Democracy

Question 1

What kind of democracy is the UK?

Answer 1

Representative democracy

Question 2

What is representative democracy?

Answer 2

Voters elect politicians to make decisions on their behalf.

Question 3

What principle is representative democracy based on?

Answer 3

Representation. Elected politicians should represent the interests of all constituents.

Question 4

What is the main advantage of representative democracy?

Answer 4

Government is carried out by professional politicians whoa re well informed about political issues. THey are more likely to make educated decisions than a public who may not have the time to fully understand the issue.

Question 5

What do politicians consider when making a decision?

Answer 5

All conflicting interests of their constituents. This protects the rights of all citizens, especially minorities, ensuring that implications for all community members are examined.

Question 6

What other principle is enshrined in representative democracy?

Answer 6

Accountability
Elections allow voters to decide whether to renew their representatives mandate.

Question 7

Who else can have influence over MPs?

Answer 7

Pressure groups, lobbyists and the london-based media. This separates MPs from their constituents.

Question 8

What can contribute to an MP having a compromise of representation?

Answer 8

MPs can have second jobs.

Question 9

What is an example of an MP having a second job?

Answer 9

2021
Owen Paterson resigns as MP after being criticised by Commissioner for Parliamentary Standards
He was lobbying on behalf of companies that employed him.

Question 10

How do electoral systems weaken representative democracy?

Answer 10

FPTP is highly unproprtional.

Question 11

How does the bicameral legislature weaken the representativeness of MPs?

Answer 11

House of Lords is unelected.

Question 12

What % of the UK is privately educated?

Answer 12

7%

Question 13

What % of the 2019 parliament is privately educated?

Answer 13

29%

Question 14

What % of the nation is female?

Answer 14

51%

Question 15

What % of the 2019 parliament is female?

Answer 15

34%

Question 16

What is a counter argument to a representative parliament?

Answer 16

Legislation advancing rights has been passed by people not of those identities, eg: 2010 equality act.

Question 17

What is direct democracy?

Answer 17

A form of democracy where decisions are made directly by the public without being channeled through representatives.

Question 18

What are the 3 elements of direct democracy in the UK?

Answer 18

Referendums
Electronic petitions
Open Primaries

Question 19

How are electronic petitions used?

Answer 19

If a petition on a government website gets 100,000 signatures it will be considered for debate in government.

Question 20

What is a positive example for electronic petitions?

Answer 20

2020
Marcus Rashford’s petition for free school meals gained over 1 million signatures
Persuaded government to commit to free school meals for children during school holidays.

Question 21

How are E-Petitions weakened?

Answer 21

They can raise fake expectations and consume parliamentary time.

Question 22

What is a negative example of electronic petitions?

Answer 22

A petition to revoke Tony Blair’s knighthood gained more than 1 million signatures but could not be judged on as the monarch bestows knighthoods.

Question 23

What are open primaries?

Answer 23

The public directly decide who candidates should be in constituencies.

Question 24

What are open primaries?

Answer 24

The public directly decide who candidates should be in constituencies.

Question 25

What is an example of open primaries?

Answer 25

IN 2015 13 conservative candidates were selected in this way.

Question 26

What do supporters of direct democracy argue?

Answer 26

It engages the public and makes politicians more responsive to what people really think.

Question 27

What is a benefit of direct democracy for the MPs?

Answer 27

Representatives are kept better informed of developing attitudes through referendums and other things.

Question 28

What do critics of direct democracy argue?

Answer 28

Includes all things against referendums It can lead to MPs not representing their own wishes

Question 29

What do critics of direct democracy argue?

Answer 29

Includes all things against referendums It can lead to MPs not representing their own wishes

Question 30

What is an example of direct democracy creating a weakened representative democracy?

Answer 30

Theresa May was pro-remain but had to lead a leave campaign.

Question 31

When was the Great Reform Act?

Answer 31

1832

Question 32

Who passed the Great Reform Act?

Answer 32

Lord Grey

Question 33

What did the Great Reform Act do?

Answer 33

Allowed one in five male adults to vote Eliminated rotten boroughs such as Old Sarum

Question 34

What is a rotten borough?

Answer 34

A constituency with almost no voters that still elected MPs.

Question 35

When was the Second Reform Act?

Answer 35

1867

Question 36

What was the second Reform Act 1867?

Answer 36

Allowed many working class men in cities to vote and doubled the size of the electorate

Question 37

Who passed the second reform act 1867?

Answer 37

Benjamin Disraeli

Question 38

When was the Third Reform Act?

Answer 38

1884

Question 39

What was in the Third Reform act?

Answer 39

All working men who met a property qualification could now vote. A total of 40% of adult men were still excluded.

Question 40

When were the representation of the people acts?

Answer 40

1918, 1928 and 1969

Question 41

What was the first representation of the people act?

Answer 41

All men over 21 could vote Women over 30 who met property qualifications could vote

Question 42

What was the second representation of the people act?

Answer 42

All men and women over 21 could vote

Question 43

What was the third representation of the people act?

Answer 43

voting age was lowered to 18