DP1 representative democracy Flashcards
what is democracy?
abraham lincoln famously described democracy as ‘government of the people, by the people, for the people.’
representative democracy (advantages)
professional politicians make complex decisions
minority views are considered and upheld
the most practical form of democracy
representative democracy (disadvantages)
citizens disengaged from politics
tightly controlled parties result in politicians lacking independence
politicians are open to corruption and self-interest
e.g jan 2025 tulip siddiq resigned amid allegations of a 3.9 billion embezzlement case.
features of a representative democracy
the elections of representatives should be regular, competitive and secret and carried out without force and with universal suffrage. uk elections are held every 5 years using FPTP, they are held in secret and the results are legally binding.
free fair legally binding makeup that passes laws with MPs that sit in an independent judiciary.
features of representative democracy (2/3)
an assembly exists which reflects the make-up of society and passes laws. political decisions are made by an MP they sit in parliament and are excepted to represent the views of the electorate.
an independent judiciary should exist. in the uk, the judiciary is seperated from the executive and legislative.
how does question time help an effective representative democracy?
MPs question members of the government about issues which they are responsible for, which will often be on matters of concern to their constituents. Prime Minister’s Question Time: Takes place once a week, where the Leader of the Opposition and then MP’s question the Prime Minister on significant issues, often on behalf of the voters they represent.
