1.1a Direct Democracy Flashcards
Define Direct Democracy
Voters in direct democracies make their own political decisions and are directly involved in the process of political decision making.
Define Referendum
Citizens directly vote on issues and the government creates policy based on the response.
Two Examples of Referendums
The United Kingdom European Union referendum 2016:
33 million UK citizens voted on whether to remain a member of the EU or leave, 51.89% voted to leave.
The Alternative Vote Referendum 2011:
Over 19 million citizens voted against adopting the Alternative Vote system and chose to keep the current First Past the Post (FPTP) system 67.9% to 32.1%
Define Petition
UK Parliament has set up a platform for citizens to make and sign online petitions.
If a petition gains over 100,000 signatures then parliament may debate the topic.
But, a topic must be sponsored by the ‘Backbench Business Committee’ so it is not an entirely direct democracy.
Example of Online Petition
1.6 million people signed a petition to stop US President Donald Trump from making a State Visit to the UK.
MPs then debated Trump’s visit to Parliament and changed it from a ‘state visit’ to a ‘working visit’ in 2018.
Define Rallies and Protests
Groups of people concerned about the government or political actions may gather to demonstrate their support or disapproval.
But, governments don’t have to respond to protests.
Examples of Protests
In 2017 thousands of citizens gathered to protest in London against the government’s economic and political decisions. People disapproved of austerity measures.
In 2010 thousands of students marched in London to protest tuition fee rises.
Advantages of Direct Democracy
In representative democracies, some constituencies are larger than others. In direct democracies, each vote counts the same amount towards important decisions
People are more likely to engage in the political process if they believe their opinion will make a difference.
Direct democracy ensures that the will of the people is clear. So, the government will have a clear directive to act.
Disadvantages of Direct Democracy:
The electorate can be influenced, particularly by influential political figures, campaigns or the media.
A system of direct democracy is too time-consuming, expensive, and may not be practical to make frequent decisions.
Voters may be less knowledgeable and less able to make an informed decision than a representative politician.
