FYI - AN UPDATE TO THIS EPISODE IS AVAILABLE - CHECK OUT EPISODE 127. The late, great Neill McNaughton defined a democratic deficit as “features of the political system which do not conform to, or fall short of, the normal criteria for a true democracy.” It is therefore important to understand what the features or criteria for democracy ought to be and to judge the UK political system against them. Is there enough pluralism? Are elections free and fair? Are several forms of democracy present, including direct, liberal and representative, and do they complement each other? Do people participate in politics and accept that the government has legitimacy? Nick argues that if we judge the UK by posing these sorts of questions, then it is fair to argue that it is indeed suffering from a democratic deficit, made even more so by the collision between direct and representative democracy in the EU referendum, which has laid bare all the faults of the UK political system.Enjoy the podcast, then why not subscribe to PLUS PLUS PLUS!? For just £1.99 per month, you will receive TWO additional episodes per month that will automatically appear in your podcast feed as soon as they become available. You'll also get access to the full back catalogue of A Level Politics Show podcasts. Furthermore, you can cancel anytime - no obligations and no hidden costs. Just lots of learning. Just click⁠⁠ here⁠⁠ to get started. If you like reading as well as listening, then you can also try my revision book, which can be purchased from ⁠⁠here⁠⁠.  Oh, and don't forget to leave a nice review wherever you listen to your podcasts, so that more people can find out about us. Thanks for your support.