...To what extent does democracy in the UK suffer from a ‘participation crisis’? There has been a decrease in the general election turnouts, suggesting a participation crisis that can arguably cause the party that gains the position of govt. to lack legitimacy. In 2001 the general election turnout was 59 per cent. Furthermore, there has been a gradual decline in party membership numbers for the three main parties, signifying partisan dealignment, less than 1 per cent of the UK’s electorate is currently part of the Conservatives, Labour or Lib Dems. Additionally, participation in other areas of UK politics such as the election of MEP’s, is showing an obvious participation crisis, resulting in the party UKIP dominating the UK for the EU parliament, the turnout for 2014 was 34 per cent. Lastly, further emphasising the current participation crisis in the UK referendum turnouts have been traditionally low, this means decisions implemented based on these results lack legitimacy, the turnout for the AV referendum in 2011 was 42 per cent. However, contrary to previous turnout figures the Scottish devolution referendum had a historic turnout of 85 per cent, suggesting that the current participation crisis democracy in the UK is improving. Moreover, although party membership for the UK is currently at a historic low, pressure group membership has increased dramatically. Suggesting, the electorate are turning to pressure groups for more effective representation. Noticeably, the pressure group...
Words: 1132 - Pages: 5
...However, recent years have shown a slow but steady trend in declining voter turnouts at our triennial elections. There are many reasons that account for the turnout decline in New Zealand over time, many of which can be attributed to the changes in New Zealand society causing citizens to be less engaged in politics, especially youth. It is important to prevent the further decline of voter turnout and there are many ways that this trend can be rectified. New Zealand voter turnout has experienced a slow but steady decline throughout the 20th century; from an average of 85-90% in the...
Words: 1026 - Pages: 5
...In the United States, voter apathy has been a consistent theme. Many eligible Americans fail to participate in elections. Between 1960 and 2008, the average voter turnout was approximately 49% to 63%. This means that close to half of the Americans do not really care which candidate will become their resident. In the United States, the lowest voter turnout was recorded in the year 1996 when only 49.1% of eligible Americans turned to vote. The low turnout in the country is an international disgrace. It is worrying that democracy in America has lost meaning. According to Fulton (16), one may not understand what happened to the government that Abraham Lincoln used to call “government of the people, for the people and by the people.” People should not be satisfied when...
Words: 1414 - Pages: 6
...Voting Behaviour ‘Low levels of turnout at recent general elections to the Westminster Parliament result from political apathy alone’ Discuss. Political apathy is a state of passivity or indifference towards political institutions and their associated processes. This is linked to a decline in political participation at general elections. Turnout of around 60% in the 2001 and 2005 general elections were significantly lower than the post war average of 78%. It increased in 2010 but only to 65%. Political apathy is a factor contributing to low turnout at elections; however there are other contributing factors to a lack of turnout at general elections. Political apathy is defined as the lack of interest in taking active in politics either by voting or been voted for or having no share in political activities. Reasons for political apathy are: bad governance, unfulfilled, promises, rigging, thuggery. An example of this is the 2010 expenses scandal therefore giving a majority of the population trust issues towards politician’s furthermore effecting turnout at elections. In contrast to apathy there is hapathy. Hapathy is the ideas that voters may abstain from voting as a result of happiness with the way in which they are being governed and therefore don’t feel the need to cast a ballot. Research conducted on behalf of the Electoral Commission in 2005 showed that 29% of those who described themselves ‘satisfied with democracy’ did not cast a vote at the 2005 election. However the people...
Words: 705 - Pages: 3
...or not democracy in America is working as effectively as it could be. This is a more serious issue than most realize, especially considering only about half of eligible voters have been participating in presidential elections and much less participation in lower level elections. The average citizen living today lives in a completely different world from what this country was since its birth; the average citizen today has many more personal and financial responsibilities to tend to, and consequently, many fail to fulfill their civic duty of political participation. This combination of a hectic lifestyle, lack of concern, or sometimes even distrust towards the government and political news leads to people not being able to make time, not interested in making time, or simply refusing to make time for political participation. There are numerous ways in which citizens can participate politically, each with varying degrees of difficulty and potential strength of messages conveyed. Voting and financial contributions to causes and campaigns are the two least sophisticated and most common forms of political participation. Since all votes are equal and voters vote for a candidate due to a number of reasons instead of one, the amount of information conveyed is relatively low compared to more active and sophisticated methods of political participation. (Losco and Baker 156) Forms of political participation that require a bit more skill and commitment than voting and donating money include...
Words: 1765 - Pages: 8
...The term turnout used means what percentage of the electorate participated and voted in the election, for example in 2010 there was an approximate 65% turnout. Turnout can be very useful to study for political scientists as it highlights political apathy and has shown how over the last few decades voting percentages have drastically decreased. This is clearly a worrying factor as it is important that as many people cast their vote in order to have their opinion heard. When viewing the previous data on turnout out it is evident that the percentages have decreased with a slight increase in the 2010 elections, this has led many commentator to label the situation as a ‘participation crisis’. However clearly more needs to be evaluated before coming to a ‘crisis’ conclusion. Firstly, looking at the turnout situation it is clear to see why a commentator may come to the conclusion that it is a ‘crisis’ and in 2001 Britain saw its lowest ever turnout at only 59.4%, in comparison the 1950 election had an 83.9% turnout. Whilst over the last two elections turnout has increased, those increases have been very minimal only rising to 65% in 2010. It is also evident that this is a massive political problem as low turnouts mean large amounts of the electorate haven’t been able to voice their opinion and as a result may rightfully feel as though the government is not representative of them and that is because at present the government is only representative of 65% of the electorate. With...
Words: 544 - Pages: 3
...Turnout represents the number of registered voters who cast a ballot at a given election usually expressed as a percentage. In this extract turnout refers to non-electoral political participation. Traditionally, the political participation of the UK’s citizens is measured by turnout to general elections. For example, in 2005 turnout to the general election was just 60%. This was seen to be a participation crisis by some. This extract would argue that casting a ballot is only part of a person’s political participation. It shows that 62% of people had given money to an organization in the previous 12 months. Also, 50% of people had signed a petition. This suggests individuals choose their involvement in politics in their own way and generalizing that if general election turnout is low, political participation is low is incorrect. This is supported by the POWER report in 2006 that suggested there is not a political participation crisis as there is still involvement on a local level. This suggests that political participation should not just be judged on turnout for general elections but also other acts of political participation. Using your own knowledge as well as the extract, consider why some commentators have spoken of a ‘participation crisis’ in recent years. In recent general elections, declining levels of turnout have led some to believe Britain is having a participation crisis. Meaning, political participation is so low it threatens to undermine Britain’s democracy....
Words: 315 - Pages: 2
...the term turnout used in the extract. Turnout represents the number of registered voters who cast a ballot at a given election usually expressed as a percentage. In this extract turnout refers to non-electoral political participation. Traditionally, the political participation of the UK’s citizens is measured by turnout to general elections. For example, in 2005 turnout to the general election was just 60%. This was seen to be a participation crisis by some. This extract would argue that casting a ballot is only part of a person’s political participation. It shows that 62% of people had given money to an organization in the previous 12 months. Also, 50% of people had signed a petition. This suggests individuals choose their involvement in politics in their own way and generalizing that if general election turnout is low, political participation is low is incorrect. This is supported by the POWER report in 2006 that suggested there is not a political participation crisis as there is still involvement on a local level. This suggests that political participation should not just be judged on turnout for general elections but also other acts of political participation. Using your own knowledge as well as the extract, consider why some commentators have spoken of a ‘participation crisis’ in recent years. In recent general elections, declining levels of turnout have led some to believe Britain is having a participation crisis. Meaning, political participation is so low it threatens...
Words: 1720 - Pages: 7
...FA13 SOCI-101-1099 Prin. of Sociology -Online- Essay Why is United States Voter Turn-out so Low Question 4) What are some explanations for why voter turnout is so low in the U.S. compared to other wealthy, literate and democratic countries? INTRODUCTION Voter turnout is the rate by which people vote in elections. The simplest way to calculate a given election's turnout rate is to compare the actual number of voters with the voting-age population. “Voter turnout in the United States is among the worlds’ lowest.” (E.S. 371) The graph below taken from an article written for the Huffington Post in 2012, illustrates how poor United States voter turnout has been as compared to other industrialized nations. Our voter turnout is less than half of the turnout in Belgium and Australia for example and it is getting worse. "Starting in the early 60's, the proportion of the population that turns out to vote in the U.S. steadily decreased, to the point where only slightly more than half the electorate voted in presidential elections in the last three decades of the 20th century" (E.S. 370) [pic] Although there are several factors that contribute to low voter turnout in the United States, three factors appear to have the most direct influence. • Voter Registration and Voting Processes in the United States make it more difficult to vote as compared to other nations. • The Decline of Social Capital in the United States • The decline in the strength...
Words: 1087 - Pages: 5
... Legitimacy = the extent to which a government has the right to rule and exercise power. Power vs. Authority: * Power= the ability to make someone do something that they would not do of their own free will * E.g - Coercion – the use of force to achieve ends – the military * Authority = the right to exercise power (based on the consent of those being ruled) * E.g - Legal/rational – HOC * E.g – Traditional – HOL Modern democracies have: Political tolerance Peaceful transition of power Free, fair and regular elections The government is accountable to the people The rule of law Freedom of the media Modern democracies have: Political tolerance Peaceful transition of power Free, fair and regular elections The government is accountable to the people The rule of law Freedom of the media What makes a government legitimate? * Referendums (‘Yes’ answers) * High turnout * Free, fair and regular elections * Lack of dissent * Displays of public support How legitimate is the UK? Legitimate | Not legitimate | * House of Commons is elected | * Electoral system unfair and distorts political representation (FPTP) | * Government elected with mandate to govern | * Every government elected has only achieved the minority of the popular vote | * House of Lords has traditional authority and political influence is widely recognised | * House of Lords members are not elected and so do not have the people’s consent...
Words: 2392 - Pages: 10
...first time in at least thirty years, the April 2014 D.C. primary election had a record-breaking low voter turnout, and on December 16th, the D.C. Council approved a plan that combined both the local and federal primary to be in June for the year of 2016 and September for the year of 2018. The issues started when the D.C. Council was forced to move the primary date from the traditional mid-September date to satisfy a federal law that was “designed to give overseas members of the military 45 days after a primary to receive and return absentee ballots for a November general election”(Davis, “D.C. primary election date to remain a moving target”).To fulfill that requirement, the D.C. Council decided last year to move the primary to April, which was 5 months earlier than the traditional mid-September date, and overhaul the election calendar; however this change did not work very well and the voter turnout was the lowest in over three decades. The timing of having the primary very early in the year caught many of the citizens by surprise, and is at least a little bit to blame....
Words: 500 - Pages: 2
...suffering from a participation crisis, I would like to agree. Simply because, there has been a low turnout at general elections, which undermines the mandate of the government and threatens the idea that the UK is a representative democracy. Between 1922 and 1997 turnout remained above 71%. At the 2001 general election the turnout was59.4%; in 2005 it was 61.4%; in 2010 it was 65.1%; and in 2015 it was66.1%. Various people may consider the minor increase in percentage but overall there has not been a significant increase. Key forms of participation, such as voting and party membership have declined significantly over time, but other newer, faster forms have arisen and are slowly becoming more popular to the newer generations such as Referendums, particularly in Scotland. Popular engagement with the formal processes and institutions of democracy has been in long – term decline since the 1960’s. The turnout in 2001 was the lowest; this is compared to how between 1945 and 1992 it was always about 75 percent. Through this, it can be seen that recently, judging from the most blatant way to assess political contribution, it has greatly declined and some may say that due to the large extent of this decline, it is indeed a crisis. Furthermore, not just overall turnout, but turnout amongst young adults at general elections shows evidence of having decreased. For example, in the 2010 general election, only 44 percent of 18 to 24 year...
Words: 1334 - Pages: 6
...AP Government McKinley CHAPTER 8 Political Participation I. A closer look at nonvoting A. Alleged problem: low turnout of voters in the U.S. compared to Europe 1. Data are misleading: tend to compare turnout of voting-age population; turnout of registered voters reveals problem is not so severe 2. Real problem is low voter registration rates a) Proposed solution: get-out-the-vote drives b) But this will not help those who are not registered 3. Apathy is not the only cause of non-registration a) Registration has costs in the U.S.; there are no costs in European countries where registration is automatic b) Motor-voter law of 1993 took effect in 1995, lowered costs and increased registration throughout the country B. Voting is not the only way of participating—by other measures, Americans may participate in politics more than Europeans. C. Important question: how do different kinds of participation affect the government? II. The rise of the American electorate (THEME A: POPULAR PARTICIPATION IN ELECTIONS) A. From state to federal control 1. Initially, states decided who could vote and for which offices 2. This led to wide variation in federal elections 3. Congress has since reduced state prerogatives through law and constitutional amendment. a) 1842 law: House members elected by district b) 15th Amendment (1870): seemed to give...
Words: 965 - Pages: 4
...best way to solve the problem of low voting turnout. He structured his argument stating two of the biggest problem with low turnout and solution to increase turnout. The first problem is that the election votes are not a representation of the overall votes towards a policy or elected official. The other problem is that certain groups vote in greater number than other groups, which show a disproportionate influence on the government and its policies. This illustrates bias states Lijphart, giving already-privileged citizens an advantage favoring their interest and the low-privileged interests are not rewarded. To solve these problems Lijphart believes that a minimum of 90 percent turnout...
Words: 606 - Pages: 3
...exposed just how many politicians do not respect the position they are given. One of the main factors to argue there is a democratic deficit in the UK is the low levels of voter turnout and widespread discouragement with the FPTP system. In 2001 the UK received a general election turnout of 59.4%, the lowest since the start of universal suffrage in 1918. Low turnouts in elections will weaken the electoral mandate of the party and the legitimacy of the government, and if citizens are not participating in politics the decisions made by government are no longer in the interest of the whole nation. For instance the 2011 AV referendum got a turnout of just 42.2% so it would not accurate to base this result on a decision that will affect the whole country, when fewer than half of the population voted. Some suggest that the elections in the UK are not fair due to the “First Past the Post” voting system. The FPTP system favours two parties (the Labour and Conservative party) and this means that there is a reduced chance of smaller parties winning constituencies. In the 2010 general election the Labour party got 29% of the vote and gained 258 seats, whereas the Liberal Democrats won 23% of the votes but secured 57 seats. This shows how FPTP discriminates against smaller “3rd” parties like the Liberal Democrats who have a widespread but low concentration of support so are unlikely to gain a majority of votes in any one area. FPTP also promotes tactical voting in constituencies where there is...
Words: 571 - Pages: 3
