Chapter 1 Democracy and Participation

Question 1

1.1 What is Direct Democracy

Answer 1

A form of democracy that is based on the direct, immediate and continuous participation of citizens in the tasks of government

Question 2

What are the Advantages of Direct Democracy

Answer 2

Gives equal weight to all votes, unlike a
representative system where the varying sizes of constituencies mean that votes do not all have equal value

Encourages popular participation in politics
by expecting people to take their duties as
citizens seriously

Removes the need for trusted representatives, as people can take responsibility for their own decisions

Develops a sense of community and encourages genuine debate.

Question 3

What are the Disadvantages of Direct Democracy

Answer 3

Impractical in a large, heavily populated modern state where decision-making is complicated

Many people will not want to, or feel qualified to, take part in decision-making, so political activists decide what happens

Open to manipulation by the cleverest and
most articulate speakers, who will persuade people to support their viewpoint

Will of the majority is not mediated by parliamentary institutions, so minority viewpoints are disregarded

Question 4

What is Representative Democracy

Answer 4

A limited and indirect form of democracy.
It operates through the ability of representatives to speak for, or act on behalf of, the people.

Question 5

What are the Advantages of Representative Democracy

Answer 5

The only practical system in a large modern state, where issues are complex and often need rapid response (for example, the deployment of troops)

Politicians form parties, bringing coherence and giving people a real choice of representation

Pressure groups form to represent different interests, promoting debate and encouraging pluralist Democracy

Reduces chances of minority rights being overridden by ‘tyranny of the majority’.

Elections allow people to hold representatives to account

Politicians are (in theory) better informed than the average citizen about the many issues on which they must take a view

Question 6

What are the Disadvantages of Representative democracy

Answer 6

May lead to reduced participation as people
choose to hand responsibility to politicians.

Parties and pressure groups are often run by elites pursuing their own agendas, not truly representing the people

Minorities may still find themselves under- represented as politicians are more likely to follow the views of the majority to secure election

Politicians are skillful in avoiding accountability, especially as general elections are usually 5 years
apart in the UK.

Politicians may be corrupt and incompetent, so may betray election promises or put loyalty to their party before responsibility to the electorate.

Question 7

Genuine Democracy D vs R

Answer 7

+D Direct democracy is pure as it always ensures that people only have to obey laws that they make themselves
-R Representative democracy always means that there is a gulf between government and the people, leading to voter apathy
e.g ‘audit of political engagement 16: The 2019 report said 47% felt they had no influence at all over decision making

Question 8

Personal Development D vs R

Answer 8

+D Direct democracy creates better informed and more knowledgeable citizens through directly participating in politics
-R Representative democracy causes people to switch off from politics due to voting taking place so infrequently
e.g 30% said they never discussed politics with others

Question 9

Legitimate Government D vs R

Answer 9

+D Direct democracy ensures that rule is legitimate in the sense that people are more likely to accept decisions that they have made themselves
-R Representative democracy in the UK is leading to a crisis where there is low voter turnout and disengagement

Question 10

(FOR) Is direct democracy superior to representative democracy?

Answer 10

+ Direct democracy is genuine democracy with direct. immediate and continuous participation.
+The continuous participation of direct democracy allows for the personal development of citizens.
+ Direct democracy ends the reliance on a political class by returning power to the people to ensure decisions are in the public interest not the interest of the political class.
+ Legitimacy and political stability both
created by the direct involvement of citizens in decision making

Question 11

(AGAINST) Is direct democracy superior to representative democracy?

Answer 11

• representative democracy is the only practicable form of democracy in modern societies
• representative democracy allows for healthy apathy which helps maintain political stability
• representative democracy allows for government by experts
• representative democracy is built on compromise

Question 12

What is a participation crisis?

Answer 12

It is the idea that there is a crisis in citizen involvement in the process aimed at influencing government and shaping politics, due to the lack of interest from the citizens

Question 13

Falling Voter Turnout?

Answer 13

• falling turnout is important because it means that governments are elected on a reduced share of the popular vote
• the strength of their mandate is questioned
• the percentage for 2001 was the lowest since the end of WW1 in 1918
• average turnout in May 2016 local elections in England was 33.8%

Question 14

Party Membership?

Answer 14

• Only 1.6 percent of the electorate now belongs to one of the three main UK-wide political parties
• 1983 the figure was 3.8 percent
• Conservative Party had just under 150,000 members by 2016 (estimated it dropped from 400,000)
  -Election of Jeremy Corbyn as leader has been associated with a remarkable increase in membership, with a total of 515,000 by July 2016

Question 15

1.3 What are Pressure groups

Answer 15

pressure groups seek to influence the government (or another authority) to adopt their ideas, or not to pursue a policy of which they disapprove

Question 16

What are sectional groups (or interest groups)?
Give an example?

Answer 16

• seek to promote the interests of an occupation or another group in society
• e.g trade unions represent their members in negotiations with employers over wages and working conditions

Question 17

What are cause groups/promotional groups?
Give an example?

Answer 17

• focused on achieving a particular goal or bringing light to a particular issue
• greenpeace promotes awareness of environmental concerns and tries to influence the government to adopt ‘green’ causes

Question 18

What are social movements?

Answer 18

• are usually politically radical and seek to achieve a single objective

Question 19

What are insider groups?

Answer 19

• tend to have objectives that are relatively in line with the views of the government

Question 20

What are outside groups?
Give an example?

Answer 20

• Outsider groups are not consulted by the government
• Their objectives may be so far outside the political mainstream
• this causes government to not enter dialogue with them
  e.g animal rights protestors who try to intimidate animal testing laboratories into ceasing their work

Question 21

What methods do Insider groups use?

Answer 21

• Insider groups tend to negotiate quietly behind the scenes, using their private contacts
• E.g Organisations such as the National Farmers Union are able to offer the government the benefit of their specialised knowledge
• In return they gain influence over policy
• Insider groups may also lobby MPs, briefing them on issues of concern or giving evidence to committees

Question 22

What methods do Outsider groups use?

Answer 22

• Typically resort to less discrete methods to draw attention to their concerns
• Lacking contacts within government, they may try to exercise influence through email campaigns and petitions, or staging demonstrations and publicity stunts
• E.g BLM UK obstructed flights at london city airport in september 2016

Question 23

Resources + & -

Answer 23

+ A large membership who pay subscriptions means that a group is likely to have the financial resources to run offices
Pay for staff and organise publicity
E.g RSPCA employs about 1600 people supported by thousands of volunteers and has good media coverage

• size of a group is not always effective
• e.g the campaign for Nuclear Disarmament had an estimated 110,000 members in the mid-1980s, but Thatcher government could afford to ignore its large and well-orchestrated demonstrations

Question 24

Effectiveness of Tactics and Leadership

Answer 24

• Experienced and capable leadership is vital for success
• E.g RSPCA collaborated with the ‘League against cruel sports’ and ‘International fund for Animal welfare’ in securing the ban on hunting with dogs in 2004
• Knowing which ‘access points’ in the Uk political system to target can lead to success

Question 25

Effectiveness of Public Support

Answer 25

• Pressure groups whose agenda is in step with public opinion are usually more successful than those whose objectives fail to engage it
• E.g Snowdrop campaign to ban the use of handguns was successful largely because of public reaction to the 1996 Dunblane Primary School shooting killing 16 children and a teacher

Question 26

Effectiveness of Government

Answer 26

• Insider contacts with government ministers and civil servants are often key to success
• Governments will usually listen to the groups on which it relies for specialist knowledge of a policy area

Question 27

What are Think Tanks?
Give an Example?

Answer 27

• A group of experts, from different backgrounds, brought together to investigate particular topics
• They can also offer solutions to complicated economic, social or political issues
• e.g Thatcher’s patronage of right-wing think tanks, such as the Adam Smith Institute, led to the shift of the Con party thinking towards a more free-market approach in the 1970s

Question 28

What are Lobbyists?
Give an example?

Answer 28

• Members of professional organisations who are paid by clients seeking access to government, or to MPs and members of the HOL
• Their purpose is to gain influence on behalf of their clients
• This is particularly when legislation that affects their clients’ interest is under
  consideration
• e.g 2014, the government made it a legal requirement for anyone lobbying on behalf of a third party to registe

Question 29

What are corporations?
Give an Example?

Answer 29

• large business organisations
• Powerful corporations may lobby the government in an attempt to refine or modify policies, that affect their business interest
• British Soft Drinks Association had expressed its opposition to a planned tax on sugary drinks in Oct 2016 at a conservative party conference

Question 30

1.4 What are Rights?

Answer 30

Rights are legally protected freedoms

Question 31

What is the Magna Charter?

Answer 31

• A document drawn up in 1215
• Usually regarded as the oldest statement of rights in the UK
• Original purpose was to limit royal power
• Many of its clauses are outdated
• This excerpt is seen as the foundation of the rights of the citizen

Question 32

What is the European Convention on Human Rights?

Answer 32

• drawn up in 1950
• similar to the United Nations Declaration of Rights
• ECtHR set up in Strasbourg to hear cases where people felt that their rights had been violated in their own countries

Question 33

What is the Human Rights Act 1998

Answer 33

• Passed by the new Labour government
• It incorporated the Convention into UK law
• Came into effect from 2000s
• These rights included
  > right to life
  > right to a fair trial
  > rights to privacy and family life