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Politics > Democracy and participation > Flashcards

Democracy and participation Flashcards

1
Q

What are the two main democratic systems?

A
  1. Direct Democracy
  2. Representitive Democracy
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2
Q

What is direct democracy?

A

Individuals participate directly making decisions at public meetings

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3
Q

What is representitive democracy?

A

Citizens elect representitives to make decisions on their behalf

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4
Q

Which democratic system is best suted for large populations?

A

Representitive democracy

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5
Q

Which democratic system has citizens making collective decisons in large meetings?

A

Direct democracy

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6
Q

In which democratic system do citizens elect representives to make decisions on their behalf?

A

Representitive democracy

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7
Q

In representitive democracy are representitves delegates or trustees?

A

Trustees

Make decisons based on own judgement on behalf of citizens

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8
Q

Name an example of direct democracy

A

Referendum

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9
Q

Give an example of a representive democracy

A

UK - MP’s sit in parliament representing their constituents

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10
Q

Which democratic system includes more safeguards for minorities?

Direct/Representitive

A

Representitive democracy

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11
Q

Name an advantage of direct democracy

A
  1. Equal weight for all votes
  2. Encorages participation
  3. Sense of community
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12
Q

Name a disadvantage of direct democracy

A
  1. Impractical in large populations
  2. People do not want to/do not feel qualified taking part
  3. Minority viewpoints likely to be ignored
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13
Q

Name an advantage of representitive democracy

A
  1. Parites formed- make choice easier
  2. Reduces ‘Tyrrany of the Majority’
  3. Representives held accountable in elections
  4. Politicians experts- more informed than average citizen
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14
Q

What is the ‘Tyrrany of the Majority’?

A

When the majority opinion leads to minority needs being disregarded

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15
Q

Name some disadvantages of representitve democracy

A
  1. Can cause reduced participation
  2. Often run by elites
  3. Politicians avoid accounability
  4. Representives may be corrupt/incompetent
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16
Q

What is a pluralist democracy?

A

Decisions made as a result of contributions from multipule parties/pressure groups

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17
Q

Give examples of Direct Democracy being used in the UK

(There are 2)

A
  1. Referendums
  2. 2015 Recall of MP’s act
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18
Q

What is the 2015 Recall of MP’s Act?

A

Allows a petition to be triggered if an MP suspended for over 21 days. If 10% of constitiuents sign- byelection triggred

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19
Q

Define Legitimacy

A

Legal right to exercise power

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20
Q

Define democratic deficit

A

Percieved deficciency in a democratic bodies accountability/ policy making

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21
Q

Where do modern goverments get their legitimacy from?

A

Citizens

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22
Q

Which electoral system is used to elect Parliament in the UK?

A

First past the post

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23
Q

Is the House of Commons elected?

A

Yes

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24
Q

Is the House of Lords elected?

A

No

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25
Q

When was the Human Rights Act passed?

A

1998

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26
Q

Which act incorporates the European Convention on Human Rights into UK law?

A

1988 Human Rights Act

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27
Q

What did the 1988 Human Rights Act do?

A

Incorporate the European Convention on Human Rights into UK law

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28
Q

Name 2 newspapers controlled by Rupert Murdoch?

A
  1. The Times
  2. The Sun
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29
Q

Is the UK considered to be suffering a participation crisis?

A

Yes

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30
Q

Define a participation crisis

A

Political engagement from the population low

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31
Q

Low political engagement in a population

Which key term best matches this definition

A

Participation crisis

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32
Q

What was the average turnout at General Elections between 1945-1997?

A

76%

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33
Q

Which years general election had the lowest turnout since WW1?

A

2001

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34
Q

Is turnout usually higher in General elections or second order elections?

A

General elections

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35
Q

Give some examples of ‘second order’ elections

A
  1. Devolved assembley’s
  2. Local council elections
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36
Q

What was the average turnout in the May 2016 Local Elections for England?

A

33.8%

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37
Q

Why is turnout in by-elections usually lower?

A

People are not choosing a govenment, only their MP

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38
Q

What was the turnout in the Feburary 2017 Stoke on Trent by election?

A

38.2%

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39
Q

What was the voter turnout of the 2012 Police and Crime Comissioner elections?

A

15%

Thus the lowest in any UK competition

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40
Q

Why was the Turnout so low for the 2012 Police and crime comissioner elections?

A
  • People did not understand the purpouse of PCC’s
  • People had no disire to vote for PCC’s
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41
Q

How much of the 2022 electorate is a member of a political party?

A

1.5%

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42
Q

How much of the 1983 electorte was a member of a political party?

A

3.8%

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43
Q

How many members did the Conservative party have in 2016?

A

150,000

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44
Q

How many members did the Consevative party have in the mid 1990’s?

A

400,000

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45
Q

How many members did the Labour party have while last in Government?

Blair/Brown

A

190,000

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46
Q

How many members did Labour have in 2016?

A

515,000

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47
Q

Which Leader lead to a rise in Labour party membership?

A

Jeremy Corbyn

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48
Q

Has the Conservative party membership risen or fallen in the past 50 years?

A

Fallen

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49
Q

How many members did the Liberal democrats have in the early 2000’s?

A

70,000

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50
Q

How many members did the Liberal Democrats have during the 2010-15 Coalition?

A

49,000

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51
Q

How many members did the Liberal Democrats have in 2017?

A

82,000

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52
Q

What happend to the Liberal Democrat membership during coalition?

A

Fell

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53
Q

Has the Liberal Democrat membership recovered since the 2017 election?

A

Yes

2017- 82,000

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54
Q

Has the membership of smaller parties increased or decreased recently?

A

Increased

SNP-25,000(2013)- 120,000(2016)

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55
Q

How much of the Vote in the 2017 General Election when to smaller parties?

(parties other than Conservatives, Lib dems, and Labour)

A

24.8%

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56
Q

Can you become a member of a pressure group?

A

Yes

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57
Q

How has social media impacted democracy?

A
  • People able to exchange political views
  • Online Campaigns on issues
  • Election campaigns utilise social media
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58
Q

What is an example of e-democracy in the UK?

A

E-petition

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59
Q

What is political apathy?

A

Lack of awareness/interest in political events/issues

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60
Q

What is a lack of political awareness known as?

A

Political apathy

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61
Q

What was the turnout for the Scottish Independence referendum in 2014?

A

84.6%

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62
Q

What was the turnout for the 2016 EU referendum?

A

72.2%

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63
Q

Sum up the 2009 expenses scandal

A

Abuse of parliamenty expenses system- lead to 5 MP’s and 2 lords sentenced to prision terms

64
Q

What year was the parliamenary expenses scandal?

65
Q

Which newspaper uncovered the Parlamentry expenses scandal?

A

Daily Telegraph

66
Q

Give some proposals for increasing voter turnout?

A
  1. Move election days to a weekend
  2. Dropping need to go to specific poliing station
  3. Allowing elections to take place over multipule days
  4. Wider use of electronic/postal voting

0= none 1=1 2=2 ect

67
Q

In which election were all postal votes trialed in four regions?

A

2004 European parliament election

68
Q

What is the usual concern with postal voting?

A

Increased risk of voter fraud

69
Q

What are the main risk’s of electronic voting?

A
  1. Risk of cyberattack
  2. Possibility of impersonation
71
Q

Are any groups disenfranchised by a move to postal voting? Who?

A

Yes, Older/poorer voters who may lack access or knowlage of computers

72
Q

In which election was the voter age reduced to 16?

A

2014 Scottish Independence Referendum

73
Q

In which countries is voting compulsory?

A

Belgium and Australia

74
Q

Give some arguments for voting to be made compulsory

A
  1. Social duty
  2. Make parliament more representitive
  3. Politicans would have to make more inclusive policies
75
Q

Give some arguments as to why voting should not be made compulsory

A
  1. Undemocratic to force people
  2. Would not stop politicans ignoring minorities
  3. Does not adress issues as to why people do not vote
76
Q

What is franchise?

A

The right to vote in elections

77
Q

What is sufferage?

A

The right to vote in elections

78
Q

What is the voter age in the UK?

79
Q

True or false: Prisoners can vote in UK elections

A

False- Prisioners cannot vote in UK elections

80
Q

What did the Great Reform Act of 1832 do?

A
  1. Abolish rotten boroughs
  2. Extended franchise
81
Q

How big was the electorate in the early 19th Century?

A

400,000 men

82
Q

What size was the electorate after the Great Reform Act of 1832?

83
Q

In which year was the right to vote treated a citizens right?

84
Q

Which year were Women over 30 and all men over 21 franchised?

85
Q

In which year were all men and women over 21 given the right to vote?

86
Q

In which year was the voting age reduced to 18?

87
Q

In which year was the National Union of Womens Sufferage societies created?

88
Q

Who was the first leader of the National Union of womens sufferage?

A

Millicent Fawcett

89
Q

Describe a typical ‘suffragist’ under Fawcett’s leadership

A
  • Middle class
  • Believed in non violent methords
90
Q

Which organisation, founded by Pankhurst, was behind the ‘Suffragetts’?

A

Womens social and political union

91
Q

When was the Womens social and policial union founded?

92
Q

Who founded the Womens social and political union?

A

Emmeline/Christabel Pankhurst

93
Q

Give an example of an action taken by the suffragetts

A

Davinson throwing herself under a horse at Epsom Derby

94
Q

Which event caused the Suffragetts to suspend campaigning?

A

Outbreak of WW1

(1914)

95
Q

Which act lead to Female Enfranchisement?

A

1918 Representation of the People Act

96
Q

When was the votes at 16 coalition formed?

97
Q

Give an early sucess of the votes at 16 coalition

A

Study into the issue by the Electoral commission

98
Q

Which Labour MP sponsored a Private Members Bill on votes at 16 which eventually ran out of time?

A

Julie Morgan

99
Q

Which election were 16 and 17 year old’s allowed to vote in?

A

2014 Scottish Independence referendum

100
Q

Which was the only major party at the 2015 general election not to support votes at 16?

A

Conservatives

101
Q

How do pressure groups differ from political parties?

A

They do not seek public office, only to influence it

102
Q

Which are the 3 main types of pressure group?

A
  1. Sectional group
  2. Cause group
  3. Social movement
103
Q

Define a sectional group

A

Groups that represent a specific occupation

eg: Trade Unions

104
Q

Which type of pressure group represent a specific occupation?

A

Sectional group

105
Q

Which type of pressure group are trade unions?

A

Sectional groups

106
Q

Give an example of a sectional pressure group

A
  • National Farmers Union (NFU)
  • Confederation of British Industry (CBI)
  • British Medical Association (BMA)
107
Q

What are cause pressure group?

A

Pressure groups focused on achieving a certain goal?

108
Q

Who can join a cause pressure group?

A

Anyone who wishes to

109
Q

Which sort of pressure group is dedicatied to achieving a particualar cause?

A

Cause group

110
Q

Give examples of cause pressure groups?

A
  • Greenpeace
  • CND
  • Shelter
111
Q

What are social movement pressure groups?

A

Loosley structured groups with a specific goal

112
Q

Which type of pressure group are loosely structured with a specific aim?

A

Social movement

113
Q

Give examples of social movement pressure groups

A
  1. Camps for Climate Action
  2. Occupy
  3. Arab spring
114
Q

What are the two ways to define a pressure group by looking at their relationship with government?

A
  1. Insider
  2. Outsider
115
Q

What is an insider pressure group?

A

One with contacts with ministers and civil servants they can utilise to achieve their aims

116
Q

Which type of pressure group has direct contact with government ministers and civil servants?

A

Insider pressure group

117
Q

Define an outsider pressure group?

A

A group that is not consulted by governmet

118
Q

Which type of pressure group is not consulted by Government?

A

Outsider pressure group

119
Q

Give examples of Insider pressure groups

A
  1. National union of farmers
  2. British Medical association
  3. Confederation of British Industry
120
Q

What is a low profile insider pressure group?

A

Groups that rely on discreet contacts which is not visible to the public

121
Q

What is a high profile insider pressure group?

A

Groups that suppliamnet their lobbying with media activity to help make their case

122
Q

Why might a pressure group be an outsider pressure group?

A
  1. Objectives so far outside political mainstream
  2. Wisihing to preserve independence
123
Q

Give examples of outsider pressure groups

A
  1. Occupy
  2. Just stop oil
  3. Fathers for Justice
124
Q

Can pressure groups move between insider and outsider status?

125
Q

Which set of pressure groups have seen a decline in their influence since the war?

A

Trade unions

126
Q

Under which prime minister were union leaders influence delibeately impeded?

A

Margret Thatcher

127
Q

Which protest group lobbied MP’s to promote their views on human rights?

128
Q

How do outsider pressure groups try to influence the government?

A
  • Campaigning
  • Direct Action
  • Publicity stunts
  • Legal action
129
Q

True or False
Direct Action is always peaceful?

130
Q

Why is it hard to gague the sucsess of an insider pressure group?

A

Much of their work takes place behind closed doors which they cannot publicise in order to keep their contacts

131
Q

Name 4 factors of pressure group sucsess

A
  • Resources
  • Tactics
  • Public support
  • Govenment willingness
132
Q

What is a think tank?

A

A group of experts investigating and proposting solutions to different problems

133
Q

Which thinktanks were behind Thatchers free market thinking?

A

Center for Policy Studies
Adam Smith Instutute

134
Q

Which thinktacnk wsa set up by Ian Duncan Smith?

A

Center for Social Justice

135
Q

What is a lobbyist?

A

An individual paid to influence the government on certain issues

136
Q

True or False:
MP’s can accept payment to represent a viewpoint

A

False, this is banned by the Parliamentry Code of Conduct

137
Q

Since which year have Lobbyists had to sign up to a register?

138
Q

What is the ‘revolving door’?

A

Politicians leaving politics for cushy jobs in private industry

139
Q

Which organisation lobbied the goverment in 2016 to oppose the sugary drinks tax?

A

British Soft Drinks associaton

140
Q

In which year was the Human rights act passed?

141
Q

Which piece of legislation protects citizens rights?

A

1998 Human rights act

142
Q

Which year was the Magna carta written?

143
Q

Why was the Magna carta written?

A

Limit the power of King John

144
Q

What is widely considered the first statement of citizens rights in the UK?

A

Magna Carta

145
Q

Which year did the Human RIghts act come into effect?

146
Q

In which year was the European Convention on Human Rights drawn up?

147
Q

Which organisation drew up the European convention on human rights?

A

Council of Europe

148
Q

What set up the Europen court of Human rights?

A

European convention on Human rights

149
Q

Which existing document did the European convention on human rights seek to replicate?

A

United Nations convention of human rights

150
Q

Where is the Eurpoean Court of Human rights located?

A

Strasbourg

151
Q

When was the Equality act passed?

152
Q

What was the 2010 Equality act

A

Legislation which brought together existing equal rights legislation into one document

153
Q

Why can’t supreme court judges legally compell parliament to follow rulings?

A

Parliamentry soveringty

154
Q

What have the Conservative party wanted to replace teh Human rights act with?

A

A ‘British Bill of Rights’

155
Q

What is the major change in the proposed ‘British Bill of Rights’?

A

Established supremacy of British COurts over ECHR

Politics (7 decks)

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