

Direct Democracy

Referendums• Representative democracies can become distant.

• Referendums are employed as a form of direct democracy within a representative democracy in order to widen participation.

• In recent history there have only been two UK national referendums - 1975 membership of EEC (EU) and 2011 AV referendum.

• The Labour government after 1997 promised greater referendums on major issues.

• There have been since 1997 five regional referendums.

• But are referendums ‘alien to our tradition’? (Atlee).

• Parliament is sovereign, representative democracy

Assessment of Referendums

Topic - how are topics decided? without initiatives, governments will control the topics

Wording - Why is wording important?

Timing - when to have referendums

Funding - direct and indirect funding

Turnout

Referendums on the government not the issue

Complexity of the issues

But...

Entrenches fundamental issues

Resolves disputes

Prevents bad decisions

Mayoral Referendums

• There have been over 30 mayoral elections

• Turnout has been as low as 10% and as high as 64%

Congestion charges

• 2005 Edinburgh - 74.4% no

• 2008 Manchester - 78.8% no

Initiatives, recalls and other forms

• Read the book and find out about initiatives and recalls

• Find out about citizen juries

• Find out about directly elected mayors and police commissioners

• Read article on e-petitions

To what extent is more direct democray good for UK democracy?

Political Participation

Is there a problem with partcipation in elections?

Political Participation since ww2

Political Participation since ww2

Other Elections

London Mayoral 2008 - 45.33%

London Mayoral 2004 - 36.95%

Welsh Assembly 2011 - 42.2%

AV Referrendum - 42%

Turnout around the world

Iran - 85%

India - 56.97%

USA - 63.0%

South Africa - 77.3%

Party membership

Party membership EU

Non-Party membership

Actual and potential particpation

No. of political actions

Political Participation

• Engagement with formal processes and institutions of Democracy in decline since 1960’s.

• Party memberships have been falling - 1/4 of 1964 levels.

• Turnout for general elections remain low. 78.7% in 1959 - 59.4% in 2001. In young people this is even lower.

• Turnout in local elections and mayoral elections lower (London mayoral elections 34.43% in 2000)

• Is this ‘apathy’?.

The Facts:

‘a state of indifference towards the political process, political institutions and politicians... and the suppression of emotions such as concern, excitement, motivation and passion’.

def. Political Apathy

Political Participation

• More single issue led campaigns on the increase such as anti-war, rural interests, airport expansion, environment. Direct action Vs Political Participation.

• ‘while voting is waning, alternative forms of political expression... are all on the rise.’ Noreena Hertz - Independent

• Researchers found 2.5 million people had taken part in a demonstration (pre 2003), 22 million signed a petition.

• So is it apathy?

Other forms on the increase

Solving the Political Participation problem

Politics/Politicians Voter

Power Inquiry

Solutions to the political participation problem

• 2 sets of proposals

• a. making it easier to vote through technology/postal voting etc.

• b. deeper issues about British politics (systemic issues)

Solutions to the political participation problem - Voting/Voters• Compulsory voting

• Reducing voting age

• More use of postal/internet voting

• Citizenship Classes and education

Solutions to the political participation problem - Politics/Politicians• Resolving the flaws in UK democracy

• More direct democracy (participatory)

• Electoral system

• Modernising institutions (HoL etc)

• Lack of ideology - ‘centre ground’ - change politics

• Localism / decentralisation

Why does political participation matter? • Is it really a problem? Natural problem due to change in societies.

• Undermines legitimacy of political institutions

• Brings governing parties mandate into question. 2001 Labour won with 24% of total electorate

• May impact on the quality and effectiveness of government

‘In the 2001 General Election only 3 out of every 5 electors bothered to vote. The turnout of 59 per cent was the lowest for any General Election since 1918, and as that was a year when many electors were still returning from military service in Europe, the 2001 turnout can be considered the worst on record. For the first time since 1923 the number who did not vote was greater than the number that voted for the winning party.’ Electoral Reform Society

So why are voters disengaged?

1. Disenfranchisement - When groups are excluded from the political process directly or indirectly through no representation.

2. Ideology - Parties no longer endorse strong political ideology but seek the safe centre.

3. ‘Corruption’ and ‘scandal’ - plays a part in projecting a bad image of politics. Big interests.

4. Breaking manifesto promises.

5. Party Politics (Party System) - MPs often vote on Party lines rather than the interests of their constituents. (Party Whips). Yaa boo Politics.

6. Anachronisms - Parliament and process seems foreign and outdated.

7. Electoral System - First past the post

Essay ‘Assess the measures proposed to increase political partcipation in Britain’ 25

Explain the solutions to the political participation problem [10]

Explain the solutions to the political participation problem [10]

a. What is Direct Democracyb. Explain three ways the power inquiry recommends to enhance democratic participation

c. Assess the various measures other than electoral reform that have been suggested to improve democracy in the UK