Democracy and Participation

Question 1

Direct Democracy

Answer 1

Democracy in a literal sense, whereby the people DIRECTLY make decisions e.g. Used in Ancient Athens where all people would vote upon a decision.

Question 2

Representative Democracy?

Answer 2

People choose representatives to make decisions on their behalf - these being politicians. These representatives are chosen through free and fair elections.

Question 3

Franchise

Answer 3

People who can vote in elections

Question 4

Ways in which the Franchise in the UK has been widened over time:

Answer 4

• 1832 Great Reform Act
• Representation of the People Acts: 1867, 1918, 1928, 1969

Question 5

1832 Great Reform Act

Answer 5

• Adressed the issue of ‘rotten boroughs’ (ones with very few voters)
• Created 67 new constituencies
• Gave vote to householders who paid a yearly rental of £10 a year

Question 6

1867 Representation of the People Act

Answer 6

Gave the vote to the working class for the first time as a result of the Chartist campaign

Question 7

1918 Representation of the People Act:

Answer 7

• Vote granted to women over 30 who met the property qualification
• Vote granted to all males over 21
• Came as a result of Suffragette pressure, and the success of working men during the war

Question 8

1928 Representation of the People Act:

Answer 8

• Equal franchise act
• Granted equal voting rights to men and women
• Both men and women over the age of 21 had the right to vote

Question 9

1969 Representation of the People Act:

Answer 9

Extended the Franchise to men and women over the age of 18

Question 10

Partisan dealignment

Answer 10

Process by which voters become less partisan in terms of support for a particular party.

Question 11

Features of Democracy in the UK?

Answer 11

• Elections : Free and fair elections, conducted via secret ballot, with everyone over the age of 18 (not in prison) being able to vote in them
• Parliament: Government is formed from the party with the majority vote to the HOC.
• Pressure Groups: Supplement formal structures of UK democracy.

Question 12

Arguments that Democracy in Britain could be improved?

Answer 12

• The UK could hold more referendums on key issues, would improve democracy as would encourage more political interest/ participation.
• Encourage more public participation in focus groups or online petitions.
• The voting age could be reduced to 16
• Increase encouragement of e-participation e.g. e-petitions, online voting etc.

Question 13

Arguments that there is a participation crisis in the UK?

Answer 13

• Declining turnout rates in elections and increasing levels of voter apathy e.g. 2001 General Election had only a 59% turnout.
• Membership of political parties has declined significantly in recent decades
• Negative public perception of politicians due to factors such as the media leads to voter disillusionment
• FPTP produces “safe seats” and so many do not bother to try and contest these

Question 14

Arguments there isn’t a participation crisis in the UK?

Answer 14

• People are involving themselves in politics in new ways e.g. petitions, debating on social media, joining pressure groups, taking part in marches etc.
• Large turnouts in Scottish (85%) and EU referendums (72%) are indicative that people have not stopped participating