Participation Flashcards
What is informal participation
Includes a range of ‘bottle up’, grassroots activities, e.g. online activism such a signing a petition, purchasing or boycotting products for political reasons, and discussing politics with friends and family
What is formal participation
The election of representatives, voting in referendums, membership of political parties and attending public meetings
Why is there a decline in formal participation
-lack of trust in political leaders because of scandals
-negative media representation of politics
-a perceived lack of accountability arising from the transfer of some decision-making powers away from the UK elected officials
What has resulted in a fundamental shift in UK political culture
The rise of a 24 hour mass media
The emergence of new media
Political activity once tended to collective action and focus on responsibilities how has this changed?
It is not focused on rights therefore single issue pressure groups, direct action, and online activities have prospered
What is clicktivism
Refers to the more intuitive, low intensity participation that arrives from the proliferation of single click flagging button is present on the main social media platforms eg retweeting and liking
Why is collectivism degraded
it is seen as a feel good “easy “activism or overly convenient alternative to the effort and legitimacy of traditional engagement
How many signatures do you need to get on an online petition to get a government response
10,000
How many signatures do you get on an online petition to be considered for debate in parliament
100,000
Examples of Gladiator activities
-holding office
-candidate for office
-Active party membership
-Contributing time in acampaign
Examples of transitional activities
-attending a political rally
-donating money to a party
-contacting an official
What are spectator activities
-wearing a button
-trying to talk someone into voting a certain way
-political discussions
-voting

What is Hactivism
Seen as an extreme manifestation of regular pressure group activities. Groups such as Anonymous have moved against corporations, governments and establishment institutions by taking control of the websites (‘their public face’) or launching denial of service attack designed to block or crash the server
What is majoritarian democracy 
Where the government is based on the majority support of those who inhabit a given territory
What is participatory/consultative democracy?
Where a more conventional representative democracy incorporates elements of direct democracy (such as public enquiries, referendums, citizens assemblies or elements of e-democracy) with a view of engaging the border citizenry in the policy-making process
