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How Democratic Is the Uk?

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How democratic is the UK?

Democracy in the UK has been questioned as to its extent and to its quality.

There have been concerns over the electoral system. In particular the first- past-the-post system. On the one hand it is claimed to be a free and fair system which delivers strong government, but on the other hand it is criticised for not fairly translating votes into seats.

There have been concerns surrounding the effectiveness of Parliament a vital component of UK democracy. It has been alleged that it cannot fulfil its role, by acting as a sovereign body, for instance failing to hold the government to account. In addition the recent expenses/allowances scandal has damaged the creditably of the body. On the other hand the recent rise in voter turnout (up 5% in 2010 from 2005) and a cross party acknowledgement of the need to reform shows that the body is capable of meaningful change.

Democracy in the UK has been cited as open and free. Citizens can protest and show disapproval. For instance there is a strong pressure group presence to articulate democratic rights. However, the multiplicity of pressure groups can at time be seen to thwart the democratically elected government and as such a few pressure groups exert undue political influence.

It has been alleged that the changes to the political system since 1997 has made the country more democratic, changes such as devolution, referendums, the Human Rights Act and the Supreme Court. However despite these changes there are still undemocratic features, the House of Lords remains unelected and unaccountable, there is no codified constitution and no domestic Bill of Rights for UK

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