Direct and Indirect Democracy Flashcards
Who were the first people to develop democratic ideas?
Ancient Greeks
Where was Anthenian democracy practised?
in a small city state or polis comprising of some 40,000 citizens
In Ancient Greece where anthenian democracy was practised by some 40,000 citizens, who could attend the peoples assembly?
those aged over 20
How many times did the assembly in anthenian democracy meet a year?
40 times
Why did the term democracy go out of fashion for several centuries?
due to the decline of Greek states
Why could there be direct democracy in Ancient Greece?
as at this time, all citizens could be involved in making decisions
In what century did the ideas of democracy begin to emerge again, largely in the writing of political figures?
late 18th century
What did Thomas Paine say in the 18th century in his book ‘Common sense’?
he noted that in a small colony, where it was possible for all to come together, Anthenian type democracy could exist. But in a large area, representatives would be needed
What is representation?
this is a form of indirect democracy in which those elected represent the views and interests of the electorate. They make decisions on behalf of the mass of citizens
By the time of which revolution were writers discussing the two main forms of democracy?
French Revolution 18th century
what is indirect democracy?
a situation where representatives of the people, freely elected make decisions subject to popular control
what does direct democracy involve?
this involves people power or the self government of the people. It is not practical to practise this today in the same way it was in Ancient Greece.
Where still carries out elements of direct democracy?
in the US they have town meetings in parts of New England
What allow direct democracy allows popular involvement in decision making?
referendums
What is the structure of the Greek model which allows the public to vote regularly on political issues and policies
decentralised
Which country provides the closest approximation to the greek model?
Switzerland
Why is the idea that in modern industrial states it is possible to break down governing structures in such a way that people see themselves as belonging to small units?
this is unlikely because governments are unlikely to surrender their powers of decision making
What are 2 problems with the town meetings in US New England which performs direct democracy?
- not very well attended
- those who attend are self employed, or retired
Why are people not interested in direct democracy in modern day?
because they want to spend their time on various and perhaps more interesting forms of entertainment
How is democracy actually more fair now than in Ancient Greece?
In Ancient Greece, citizenship was an elite status denied to many people such as women and you have to be 20, in Britain the voting age is 18 and open to all.
How many MPs are there to represent the people of Britain?
646 MPs
What is seen as the key component of representative democracy?
free elections
What 3 things can represent mean?
- they have been freely elected
- they represent the interests of the voters
- they are social representative
Who set out the case for allowing an MP to act as an individual once elected in 1774?
Edmund Burke
