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Copyright © 2015 Active Education peped.org/politicalinvestigations Improving participation How can political participation be increased in the UK?

Improving political participation

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Page 1: Improving political participation

Copyright © 2015 Active Educationpeped.org/politicalinvestigations

Improving participationHow can political participation be increased in the UK?

Page 2: Improving political participation

Copyright © 2015 Active Educationpeped.org/politicalinvestigations

Lesson Objectives

• To explain the various strategies for improving political participation

• To summarise the pros and cons of each strategy (with precise examples)

• To evaluate how effective the strategies have been/are likely to be

Page 3: Improving political participation

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The Power Report (2006)READ THE REPORT:

http://www.jrrt.org.uk/sites/jrrt.org.uk/files/documents/PowertothePeople_001.pdf

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How can participation be increased?

• Improving Citizenship

• Lowering the Voting Age

• Compulsory Voting

• Widening consultation through citizens’ juries and opinion polls

• Digital Democracy

• Managing the Media

• Recall elections

Page 5: Improving political participation

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Improving CitizenshipHow can political participation be increased in the UK?

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Improving Citizenship

Exam Question: Define citizenship (5 marks)

• Individuals who belong to a community or a ‘state’

• Belonging means that the individual is entitled to certain ‘rights’ or privileges – e.g. to be treated equally by the law

Can you think of other rights in the UK?

• Citizenship also implies that these rights require certain duties - e.g. paying tax, military service

Can you think of other duties in the UK?

• The balance between rights and duties is different in different countries and can also change according to the political and economic climate.

Is the balance between rights and duties achieved in the UK?

Page 7: Improving political participation

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How does citizenship link to democracy?

• Many politicians believe that the balance is not correct in the UK.

• Many citizens are not performing their duty of being involved in the political processes under which they live.

• It would be undemocratic to force people to participate but they can be encouraged by creating a better understanding of the country and its institutions and by fostering a greater sense of community.

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Exam question (10 marks): How can citizens participate in politics?

• Voting in an election

• Voting in a referendum

• Canvassing support for a party as a party activist

• Standing for elected office

• Joining a pressure group

• Participating in a demonstration or signing a petition

• Interacting with an MP

These points require development in a 10 mark question – how could you develop/ illustrate the points?

Remember you don’t have to over complicate your answers. The examples are often very obvious!

Page 9: Improving political participation

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Citizenship Tests

• These are targeted a individuals wishing to become citizens of the UK. They prepare for a multiple choice test (in English). Introduced by Labour but supported by Cameron, although the test is going to be revised with more historical and cultural content (2011)

• http://lifeintheuktest.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/htmlsite/index.html

• http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/blog/quiz/2011/oct/11/uk-citizenship-test-quiz

How many of you would be able to gain UK citizenship? Let the results decide….

Page 10: Improving political participation

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Citizenship ceremonies

• ‘Becoming a British citizen is a significant event and should be celebrated in a meaningful way. At the ceremony, you will be welcomed into your local community and meet other people in the area who are becoming British citizens’ (Home Office Border Agency site)

• http://www3.hants.gov.uk/registration/citizenship/registration-citizenship-video.htm

• Reflection: Will citizenship tests and the ceremonies serve the purpose of promoting democracy?

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Citizenship education in schools

Introduced in schools under Labour government and strongly supported by Gordon Brown.

In 2010 he declared that when citizenship education improved this would be the time to give 16 year olds the vote.

Intended to cover topics such as political parties, elections, the European Union.

Teacher training places for citizenship

Less prominent attention from Education Minister Michael Gove

How effectively has citizenship education been achieved in schools?

Page 12: Improving political participation

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The Conservatives and promoting citizenship

• The ‘Big Society

We are helping people to come together to improve their own lives. The Big Society is about putting more power in people’s hands - a massive transfer of power from Whitehall to local communities. We want to see community empowerment, the opening up public services, and people encouraged and enabled to play a more active part in society. (Conservative Party manifesto 2010)

• Civilian ‘national service’ scheme – plan to offer volunteer placements to all young people. Pilot schemes in 2011 but has been criticised for expense.

Page 13: Improving political participation

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Lowering the Voting AgeHow can political participation be increased in the UK?

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When have you voted?

• School council or Youth Parliament elections

• TV Competitions: X factor, Britain’s Got Talent, I’m A Celebrity, Eurovision

• Awards: Teen Choice Awards, British Soap Awards, BRITS

• Magazines and entertainment: Who wore it best?

Are ‘children’ responsible enough to vote?

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How has voting age changed over time?

• 1430 Owners of freehold land worth over 40 shillings a year can vote in county elections.

• 1832 Great Reform Act allows every man who pays more than £10 a year in rates or rent can now vote.

• 1884 Over 50 per cent of adult men can now vote. Most British men over 21 may vote.

• 1918 Representation of the People Act gives the vote to women over the age of 30.

• 1928 Equal Franchise Act allows all men and women over the age of 21 the right to vote.

• 1969 Voting age is lowered to 18.

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Lowering the Voting Age

One proposal which even gained popularity with former PM Gordon Brown was to lower the voting age to 16. Whilst this is a popular move it is not widely followed abroad (most countries set the age limit at 18 with only Brazil been a major power which has it at 16).

It’s difficult to tell what impact this move would have. Statistically this group are less likely to vote and whilst the number of votes would increase the turnout would definitely decrease.

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Should the voting age be lowered?

Arguments for… Arguments against…

Watch the video and identify arguments for and against.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvbokFCsPfY&feature=related

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Should the voting age be lowered?

Carry out independent research about this issue. You will be able to use any research next lesson.

E.G. Why should it be lowered to 16, rather than 11?

How can you be sure young voters will understand politics?

Will young voters be more susceptible to undue influence?

WEBSITE: http://debatewise.org/debates/418-the-voting-age-should-be-reduced-to-16-for-all-uk-elections/

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Compulsory VotingHow can political participation be increased in the UK?

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Compulsory Voting

• Over twenty countries have some form of compulsory voting which requires citizens to register to vote and to go to their polling place or vote on election day.

• With secret ballots, it's not really possible to prove who has or has not voted so this process could be more accurately called "compulsory turnout" because voters are required to show up at their polling place on election day.

• In Australia it has been compulsory for all citizens to vote since 1918. By law all citizens are required to vote in General and Federal Elections. A Failure to do this results in a fine.

• The impact has been that turnout has never fallen bellow 80% and in 2010 General Elections the turnout was 93.8%.

• Do you think compulsory voting would have the same impact in the UK?

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Arguments for…

• Voting is a civic duty comparable to other duties citizens perform (e.g. taxation, compulsory education, or jury duty).

• Parliament reflects more accurately the "will of the electorate."

• Governments must consider the total electorate in policy formulation and management.

• Candidates can concentrate their campaigning energies on issues rather than encouraging voters to attend the poll.

• The voter isn't actually compelled to vote for anyone because voting is by secret ballot.

Page 22: Improving political participation

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Arguments against…

• Some suggest that it is undemocratic to force people to vote and is an infringement of liberty.

• The "ignorant" and those with little interest in politics are forced to the polls.

• It may increase the number of "donkey votes" (votes for a random candidate by people who feel that they are required to vote by law).

• It may increase the number of informal votes (ballot papers which are not marked according to the rules for voting).

• It increases the number of safe, single-member electorates - political parties then concentrate on the more marginal electorates.

• Resources must be allocated to determine whether those who failed to vote have "valid and sufficient" reasons.

Page 23: Improving political participation

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Widening consultation through citizens’ juries and

opinion pollsHow can political participation be increased in the UK?

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What are citizens’ juries?

• A citizens' jury is a group of between 12 and 20 people, chosen to represent the communities from which they come.

• According to ministers, they will be chosen independently and will not be experts on the topic under discussion, nor members of interest groups.

• They will be asked to look at real issues, in the same way as a jury does in a courtroom. The idea is to give ordinary people a bigger role in democratic decision making.

• The juries will spend a day, or several days, considering the chosen subject.

• They will be given facts and figures that have been independently verified and will hear "evidence" from a range of experts.

• Jurors will then discuss the issues among themselves before reaching a conclusion.

• Their decisions will be used to help advise ministers on policy.

Page 25: Improving political participation

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Citizens’ Juries

• When Gordon Brown became PM he assembled Citizens’ Juries, groups of citizens with a special interest in or knowledge of a particular issue. When each jury was assembled, a senior cabinet minister would lead a discussion on a government policy.

• Brown wanted to encourage stronger patriotism and citizenship and sees participation at both central and local levels as a duty which should be taken seriously. This suggests that Citizenship is an obligation as well as a right.

• Read the Citizens’ Juries Report: http://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/SN04546#fullreport

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How does opinion polling help politicians?

• The role and influence of opinion polls have certainly grown since polling began in the UK in 1938.

• Labour's Nye Bevan complained subsequently that opinion polls "took the poetry out of politics".

• As if to prove his point, polls today both reflect public opinion and are used to test policies and messages that help political parties shape that very same public opinion.

• http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-31504146 (BBC Article)

• However, polls during the recent General Election failed to predict the outcome accurately, questioning the flaws in the use of polling to gauge public opinion.

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Digital DemocracyHow can political participation be increased in the UK?

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The Growth of E Petitions

• These are petitions conducted over the internet; the UK Government website is one way. 100,000 = Back Bench Business Committee will decide if it should be discussed in Parliament.

• 38 Degrees is also a voluntary site that encourages people to sign up to campaigns as well as writing to Ministers and MPs.

• Government Website: ‘reducing the price of petrol and diesel’, 138,000 signatures

• 38 Degrees: Use of wild animals in circuses – Petition and mass emailing of MPs meant that a debate and vote took place requesting a ban on the use of such animals. Still unresolved.

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Impact of E Petitions

• So…

• Online forums, blogs and networks are powerful tools in delivering political messages to government.

• This can create a political climate where issues come to the front of the political agenda.

• This kind of democracy is beginning to replace parties and even pressure groups as an outlet for political participation.

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Managing the MediaHow can political participation be increased in the UK?

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Impact of the Media

• Nearly 1 in 3 people in the UK read a newspaper, they can have considerable sway on the electorate.

• This is roughly how they break down in terms of their party allegiances

• It’s worth noting that some of them have changed their allegiance fairly recently (The Sun, The Guardian and The Times being lead culprits).

• In brackets are the most recent circulation figures.

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Political Allegiances of Newspapers

Labour Conservative Liberal Democrat

The Daily Mirror (1,232,961)The Independent (182,416) The Financial Times The New Statesman(50,000)

The Times (494,205 )The Daily Telegraph The Daily Mail (2,169,690 )The Daily Express (671,414 The Sun (3,009,987 )The News of the World (2,868,850) Daily Star (862,005) The Evening Standard The Economist (189,206)The Spectator (73,204)

The Guardian (272,112)The Observer (309,068) The Independent On Sunday (156,725)

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Billy Bragg

“ If it does not reflect your view you should understand that those who own the papers also own this land and they’d rather you believe in Coronation Street capers in the war for circulation, it sells newspapers. Could it be an infringement of the freedom of the

press to print pictures of women in states of undress?”

• Whilst many would dismiss Bragg as a left wing singer who should pipe down, he actually echoes a well travelled theory of the media.

• The manipulation theory argues that the media is a means of not only preserving itself through newspaper sales but also the status quo (hence why so many newspapers support the Conservatives).

• This radical agenda is hidden amongst stories about X- Factor rejects and stories of Binge drinking romps. It could be argued that Tony Blair repositioned Labour so that he would be more acceptable to the newspaper elite and thus destabilise the Conservative support.

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How much impact does the media REALLY have?

Professor Paul Whiteley estimates that when the Sun changed allegiance for example it can cost a party around 500,000 votes.

Do you think this is realistic?

David Denver (1980) argues that this view is limited because of 3 factors:

1. Selective Exposure- People only read and watch things that reflect their view.

2. Selective Perception- People tend to filter out news that doesn’t fit their view.

3. Selective Retention- People forget news that doesn’t match their views.

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Television & News Reporting

Whilst newspapers are clearly an important form of media outlet the powerhouse that is Television cannot be ignored. Whilst all parties are guaranteed equal air time in the build up to elections (whether this is Party Political Broadcasts or Interviews) The way the news is reported can have a massive impact on a parties aspirations, consider the following examples of politics on TV.

1. Liberal Democrats and Tuition Fees

2. Ed Miliband and Quiet Labour

3. Andrew Lansley’s NHS Mess

4. David Cameron Bossy Boots

5. Ed vs. David (Miliband)

6. Ed vs. David (Cameron)

7. Nick Clegg the Bad Egg

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Internet

Considering that we now live in the internet age there are some who would argue that it’s the internet which really affects our Political Views. Alternatively the Hansard Society in 2010 argued that:

“The internet has now become an organisational necessity for election campaigning, but it has not brought about that strategic change we should

expect”.

This means that we haven’t really used the internet to its full potential for politics.

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Social Media

Democracy has had its detractors in the past, present and future. However to say that Democracy is dying a slow painful death would be untrue. One of the ways in which Democracy has evolved and gained a new lease of life is over the Internet.

1. Political Parties and MP’s on Facebook

2. MP’s on Twitter

3. Bloggers

4. YouTube and the rise of campaign JPEG’s (Try Eddie Izzard for the Labour Party or the Webcameron, or even good old fashioned satire- Spitting Image, 2DTV or other individuals who’ve posted some frankly hilarious videos)

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Recall ElectionsHow can political participation be increased in the UK?

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Recall Elections

• Recall is a term used to describe a process whereby the electorate can petition to trigger a vote between scheduled elections on the suitability of an existing elected representative to continue in office.

• There was no recall procedure in the UK, although following the MPs’ expenses scandal the main political parties proposed introducing different forms of recall.

• The Government stated in the Coalition Agreement (11 May 2010) that it would do so, and in the Queen’s Speech on 4 June 2014, it announced that it would introduce legislation on the recall of Members of Parliament.

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Recall of MPs Act (2015)

• The Bill provides for a recall petition to be triggered if a Member is sentenced to a prison term or is suspended from the House for at least 21 sitting days. If either occurred, the Speaker would give notice to a petition officer, who in turn would give notice to parliamentary electors in the constituency.

• A petition would then be open for signing for eight weeks. If at the end of that period at least 10 per cent of eligible electors had signed the petition, the seat would be declared vacant and a by-election would follow. The Member who was recalled could stand in the by-election.

• The Bill also introduces rules on the conduct of the recall petition, including campaign spending limits for those supporting and opposing recalling the Member.

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How effective have these methods been?

• Improving Citizenship

• Lowering the Voting Age

• Compulsory Voting

• Widening consultation through citizens’ juries and opinion polls

• Digital Democracy

• Managing the Media

• Recall elections

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EXAM QUESTIONEvaluate the effectiveness of the various ways in which

participation and democracy could be strengthened in the UK. (25 marks)