Democracy and Political Participation

Question 1

What is authority?

Answer 1

Right to exercise power. 3 sources:

• tradition
• election
• charisma

Question 2

What is consent and how can it be recognised?

Answer 2

Evidence that people agree to government. It can be conferred through:
Election
Lack of popular dissent
Demonstration of support

Question 3

What is citizenship and how has it evolved?

Answer 3

The status of being a citizen of a country and the rights that you are then able to enjoy. A citizen has civil liberties but also obligations.

Political involvement has been encouraged as a responsibility of a citizen.

Question 4

What is democracy?

Answer 4

A system of government where people can influence the decisions of the government and have access to fee information. The government is accountable to the people or an elected assembly and can be replaced by the free will of the people. You can have direct or representative democracy.

• freedom for citizens
• different ideologies are allowed to excel.

Question 5

What is direct democracy?

Answer 5

People make political decisions for themselves through referendum on specific issues. People may also be regularly consulted when it comes to key political decisions. People will also take the initiative to force their own political change on the system.

Question 6

What is representative democracy?

Answer 6

People elect representatives who then represent the views of a group at an elected assembly. Political organisations will often bring together a range if views into parties. They express the will of a group of people.
Delegation of political responsibility.

Question 7

What is Burkean representation?

Answer 7

Edward Burke a conservative philosopher said that representatives should make decisions based on personal judgement rather than follow the wishes of electors.

Question 8

What is delegation?

Answer 8

The ideas that representatives should follow very closely the exact wishes of the people that they represent.

Question 9

What is party representation?

Answer 9

Support and vote for the party that the representative is a member of.

Question 10

How does representation operate in the UK?

Answer 10

• HOC- direct election
• HOL- cause or regions
• Pressure groups

Question 11

What is a pluralist democracy?

Answer 11

Multiple parties and political organisations are allowed to flourish.
Different beliefs are tolerated.
Power is dispersed among many people.
Sources of independent information.

Question 12

What is a liberal democracy?

Answer 12

Individual liberties are upheld and respected.
Strong constitution that limits the power of government.
Strong checks and balances
High level of toleration.

Question 13

3 advantages of representative democracy?

Answer 13

Representatives may be able to take a better look at specific issues with greater knowledge to make an informed decisions.
The demands of the people can be aggregated into specific and coherent policy.
Elected assemblies can represent society in a manageable way.

Question 14

3 disadvantages of representative democracy?

Answer 14

Representatives may not be held to account at election
Representatives may follow the party line rather than represent
People can only vote on manifesto not single issue- people can not judge policy by policy but on aggregated demands of which they can not agree with all of them.

Question 15

3 advantages of direct democracy?

Answer 15

Purest form of democracy
Direct consent of the people- important issues need wide scale consent
Entrench important constitution change
Educate people
Solve a divided government.

Question 16

3 disadvantages of direct democracy?

Answer 16

Issue may be to complex for people to understand- euro
People may be irrational
Voter fatigue
Tyranny of the majority
Close vote may result in an unsatisfactory outcome that does not solve the issue.

Question 17

Why are referendums used?

Answer 17

• split government
• need to get consent for an important constitutional change as it affects the way people are governed.
• secure public opinion is important for security reasons
• entrench change in a sovereign system.

Question 18

3 examples of referendums?

Answer 18

• 1975 EU referendum
• 1998 Devolved assembly referendum
• AV referendum 2011

Question 19

How can people participate in politics?

Answer 19

• vote
• join party
• pressure groups
• sign a petition
• become part of government

Question 20

Evidence of decline in participation?

Answer 20

Low voter turnout in generals- 66.6% in 2015
Low voter turnout in referendums on AV- 42.2%
Lower party membership- Tory party down from 1.4 million in 1980 to 148,000 in 2014.

Question 21

What is legitimacy?

Answer 21

The right to govern and make laws which will be enforced and obeyed by the people.

• recognition
• exercising of power
• election or national vote

Question 22

Pro and Con of Compulsory Voting

Answer 22

Increases turnout
Forces people to think about politics
Results are more legitimate

Abuses people freedom
Artificial results
Cannot solve true apathy

Question 23

Pro and Con of Votes at 16

Answer 23

Young more politically aware
Government legitimate to young people
Identification with politics

Uneducated
Distortion to attract young votes

Question 24

Citizenship education pro and con

Answer 24

Improves political knowledge
Awareness about politics- aids the active citizenship campaign

Expensive
Government failure

Question 25

E democracy pro and con

Answer 25

Greater access to politics for citizens 
Promote direct democracy
Way of voicing opinion 
Vast source of information
Benefits of e voting

Vulnerable to fraud and hacking
Not accessible for the elderly

Question 26

Evidence of increasing participation?

Answer 26

Increased membership of pressure groups- eg stop the war

Use of social media- eg Ban Donald Trump on Change.org gained 10,000 signatures in days

Question 27

How can you categorise the democratic deficit?

Answer 27

Institutional and systematic

Question 28

Positive of UK democracy?

Answer 28

Regular elections
Free media
Parliamentary accountability 
Human rights act
Independent and Neutral judiciary
Rule of law

Question 29

Negatives of UK democracy?

Answer 29

Unelected institutions- HOL and monarchy 
Failures of first past the post 
Prerogative powers of Prime Minister
Decline in political participation 
Transfer of sovereignty to the EU 
No entrenched constitution

Question 30

How could you improve democracy?

Answer 30

Elected second chamber 
Reform the electoral system 
Greater use of referendum 
Codified constitution 
Decentralise power

Question 31

What are the benefits of a codified constituents?

Answer 31

All the rights of citizens are protected and entrenched.

Question 32

What is a negative of greater use of referendums?

Answer 32

Lead to voter fatigue and tyranny of the majority as it works on a majority rules basis.

Question 33

What is the benefit of centralisation of power?

Answer 33

Government would be less remote and the power of central government which can be unaccountable will be curbed.

Question 34

What is a drawback of an elected second chamber?

Answer 34

Challenge authority of commons- tax credits and not provide a independent check on power.