Democracy and
Referendums
Revision
Legitimacy
• The acceptance of the legal right of a
government to rule. Often based on
the consensus of the people (in a
democratic state) and the
constitutional endorsement of its
position.
• Legitimacy is distinct from Authority,
but can often be an endorsing factor
for this.
What is democracy?
• Term that originates in ancient
Greece, meaning rule by the many, or
rule on behalf of all the people.
• It can be exercised in different ways –
direct, representative – and in
different societies – liberal,
totalitarian.
What is direct democracy?
• A system where all citizens are involved in the decision
making process through a direct vote. The best historical
example is that of the city state of Athens. Direct
democracy today tends to be exercised through the use
of referendums on specific issues.
• It also refers, more broadly, to the ability of a state to
engage its citizens in the exercise of political power on a
regular and direct basis, not just through the
representative process of elections. This could be
through the use of state-wide consultation exercises or
polling, which might be made easier in a large, modern
state through digital means.
What is representative
democracy?
A system that involves electing individuals
(or representatives) to govern on behalf of
citizens. It seeks to ensure that
government and parliament reflect and
respect the opinions of ordinary people,
with legitimacy given to representatives by
elections. It is the prevalent system of
democracy in the world today.
Liberal Democracy
• A democratic state which operates according to the
liberal values of freedom, tolerance and rights.
• The particular type of democratic state may vary, but is
usually representative.
• Key features include the protection of individual liberties
and the existence of a strong constitution (it does not
need to be codified) which limits and checks the power
of government.
Liberal Democracy – Key
Features
• Has free and fair elections
• Operates a pluralist system (anyone
may stand for election)
• Has freedom of expression (free
press; free speech)
• Impartial justice
• Limited Government (by
constitutional means)
Parliamentary Democracy
• A democratic state in which
representation occurs through parliament.
• Parliament is the source of all political
authority and where the sovereignty of a
state lies
• In Britain in practice, ‘parliamentary
sovereignty’ is meant to be a
representation of the sovereignty of the
people, which is exercised through
elections to the House of Commons.
Political Participation
• Opportunities for people to
become involved in the political
process;
• Includes voting, participation in
political parties or pressure
groups and standing for public
office
Referendum
• A form of direct democracy, where
people are directly asked to
determine an important political or
constitutional issue through their own
vote rather than via their
representatives.
Representation
• Representation can have several meanings
• In Edmund Burke’s (‘Burkean’) definition it referred to
the need for representatives to exercise their own
judgement in determining the best interests of their
constituents.
• Delegative representation is the requirement for
representatives to follow the wishes of those who have
elected them – delegation in effect
• Party representation concerns the requirement for
representatives, elected on a party label, to follow the
dictates of their party.
• The British system is a mix of Burkean and party
representation; the theory is Burkean, the practise that
of party.
Democracy in the UK - FOR
•
•
•
•
•
•
We have free and fair elections
We have representative institutions
Free press and media
The rule of law, impartially administered
Freely operating parties and pressure groups (pluralist society)
Impartial, anonymous, permanent civil service
Democracy in the UK AGAINST
• Unfair ‘first-past-the-post’ electoral system
• Existence of powerful, non-elected people
(Monarch, peers, Quango members)
• An over-mighty executive
• Royal prerogative provides significant powers to
the Prime Minister
• Uncodified constitution
• Unchecked capitalism giving rise to economic elite
REFERENDUMS
• A form of direct democracy allowing citizens a ‘yes’ or ‘no’
vote on public issues
• Referendums can have more than one question
• In the UK they have been rarely held, usually on constitutional
issues (devolution and Europe)
Referendums - FOR
• Introduces Direct Democracy
• Encourages political participation
• Checks an ‘elective dictatorship’
• Provides clear answer to specific question
• Unites divided parties
• Provides mandate for controversial issues
• Legitimise important decisions regarding
the constitution
Referendums - AGAINST
• Undermines parliamentary sovereignty
• Most issues too complex for a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question
(the EU referendum may fall into this bracket)
• Most people lack knowledge to make informed decision
• Regular use could create voter apathy
(or even irregular use – the last UK referendum on AV produced a 42%
turnout)
• Results may not be decisive
(the devolution referendums of 1979 were too indecisive to produce any
change at all)
• Funding differences may affect result
• Possible bias in questions asked
• Could result in ‘tyranny of the majority’
(examples here from abroad – Switzerland 2009, rejection of minaret
construction, 2008 California proposition rejected civil partnerships –
the US has several examples)
Current Issues
• Participation ‘Crisis’? – low voter turnout in
elections (65% in 2010 was a slight lift from
elections since 1997; before 1997 turnout was in
the 70%+ region)
• Democratic ‘deficit’ of FPTP remains –
referendum clearly rejected alternative (May
2011) but on low turnout (42%, two thirds of
whom rejected the proposal)
• 15.1% turnout for police commissioner elections
Current Issues
• Tories like MP Douglas Carswell and MEP Daniel
Hannan are campaigning for greater ‘direct
democracy’ in the UK
• They want more referendums (they applauded
the rejection of AV); more power devolved to
local communities; and campaign for ‘powers of
recall’ to make MPs more accountable between
elections.
Improving Participation Initiatives
• E-democracy – there is a willingness in parliament
and government to improve access to ‘edemocracy’.
• Of several initiatives trailed, the most successful –
in terms of participation – has been the No. 10 epetitions.
• Over 29,000 petitions have been posted, with
over 5.8 million ‘signatures’; the most popular, on
road pricing in 2007, received over 1.8 million
signatures
• However, it did not affect government policy.
Improving Participation Initiatives
• There is a campaign to lower the voting age to 16,
supported by the Liberal Democrats. Notably, the
Scottish Independence referendum has reduced the
voting age to 16.
• Gordon Brown, as PM, introduced “citizens’ juries” –
groups of citizen representatives set up to advise
officials. He claimed in 2007 that these changed his
mind on the issues of cannabis and casinos.
• Some would argue that they simply replicate the job
of local and national representatives, and David
Cameron has not pursued them to date.
Democracy Audit
• Time to consider issues raised by the
immensely useful and valuable Democracy
Audit blog – www.democracyaudit.com