Zusammenfassung der Ressource
To what extent is Direct Democracy more
effective than representative democracy? (12)
- Direct
- What is it?
- Citizens make decisions themselves
through poplar vote
- E.g. Ancient Athens
- Representative
- What is it?
- Citizens elect politicians to makes
decisions for them
- E.g. Modern UK
- Decisions made directly by people in DD
- Interest in politics is greater
- Avg turnout in Switz. is 81%
- More accurate reflection of views
- Requires more educated population
- E.g. Citizens in Athens very well educated and informed
- In a RD, this often doesn't happen as people manipulated by
politicians into making decisions not in their best interest - Schumpter
- Media panic over immigration despite net benefit
- In practice, people don't have time to inform themselves
- Don't have set of
professional politicians in
DD who may believe in
self interests
- DD used in Switzerland
- Lots of refernda
- 2 Swiss cantons run by DD
- RD still used at national level
- Ordinary
people
may hold
office for
just a year
at canton
level
- Negative views of politicians and RD
because of scandals (mps expenses,
etc)
- Still need people to stand for what they
believe in and give people a choice
- Belief that these politicians are
manipulated or part of a ruling
elite
- Dahl rejected this, said RD was pluralist instead
- RD can incorporate DD
- 24 US states can hold propositions
- Growth of E-democracy
- Contact with politicians on Twitter
- Online petitions
- Hillsborough Disaster Investigation
- Online Opportunities
- 38 Degrees
- Scots Indy ref
- Big impact on election
- SNP + Green Membership
- High turnout and engagement
- Just because you vote for something doesn't make it good
- Schumpter + Voltaire agree
- Plato believes democracy is doomed to become a
dictatorship
- Believe people will sweep away old rulers and new ones will
remove freedoms in fear of people
- Some argue that RD prove Plato right-politicians same, fake choices, etc
- RD only give DD when they feel like it
- 2014 Spain: Govt denied Catalan Indy Ref
- 1951:Switz votes against women getting franchise (voteand ability to stand
for election). 2009: Switz votes to ban building of mosques with minarets
- Conclusion
- Balance:Good + bad of each
- RD more practical, more safeguards to protect minorities than DD. Importance of DD
cannot be understated. Most RDs incorporate DD into their systems