DEMOCRACY AND PARTICIPATION

Question 1

DEFENITIONS

Answer 1

Democracy: Demos(of the people) kratia(power/rule)

Direct Democracy: the people take decisions themselves.

Representative Democracy: The people vote for representatives who take decisions on their behalf e.g. MPs

Democracy can be said to give governments legitimacy, providing them with a mandate or the authority to govern. It shows those with power have the consent of the people.

Pluralist Democracy: This is where power is spread out among many groups in society, not just held in the centre .The existence of political parties and pressure groups suggest a pluralist democracy.

Question 2

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF DEMOCRACY

Answer 2

Direct Democracy Advantages:
- Purest form of democracy
- The People genuinely make the n
decisions
- Encourages full participation
-Decisions have legitimacy/popular
consent

Direct Democracy Disadvantages:
- Tyranny of the majority
- Minority view underrepresented
- Lacks pluralism
- The majority view is not always wise,
moral or legal

Representative Democracy Advantages:
- Plurality democracy -a range of views
are represented
-People with time and/or expertise
make decisions
-Decision makers are accountable
- Citizens have a local representative
thorough whom they can raise
concerns or issues to.

Representative democracy Disadvantages:
- Elitism: a political class has the power
not the people
-Less participation-just periodic general
elections rather than decision making
- Less clear that individual decisions have legitimacy/ a mandate/popular consent.