democracy Flashcards
1
Q
what is a limited government? (2)
A
- political system where government bodies are prohibited from certain activities
- concept of limited government grew popular in europe during the enlightenment, but can be dated back to the Magna Carta (1215)
2
Q
how does a limited government work? (1)
A
- government power is limited through constitutions and the creation of institutions
3
Q
what is an authoritarian government? (1)
A
- a political system where government bodies impose rules/laws without being prohibited
4
Q
how does an authoritarian government work? (2)
A
- small group of elites hold all the power
- government often does as it wishes and is associated with tyranny and oppression
5
Q
what are the three branches of the uk government? (3)
A
- executive
- legislative
- judiciary
6
Q
what does the executive branch of the government do? (2)
A
- responsible for the implementation and administration of laws
- this includes the PM and their cabinet in the uk
7
Q
what does the legislature branch of government do? (2)
A
- responsible for making and scrutinizing laws
- this is Parliament, consisting of HoC and HoL, in the uk
8
Q
what does the judiciary branch of government do? (2)
A
- responsible for interpreting and applying the law
- in the uk this includes the courts and supreme court
9
Q
describe a case study that shows the seperation of powers. (2)
A
- aug 2019 Boris Johnson as PM advised the queen to suspend parliament for 5 weeks from 9/9 to 14/10
- this was the critical period leading up to the brexit deadline of 31/10
10
Q
what are the 3 types of power as identified by Lukes (2011)? (3)
A
- power as decision making, affecting the power of public policy
- power as agenda-setting, influencing the issues and proposals that are discussed
- power as through control, the ability to shape popular beliefs, values, ideas
11
Q
what is hard power? and give examples. (7)
A
- absolute
- physical force
- miltary and economic force
- foreign policy
- direct action, short-term effect
- controlled by the state or other organisations
- ability to change the position of other people by force or coercion
12
Q
what is soft power? and examples. (7)
A
- relative
- attraction, influence
- culture
- country branding
- indirect action, long term effect
- used by non state actors, difficult to control
- ability to change the preferences of other people by attracting them
13
Q
hard power case study. (2)
A
- irans continued illicit nuclear activities means there’s been a number of economic sanctions against the country, especially from the USA
- iran was the most sanctioned country in the world until it was surpassed by Russia following its invasion of neighbouring ukraine in 2022
14
Q
what is authority? (1)
A
- the legal or formal right to give commands and make decisions
15
Q
what is authority? (1)
A
- the legal or formal right to give commands and make decisions
16
Q
is there an example of having power without authority? (2)
A
- nigel farage influenced the brexit campaign and the 2019 general election
- however, he stood for parliament 8 times from 1994 but was only elected for the first time in 2024
17
Q
define direct democracy (4)
A
- a democratic system in which the people directly make the decisions
- stems from one of the earliest conceptions of democract in ancient athens
- this form unlikely to work in large modern societies, people wouldnt have the time, motivation, or knowledge to vote on so many issues and potential laws
- referendums are a form of direct democracy still commonly used
18
Q
define representative democracy (4)
A
- people choose representatives (politicians) to make decisions on their behalf
- they’re chosen through regular, competitive, free, and fair elections
- they should be responsive to voters needs because, if they aren’t, they should be voted out in the next election
- this ensures peoples views are being represented accurately
19
Q
how does the uk political system work? (6)
A
- operates as a representative democracy
- professional politicians, who win elections, claim to represent the people
- they can be removed if they don’t serve the public
elections based on the following rules - free, fair, and regular elections
- universal sufferage
- party and candidate competition (voters have a choice)
20
Q
what was the NUWSS? (2)
A
- the national union of womens sufferage societies
- aimed to secure womens voting rights through peaceful and constitutional means, lobbying politicians, organising petitions, and advocating rationally for their rights, thus demonstrating their entitlement to the vote
21
Q
what was the WSPU? (4)
A
- the womens social and political union
- used militant tactics like protests, hunger strikes, and violent actions
- this was to force channge for suffragists, who were frustrated with their slow progress
- they emphasised ‘deeds not words’
22
Q
do prisoners have the right to vote? what are the arguments surrounding it? (4)
A
- no
- the ECHR deems the uk governments ban indiscriminate and disproportionate
- in 2017, a proposal was made to allow prisoners sentenced to less than a year and released on day release to return home to vote, causing significant conservative rebellion
- in 2019, scotland allowed prisoners serving 12 months or less to vote in local and devlolved elections
23
Q
what are some other barriers to voting? (7)
A
- ID needed (since 2023)
- access and mobility issues
- disengagement and apathy
- work and time constraints
- complexity of voting system (my voting doesn’t count)
- registration issues
- language and information barriers
