Democracy And Political Participation Flashcards
Anarchy definition
A condition of lawlessness and disorder caused by the absence of any controlling authority
Ballot definition
A method of secret voting
Constituent definition
A citizen residing in a particular MP’s area or district
Constituency
An area whose voters elect a representative to a legislative body
Democracy definition
A government of the people, by the people and for the people
Direct democracy definition
A political system or circumstance where the people themselves make key political decisions directly
Liberal democracy
A democracy where there is an emphasis on the protection of individual rights and liberties
Limited government definition
The powers of government are limited by law
What is 38 degrees
A website where people can become involved in politics by; watching videos, signing e-petitions, joining campaigns etc
Accountability definition
Government takes responsibility for and justifies their actions and decisions
Athenian democracy definition
The first form of democracy in the world.
A form of direct democracy
Burkean representation definition
The idea that MP’s are better suited to make key political decisions as they are more politically educated and won’t make emotional decisions
Citizen definition
A member of a political community that has certain rights e.g. The right to vote
Compulsory voting definition
Forcing every eligible voter to vote by law
Democratic deficit definition
A situation where there is a decrease in democracy , e.g. a lack of democratic accountability
E-democracy definition
Democracy or politics on the Internet
E.g. e-voting, e-petitions, blogs, vlogs
Government definition
The group of people with the authority to govern a country
Legitimacy definition
The degree to which a state or its government can be considered to have the right to exercise power
Referendum definition
A popular vote where the people are asked to determine an important political or constitutional issue directly
Representation definition
The state of being pep resented by an MP in parlimeny
Representative definition
An MP who represent the people in a constituency or area
Representative democracy definition
A political system where most decisions are made by elected representatives rather than the people themselves
Parliamentary democracy definition
A type of representative democracy where an elected parliament is the source of all political authority and where government is drawn largely from parliament
How is the UK undemocratic
First past the post considered unfair - causes low turnout at elections
Under 18s can’t vote - unrepresentative
No elected head of state
How can voter turnout be increased
Make voting compulsory
Lower the voting age
Electoral reform
What are the disadvantages of e-democracy
False information - make people support a cause they don’t really believe in
Make issues seem more important and supported than they are
What is the west Lothian question
Should Scottish MPs be able to vote on English only laws
In what ways do referendums enhance democracy
Entrenches constitutional change - EC referendum
Most direct form of democracy
Prevent government from making unpopular decisions - Scottish independence referendum
In what ways do referendums not enhance democracy
People can use them to show distaste at the government - 2011 AV referendum
Tyranny of the majority - Scottish independence referendum
People may not understand complex issues - EU treaties
How has digital democracy developed in the UK
E- petitions - 38 degrees - save Coventry stadium
Social networking - conservative Facebook page
Blogs - labour first
What are the arguments for the further use of referendums in the UK
Stop government from making unpopular decisions - Scottish independence referendum referendum
Decisions are more likely to be accepted by the people if they make them - Good Friday agreement
Government may be unable to solve some problems - EC referendum - party split
What are the arguments against the continued use of referendums in the UK
Tyranny of the majority - Scottish independence referendum
Vote to show dislike of government - AV after tuition fees raised
Some people may not be politically educated - struggle to understand issues e.g. EU treaties
People can be influenced by tabloids and the Internet - information could be false
How can political participation be improved
Lower voting age Electoral reform - more proportional Compulsory voting Teach citizenship in school E-voting - easier to vote
How do people grant consent to government
Elections
Referendums
Demonstrations of support - marches/petitions
How is the UK a pluralist democracy
A wide range of beliefs are tolerated
Range of parties
Range of pressure groups
Advantages of representative democracy
Most people do not have time to be continually involved in political
decisions
MPs have more experience and specialist knowledge
MPs are rational - avoid emotional decisions - death penalty
What are the disadvantages of representative democracy
Between elections it is hard to make MPs accountable
MPs may ignore the demands of the people who elect them
MPs are partisan - align themselves with their party and may ignore local wishes
Sometimes, conflict can only be resolved by direct democracy - EC referendum
What are the advantages of compulsory voting
Increased election turnout
Forces people to consider political issues
What are the disadvantages of making voting compulsory
Abuses freedom of choice
Cost involved with policing
What are the advantages of lowering the voting age to 16
Makes the young more politically aware
Makes political education more relevant
Makes election results more representative
What are the disadvantages of lowering the voting age to 16
16 year olds are too young to make important decisions
Many 16 year olds would chose not to vote anyway
What are the advantages of e-voting
Provide greater access - some people may not be able to go and vote
Increased turnout - more are likely to be able to vote
What are the disadvantages of e-voting
Vulnerable to hacking/fraud
Information online can be wrong - Britain first
How is the UK a liberal democracy
Free and fair elections - anyone over 18 can vote if they are not in jail
Wide range of views are tolerated - pluralist
Individual rights allowed and protected - human rights act
Government is accountable to the people to ensure that it is attempting to act in their best interest
There is a high degree of acceptance of the results of elections - little or no violence associated with mainstream politics
How is the UK not a liberal democracy
Low turnout
2 party system
Partisan dealignment
How can democracy in the UK be improved
Elected House of Lords
Elected head of state
Codified constitution
Electoral reform
What are the advantages of introducing an elected House of Lords to improve democracy
Increased legitimacy
Provide a check on government
What are the disadvantages of introducing an elected House of Lords to improve democracy
May be less independent from parties in the House of Commons
May slow down decision making
What are the advantages of introducing an elected head of state to improve democracy
Increased legitimacy
They could legitimately end deadlocks
What are the disadvantages of introducing elected head of state to improve democracy
Destabilise deadlocks
Eliminate long standing historical decisions
What are the advantages of introducing a codified constitution to improve democracy
Increase engagement with system
Rights and freedoms better protected
What are the disadvantages of introducing a codified constitution to improve democracy
Less flexible
May slow down decision making
What are the advantages of using electoral reform to improve democracy
Make elections fairer - UKIP 4m votes but 1 seat
Reflect the pluralist nature of the UK - government would be more legitimate
What are the disadvantages of using electoral reform to improve democracy
Change rejected in 2011
People want a strong and stable government like in 2015 - no coalition - another system may not create this
How can the democratic deficit be reduced
Reduce voting age to 16
Compulsory voting
E-voting
How is Britain a representative democracy
Each MP represents a constituency
Both Houses of Parliament are, to some extent, expected to act as a representative cross section of society as a whole
All mainstream parties claim to represent the nation as a whole
People are represented by pressure groups
The media, especially newspapers, represent the general public
How is Britain not a representative democracy
MPs may put party politics first
The houses of parliament are unrepresentative - few women, ethnic minorities and young people -90% are university educated
Why would direct democracy not work well today
The population is too large - not plausible
What is it called when the people call for an election
An initiative
What is a example of a form of initiative
E-petition
What are examples of referendums
2011 AV referendum 1975 EC referendum Good Friday agreement referendum 2014 Scottish independence referendum Elected London mayor election
What are the problems with referendums
Yes/no question only
Costly
Low turnout
What is an example of a referendum that enhanced constitutional change
1975 EC referendum - has not been one since - but one planned for 2017 - now EU
What is an example of a referendum with a low turnout
London mayor referendum - 34% turnout
Why is democracy important
Allows freedom of speech Protects minority groups Limits governments power Power is spread widely Voting - people decide who they want to be in charge of the country
How is the UK democratic
Free media
Elected prime minister
Freedom of speech
Referendums
Anyone can join almost any political party or pressure group
Each part of the UK is represented by an MP - constituency
Pressure groups and parties represent different interests
What is party delegation
People vote for a party as a whole - not a candidate
Monolithic definition
Everyone thinks and does the same thing - no one disagrees with it
What I an example of direct democracy in the UK
Referendums
How are referendums and elections different
A referendum is a yes or no question, in an election people vote for a party/candidate
Referendums held at any time, election held within 5 years
In an election the people have the power but in a referendum the government still has power - can ignore the result but never have
Referendums are a for of direct democracy, elections are a form of representative democracy
Referendums represent the will of the majority, elections are pluralist
How is representative democracy superior to direct democracy
MPs have more knowledge in political issues so may have better judgements - people may make emotional decisions
It would be difficult to ask the entire community about complex issues
Allows mediation - parties can work together in a way that would be impossible for the entire community to do
How is representative democracy not superior to direct democracy
People are more likely to accept a decision if they made it than if MPs did - 2014 Scottish independence referendum
Direct democracy entrenches policies - 1975 EC referendum
E- petitions, a form of direct democracy, are easily accessible and can be used to influence policies
Citizenship definition
The idea that members of the political community have certain rights with respect to political institutions
How can people participate in politics
Simply being informed about issues Contributing to online forums or petitions Voting in various elections Joining a pressure group Taking part in physical or e-petitions Joining a political party Becoming active in a party Becoming active in a pressure group Running for political office - to be an MP or the prime minister
Political participation definition
Opportunities for and tendencies of the people to become involved in the political process
What are the main features of parliamentary democracy in the UK
Parliament is the source of all political power - sovereign
Government is drawn from parliament
Government makes itself constant accountable to parliament
All citizens are represented by an MP
Parliament as a whole is expected to represent the national interest
