Democracy and Participation Flashcards
Representative vs Direct Democracy
Representative democracy
- People vote for elected offcials
DIrect Democracy
- People decide on policy initiatives directly
Should there be greater use of direct democracy in the UK?
Advantages for direct democracy
- Promotes political participation
- Improves accountability
- Popular amongst voters
- More legitimate
Disadvantages of direct democracy
- Lack of educaion
- Referendums not legally binding
- Populsim
- Turnnout often low
Suffrage Act and date introduced
Representation of the People Act 1918
- Men over 21, women over 30, property qualification
Representation of the People Act 1928
- All men and women over 21 could now vote.
Representation of the People Act 1969
- Voting age 18
Chartists
Demanded the adoption by parliament of the Six Points of the People’s Charter
- Electeions by secret ballot
- Elections every year
- Right to vote to all men
Suffragists and suffragettes
Suffragists
- Peaceful and constitutional methods
Suffragettes
- Violent methods, chaining themselves to railings
Argument for giving the vote to 16- and 17-year-olds nationwid
- Can join the army
- Paying tax
- Can get married
Should prisoners in the UK have the right to vote?
Yes
- Voting is a fundamental right
- Removal of the vote makes a prisoner a non-person
- No evidence that taking away vote acts as effective deterrent
No
- David Camron 2013 idea makes him physically ill
- Those who commit serious crimes against society should
lose the right
- Losing the vote serves as deterrent against law breaking
Is there a participation crisis in UK politics?
Yes
- Turnout has been low in many recent elections.
2024, 60%, AV 42%m
- Membership of political parties has declined sharply
Cons, 1970 3m, 2025 131k
- Many modern political participation methods not true activism
No
- Some parties growth of party memberhisp, Reform 200k
- Turnout not always low
Scotland 2014 85%, Brexit 2016 72%
- Shift to modern forms of participation
