Political systems Flashcards
Essay plan for representative vs direct democracy
Intro
Define direct democracy
Define representative democracy
Outline key features
Mention the line of argument you will follow
Main body 1 - participation
Point -
Explain -
Example - brexit
Analyse -
Balance - voter fatigue
Evaluate -
Main body 2 - reliance on politicians
Point -
Explain -
Example - expenses scandal, party gate
Analyse -
Balance -
Evaluate
Main body 3 - legitimacy
Point -
Explain -
Example -
Analyse -
Balance - low voter turnout, minority make decisions for masses
Evaluate -
Main body 4 - control
Point -
Explain -
Example -
Analyse -
Balance -
Evaluate -
Conclusion
Restate line of argument
Briefly summarise each side of the debate
Provide overall answer to question.
define direct democracy
in a direct democracy, citizens actively participate by voting on issues concerning them through various referenda and elections.
define representative democracy
representative democracies rely on elected representatives to make decisions on behalf of the people
how is a direct democracy better in terms of participation
people are able to make a decision which directly comes into place from their votes,
this increases political literacy rates because people will learn more about politics in order to make the right decisions to benefit them because they feel their opinions matter
whats an example of participation in direct democracy
2014 scottish independence referendum voter turnout was 85%
analysis of voter turn out in scottish independence referendum for participation
this shows that people are more likely to vote on issues they care about if they know that their vote is being directly contributed to the overall decision made.
they feel involved in running country
analysis/balance of voter fatigue
on the contrary, within a direct democracy there are countless elections per year, this can cause the issue of “voter fatigue” this is when voters become disengaged and not present for voting in the elections due to the sheer amount of times they have to vote.
example of voter fatigue
one example of this is in Switzerland, Switzerland uses direct democracy as their political system. As a result in Switzerland the average turnout for referndums was at 49.2% in 2011
analysis of voter turnout in switzerland for voter fatigue
this shows that as a result of the amount of referndums and elections that are held in Switzerland the minority of people voting are doing so for the masses.
evaluation of participation
how is a direct democracy better in terms of reliance on politicians
removes reliance on possibly self-serving or corrupt politicians.
within representative democracy there is a possiblility of politicians making the decision out of their best interest, rather than that of the publics,
example - expenses scandal 2009
in 2009, MPs claimed work expenses and used it on personal expenses which essentially meant they were using tax payers money to buy things for themselves.
analysis of expenses scandal
due to the expenses scandal, politicians began to become untrustworthy to the public
“if they cant be trusted with their expenses how can they be trusted to run the country”
How can they be trusted to govern the nation if they can’t be trusted with their spending?
balance
elected representatives have experience and are highly educated on politics which means the people making the final decision are politically educated possibly unlike many of the citizens of a country
view of plato for reliance on politicians
Greek philosopher Plato believed in a representative democracy because he believed that the masses lacked the intellect to make important decisions. Plato used the steering ship analogy to show as much as a captain is needed to steer a ship, so too politicians and experts are needed to govern the country.
evaluation of reliance on politicians
how is direct democracy better in terms of legitimacy
with people voting directly on an issue, it makes it seen as the more legitimate form of democracy
example
analyse
balance - voter turn out
although within direct democracies the voter turn out tends to be lower than that of a representative democracy. for example, if the voter turn out is less than 50 % this creates less legitimacy in the decision made because the small minority have made the decision for the masses
evaluate - legitimacy
how is control better in a direct democracy
example
