Another method of improving the UK’s democratic system could be the introduction of ‘E-Democracy’. The introduction of this alternative voting system would allow for easier participation, allowing for citizens to express their views easily and conveniently without having to leave home, and is therefore likely to have a positive impact on participation rates and, in turn, on levels of political interest and education. The introduction of this ‘new’ technology could increase access to information available to citizens, allowing for a free exchange of ideas and views. Because of this, E-Democracy could create a two-way democratic process, making the general public actively involved in politics, rather than just being the recipients of Parliaments ideas. Unsurprisingly, there are critics of ‘E-democracy’, they argue that the introduction of such a system could increase the likelihood of malpractice within the electoral system because the scrutiny and control of the process could become weaker. Allegations of corruption dramatically increased after the introduction of postal voting in the 2005 local elections, and the introduction of this system would go against out the great advantage of physical participation, that people’s identities can be checked, and the process can be ‘policed’.
Another method of improving the UK’s democracy could be to reduce the voting age from 18 years to 16 years. The lack of voting rights and political representation for under 18’s means that their needs, views and interests are often put to one side, or ignored all together. By lowering the voting age, greater attention may be given to issues such as further education or drugs policy. The lowering of the voting age may also lead to stronger political engagement among young people. 18-24 year olds have the lowest voting turnout rates, by lowering the voting age, voters may be re-engaged by a strengthened interest and understanding of politics, and it would help to focus politics around issues more meaningful to younger voters. However, the vast majority of under 18’s are still in full time education, and continue to live with their parents. In the minds of some critics of the idea, this means that they are not full citizens, and their educational development, even though they are allowed to leave school, remains incomplete. Also, most 16-18 year olds are unlikely to have a deep interest or knowledge of politics. Nevertheless, a number of countries around the world have a lower voting age, a 17 year old can vote in Sudan, Seychelles and Indonesia, and at 16 in Nicaragua and the Isle of Man. In the UK, the Liberal Democrats, Greens and Plaid Cymru all back lowering the voting age from 18 to 16.
The introduction of the proportional representation voting system for general elections would make the overall democratic system more representative and give smaller parties fair representation. This system would, however, cause an increase in coalition or minority governments, which are considered to be a weak form of government, and would introduce too many small parties, some of whom are extremist (EDL).
Another, somewhat controversial, method of improving the UK’s democratic system could be to introduce compulsory voting. This would force people into the political process and make the results of election more legitimate, and would mean that everyone’s voice is heard. This idea could, however, force people with little or no political knowledge to vote, meaning results of elections could be influenced by uninformed voters. This could also be seen as an infringement of an individuals civil liberties.
The UK’s democratic system is in crisis due to a lack of political participation, individualization and an overall lack of interest in politics. Through the introduction of the methods outlined in this essay, such as increased use of referenda, introduction of PR and reducing the voting age from 18 to 16, the UKs democratic system could be greatly improved, made fairer and more important in the minds of the general population.
by
xsem0 (student)
