Participation and voting behaviour- participating in politics Flashcards
What is Politics
the development of knowledge and understanding of government and society.
What is Equality
belief that people should be treated equally and given equal opportunities
What are Authoritarian regimes?
non-democratic countries w/ very strong central direction and control
what is the difference between power and authority
Power= ability to get things done authority= ability to achieve goals because the majority accept it as the governments right to tell them what to do (not forced)
what did Hay describe politics as being
“concerned with the distribution, exercise and consequences of power”
what does legitimate mean
where the authority of the government is widely accepted by those who are subject to it
what is participation
the involvement of the population in forms of political engagement
what are the key elements of a representative democracy (7)
popular control of policy makers, open and organised opposition, political equality, political freedoms, majority rule, free and fair elections, lawmaking by elected representatives
what is pluralism
diverse and competing sources of power which seek to exert influence over the government (pressure groups)
why can democracy be seen as elitist in some ways
because it is few (government) acting for many (electorate)
what is Limited Government
checks and limitations on the power of government - secures essential liberties
what are civil liberties and civil rights
the existence of essential public freedoms like freedom of speech, right to vote and right to a fair trial
what is an open government
non-secretive government that is fair and accountable
what is an independent judiciary
a just and impartial, independent legal system based on equal access to the law
what does it mean to have a free and open media
newspapers and broadcasting being allowed to operate freely without government pressure
