Democracy and Participation (UK)

Question 1

Direct Democracy

Answer 1

In direct democracy, the people decide on policies without any intermediary or representative

Question 2

Representative Democracy

Answer 2

In a representative democracy people vote for representatives who then enact policy initiatives

Question 3

Extending the Franchise

Answer 3

Franchise is the ability and right of someone to vote in an election. (Women - 1928) (Could lower voting age in the UK)

Question 4

Lowering the voting age

Answer 4

A lower voting age would strengthen the voice of the young and signal that their opinions matter. It is they, after all, who will bear the brunt of climate change and service the debt that paid for benefits, such as pensions and health care, of today’s elderly. Voting at 16 would make it easier to initiate new citizens in civic life. Above all, it would help guarantee the supply of young voters needed to preserve the vitality of democracy. Catch them early, and they will grow into better citizens

Question 5

What is a pressure group?

Answer 5

A pressure group is an organised group of people that aim to influence the policies and actions of the government in favour of a specific cause or movement.

Question 6

Features of a pressure group?

Answer 6

1. Pressure groups have a narrow issue focus, sometimes even a single issue.
2. Pressure groups unite over a shared cause or belief rather than a shared ideology.
3. Pressure groupsexert influence from the outside rather than attempting to win government power.

Question 7

What are insider groups?

Answer 7

The government consults the insider groups regularly and is quite literally inside the decision-making process. e.g The BMA

Question 8

What are outisder groups?

Answer 8

Outsider groups have no special links to government, resorting to public opinion campaigns. e.g Father 4 Justice

Question 9

What are interest/sectional groups?

Answer 9

They represent a particular section of society such as workers, religious groups, or employees for example.

Question 10

What are cause groups?

Answer 10

These groups come together around a set of shared attitudes or values.

Question 11

Function of pressure groups

Answer 11

Political participation
Representation
Policy formation
Policy influence
Education
Provide specialist knowledge

Question 12

Pressure group methods

Answer 12

Direct action
Lobbying
Strikes

Question 13

Direct Action

Answer 13

direct action is sometimes through civil disobedience. For example, Brian Haw held a 5-year anti-war vigil outside Parliament. Another example is Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC), a group campaigning since 1999 to stop animal testing. They subjected staff to harassment and intimidation.

Question 14

Lobbying

Answer 14

This method targets ministers and civil servants who hold knowledge or power within the policy area the pressure group wants to influence. For example, the Royal College of Nursing frequently visits the Department of Health.

Question 15

Strikes

Answer 15

another method used in the UK is strikes or work stoppages. Transport for London (TFL) lost £13m in fares due to Tube strikes resulting from two strikes in April 2022. About 10,000 workers from the Rail Union RMT walked out at midnight on 1 March and 3 March in a dispute over job losses and pensions.

Question 16

Think tanks

Answer 16

Think tanks are public policy research organisations that seek to influence government policy. e.g New Policy Institute, Adam Smith Institute, Economic Policy Institute

Question 17

Corporations

Answer 17

A large company or group of companies authorized to act as a single entity and recognized as such in law.

Question 18

Civil liberties

Answer 18

A range of rights and freedoms that demand non-interference by government. They are based on the notion of citizenship; being a citizen of a certain country, and usually include freedom of speech, a free press, freedom of association, and freedom of religion. The government should not interfere in these areas.

Question 19

Human rights

Answer 19

belong to all people in all societies, by virtue of being human. They are inalienable, meaning they cannot be taken away under any circumstance and are absolute- they must be fully upheld in all cases.

Question 20

Human Rights Act

Answer 20

1998

Question 21

Freedom of Infomation

Answer 21

2000

Question 22

Equality Act

Answer 22

2010

Question 23

Protection of rights

Answer 23

Judicial Review
Judges/Courts/SC
Legislation

Question 24

Judicial Review

Answer 24

judicial review, which is the checking (and possibly overturning) of actions of government. This is more difficult in the UK than in the USA, where, due to the existence of a codified constitution, judges can easily check whether actions carried out by the government are constitutional. In the UK, judges cannot overturn Acts of Parliament but can decide on the lawfulness of actions carried out under delegated legislation (that is, laws that allow other bodies, such as ministers, to act with Parliament’s authority). Judges can decide whether ministers are acting beyond their power through this measure (the doctrine of ‘ultra vires’- beyond the power).

Question 25

Judges/Courts

Answer 25

Judges also protect rights through the use of the Human Rights Act (HRA). This enables judges to challenge cases on the basis of human rights, for example in 2005 the ban on prisoners voting was declared unlawful.

Question 26

Decleration of Incompatibility

Answer 26

The courts must apply Acts of Parliament even if they breach your human rights. But some courts, like the Court of Appeal, can say that the law is incompatible with the Human Rights Act. This is called a declaration of incompatibility. It’s then up to Parliament to decide if the law should be changed.