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Disillusioned citizens opt out of the political process. They stop voting. They spurn major parties. Why not when they're indifferent to public needs.
From official data and public surveys, DA concluded that Britain's constitutional arrangements are "increasingly unstable." Changes like devolution caused it.
Public faith in democratic institutions are decaying. A widening gap in participation rates among different socioeconomic classes exists. Corporate power is "unprecedented."
It threatens the fabric of British society. It "undermine(s) some of the most basic principles of democratic decision-making."
At issue is whether UK democracy is, in fact, viable. Is it fact or fiction? According to lead report author Stuart Wilks-Hegg:
"The reality is that representative democracy, at the core, has to be about people voting, has to be about people engaging in political parties, has to be about people having contact with elected representatives, and having faith and trust in elected representatives, as well as those representatives demonstrating they can exercise political power effectively and make decisions that tend to be approved of."
"All of that is pretty catastrophically in decline. How low would turnout have to be before we question whether it's really representative democracy at all?"
"Over time, disengagement skews the political process yet further towards those who are already more advantaged by virtue of their wealth, education or professional connections."
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