how healthy is the uk democracy

Question 1

+ voter participation in recent elections has increases from some of the lows of the 2000s , which improved

Answer 1

representative democracy and legitimacy of government

Question 2

+ the development of the social media has allowed people to become more involved with

Answer 2

pressure group movements to raise awareness of current issues improving pluralist democracies

Question 3

+ citizens rights have been increasingly enshrined in parliamentary legislation which improved

Answer 3

liberal democracy

Question 4

+ the creation of the UK supreme court from 2005 added a body that can challenge the power of the government improving both

Answer 4

pluralist and liberal democracy

Question 5

+ increasing devolution has spread power throughout the UK improving

Answer 5

Pluralist democracy

Question 6

+ referendums have become an increasing and accepted feature of the UK political system improving

Answer 6

direct democracy

Question 7

+ the UKs elections are free and fair and there is universal suffrage all of which are key principles of

Answer 7

liberal democracy

Question 8

• voter participation may have increased but turnout is only around 65-69% for general elections and low for many other elections thus this undermines the

Answer 8

legitimacy of elected representatives and the government that is formed

Question 9

• participation in the form of party memebrship has broadly declined too meaning that the few citizens who are party members are playing a large role in

Answer 9

shaping policy undermining pluralist democracy

Question 10

• the Supreme Court can be ignored by the UK government as parliament is sovereign which could limit the power of the court to challenge gov undermining

Answer 10

liberal democracy

Question 11

• parliament has made laws that restrict the rights of citizens including the right to strike , the right to protest and brining in stricter voter identification laws and there is little that can be done to challenge legislation undermining

Answer 11

liberal democracy

Question 12

• referendums are called only when the government wishes as seen with the Scottish governments request for a second independence referendum this undermines the

Answer 12

use of direct democracy in the UK

Question 13

• the UK’s use of first past post could undermine voter choice as minor parties are unlikely to win and under 18 yr olds and prisoners still

Answer 13

do not have the right to vote