Direct Democracy Flashcards
Where was direct democracy first conceived?
Ancient Greece Athens
what idea did direct democracy give to those in Ancient Greece, Athens ?
All tax paying citizens would have one vote of equal value to all others
Due to citizen having one vote of equal value to all what did it mean they could do ?
Citizens could make important decisions directly, fairly and equally
Give an example of how direct democracy in Ancient Greece was used for decisions ?
- whether state should go to war
- anti - state act commited by citizen should be exiled
Examples of direct democracy’s ?
- referendum
- electronic petitions
How has direct democracy returned today ?
Form of referendum
Where are referendums used today ?
Common in some USA states and Europe
What can direct democracy do for decisions made by politicians ?
Can add great **legitmacy ** to decisions made by politicians
What is a referendum ?
Majoritian form of democracy in which the public vote on a single issue
What must one side gain to win outright in a referendum?
Over 50%
What must you do to win a referendum?
Side must gain over 50% of votes outright
What does referendums allow for ?
Allows Public to determine government policy on vital issues
What can be a challenge of referendums ?
By giving influence directly to the people , referendums challenge the core principle of representative democracy
By giving direct influence to the people what are referendums challenging ?
Core principle of representative democracy
Examples of referendums ?
- Scotland independence referendum (2014)
- UK membership of EU referendum (2016)
What referendum was in 2016?
UK membership of EU referendum (2016)
What referendum was in 2014?
Scotland independence referendum
What was the Scotland independence referendum (2014) for ?
Scotland vote to remain part of the UK
What percentage voted against the proposal of Scotland becoming an independent country for the ** Scottish independence referendum 2014**?
55% voter against proposal for Scotland to become an independent country
What percentage voted in favour for Scotland to become an independent country , for the Scottish independence referendum 2014?
45 %
55 % voted for what in the Scottish independence referendum 2014?
Against Scotland becoming an independent country
45% voted for what in the Scottish independence referendum 2014?
In favour for Scotland to become an independent country
In the UK membership of the EU referendum (2016) what percentage voted to leave the EU?
51%
In the UK membership of the EU referendum (2016) what percentage voted to remain in the EU?
48%
51% voted for what in the UK membership of the EU referendum (2016) ?
To leave the EU
48 voted to do what in the UK membership of the EU referendum 2016?
To remain in the EU
What is another example of a direct democracy apart from referendums ?
Electronic petitions
Where are petitions normally on ?
Government website
How many signatures must an election petition receive ?
10,000
What happened if an electronic petition reaches 10,000 signatures?
Will be considered for debate in the House of Commons
When have electronic petitions been used ?
- 2020 to fund for support for art , and theatres
- whether meningitis B vaccination should be for all children
How long did the Menigitis B vaccination electronic petition run for ?
6 months
What year was the E-petition for more support for theatres and music ?
2020
What was the petition in 2020 for ?
To support more theatres , art , and music
What was happening during the 2020 art petition ?
Covid pandemic
How many signatures did the E-petition for more support for theatre , art , and music have ?
175,654 signatures
What was the result of the e-petition for art, theatre and music having 175,654 signatures ?
Debated in parliament in June 2020
As a result of the debate in the parliament what was the outcome of the E-petition for art ?
Government announced More funding to protect art
When was the art e-petition debated in parliament ?
June 2020
Why are E-petitions used ?
For parliament to engage with a number of issues the public feel strongly about
What is an advantage of direct democracy ?
No one is to blame
Example of advantage of direct democracy, no one is to blame ?
If you vote for something it’s on you , e.g EU brexit vote **51% **voted to leave so it’s on them
Another advantage of direct democracy?
- equal value to all votes unlike representative systems were they vary in size of constituencies so do not all have equal value
- sense of community
Example of unequal vote due to varying size of constituencies
One constituent May have 2,000 people that vote another 50,000 people vote so 2,000 has more weight
What are the disadvantage of direct democracy?
- people who are more educated vote for us , make better judgement
- impractical in large modern state where decision making will be complicated
- does not encourage political participation
