If someone could mark my past paper attempt I would be grateful! I did the January 2009 paper Edexcel, and just did the a/b/c questions on Democracy and Participation. I wrote it by hand and then typed it all up lol, it's below! Thanks for whoever does it!
WHAT ARE THE MAIN FEATURES OF A REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY? (5)
The main features of a representative democracy involve the people having elected representatives that will make political decisions for them. In the UK, this happens during a General Election when the electorate provides a mandate when a party wins a majority of in government.
Another feature is that the people have representatives that communicate and defend their views and interests in Parliament. The job of MPs is to carry out this function by use of the MP- Constituency link. Examples of this is in parliamentary debates or Private Members' Bills.
IN WHAT WAYS HAS POLITICAL PARTICIPATION DECLINED IN THE UK IM RECENT YEARS? (10)
One way in which political participation could be seen as in decline in recent years is due to low turnouts at elections. For example, the 2015 election turnout was just 66.1%. This shows that members of the electorate are not participating in politics compared to turnouts in the past that have reached above 70%.
A second way that political participation has declined in recent years is by 'voter fatigue'. The increasing use of referendums since 1997 may be leading to a growing disinterest among potential voters due to having to voter all the time. Evidence of this was the turnout for the referendum on whether certain cities should have elected mayors. The turnout varied between lows of 20-30%. This shows how political participation is in decline.
Lastly, a third way is due to general political disengagement. A 2015 Audit on Political Engagement found that very few people were involved in many political activities at all including voting which, of those studied, constituted for just 18%. In this way, statistics and studies have produced evidence to show that political participation is in decline.
EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE VARIOUS WAYS IN WHICH PARTICIPATION AND DEMOCRACY CAN BE STRENGTHENED IN THE UK (25)
There are a number of ways in which participation and democracy can be strengthened in the UK. However, their effectiveness is debatable.
One way democracy can be enhanced is through electoral reform. This is because many argue that the current 'First Past The Post' system is unrepresentative and ignores minority parties (e.g. The Green Party won just 1 seat in Brighton in 2015 despite millions of votes). However, it can be argues that when reform proposals have been made, there has been little support. The 2011 AV referendum produced a strong rejection of the new system. However, it could be argued that the result was directed more at punishing the Liberal Democrats for abandoning manifesto promises, rather than a genuine lack of want for a new electoral system.
Additionally, a way that participation can be strengthened is by introducing more participation in technology. For example, text voting and the use of online referendums. However, critics argue that there are significant security risks when using the Internet. Also, the rise of "clicktivism" may mean that we are reducing complex political issues to a simple click of a button. For example, the Scottish referendum on independence in 2014 would have wide implications depending on the results and 16-17 year olds were allowed to vote. If this were moved onto an online platform, arguably the turnout would have been lower (alienating potential elderly voters) and young people, who are seen as inexperienced, would have held the weight of the decision.
Another way that democracy could be strengthened in the UK is through the increased use of referendums. They are seen as more of a direct form of democracy and can encourage voters to become more informed. However, some argue that the increased use of referendums since 1997 has not raised turnout levels at elections (66.1% in 2015) and referendums themselves. The recent referendum on whether certain cities should have elected mayors drew mere numbers that amounted to a 20-30% turnout. Additionally, it's argued that too many referendums could lead to 'voter fatigue'.
Another way that participation could be strengthened is by introducing compulsory voting. This is the case in Australia, where fines have been known to reach 170 dollars for those who don't vote. However, critics argue that in a liberal democracy one should retain the right not to vote, especially if they are well-informed but disagree with all the parties and their policies. Additionally, forcing people to vote might lead to an increase in 'donkey voting' (random selection) or spoilt ballot papers.
In conclusion, participation in the UK can e increased through the wider use of technology and the introduction of compulsory voting. However, security concerns and worries of the infringement of civil liberties damages the strengths of the arguments. Additionally, democracy could be strengthened in the UK by electoral reform or the wider use of referendums. But, in the same way, concerns over 'voter fatigue', low turnout levels and motives for voting may lead to the questioning of how influential these innovations would be.