current systems of representation Flashcards
what is the definition of democracy?
‘rule by the people’ those who are affected by the decisions, make the decisions.
what are the basic principles of democracy?
right to a fair and free vote, all votes carry equal weight, majority rule.
what is direct democracy?
people directly make the decisions.
what is one of the earliest examples of direct democracy?
ancient athens. citizens were entitled to vote on every matter which affected them during mass meetings (however women and slaves were not allowed citizenship)
what are the advantages of direct democracy?
‘real democracy’- the people choose the laws they want therefore decisions arguably have more legitimacy
educational benefits- if people are voting on issues that affect them directly then they may choose to do more research on the matter, motivating them to become more politically aware.
politicians who are motivated by self interest will have less influence.
what are the disadvantages of direct democracy?
practically unachievable in a large modern society.
no guarantee that people would vote in large numbers
arguable that the general public is not well informed enough to make these decisions.
what is representative democracy?
indirect democracy. representatives are elected through regular, competitive, free and fair elections to make decisions on the behalf of the people.
what should representatives be?
responsive to the voter’s needs otherwise they can be voted out at the next election.
what are the advantages of representative democracy?
decisions are in the hands of (arguably) more educated people and therefore will be made better.
reduces chance of majority rights being overriden by the tyranny of the majority
politicians form parties which arguably give the public a better choice.
what are the disadvantages of representative democracy?
may lead to a decrease in participation as people choose to hand over power to politicians
minorities still under represented as politicians choose to follow the view of the majority.
politicians may be corrupt and and incompetent, betraying election promises or putting loyalty to the party first.
