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politics > democracy + participation > Flashcards

democracy + participation Flashcards

1
Q

direct democracy

A

voters in direct democracies make their own political decisions and are directly involved in the process of political decision making. eg petitions, referendums, rallies, protests

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2
Q

pros of direct democracy

A
  • enhanced political participation
  • increased legitimacy
  • transparency
  • direct accountability
  • encourages broad political debate
  • reduces influence of special interests
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3
Q

cons of direct democracy

A
  • risk of populism and emotional decisions
  • low participation and voter fatigue
  • complexity of issues
  • tyranny of the majority
  • difficulty in managing national issues
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4
Q

representative democracy

A

in a representative democracy, citizens vote for an individual to represent them in the making of laws and political decisions. eg members of parliament speak for a majority (question time, debate, laws)

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5
Q

pros of representative democracy

A
  • expertise in decision making
  • protection of minority rights
  • accountability
  • deliberation and debate
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6
Q

cons of representative democracy

A
  • low participation levels
  • inaccurate representation
  • self interest
  • delegates vs trustees
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7
Q

similarities of direct + representative democracy

A
  • allow voters to make important decisions
  • use mandates from the public to make decisions
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8
Q

differences of direct + representative democracy

A
  • direct: voters make decisions on their own, uses mandates from public votes
  • representative: representative makes decisions on behalf of others, each votes may be worth a different amount depending on the constituency size, votes for representatives are taken as a mandate
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9
Q

mandates

A

when a political party or decision maker has the authority to make decisions of put a policy into place. winning a seat in an election gives the member of parliament a mandate from their voters.

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10
Q

the case for democratic reform: democratic deficit

A

the belief that democracy is not working as intended and is failing to ensure appropriate accountability and legitimacy. in the uk, this refers to problems with representative democracy in practice.

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11
Q

examples of a democratic deficit

A
  • low voter turnout
  • the first past the post voting system
  • institutions like the house of lords
  • the eu
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12
Q

types of democratic reform

A
  • electoral reform: moving away from the fptp system
  • house of lords reform: stopping heriditary peers
  • online voting
  • compulsory voting
  • lowering the voting age
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13
Q

the case against electoral reform

A
  • importance of pressure groups: minority representation
  • no demand for major reform
  • media scrutiny
  • election participation
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14
Q

suffrage

A

suffrage, of having the franchise is the right to engage in politics and vote in an election. ‘extending’ the franchise means increasing the number of people who can vote.

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15
Q

problems with the uk franchise

A
  • in the early 1800s only 400k people could vote
  • constituencies were boroughs or counties
  • some wealthy individuals could vote multiple times, but others could not vote at all
  • different boroughs had different rules on who could vote
  • women + working class men were excluded
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16
Q

acts of parliament for franchise: 1832 great reform act

A
  • rotten boroughs were demolished, vote given to urban areas
  • more people like tenant farmers were given the vote in counties
  • gave vote to middle class people in boroughs, eg small land owners and shop keepers
  • most men couldn’t vote as act required land ownership
17
Q

acts of parliament for franchise: 1918 rep of the people act

A
  • women over 30 could vote in elections (married + owned property)
  • all men over 21 could vote
  • passed by wartime coalition government
18
Q

acts of parliament for franchise: 1928 rep of the people act

A
  • suffrage to all women
  • passed under a conservative government
19
Q

acts of parliament for franchise: 1969 rep of the people act

A
  • extended suffrage to under 21s
  • under a labour government
20
Q

campaigns for suffrage: suffragettes

A
  • militant and violent methods
  • hunger strikes
  • campaigners were imprisoned
21
Q

campaigns for suffrage: suffragists

A
  • peaceful methods
  • cross party support and attempted lobbying
  • under appreciated
22
Q

campaigns for suffrage: vote at 16

A
  • campaign group: the votes at 16 coalition is a group run by NUS and british youth council
23
Q

against the vote at 16

A
  • not mature enough
  • few countries allow this
  • youth turnout is usually low in elections
24
Q

for the vote at 16

A
  • they can pay income tax and join army but not vote
  • taught about citizenship and politics in school, so well educated
25
Q

pressure groups

A

pressure groups are organised groups of individuals brought together for the purpose of fulfilling a specific goal, or because of a common cause.

26
Q

insider pressure groups

A
  • regular contact with decision makers so can work inside the political system
  • often consulted on specific policy issues by government departments, mps, political parties, committees
27
Q

privileged insider group access

A
  • based on the fact they are regarded more moderate than other pressure groups
  • need to be careful to keep government on their side
  • working closely and carefully, not quick and extreme
28
Q

outsider pressure groups

A
  • not consulted by government and does not have regular contact with decision makers
  • gain support of public opinion
29
Q

sectional pressure groups

A
  • represent a specific section of society
  • do not campaign for broader issues
  • concerned with protecting and advancing interests of members
30
Q

promotional pressure groups

A
  • single issue which they are concerned with promoting
  • doesnt directly benefit members but the public in general
  • more inclusive
31
Q

functions of pressure groups: political representation

A
  • speak for minorities
  • represent society
  • prevent tyranny of majority
32
Q

functions of pressure groups: government scrutiny

A
  • scrutinise (examine closely) gov policies and legislation, offering improvement suggestions
  • insider groups
33
Q

functions of pressure groups: political debate

A
  • enable debate on important issues
34
Q

functions of pressure groups

A
  • influencing policy
  • political education
  • political participation
35
Q

factors affecting pressure group success

A
  • public support
  • membership size
  • access to decision makers
  • resources
36
Q

insider pressure group influence

A
  • direct access to gov
  • lobbying
  • influencing mps + parties
37
Q

influencing politics outside parliament

A
  • protest
  • direct action
  • legal challenges

politics (2 decks)

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