2) Democracy and Participation

Question 1

3 key features of Direct Democracy

Answer 1

It is direct, unmediated and continuous

Question 2

What is the direct feature of DD?

Answer 2

The people themselves make the decisions they do not choose people to rule on their behalf

Question 3

What does unmediated mean?

Answer 3

The people are the government, there is no mediating body

Question 4

What does continuous mean?

Answer 4

People engage in politics on a regular and ongoing basis- all decisions are made by the people

Question 5

How do people acquire power in a representative democracy?

Answer 5

Through a competitive struggle for the people’s vote

Question 6

What do those who win elections do?

Answer 6

Represent the people

Question 7

What is the basic condition for representative democracy?

Answer 7

The existence of democratic elections

Question 8

What ensures a democratic election?

Answer 8

Free, fair and regular elections, universal suffrage and party and candidate competition

Question 9

What is universal suffrage?

Answer 9

Everybody can vote

Question 10

What are the three key features of representative democracy?

Answer 10

Limited, indirect and mediated

Question 11

What does limited mean?

Answer 11

Elections are infrequent and brief, people only vote once every few years

Question 12

What does indirect mean?

Answer 12

The public themselves do not rule, they elect someone to rule on their behalf

Question 13

The meaning of mediated?

Answer 13

The people are linked to government through representative institutions, there is a middle man

Question 14

What percentage of the population of the UK say they engage in protests?

Answer 14

4%

Question 15

According to a survey in 2012, how many people were going to vote in the following election?

Answer 15

Less than half

Question 16

How many people out of 10 believe that Parliament encourages public involvement

Answer 16

3

Question 17

Strengths of representative democracy

Answer 17

Places power in the hands of the public, only form of democracy that can work in a modern society, government by experts, relieves burden of decisions from citizens, maintains political stability by allowing a distance between people and politics

Question 18

Weaknesses of Representative democracy

Answer 18

Creates a gap between government and the people, places too much faith in politicians, act of voting seen as a ritual, representatives unaccountable and government too tied to political parties

Question 19

Strengths of Direct democracy

Answer 19

It is the only pure form of democracy as people only obey the laws they made themselves, creates better informed and knowledgeable citizens and reduces or removes public dependence on politicians

Question 20

Weaknesses of direct democracy

Answer 20

Only achievable in small countries, politics becomes a second job for all citizens- restricting them, it would take too long to gather everyone together and a mass audience is easily swayed by passionate speeches , even if they distort the issues