To what extent do political parties promote democracy free essay sample

Political parties have many functions, one of which is to uphold the principles of a democratic political system. A democratic political system is one which involves various features, such as a peaceful transition of power from one government to another, free and fair regular elections, people having open access to independent information, government accountability to the people and representative institutions and that the government operates in the broad interests of the people. Democracy can take a number of forms, the main two being representative and direct democracy. In the UK a representative democracy is in place. Arguably, the mere existence of political parties enhances democracy as they allow the public to decide who should be in charge of their country, however at times, the promotion of democracy by political parties could be questioned for example party corruption and undemocratic actions for example the unfair use of hereditary peers to pass a Bill. We will write a custom essay sample on To what extent do political parties promote democracy? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The most important way that political parties enhance democracy is through representation. The idea of a representative democracy is that the elected representatives express the will of the people and sections of society. Political parties claim to have a representative function, however parties have their origins in the representation of social classes. In contemporary politics this is a weaker party because all of the main parties argue that they represent the national interest, and not just the interests of specific classes or groups. Therefore it is essential that they seek to ensure that all groups in society have their interests and demands at the very least, considered by the government. The use of referendums also increases public participation and enhances the idea of democracy. Public participation is a key element of democracy therefore an increase in the use of referendums will result in a higher level of democracy. A referendum is an occasion when citizens (either all of them or only those in a certain region) are asked to determine a question of public importance. In the UK, a referendum result is not binding on Parliament because Parliament remains sovereign. However it is virtually unthinkable that the UK Parliament would defy the expressed result of a referendum. It is Parliament and government that determine whether a referendum is to be held and what the question may be. Although the public cannot directly influence the government through a referendum, their opinions on the matter proposed will have a significant effect on the final decision made, which gives the public a higher sense of authority. There was a 1998 vote to approve of an elected London mayor, which was necessary as it was going to change the governance of the capital city, so the consent of Londoners was vital. It also implied some increase in taxation, again making consent essential. Referendums increase the publics influence in the political sphere, therefore by using them, political parties are promoting democracy. However referendums are rarely held, and politicians/political parties as a whole usually make important decisions, and don’t often require the assistance of the public. Many issues that could be used in a referendum are argued to be ‘too complex’ for the majority of the people to understand, let alone make a judgement on. For example issues arising from proposed European Union treaties may well be too complex for popular consideration. Many would argue that such matters should be left to our elected representatives under the guidance of experts rather than to the general public, and the influence of the media. Also, politicians may go against the wishes of the people, for example with the bedroom tax. There was a great deal of controversy associated with it, however the government still pursued it. If a referendum had been held, the opinions of the public on the matter may have been expressed, however one wasn’t held therefore this political action could be deemed as being undemocratic. The fact that, in the United Kingdom, we have multiple political parties, with a variety of view points and policies, is exemplary of the fact that political parties enhance democracy. The existence of various political parties gives the public voting options, and provides them with a choice of who governs their country, which is arguably a democratic approach, and encourages public participation. The idea that the public are not only voting for the party and its leaders, but also its policies show that they have an influence in how the country is run. For example the Conservative party (under David Cameron) believes in traditional institutions and values, protecting the rights and interests of property owners, and support the idea that the wealthy do have a responsibility to improve the conditions of the disadvantaged. However modern Labour (under Ed Miliband), emphasises that education is the main driver of social justice and social mobility, agrees that there should generally greater stress on environmental protection, and the party now favors more active state intervention to promote economic growth. The differing ideas of these two large parties, show that the public are given a variety of options on each different potential governing body, which gives them adequate knowledge to make a decision on who to vote for. The existence of multiple political parties enhances democracy as it increases public participation and influence. In conclusion, although there are a variety of political parties, both major and minor, existing in the United Kingdom, which arguably enhances democracy, they are all moving closer to the center, and becoming very similar in the modern day, which reduces the idea that political parties enhances democracy. For example the Conservative party and the Labour party currently agree on matters that in the past, they didn’t. For example on the matter of education, Cameron abandoned the traditional support for selective secondary education (grammar schools) and instead supported Labour’s policies to create a wide range of different types of secondary schools and colleges. The increasing similarities between political parties reduces the concept of public participation, therefore is reducing the enhancement of democracy. Referendums are an excellent way of reducing the barrier between the public and the government, and increasing the publics influence on government decisions and policy making. And although they are becoming increasingly used, they are not frequently held therefore this would further support the idea that political parties do not enhance democracy.