Democracy And Political Participation Flashcards
Democracy
A system where power is held by the people.
Direct democracy
A system where the people are able to make decisions directly on an issue, usually in the form of a yes or no response.
Representative democracy
A system where the people elect a person or group of people to represent their interests and make decisions on their behalf.
Pluralist democracy
A system of government where these is competition between different groups who represent popular concerns to the government of the day.
Initiative
A means by which the people, rather than the government, can call for a vote on a specific issue.
Petition
An appeal to make something specific happen, usually by demonstrating a high level of popular support.
Purdah
A phrase used to describe the period before an election or vote where members of local councils or government are not allowed to make any new statements or proposals that could affect the way in which people vote. The period is usually 4 to 6 weeks.
Pressure group
A group of like-minded individuals who come together on the basis of shared interests or a commonly held cause in order to put pressure on policy-makers at Westminster and beyond.
Democratic deficit
A term used to describe the un democratic nature of institutions or procedures that are supposed to promote democracy.
Participation crisis
A term used to describe a failure of the public to participate in the political process, which can undermine democratic legitimacy.
Franchise
The right to vote in an election.
E-democracy
A term used to describe any electronic or digital method that can lead to greater democracy.
