WEEK 7: ARE CITIZENS IN BRITAIN DISENGAGED FROM THE

POLITICAL SYSTEM?

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Key texts

• Anthony King, The British Constitution

• James Morrison, Public Affairs• Coalition Agreement• Chris Mullins, Decline and Fall

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Democracy

• System of government by elected representatives where parliament is made up of freely elected representatives who represent the will of the people; a government that reflects the will of the people and is answerable to an elected legislature (or is separately elected).

• Independent judiciary • Rights: freedom of

expression/opinion/association

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Main Political Parties in UK

• Conservative & Unionist Party (full time but it is rarely used. Tories (shorthand for Conservatives)

• Natural party of government (most of 20c)• ‘One Nation Toryism – post-war consensus • Margaret Thatcher swung the party back

to a more right wing free market approach to the economy and welfare

• Cameron – modernised the party but adherent to Thatcherite principles plus determination to shrink the state

•

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Labour Party

• Born out of the trade union movement post industrial revolution

• Socialist roots/Social democracy• Clause Four – public ownership means of

production• Mixed Economy • Gang of Four broke away (SDP later to join Liberal

Party to form Liberal Democrats)• Blairite – New Labour in power from 1997 - 2010• Beyond New Labour

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Liberal Democrats

• Federal party• Traditionally centrist• Pro-welfare state but also belief in

free markets• Appealed to left and right• Orange Book (current Lib Dem

leadership) collection of essays stressing free market

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Democracy in action in South Africa …

… and Britain

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BRITAIN’S ‘CRISIS OF ENGAGEMENT’: POLITICIANS

Helena Kennedy (2006)We need to “… save British democracy from

meltdown”

David Cameron (May 2006)“ … our democratic system isn't working … public

faith in our political institutions is draining away and being replaced by a progressive and debilitating alienation.”

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The Coalition’s view

• “The Government believes that our political system is broken. We urgently need fundamental political reform, including a referendum on electoral reform, much greater co-operation across party lines, and changes to our political system to make it far more transparent and accountable.”

(Coalition Agreement May 2010)

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Political Reform (Coalition Agreement)

• Fixed term Parliaments• Referendum on the voting system• Recall of MPs – allow voters to force a

by-election where an MP is found to have engaged in serious wrongdoing and having had a petition calling for a by-election signed by 10% of his or her constituents

• Other reforms see agreement

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KEY QUESTIONS

1. EvidenceAre citizens in Britain becoming disengaged from politics?

2. ExplanationIf so, why are citizens disengaging from politics?

3. ImplicationsDoes it matter if disengagement is increasing?

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WHAT IS POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT?

BEHAVIOUR

• Voting• Member of party• Member of group• Go on march• Write to MP• Boycott goods• Donate money

ATTITUDES

• Support for political system

• Support for political actors/institutions

• Political interest

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ARE PEOPLE MOVING AWAY FROM ELECTORAL POLITICS?

Fuel protests (2000)Countryside march (2002): 400,000Iraq war march (2003): 1,000,000

Make Poverty History (2005): 200,000

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TRUST IN GOVERNMENT

“How much do you trust British governments of any party to place the needs of the nation above the interests of their own political party? - Just about always - Most of the time - Only some of the time - Almost never”

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Possible reasons

• War in Iraq?• Expenses scandal?• Single issue politics?• Decline in trade unions?• Voting system?• “Queasy ride on the ideological big-

dipper”• ‘Them and us’ syndrome

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Electorate want moderation

• A large majority were somewhere in the political ‘centre’ – or, at any rate, not at either extreme. A few held genuinely centrist views. The views of others were an untidy mixture of left – and right-wing views...Most voters, perhaps nearly all, instinctively inclined towards moderation.

(King, The British Constitution p 75)

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MPs didn’t get it

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REuoK-VS7iI

• http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8045384.stm

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And those that did

• “A massive new feeding frenzy. The Telegraph has got its hands on a computer disc of our unexpurgated expenses and his morning it has begun to publish highlights. Page after unedifying page...The damage is incalculable. Not just to us, but to the entire parliamentary system. We are sinking in a great swamp of derision and loathing.”

(Chris Mullin Decline and Fall, p 327)

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Expenses – anger but voters still turned out

• Despite fears that the MPs expenses scandal of the previous year would engender widespread cynicism amongst the electorate – and thus a reluctance to vote at all - turnout increased by four points to 65.3%. A. Park, J. Curtice, K. Thomson, M. Phillips, E. Clery and S. Butt (eds), British Social Attitudes: The 26th Report (London: Sage, 2010).

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Voters changed their mind on MPs caught up in the

scandal

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Ipsos Mori research

• Impact of the expenses scandal recedes

• Published:4 April 2010 • Fieldwork:19 - 22 March 2010 • Theme: Politicians

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Turnout – an explanation

• Between 1922 and 1997 turnout had never been lower than 70%, before falling precipitately to just 59% in 2001 and 61% in 2005. While the anticipated closeness of the election (2010) outcome might have helped bring some voters to the polls, it would appear that the British electorate can no longer be relied upon to vote simply out of duty or habit.

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TRUST IN GOVERNMENT: BRITAIN, 1973-2005

0

20

40

60

80

100

1973

1987

1994

1997

2000

2002

2005%

Some of time/Almost never

Most of time/Almost always

Source: Bromley & Curtice (2001); British Social Attitudes

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POLITICAL INTEREST IN BRITAIN, 1973-2005

0

20

40

60

80

100

%

1973 1991 1995 1997 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

'Very' or 'fairly' interested

Source: Electoral Commission, Audit of Political Engagement (2004, 2005, 2006)

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TURNOUT ACROSS WESTERN EUROPE, 1945-2003

Declined

• Austria• Finland• France• Ireland• Luxembourg• Netherlands• Portugal• Spain• Switzerland• United Kingdom

Stayed same

• Belgium• Denmark• Germany• Greece• Iceland• Norway• Sweden

Source: International IDEA

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EXPLAINING TURNOUT DECLINE

FEATURE OF CITIZENS

• Citizens less interested in politics than before

• Citizens less trusting in politicians than before

FEATURE OF ELECTIONS

• Bland parties• Uncompetitive elections

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POLITICAL TRUST AND TURNOUT: 1997 AND 2001

-20

0

20

40

60

80

100

% o

r %

pt

chan

ge

Voted 1997

Voted 2001

Change

Source: Bromley & Curtice (2001) Table 7.11

High trustMedium

trust Low trust

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ELECTORAL COMPETITIVENESS AND TURNOUT, 1964-2005

40

50

60

70

80

90

1964

1966

1970

1974

1974

1979

1983

1987

1992

1997

2001

2005

Tur

nout

(%

)

Source: Curtice (2005) Table 2

10%16%

20%14%

5%

% Average opinion poll lead

1%

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OTHER EXPLANATIONS OF DECLINING TURNOUT

POWER inquiry (2006; chs2-3)• Citizens lack influence over political decisions• Parties not responsive to public demands

Kellner (2004)• Politics seen as irrelevant; doesn’t deliver what

people want• Politics seen as ‘phoney’; politicians don’t tell

people the truth.

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FORMS OF NON-ELECTORAL PARTICIPATION

Individual/Non-active• Donate money• Boycott goods; buy ethical goods• Sign petition

Individual/Active• Contact MP or media

Collective/Active• Go on demonstration• Attend political meeting or group

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FREQUENCY OF NON-ELECTORAL PARTICIPATION,

2000Individual / Non-active• Donate money• Signed petition

62%42%

Individual / Active• Contacted public official• Contacted the media

25% 9%

Collective / Active• Raised money for organisation• Gone on demonstration

30% 5%

Source: Pattie et al, 2004: Table 3.1

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NON-ELECTORAL AND ELECTORAL PARTICIPATION

Turnout in 2001 election• 3+ protest actions = 80%• No protest actions = 65%

Turnout among young (<35 years) • 3+ protest actions = 58%• No protest actions = 46%

Source: Curtice and Seyd, 2003

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CONCLUSION: CONCERN OR OPTIMISM?

CONCERN OPTIMISM

Declining political trust

Interest in politics still high

Declining turnout Non-voting due to weak electoral competition

Increasing non-electoral participation

Skewed to the better resourced

Abandoning ballot box for direct participation?

Protest is supplement to, not replacement for, voting

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