democracy and participation Flashcards
direct democracy
individuals express their opinions themsleves not through a elected representative
representative democracy
where an elected official represents people and makes decisions for them on their behalf
franchise
the ability to vote in public elections and referendums
what are lobbyists
people who are paid to try and influence govt to act in their interests
what is a democratic deficit
where decisions are made by those that lack legitimacy and have ben appointed without sufficient authority
participation crisis
a lack of political engagement. could be due to vote abstaining or lack of party membership
pluralist democracy
a government makes decisions as a result of living with various ideas from different social groups
strenghts of direct democracy
increased participation
legitimate decisions
educates people
weakness of direct democracy
MPs lose their influence and power
people may be uneducated and not well-informed enough to make good choices
threatens parliamentary sovereignty
advatnaged of representaive democracy
decisions made by people with good knowledge and expertise
people accept compromise
held accountable by support
avoids tyranny of the majority
What are the two main models of representative democracy
Delegate
Trustee
Forms of direct democracy in the uk
Referendums
History of democracy
Traceable back to 1215 magna Carta first limitations of power of monarch
Establishment of primacy of parliament over monarch in 1689 glorious revolution
Democracy in the uk political system
Elections- private, right, free, fair, variety of choice over seen by electoral commission
Parliament- govt formed by majority or by coalition of hung
Pressure groups- representing the minority
Forms of participation
Voting in referendums
Pressure group membership
Signing e petitions
what was the chartists
a working class movement which grew after the great reform act 1832 failure to extend the vote to universal suffrage
what did the chartists aim for
to gain political rights and influence for the working class mostly male universal suffrage
failures of the chartists
every time their demands were presented to parliament they were rejected and no demand became law
when did the chartists end
1958
who were the suffragettes
part of the votes for women campaign, they fough for the right for women to vote in the uk
failures of the suffragettes
some were imprisoned for their violent portests
successes of suffragettes
they won a partial victory by some groups of women gaining vote by representation of the people act 1928
who were the suffragists
`a group of women in 1866 who fought for equal political rights to men
failure of suffragists
JS Mill drafted an amendment to the Second Reform Bill but this was defeated by 196 votes to 73
