Political Participation Crisis

Political Participation Crisis

1. YES

   • Declining turnout at elections
     • Falling since the 1950s and its level of 80% turnout. Present elections consist of a 60% with a marginal increase in the 2005 and 2010 elections
     • Participation levels are lower at devolved assemblies, local government and the EU. They range between 30% to 50%.
     • It damages the legitimacy of the UK democracy and the government
     • However, if numbers included the offices of MEPs, devolved bodies and local mayors then it could be argued that collective political participation has increased not fallen.
       • Some improvement in recent years- 59% in 2001 to 66% in 2015
   • Declining political party membership
     • Fewer than 1% of the British public are members of a party
       • Lack of interest within the electorate to join a party
       • Concern that there will be a shortage of politicians of calibre to hold office
     • Party members are of the ageing demographic
     • It has fallen because the main parties hold similar views, thus a lack of electoral choice leading to people feeling disengaged
       • Partisan dealignment, declining identification with political parties
       • However, there has been a growth in nationalist parties and other minority parties that reflect a single campaigng
         • UKIP- 3.9 million votes in the 2015 election
     • The public has become disillusioned with politicians.
     • Widespread citicism of FPTP

2. NO

   • Growth of pressure group activity and membership
     • RSPB has more than 1 million members
     • Friends of the Earth has 200,000 members
   • People still take direct political action that doesn't involve voting or party membership
     • More than 1 million people protested against the Iraq war in 2003
     • Thousands of students regulary protest against the raise in university tuition fees
   • Greater use of communication and social media can enhance participation
     • Government withdrew on road pricing when its website was inundated by protests
     • E-petitions have increased
     • Social media makes it easier to mobilise mass protests
   • High turnout in recent referendums
     • 72% in the EU Referendum
     • 84.6% in the Scottish referendum
   • Participation has not fallen but changed in its methods