Democracy and Participation

Question 1

11 Pressure Group methods

Answer 1

1. Lobbying (as an insider)
2. Research and publish reports
3. Give evidence at hearings
4. Organise publicity campaigns
5. Organise public demonstrations
6. Publicity stunts
7. Civil disobedience
8. Strike
9. Celebrity spokesperson
10. Bring cases to court
11. Digital campaigns

Question 2

Insider pressure groups

Answer 2

Rely on contacts with the government

Question 3

Outsider pressure groups

Answer 3

Are not consulted by the government

Question 4

Cause groups

Answer 4

Focused on achieving a goal or drawing attention to an issue or group of related issues

Question 5

Sectional group

Answer 5

Seek to promote the interests of an occupation or another group in society

Question 6

Social movement

Answer 6

A long-term campaign for the improvement of some area in society

Question 7

Direct Democracy

Answer 7

Individuals express opinion themselves.
- Advantages: Equal weight to all votes, encourages participation and develops sense of community, removes need for trusted representatives as citizens take responsibility
- Disadvantages: Impratical on large scale, viewpoint of minority ignored, people open to manipulation

Question 8

Representative Democracy

Answer 8

People elect representatives who take decisions on their behalf
Advantages: pratical on large scale, brings choice to people with varied politicians, reduces chance of minority being overidden, politicians better informed and can be held to account
Disadvantages: not all votes have same weight due to constitency sizes, voter fatigue (parties + pressure groups ran by elites), minorities underrepresented

Question 9

Pluralistic democracy

Answer 9

Government makes decisions as a result of the interplay of various ideas and contrasting arguments from competing group organisations

Question 10

Advantages of British system of democracy

Answer 10

Devolved governments
Independent Judicary
Free media
Free and fair elections
Wide range of political parties

Question 11

Disadvantages of British system of democracy

Answer 11

Under representation of minority viewpoint
Lack of protection for citizens rights
House of Lords lacks democratic legitimacy (92 hereditary peers after 1997)
Medai controlled by wealth

Question 12

Average voter turnout between 1945-97

Answer 12

76%

Question 13

2001 and 2019 voter turnout

Answer 13

58% and 69%

Question 14

What dropped from 400,000 in 90s to 150,000 nowadays?

Answer 14

Conservative membership

Question 15

Labour membership increase

Answer 15

190,000 to 550,000 in 2016 (£3 membership offer)

Question 16

SNP membership increase

Answer 16

25,000 in 2013 to 120,000 in 2016

Question 17

How many people were party members in 1983 compared to now?

Answer 17

3.8% in 1983 to 1.6% now

Question 18

Apathy

Answer 18

People not interest in traditional politics

Question 19

Hapathy

Answer 19

People happy with current political state i.e. 2005-2010

Question 20

Social media as a form of participation

Answer 20

e-Petitions: 2007 1.8m signed e-petition against road charges

Question 21

What is needed for pressure groups to become successful?

Answer 21

Public/celeb endorsement (Snowdrop campaign brough Firearms Act of 1997 due to public outcry after Dunblane massacre)
Money to buy resources
Status
Effective methods
Lots of people (RSPCA employs 1600 staff)

Question 22

What makes pressure groups unsuccessful?

Answer 22

Lack of members and finance
Hostile public opinion
Lack of experts/leaders
The government

Question 23

What did 1998 Human Rights Act bring?

Answer 23

Fair trial
Freedom of speech
Freedom of conscience (belief and religion)
Vote, to stand for election and join a party/group
Belong to assoication/trade union
Freedom of movement

Question 24

What did Equality Act of 2010 do?

Answer 24

Brought together acts like:

Equal pay 1970
Sex discrimination 1975
Race relations 1976