Political Participation
Ever since the Great Reform Act of 1832, the franchise in Britain has been extending. This is a great thing, as widespread political participation is vital for a healthy democracy. However, the reality is that certain groups of people participate more than others, meaning they weld a lot more influence over the government. This in turn calls into question the legitimacy of a government, and how representative it truly is of the public at large. Firstly, older people are more likely to vote than younger people are. This may be because young people feel there is nothing on offer for them, or perhaps because they lack faith in the political system. Whatever the reason, though, the result is that politicians of all persuasions tend to gear their programmes towards the elderly, with policies such as the ‘triple-lock’ and Winter Fuel Allowance. Meanwhile, young people are often ignored, as politicians feel their vote is not important enough to fight for. That said, there has bee...