Democracy What is Democracy?

Government of the people, by the people, for the people Democracy is where people are able to exercise their will in political matters. Democracy can be direct, where voters can express views that will determine specific policy outcomes or indirect where representatives are elected to act on their behalf.

Liberal Democracy is the ideal and encompasses the following principles Free, fair and regular elections Freely competitive Governments are continuously responsible Constitutional citizens rights Variety of beliefs tolerated Peaceful transition of power Rule of law Limited government

Because Liberal Democracy is the ideal, there are different forms/degrees of it that can be seen in practice. These include REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY when people hand over power to those elected - passing responsibility and putting distance between the ground/grassroots and decision makers. In the case of the UK this is seen in our PARLIAMENTARY DEMOCRACY where decisions are made on our behalf by parliament who are elected every 4 years.

Other forms of democracy include PLURALIST DEMOCACY when more interest groups and committees are involved in the decision making process. The public are politically aware and support is issue based. A variety of beliefs , demands and interests are permitted to flourish together.

Democratic Elitism Democratic Elitism where it is assumed that issues are too complex for all to be intimately involved. Participation is confined to choosing between competing elites and it varies as to how much choice and difference there is between the groups

Strengths of democracy generally Representation provides a more rational response to emotive issues National interests are served rather than self interest. Anyone is free to join these parties Openness and accountability is improved by a free press and accessibility of representative Checks and balances ensure that principles of liberal democracy are upheld It allows for change by peaceful means Issues can be put onto the agenda via protest or pressure groups Political participation can flourish at all levels

PROBLEMS WITH DEMOCRACY Power must be sacrificed to some extent Individual rights can be affected Issues are complex Governments should represent majority interests Governments need consent from the people Representation is necessary for decisions to be made but this leads to conflicts of interest. Democracy imposes false equality Minorities can be overlooked Opinions need to be moderated in order to be workable It is assumed governments work for the public good Party politics can take priority over the important issues Accountability varies from system to system Debate is key and this brings its own problems

Direct Democracy In total contrast to representative democracy is direct democracy. This is otherwise known as a REFERENDUM. No representation is involved in the decisions taken. Instead people vote on each individual issue. This is used alongside representative democracy for particularly major issues.

STRENGTHS OF DIRECT DEMOCRACY Avoids splits in government Decisions are more precise and issue based There is an opportunity for full debate More involvement of the people

Weaknesses of Direct Democracy Issues are too complex, the public too emotional and therefore it boils down to the popularity of the government Media can be very influential as can wealthy pressure groups There can be low turn out It is unrealistic and inefficient to rely on direct democracy alone

The UK The UK is a representative democracy as elected individuals govern on behalf of citizens. It seeks to ensure that the government reflect and respect the opinions of its people. M.P’s seek legitimacy from elections, referendums, civil liberties and some aspects of pluralism. The House of Commons should also reflect the make up of society, interms of opinions and of social, ethnic and gender groups. M.P’s are not delegates, they must govern as well as represent, and so sometimes public opinion is overlooked. As well as representative democracy, the UK has also experienced aspects of direct democracy in recent years.

Conclusion When one reads the principles of liberal democracy it is clear that with general goodwill and clearly defined checks and balances, limits will prevent governments from acting undemocratically. The relationship between the people and the government will remain mutually enabling. Sovereignty of the government rests on the consent of the people