How representative is democracy in Britain? Essay

Submitted By shinenorris
Words: 1099
Pages: 5
Open Document
How representative is democracy in Britain?

a) What is meant by the term ‘mandate’?
The term ‘mandate’ is when a government has the authority given by its people to pass a law or policy. For example, in an election when a party is victorious it has an official mandate to present new policies and laws to Parliament for consideration. It will claim that it has a mandate from the people to pass such laws. In this way, the party also claims legitimacy for its policies.

b) Distinguish between direct and representative democracy.
The definition of direct democracy is a form of democracy in which political power is exercised by the citizens without representatives acting on their behalf. This could be through referendums or initiatives, pressure groups, political activities such as petitions and marches. Representative democracy on the other hand is a form of democracy where all people are represented, through a Member of Parliament (MP) for a particular constituency, the Prime Minister in an international context as representative of the country. Paradoxically, pressure groups can also be viewed as an example of representative democracy.

Unlike the ancient Greek times, when the core of the country was allowed to vote, direct democracy has somewhat dissolved. This is because the population of countries has become too great. However, direct democracy can be seen as both relevant and irrelevant now. The relevance of direct democracy and the fall in representative democracy can be seen through factors such as the drop in the number of people that are members of a political party. Some figures to support this fact are: in 1980, 1,693,156 people were members of a political party; however, more recently in 2008, only 476,000 people are members of a political party. In turn, the number of people who are members of pressure groups have risen, for example the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has more than a million members. This group alone has more than double the amount of people in the UK who are part of a political party. This might be because people have lost a considerable amount of faith in their government, especially with recent issues like the MPs expenses scandal. This can also be seen in recent events such as marches and protests against the Iraq war.

The participation of citizens in recent referendums also supplements the above argument. For example, in 1975, a referendum in the UK was carried out and the turnout was 65.5%. In 2004 there was a turnout of only 47.7%. This supports the argument that people have lost confidence in government and are more politically apathetic. One could also draw the inference that people want the government to make decisions themselves.

c) How representative is the UK political system?
The UK political system is based on a voting process which is commonly called the ‘First past the post’ system which is a voting system where a victory is determined by the most votes (a plurality). This could be seen as the most representative style of voting. However, factors like the tyranny of the majority come into play. This is when a majority of people win a vote simply because they have more people voting. Recently this has been criticised, especially by Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats who are pressing for a referendum to introduce proportional representation (PR). Many people agree with this as minorities do not always see themselves as politically represented and PR would facilitate greater minority representation. Both the House of Commons and House of Lords fail to represent adequately minority groups in society.

Ethnic minorities make up 4% of the House of Commons while the percentages that make up the population is 8%. These exact figures apply for the House of Lords as well. Also, the percentage of women in the House of Commons is 22% and in the House of Lords is 21% while the percentage in the population is 51%. Such stark figures indicate clearly that there is also
Show More

Related Documents: How representative is democracy in Britain? Essay

Q & A Essay

order for a government to protect and lead them. In America, we have a representative democracy. Not everyone has a say (direct democracy), but people are allowed to vote for others to represent us. This is the most important question because the people have the power to choose who is chosen or taken away from the power we have given them. 2. What are the advantages/disadvantages of direct democracy? If we had a direct democracy, then everyone would have a say in everything what happened. If everyone…

Words 1005 - Pages 5

Chesapeake Colonies Vs New England Colonies Essay

they are both New World colonies that established representative government. It is clear due to the geographical differences,as well as the social and economic differences these two colonies were distinctly different. Both of these two colonial regions had a colonial representative government. They had these primarily because of England’s policy of salutary neglect which in turn, created the roots of democracy. Evidence of roots of democracy are shown the Mayflower…

Words 639 - Pages 3

Liberal Democracy Essay

What are the successes and failures in liberal democracy? Liberal Democracy is a form of government. It follows the following principles; protecting the rights of an individual, having frequent and fair elections which provides the people in society with a voice and how they want the government to run. Elections are held often and the electors should not feel under pressure to vote for a particular party and should express their free will at a ballot box. A separation of powers which is separating…

Words 1224 - Pages 5

Causes Of The Declaration Of Independence Dbq

colonists. Before, Great Britain passed series of laws that slowly took away the liberties of those who lived in America. In response, the American government, the Articles of Confederation, wrote the Declaration of Independence, asserting their rights to govern themselves, thus waging war against Great Britain. Specifically, the colonists wrote the Declaration of Independence because they wanted freedom from subservience to Britain, from oppression, and of a fair and representative government in the form…

Words 1565 - Pages 7

Common Sense Thomas Paine Analysis

government. Third he claimed through multiple examples that Britain is hurting the colonies rather than helping them and he offers an idea for a replacement government. Finally he asks the colonists to leave while they still can. Paine used both moral and political arguments in his pamphlet, Common Sense, in order to make a compelling case that could convince the colonists to fight for their own freedom and declare independence from Great Britain. Paine’s first section titled, I. Of the Origin and Design…

Words 776 - Pages 4

The Pros And Cons Of The American Revolution

today. Without the American Revolution, the original colonies could still be apart of Great Britain. The American Revolution was truly revolutionary because it established the colonies as an independent nation, therefore providing political participation, religious freedom, and hope. Overall, it took over eight years of fighting with Great Britain for the original colonies to gain their independence. Britain continuously harassed the colonies who broke away from the mainland, by raising unnecessary…

Words 639 - Pages 3

Analysis of a Very Short Story by Ernest Hemingway Essay

the federal government of the United States consisting of two houses: the lower house known as the House of Representatives and the upper house known as the Senate. Both representatives and senators are chosen through direct election. Congress has a total of 535 voting members: 435 members in the House of Representatives and 100 members in the Senate. Members of the House of Representatives serve two-year terms representing the people of a district. The founders of the United…

Words 1267 - Pages 6

John Dickinson's New Proposal For A New Government

revolutionary war gave the states a common goal but they remained reluctant to unite under a strong central government They believed a democracy was a bad idea so they favored a republic Democracy- government directly by the people, placed power on the hands of the uneducated masses Republic- a government in which in which citizens rule through their elected representatives which placed power in the hands of capable leaders Republicanism- the idea that governments should be based on the consent of the…

Words 980 - Pages 4

Distrust In Democracy

limited central government to give citizens more freedom, but many believe it was created on a feeling of distrust in a democracy. While choosing a form of government, the founders looked into the past governments that had successes and failures. Even though I do believe there is distrust in a democracy, I do not believe that distrust was the base of the Constitution. Democracy has had an unsuccessful past as a form of government for a country. In 507 B.C. in Greece, a man named Cleisthenes created…

Words 749 - Pages 3

Essay about AS Politics Revision

is about how we are governed. Ways in which decisions are made about government, states and public affairs: where power the people'. In UK democracy, a few govern and the mass of people follow. The electors cast their vote every few years at an elect time. Limited democracy - voters are giving away the right of decision making to a small number of elected representatives who make decisions on their behald What are the differences between direct and indirect democracy? Direct democracy: In ancient…

Words 1949 - Pages 8