There are many key features to representative democracy. Representative democracy differs from
direct as you elect political officials to represent you on your behalf instead of being directly in the
middle of political decisions. We elect them to make these decisions so that people do not have or
want to have a burden on their shoulders everyday to make political decisions so people leave this
upto representatives.
Key features of representative democracy include Practabilty, division of labour, expert experience and knowledge and better stability within a country. This form of rule is only democratic insofar as representation establishes a key link between the government and the government which is usually expressed in an electoral mandate.
First key feature- how practical it is.
There are many key features and advantages and disadvantages to representative democracy.
The first is that it is very practical. This form of democracy is the most practical form of
democracy especially within a largely populated modern society whereas direct democracy can be
seen to be more impractical especially in large populations.
A representative democracy relies on elected officials to represent quite commonly known as a constituency in the UK especially, this means that there can be a lack of direct participation in the running of government and usually relies on voting in elections around every 4 or 5 years normally. An example of this may be Ancient Greece in the city state of Athens despite an estimated population of 250,000 only around 40,000 male citizens had the right to participate in the democratic process.
This shows us that representatives allow for people to still be involved in politics and make decisions on decisions in referendums but the rest of the time a representative can take control and represent their area on matters concerning the country this means it is more practical in everyday life for everyone. However this practibility is not always perfect as even though it allows for people to be engaged in politics and have representation in a democracy it does not always fully represent the population.
This is because not everyone will turn up on election day and can result in a low turnout much like in direct democracy people do not vote and could lead to decisions being made through referendums to not be truly representative of the popular opinion or view.
For example, in 2010 only 64% of the UK population turned up to vote during the general election leaving a government which may not fully represent the public. This shows us that it can be practical in a bigger perspective however lack representation of the full population due to the fact there is a low turnout of voters on the day this results in problems such as a coalition government.
Overall it is clear that representative democracy is far more practical than that of direct and allows people to remain politically involved without having to do any work themselves however it does lack true representation of voter options and choices due to low turnouts on election days.
Second key feature- division of labour.
There are other key features of this type of democracy such as a Division of Labour. This
means that ordinary citizens do not need to take part in government decision making. This means a
division of labour is created that relieves the duties and responsibility for people making decisions
on difficult matters that concern the whole country and allows people to carry on with life and their
chosen pursuits and be happy with the political decisions which have been made.
This can be backed up by Political theorists Thomas Paine who said that In Common Sense Paine argues representatives would act more as delegates in the hope that the ‘elected might never form to themselves an interest separate from the electors’. An example of this can be Athenian citizens were only able to devote so much of their lives to politics because slavery freed them of the need to
engage in arduous labour and Women were also confined to the home.
This shows us that representative democracy can allow for everyone from a whole host of backgrounds to be represented within democracy without having to make decisions themselves. However this is not always the case and there still are and will be many people who feel disconnected and unrepresented by this system of governing and can lead to people being discouraged and unhappy with government decisions.
For example many politicians are accused of serving their own self interests to gain political advantage over others or are confined to a party resulting in them being constructed in parliament. This shows us that even though a division of labour can be created there is no promise or guarantee that voters will be happy and content with the government and the decisions they make on behalf of the public thus resulting in discouragement and a lack of a legitimate government.
Overall it is clear that to people that having someone to make the difficult decisions is effective however there is also a high percentage of people that believe that although a possible burden is lifted from their shoulders they cannot trust someone they believe is ‘self-serving’ to themselves.
Key feature 3- Experience.
Furthermore there are further advantages and disadvantages to representative democracy these
include Expertise and Experience. This large positive especially Politically allows for large bundles of experience and expertise can be brought to the table especially when representing a constituency and members of society this further develops government and helps deal with people needs and wants in society.
An example of this may be that a government minister or MP may have expertise
which can push forward laws, bills or ideas to create a better future for all. This shows us that people who have expertise and knowledge can contribute and make decisions furthermore people from a number of backgrounds and educational experience can form options that best represent the people on behalf of government decision allowing for the best decision to be made on behalf of the public.
However although these expertise and experience can be brought to the table we still see a certain
level of social class representing people in parliament with that being the upper and upper middle
class who have attended schools, colleges and universities together. This means that although
expertise and knowledge is brought to the table there is still a large amount of people not
represented by someone who is only in that position for their own political gain by help from their
‘Friends in parliament.
For example 19 of the United Kingdom’s Prime Ministers have been to and
attend Eton College additionally Of the 33 ministers who make up Johnson’s new cabinet, 45% wentto either Oxford or Cambridge university, while a further 24% attended Russell Group universities. This shows us that there is a group of ruling elites from similar backgrounds and educations making the decision on behalf of the public thus showing us that although there is better expertise and knowledge people may not understand or comprehend all decisions made or feel represented in parliament.
Overall; this allows us to understand that people are encouraged and happy with a large
amount of expertise and knowledge however can be trashed or misundertsood when a group of
ruling elites use the system to gain and better their own political career.
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