democracy & participation

Question 1

democracy >

Answer 1

• direct vs representative dem
• similarities and differences
• pluralism and democracy
• summary of dem in uk

Question 2

direct democracy

Answer 2

• originated in ancient greek democracy
• public are directly involved in politics and policy conducting
• features: meetings (often urgent and last minute in emergencies),
• pros: public have a direct say (avoids representative’s self interest),
• cons: impractical in modern day

Question 3

representative democracy

Answer 3

• individuals are elected by the public to represent them/sections of society
• features: representatives meet, representatives listen to public concerns
• pros: representatives should have expertise, more practical in modern society
• cons: representatives may distance from purpose/become self interested (undemocratic)

Question 4

similarities & differences

Answer 4

SIMILARITIES: provides form of democracy and government, both forms involve voting and participation, both often require consultation before voting, each system interwine in some way
DIFFERENCES: the systems vote in different ways (dd: referendums/rd: vote for rep), may differently affect the participation and turnout due to nature of each, in voting dd targets one issue whereas rd considers a range, dd=active voters involvement in decision making/rd=passive voters involvement in decision making

Question 5

pluralism and democracy

Answer 5

• power and influence is dispersed amongst society - not concentrated in one area
• tolerance and respect for a range of cultures, beliefs, groups in society
• parties can campaign, individuals are free to choose
• pressure/campaign groups can operate freely
• range of sources open to public without government interference

Question 6

summary of dem in uk

Answer 6

key features of uk democracy:
- pluralism: eg. article 50 decision involved a range of institutions - not concentrated
- free, fair elections: voting is free (BUT only for 18+)
- corruption/wrongdoing punished: mps can be recalled
- citizens are protected: ECHR
- devolved decision making: devolution to areas of the uk

Question 7

the franchise

Answer 7

• ‘the right to vote’
• 1928: equal franchise act - universal adult suffrage
• 1969: representation of the people act - enfranchised 18-21
• groups who cannot vote: Lords, EU citizens resident in UK, convicted people detained in prison, those in last 5 years found for illegal or corrupt activities relating to elections.

Question 8

political participation : is there a participation crisis?

Answer 8

YES:
- voting participation poor compared to 20th century
- not every participating equally (social factors)
- low turnout in referendums
- party membership and loyalty
- decline of trade unions
- slacktivism - not sustained activism and doesn’t reach high levels of political engagement like traditional participation would
NO:
- voter participation on the rise
- increased use of referendums
- resurgence in membership since 2013, especially after jeremy corbyn became leader of labour in 2015
- new pressure groups risen (eg. junior doctors, just stop oil) - they have mass participation and support
- individual preferences shared through e-petitions, political consumerism etc

Question 9

pressure groups >

Answer 9

• the nature
• pressure groups vs political parties
• methods
• influence
• pgs and democracy

Question 10

the nature of pressure groups

Answer 10

CAUSE

Question 11

pressure groups vs political parties

Answer 11

INSIDER VS OUTSIDER PGS
insider - regularly consides with those in government, possibly may be more successful in their goals
outsider - no links to government, may find it harder to achieve goals

Question 12

methods of pressure groups

Answer 12

• demonstrating
• campaigning

Question 13

influence of pressure groups

Answer 13

the influence of PGs depends on a range of factors:
WEALTH: cooperations can be very successful due to this
SIZE: mass support
LEADER:

Question 14

think tanks, lobbyists, corporations

Answer 14

THINK TANKS:
- research for pressure groups
LOBBYISTS:
- lobby for a cause
- convince government to take action
COOPERATIONS:
- big businesses that hold influence due to wealth and size
- may support pressure groups due to the effect it has on them

Question 15

rights in context >

Answer 15

• development of uk rights
• how well are rights protected
• conflict between individuals and collective rights
• pgs and rights

Question 16

development of uk rights

Question 17

how well are rights protected in uk

Question 18

conflict between individuals and collective rights