What forms does democracy take in the UK, and is there a participation crisis?
Democracy and participation: direct and representative democracy, the features of UK democracy, the forms of political participation, and debates about a participation crisis and reform.
A WJEC AS Unit 2 study of democracy and participation: the difference between direct and representative democracy, the strengths and weaknesses of UK democracy, the forms of participation including referendums, and the debate over whether the UK faces a participation crisis.
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What this dot point is asking
This WJEC AS topic asks you to explain what democracy means in the UK and to evaluate whether the country faces a participation crisis. You need the distinction between direct and representative democracy, the features and weaknesses of UK democracy, the different ways people participate, and the arguments about declining and changing engagement.
The answer
Direct and representative democracy
The UK is mainly a representative democracy: voters elect MPs to the Commons and members to the Senedd and other devolved bodies. It uses direct democracy occasionally through referendums, such as the 1997 and 2011 Welsh devolution referendums and the 2016 EU referendum.
Features and weaknesses of UK democracy
Forms of participation
Citizens can engage in politics in many ways: voting in elections and referendums, joining a political party or standing for office, supporting a pressure group, signing petitions, taking part in demonstrations, and using online activism and social media. Some forms involve a deep commitment (party membership), others are quick and occasional (signing a petition).
Is there a participation crisis?
This is the central debate. Evidence of a crisis includes falling turnout in many elections, often low turnout in Senedd and local elections, and a long-term decline in party membership. Evidence against a crisis includes high turnout at major referendums such as 2016, large pressure group memberships, mass online petitions, and vigorous single-issue campaigning. Many conclude that participation is changing form (away from parties and toward issues and online activity) rather than simply collapsing, and that disengagement is uneven across groups.
Examples in context
Engagement that does not fit the "apathy" story. The participation-crisis debate is sharpened by the contrast between routine elections and big set-piece votes. Turnout in some local and devolved elections can be low, suggesting disengagement, yet a high-stakes national referendum such as 2016 can draw a much larger turnout, and single-issue campaigns and petitions can mobilise millions. This is why strong essays argue that participation is uneven and shifting in form rather than uniformly in crisis: the same electorate is highly engaged on some questions and detached on others.
Try this
Q1. Give one example of direct democracy used in the UK. [1 mark]
- Cue. A referendum, such as the 2016 EU referendum or the 2011 Welsh referendum on law-making powers.
Q2. Name three ways a citizen can participate in politics other than voting. [3 marks]
- Cue. Any three of joining a party, supporting a pressure group, signing a petition, demonstrating, and online activism.
Q3. To what extent is there a participation crisis in the UK? [25 marks]
- What the marker wants. A judgement weighing falling turnout and party membership against high referendum turnout and growing non-electoral participation.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of WJEC exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
WJEC AS Unit 210 marksExplain the difference between direct and representative democracy.Show worked answer →
A short-answer question testing AO1 understanding of core concepts.
Direct democracy is where citizens make decisions themselves, for example by voting in a referendum, as in the 2016 EU referendum or the 2011 Welsh referendum on law-making powers. Representative democracy is where citizens elect representatives (such as MPs and Senedd members) to make decisions on their behalf and to be held accountable at elections.
The best answers contrast the two clearly, give a UK example of each, and note that the UK is mainly a representative democracy with occasional use of direct democracy through referendums.
WJEC AS Unit 220 marksTo what extent is there a participation crisis in the UK?Show worked answer →
An extended evaluation requiring a balanced judgement.
Case for a crisis: turnout has fallen in many elections and is often low in Senedd and local elections; party membership declined for decades; and many people feel disengaged from politics.
Case against: turnout rose at key votes such as the 2016 EU referendum; pressure group membership, petitions and online activism are high; and new forms of participation may be replacing old ones rather than signalling apathy.
The top band weighs declining electoral participation against the growth of other forms of engagement, and reaches a supported judgement, perhaps that the problem is uneven rather than a general crisis.
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