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(3) Core features of the UK's democratic system

Democratic elections
1. Free and Fair
  1. The basis for free and fair elections in Britain was laid by the gradual extension of political rights and freedom - 1948 "one person one vote"
  2. Secret ballot 1872
  3. lack of fairness
    1. non-elected bodies
      1. monarch
      2. house of lords
    2. "first-past-the-post"
      1. plurality rule
        goverment fewer than half of the votes cast
    3. Electoral malpractice
      1. postal vote
  4. fixed-term parliament 2011
  5. Proportional representation used post 1997
  6. Electoral commission 2000
2. Based on universal suffrage
  1. Election in the UK became democratic through the progressive extension of the franchise, until eventual achievement of universal adult suffrage in 1928
  2. Lack of effectiveness
    1. The members of the Lords, prisoners and mentally incapable are unable to vote
    2. non voting -poor and disadvantaged are less likely to vote
3. Competitive and provide electoral choice
  1. Electoral choice is vital to democracy as it allows electors to vote for the people or polices that they most prefer. no choice or little choice means that electors have to vote for what is available
    1. The UK has a long tradition of competitive party politics - Conservative and Liberal 19th centery, Labour 1900, post 60's SNP, Plaid Cymru, Greens and UKIP
  2. lack of effectiveness
    1. The two-part system.
      1. little effective choice in GE because Labour Conservatives dominate
    2. Consensus politics
      1. Little differents between Labour and Conseratives
Parliament
1. As the only popularly elected institution in the UK central government, parliament lies at the heart of the democratic process.
2. Parliament is the main institution that link government to people.
3. Parliament ensures representative government because the dominate chamber of Parliament, the house of Commons is elected
4. One of the virtues of Parliament is there is deliberative democracy
  1. A form of democracy in which the public interest is decide through debate, discussion and argument , amongst either representatives or private citizens
5. Government only survive if they continue to enjoy the support of the House of Commons
6. lack of effectivenss
  1. The House of Lords
    1. Unelected - weakens the repersentive role of parliament
  2. The party system
    1. Party discipline prevents MPs from using their own judgement in representing their constituents
  3. Executive contol
    1. Parliaments ability to scrutinize the executive is weak because the goverment of the day usually has a majority control of the house of commons
Pressure groups
1. They give a political voice to minorities that are ignored by the majorities parliamentary system
2. They provide a way in which citizens can expert influence between elections
3. They provider an important vehicle for the political participation beyond the ritualistic act of voting
4. Lack of effectiveness
  1. concentrated power
  2. Undermining of parliament / unelected
  3. Unaccountable power
  4. Weakness funding
5. rights of pressure groups
  1. They have the right to criticise the government
  2. They have the right to hold meetings
  3. They have the right to protest
  4. They have the right to make their views known by using the media
6. responsibilities of pressure groups
  1. They have the responsibility to base their criticism on fact
  2. Meetings should be peaceful and legal
  3. They should inform the local authorities and the police when they are making a protest
  4. They have a responsibility not to intimidate

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(3) Core features of the UK's democratic system

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	Created by Marcus Danvers about 11 years ago