Edexcel- AS Politics- Democracy in the UK

Democracy in the UK

• Edexcel- AS Government and Politics- Unit 1-Democracy

Representative Democracy

• Advantages
• people can elect a representative who acts on their behalf
• representatives often have more knowledge and expertise
• they can act more rationally than the public who may act emotionally
• Representatives can educate the public on issues
• They are accountable, where as the public is not
• they can create a political programme
• range of political views and beliefs and sections of society can be represented
• e.g- MP's in the UK, party politics

Slide 3

• Disadvantages
• electoral mandate is flawed as people can only vote to accept or reject
• representatives may ignore the demands of the people in order for their own political gain
• if the party is dominant they may follow the party rather than the views of their people
• it is hard to make representatives accountable between elections
• e.g-low turnout at elections, 2010 British Coalition

Direct Democracy

• Advantages
• direct is the purest form of democracy
• people can participate in politics and is good for citizenship
• decisions are strengthened if they can get the direct consent of the public. Referendums can add legitimacy
• important constitutional changes can be entrenched through referendum
• if there is conflict over a decision then the people can give a consensus

Slide 5

• Disadvantages
• people may vote emotionally in a referendum (e'g-capital punishment) or the issue may be too complex (e.g-EU Ref-2016)
• voters fatigue if there are too many referendums
• minority views are overlooked by the will of the majority
• there may not be acceptance of a result if it is close (e.g- 1997 Welsh ref on devolution, Eu ref 2016)
• low turnout of a ref may mean the result lacks legitimacy (e.g-1998 London Mayor 34%)
• people are not accountable
• loss of respect for representatives if people are used to making their own decisions

Direct v Representative Democracy

• Direct is the purest form of democracy
• Direct is more about constitutional changes and reforms, where as representative is more about the day to day running
• Representatives are accountable where as the people are not
• Representative is more pluralist and a majority of views are represented but with direct only the will of the majority wins.
• Referendums are more legitimate than decisions by representatives

Use of referendums in the UK

• to resolve a disagreement by the government over an issue- EU referendum 2016 and AV electoral system 2011
• to entrench a constitutional change-1997 devolved government in Scotland
• constitutional change-1998 London Mayor ref