Participating in Politics Guide Flashcards
What makes SA democratic?
There are many political opportunities available in SA.
How is the SA election system similar to the UK?
SA are similar to the UK as the winner of the election becomes the governing party.
How is the country leader decided in both the UK and SA?
Just like the UK, the leader of the governing party become the PM/President so control major political decisions.
When do South Africans get the opportunity to vote?
All South Africans 18+ can vote every 5 years to elect the National Assembly and the 9 Provincial Legislatures.
What election system does SA use?
SA use the Party List System which is a representative system.
How is the Party List System beneficial?
The Party List System is representative so it encourages people to vote as their vote is likely to count.
How does the ballot paper relate to the Party List System?
Due to the systems representative nature many parties register but despite this the ANC continue to dominate.
Who has won the most seats since Apartheid?
The ANC have won the most seats in 7 post-Apartheid elections.
How has voter turnout decreased over the past 30 years?
Voter turnout has fallen from 87% in 1994 to 58% in 2024.
Why has voter turnout decreased over the past 30 years?
Many people don’t want to vote as SA is considered to be a ‘one-party’ state due to the ANC dominating elections.
How does the ANC dominating limited the power of voting?
Many parties don’t have enough support to overpower the ANC so votes remain for the ANC.
What protects the right to protest?
The South African Constitution protects the right to protest.
How many South Africans protest every year?
2 million South Africans protest per year.
Why has protesting become so powerful in South Africa?
SA is considered the protest capital of the world and so with the amount of protests occurring there is a considerable level of pressure put onto the government.
How did protesting help university tuition in SA?
University tuition fees for low income households were scrapped in 2016 due to student protests after plans to increase tuition fees.
Why are people discouraged from protesting?
Despite there being a vast amount of protests per year, many people are discouraged from protesting due to the increasing level of authoritarianism under the control of the ANC.
How does authoritarianism impact the influence of protesting?
South Africans revel in opportunities to protest and influence government decisions but there are barriers put in place by the government to prevent them from doing this effectively.
What protects freedom of press?
The South African Constitution protest freedom of press.
Where does SA place for freedom of press?
SA are 38th of 180 countries for their levels of freedom of press.
How many active social media users are there in SA?
SA has 24 million Facebook users and 9 million X users.
How did social media influence the SA government?
ZumaMustFall was trending after the home refurbishment scandal and this eventually pressured Zuma to step down from his role as president.
What limits the freedom of press in SA?
There are increased levels of threats towards people using their right to freedom of press which contradicts the Constitution.
How did Zuma contradict the protection of freedom of press?
Zuma tried to ban journalists from photographing his home after using state funds to refurbish his home.
Why is there being barriers put in place to restrict freedom of press?
The contradictions to the protection of freedom of press can be seen as trying to avoid government scrutiny and a building of a bad reputation.
Why is there restrictions to SA using the media?
South Africans are not afraid to use platforms to express their political opinions but the government seem to be trying to find work rounds to avoid bad press.
How can political parties give citizens political influence?
South African citizens can join a party to influence the government.
How does being part of a political party allow South Africans political influence?
Members of a political party can vote to choose their party leader who may then go on to become president, influence and help craft/implement policies, and volunteer to be part of election campaigns.
How is being part of a political party a good way for South Africans to influence the government?
Being part of a political party allows South Africans to choose the ways and extent in which they participate in politics.
Who did the ANC elect as party leader in 2018?
In 2018, the ANC elected Ramaphosa as their party leader who went on to become president.
What makes joining/forming a political party appealing in SA?
There are way more parties available to choose from on the ballot paper as the registration system is easy and SA use a representative election system; The Party List System.
Why are South Africans motivated to join a party?
South Africans recognise that it is easy to join or form a party and they stand a genuine chance through the use of The Party List System and so are more encouraged to take part.
Why is joining a political party such a good way to take part in South African politics?
Joining a political party in SA opens up many opportunities for South Africans and is a very active form of participating even if your party is not the winner of the election.
