Democracy + Participation Flashcards
What is a direct democracy?
Where individuals express their opinions of themselves + not through representatives acting on their behalf.
What is a representative democracy?
Where people elect representatives who make decisions on their behalf.
What is a pluralist democracy?
A type of democracy in which a government makes decisions as a result of the interplay of various ideas + contrasting arguments from competing groups + organisations.
What is legitimacy?
The legal right to exercise power.
What is participation crisis?
A lack of engagement with the political system.
What is suffrage?
The suffrage is the ability or right to vote in public elections.
What type of democracy does the UK have?
Representative democracy
What are the main purposes of democracy?
- Representation
- Accountability
- Participation
- Education
What is a majoritarian democracy?
The desires of the majority of the population are the prime considerations of the government.
What did the Great Reform Act 1832?
Allowed property owners to vote.
What did the Representation of the People Act 1918?
Allowed women over 30 to vote.
What did the Representation of the People Act 1928 do?
Meant all women + men over 21 could vote.
What did the Representation of the People Act 1969?
Voting age lowered to 18.
What are the advantages of direct democracy?
- equal weight to all votes
- encourage popular participation in politics
- removes need for trusted representatives
- develops sense of community
What are disadvantages of direct democracy?
- impractical
- many will not want to/feel qualified to take part
- open to manipulation
What are the advantages of a representative democracy?
- practical in a large, modern state where issues are complex + need rapid response
- elections allow people to hold representatives to account
- politicians are better informed than the average citizen about many issues
What are the disadvantages of a representative democracy?Disadvantages
- lead to reduced participation as responsibility handed to politicians
- parties/pressure groups run by elites pursuing own agendas
- minorities find themselves underrepresented
- politicians may be corrupt
What are some arguments that suggest the UK isn’t democratic?
- underrepresentation of minority
- HOL lacks democratic legitimacy (unelected)
- lack of protection fro citizen’s rights
- control of sections of the media by wealthy e.g Rupert Murdoch
What are some arguments that suggest that the UK is democratic?
- free media that challenges government policy
- devolved government fro Scotland, Wales + Northern Ireland
- wide range of political parties + pressure groups to which people may belong
