Opportunities/barriers To Citizen Participation In Democracy Flashcards
Suggestions to increase voter participation
•lowering voting age to 16
•making voting compulsory
•allowing online voting
Barriers to citizenship participation
Lack of interest
Lack of time
No skills on how to vote
Don’t think their voice will change anything
How citizens can participate in democracy
Voting
Accessing local councillors
Police and crime commissioners +MP’s
Standing for election
Using e-petitions
Joining pressure/interest groups
Ways of how citizens can hold those in power to account
Campaign groups and pressure groups can bring attention or influence those in power
Leafleting
Hanging out materials that support a particular veiw
Lobbying
Making your views known
Approaching your local MP to raise an issue
Interest groups
Advantages= provides a focus of limited range of objectives
Disadvantage=normally not a campaigning group
Joining a political party
Advantage=enables people to fully engage in the political process
Disadvantage=governed by rules of the party. Meaning you don’t have total freedom of action
Standing in elections
Advantage=Become fully involved in the issue
Disadvantage=limits your freedoms of speech
Campaigning
Advantage=develops skills, fully engaged with the issue, motivated to bring change
Disadvantage=can become violent
How can citizens bring about political change
In a liberal democracy= citizens are seen as the heart of political power
In a representative democracy=seen as a duty that citizens take part in political things so their voices can be heard
Citizens can become more active as voting by-
They can join political parties, pressure groups and interest groups to influence the decision makers to bring change
Lobby their representatives to ensure that they are aware of their views
Standing for election
Digital democracy and its impact on citizens
More people use technology for petitions/campaigning than writing
Social media is now a campaigning platform-Marcus Rashford free school meals act
Future digital opportunities
Phones can be used to cite in elections
People’s views can be looked at ok social media
Action to bring about political change
Voting
Joining pressure/interest groups
Advocacy
Lobbying
Petitions
Campaigning
Volunteering
Standing in elections
Joining demonstrations
Joining an interest/ political party
Interest group=have only one specific interest and only works to promote its own interests
Want to influence policy makers by direct meetings and publication reports
Bringing about change in the legal system=
Roles and responsibilities of citizens in the legal system
If the citizens of a country had no faith in the justice system it would undermine the concept of living in a democracy
How can people take part in the justice system
Jury service=a group of 12 random people selected by the local electory register
What is a witness
Someone who has seen a crime being committed
Magistrate
People from the local communities who volunteer to administer justice in their local magistrate court
Different forms of democratic and citizenship actions that hold those in power to account
Petitions
Volunteering
Joining demonstrations
Special constable
A trained volunteer who works/supports their local police
Police support volunteers
People who staff police station counters
Police and crime commissioners
Elected people who normally stand for political party
Tribunal member
Deals with specific issues and complaints
How different groups can help people in relation to content
Trade unions
Pressure groups
Interest groups
Charities/volunteer groups
Public institutions and public services
The role of organisations and groups
Public services=state service providers at local or national levels
Example: hospitals, schools, social services
Role: to ensure a standard healthcare and education are available to all citizens
Pressure groups
Group of people who come together about an issue and try and change the situation
Example: multi cause groups and single cause groups
Wha is an insider status
People who can meet and discuss with people that it influences
What is an outsider status
Groups who don’t have direct access to those making decisions.
Not involved in any direct meetings
Trade unions
Represent workers and their wage and working conditions
Example: TUC (trade union congress)
Charities
Organisations that have government status and taxation
Example: belong children to read at a library/school
Helps the unaided
Voluntary groups
Involve people working together or alone to provide services to others
How citizens work together to change communities
Example: Grenfell tower 14th June 2017 a fire on a 24 sorry flat building
Lots of people decided to offer shelter and the basic human needs to those who lived in the flats
How those what to bring change by using social media
Use of celebrity backing mushing social media to spread their message and gain support
