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Ways of Improving Democracy

Ways of Improving Democracy. GROUP LESSON. Please get into the following groups. Lesson Objectives. To assess whether we have a participation crisis in the UK To list and explain proposed reform for enhancing democracy To evaluate these proposals. Participation Crisis.

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Ways of Improving Democracy

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  1. Ways of Improving Democracy

  2. GROUP LESSON • Please get into the following groups

  3. Lesson Objectives • To assess whether we have a participation crisis in the UK • To list and explain proposed reform for enhancing democracy • To evaluate these proposals

  4. Participation Crisis • In your groups discuss whether we have a participation crisis in the UK • Now come up with 5 ways of improving participation- Write on sugar paper/mini whiteboard • Present Back to the class

  5. Key Terms • Democratic Deficit- • Democratic Renewal

  6. Snowballing activity (1) On your mini whiteboard, write down 3 ideas which would make democracy/participation better in the UK (2) Share with your partner and add to your list (3) Share ideas with another group (4) Share ideas as a class

  7. Our List

  8. Key Suggestions to Improve Participation • Lowering the Voting Age to 16 • E-democracy/ E-voting • Compulsory Voting • Making Voting Easier or More Attractive

  9. Task: Group Presentation • Each group must read through the information on the proposal allocated to them • Working together, complete your chart showing: • Explanation of proposal-How would it work? • Strengths • Weaknesses • Does it work anywhere else in the world? • Overall, do you think we should adopt this in the UK? • Present this back to the rest of the class • Take questions from the class • Class vote on the proposal

  10. Write up your findings • Get into new groups • Alex, Grace • Owen, Farhad, Owen • Gareth, Chysmya • Kiera, Simeon, Alice • Fill out your individual chart of strengths and weaknesses with someone from each original group reminding you what to write.

  11. Compulsory Voting • Choice whether or not to vote • 32 countries have compulsory voting –Australia, Belgium • Advantages- • Increases turnout • Forces people to become more engaged in politics • People become more used to voting • Greater legitimacy

  12. Disadvantages • Abuses peoples freedom • Results may be artificial • Difficult and Costly to enforce • Does not solve the problem of apathy

  13. Lowering the Voting Age • Adulthood- Seen as right to vote traditionally age 21- 1969 voting age in UK reduced to 18 • Several countries have voting ages that are lower- Sudan, Indonesia, Isle of Man, Cuba • UK- Growing campaign for lowering the voting age- Liberal Democrats, SNP, Plaid Cymru, Green Party and many members of the Labour party support reducing the voting age • Electoral commission also favours this • Campaigns- ‘Votes at 16’

  14. JUST THINK • AT age 16 a person can:…………. 1. Give full consent for medical treatment 2. Leave school and enter work 3. Pay tax and national insurance 4. Consent to sexual relationships 5. Get married/enter a civil partnership • Change their name by deed poll • Become a direct of a company • Join the armed forces

  15. Advantages • Makes young people politically aware • Youth interests represented and promoted • Stronger political engagement • Disadvantages • 16 year olds may be too young to make a judgment • May not increase youth turnout • Distortion of party polices to attract young voters • Erodes childhood

  16. Increasing the use of Direct Democracy • Citizens Juries -Group of individuals -12-20- chosen to represent the communities they come from -Asked to look at a range of issues in the same way a jury does in a court room -they are not experts on topic discussed -Idea was to give ordinary people a bigger role in the democratic decision making

  17. Focus groups -Labour gov 1997-2010 increasing emphasis on use of focus groups -Rely on the views of a small sample of the population chosen to represent the larger society -Way of widening citizens’ involvement in politics -Mechanism for gauging public opinion on gov policies • Recall Election -Allow constituents to force an official to seek re-election before the end of their term in office -If petition is signed by 10% of constituents it will force a by-election • E-petions Coalition gov allowed citizen to initiate parliamentary debate if the petition secures 100,000 signatures http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/

  18. E-Demorcay

  19. Participation crisis?-Who’s to blame? • Textbooks p.49-50 • In your 2/3s, take one of the groups ‘to blame’ each. Read and make notes on it. Then, without your notes, ‘teach it’ to the rest of the group. Discuss and vote as a group which is the most to blame • Relay your views to the class

  20. The Power Inquiry • In 2006, something called The Power Inquiry was set up in order to examine the state of democracy in the UK • They came up with a range of far-reaching reforms that would improve political participation • Now become Power2010

  21. The Power Inquiry • Read the article and answer the following: • What did members of the Inquiry think was the key problem? • What evidence did they have for this? • List the main recommendations • Which do you think are the best suggestions? • Do others think they will work?

  22. EXAM FOCUS

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