Political Participation

www.educationforum.co.uk Political Participation: Old PoliticsDemocracyClassical or direct democracy means rule by the peopleRepresentative democracy is a modern idea and means rule for the people by their elected representativeShould modern representative democracies like Britain show high levels of participation in political decision making?Ways of ParticipatingOld Politics 1. Voting in national, local and European elections in decline2. Joining a political party in decline3. Joining a pressure group/supporting a pressure group in decline4. Getting involved in trade union activity in declineWays of ParticipatingNew PoliticsDirect action demos, protests, sit ins, high profile activity to get media attention - growingNew Social Movements like pressure groups but tending to operate outside of establish political institutions, less formally structured, centred on moral issues and global concerns, and internet savvy - growingWhy is Old Politics Declining and New Politics advancing?Possible explanationsGlobalisation national governments cant solve problems aloneState is too strong executive too dominant, parliament too weak and pressure groups ineffectiveIdeological merge by mainstream parties not much to choose between any of themChanges in class structure has disrupted old class based ideological model of British politics and undermined party loyalty (dealignment)Voting BehaviourFactorsClassRegionHousing tenureEthnicityAgeGenderIssues instrumental votingVoting Patterns 1945-70 clear pattern of aligned voting WC Labour MC Tory PARTY ALIGNMENTThe class basis of party alignment is called CLASS ALIGNMENTSince 1970 there has been a process of party and class dealignmentSince the 1990s there has been a growing problem of voter apathy and low turn outCauses of DealignmentEconomic change and changes in the class structure (Weberians Lockwood, Ivor Crewe et al)Growing adoption of a policy preference model of voting based on voters evaluation of party policy rather than long standing loyalty (Gordon Smith)Decline in importance and party emphasis on traditional ideologyIncreased Americanisation of UK politics becoming more presidential focussed on personalities, image, media rather than substance (SE Finer)Recent ElectionsNew Labour landslide victories 1997, 2001, 2005 accredited to Blairs shifting of Labour to the centre of the political spectrum and courting of traditionally Conservative media such as News InternationalNew Labour won significant chunks of the middle class vote2010 Labour lost much of the middle class vote to Conservatives who styled themselves as centre ground compassionate conservatives strong emergence of the third party liberal Democrats produced first coalition government since World War 22015 continuing disenchantment with traditional politics has seen the emergence as an electoral force of UKIP right of the Conservatives but left of the extreme right draws support from both Labours traditional voters (working class) who are attracted by anti immigration and nationalistic rhetoric AND middle class Conservative voters UKIP is very Thatcherite on economy, low tax, small state, tough on law and order issues, anti EU.Both Labour and Conservatives appear to be privately accepting that they cant win an overall majority next time and are campaigning on issues more attune to traditional voters Labour dropped New Labour and have moved left. Conservatives competing with UKIP on right wing issues. If either hit around 35% of the vote next time they will probably head the next Coalition governmentVoter Turnout Recent Elections1979 76%1983 73%1987 75%1992 78%1997 71%2001 59%2005 61%2010 76%Gender and VotingGender differences in voting have all but disappeared there used to be a marked tendency for women to vote Conservative traditional family valuesWhy the Change?Impact of equal opp legislation more women now workChanging position of women in societyMovement of Labour to the centreEthnicity and Voting4:5 Black and ethnic minority voters vote LabourWhy?ClassPolicy left wing more positive about immigration and equalityParty image Conservative very white and upper/middle classAge and VotingOld more likely to vote Conservative and young Labour although in recent elections the differences have become less markedWhy? Old commitment to traditional values, young more likely to be attracted to change and new ideasYoung far less likely to vote at all and more likely to engage in New PoliticsWhy? Old politics seen as irrelevant to their lives, image of politicians, young people more likely to feel strongly about the specific moral issues NSMs tend to representRegion and VotingNorth/Scotland/ S Wales Labour and SNP/PCSouth ConservativeSouth West Liberal DemocratN Ireland politics based on religious divideWhy the North-South divideEconomic differences CLASSDecline of traditional industryLocal issues such as peripheral nationalism and religionOverall Trends in Voting behaviourClass and other social factors still important but most declining is a more volatile policy preference model emerging?Political PartiesSince universal suffrage 1928 modern political parties have emergedParties have to present a clear set of policies in their manifestos to get electedInterpretationsPluralist/Functionalist: The cornerstone of democracy (Dalton and Wattenburg) without political parties representative democracy would be unthinkableMarxists claim mainstream parties simply offer the illusion of choice and democracy whilst all parties are essentially capitalist parties managing the capitalist system on behalf of the capitalistsElite theorists suggest parties play an important role in mobilising the masses but real power resides within the elite

Functions of Political PartiesFighting elections competing for government... J Schumpeter defines democracy as the competitive struggle for the peoples votePolicy Making important as makes up future legislation - must appeal to a broad range of opinionForming and leading Government government in UK is formed by largest party in Commons party leaders become Prime MinisterRepresentative Function once elected a party must represent the whole nationDecline in Party Membership1951 Conservative 2.9 million Labour 876,0001971 Conservative 1.3 million Labour 700,0001981 Conservative 1.2 million Labour 277,0001991 Conservative 1 million Labour 261,00 Lib Dem 91,0002001 Conservative 311,000 Labour 272,000 Lib Dem 73,0002011 Conservative 177,000, Labour 190,000 lib Dem 66,000Pressure GroupsUnlike parties do not seek to win elections and become governmentInstead attempt to achieve their objectives by putting pressure on those in governmentPressure Groups tend to focus on a narrower range of issues than partiesPluralists (Dahl)argue pressure groups are essential for democracy an important way of participating in politicsNew Right (Samuel Brittan)suggests Pressure Groups are unrepresentative and too influential get too much attention from government, they weaken government rather than strengthen itMarxists assert only the wealthy business focussed pressure group have real power and influenceTypes of Pressure GroupProtective/sectional represent the interests of one sector of the population e.g. The National union of Teachers protects the interests of teachers, the BMA doctors, The CBI industry leaders, The British Diabetic Society people with that illnessPromotional/Cause groups that promote a particular cause(s) e.g. Greenpeace, friends of the Earth, RSPB, RSPCC, LIFE, Child Poverty Action groupNot always a helpful distinction considerable overlap. Some prefer to use the classification of insider and outsider groupsInsider/OutsiderInsider those regularly consulted by government and listened to. Invited to participate in decision making and policy makingOutsider little or no access to government, not consulted or listened to often resort to more direct methods of achieving influenceWhy Insider?The group possesses expertise on a complicated matterGovernment may need to cooperation of an influential group to translate policy into action e.g. Changes in health service can only succeed if doctors and nurses support itInsider group is seen as reasonable and law abidingInsider group is seen as representative of its own community of membersWhy outsider?The group is seen as unreasonable or violent or extremeTheir methods break the law e.g. Animal Liberation FrontThe issues they represent are seen as either insignificant or too challengingThey lack useful expertiseTheir cooperation is not needed to enact policyMovementA pressure group can go from outsider to insider and vice versa over timeE.g. Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace were seen as outsider in the 1980s and have become insider recently as politicians fall over themselves to appear greener than their opponentsTeachers unions were insider for many years but have recently become outsider with the radical education policy of Michael GoveMethods Used by Pressure GroupsContact with MPs submitting evidence to parliamentary committees, sponsoring MPs, lobbying ministers and their advisersOffering cooperation and expertise in return for influenceUsing the Courts pressure groups can challenge government decisions legally (expensive if they lose)Using the media publicity campaigns, many have press offices, publicity stunts, websites, journals etc.Direct Action action outside of formal political process... Can be legal or illegal, marches, demos, sit ins, boycotts, blockades, disruption (e.g. Hunt saboteurs). Direct action can result in massive media attention but can also back fireAre Pressure Groups Good or Bad for democracy?Pluralists say they are essential for democracy becauseThey represent a large range of opinion that otherwise would not be heardThey represent minority interests which otherwise might be marginalisedOffer opportunities for political participation between elections therefore good for democracyProvide opposition and therefore a check to the power of government even when government has a large majorityPressure group activity educates and informs the population on political and social issues they may not otherwise learnt aboutAre Pressure Groups Good for democracy?Marxists say pressure groups operate within the framework of the capitalist system and therefore can never be very influentialAny victory for minority groups will be small scale and temporaryThe most powerful pressure groups are ones representing capitalist interests radical groups are always outsider (second face of power)Pressure groups leaders are not elected and therefore not accountable for their actions non legitimate power... The payment of MPs to represent pressure group interests can be seen a corruptThe New Right criticise the power of trade union pressure groups who they claim exert excessive power and cause economic harm through wage demands and strikes