types of democracy

Question 1

Direct democracy features

Answer 1

people are engaged directly in political decision-making, making decisions for themselves
such descions are usually made on specific and limited issues at a time

Question 2

representative democracy features

Answer 2

people vote for someone to engage in poltical descion making on their behalf
usually representatives are elected by smaller sections of a society in constituencies in free and fair elections

Question 3

Direct democracy use in the UK

Answer 3

The most common form of direct democracy in the UK is the use of referendums
e.g. the referendums on devolution in 1997 and 1998
the Scottish independence referendum in 2014
and the Brexit referendum in 2016

Question 4

Represenative democracy use in the UK

Answer 4

The year has a range of representatives at different levels of government
e.g. MPs elected to serve in the UK Parliament
Scottish Welsh and northern Irish representatives elected to serve in devolved bodies
local councillors elected to local councils

Question 5

Direct democracy example

Answer 5

Brexit Referendum 2016
citizens voted on whether the UK should remain part of the European Union or not
72% of eligible voters turned out
52% of voters voted to leave the EU 48% voted to remain
this gave the Conservative government at the time the mandate to take the UK out of the EU which was achieved on the 31st of January 2020

Question 6

Representive democracy examples

Answer 6

The general election 2019
citizens voted on which party they wish to govern the country for up to the next five years based on manifestos that covered lots of issues
67% of illegible voters turned out 43.6% of voters voted for the Conservative party
32.1% voted for the labour party
and 11. 6% voted for the Liberal Democrat
this gave the Conservative party under Boris Johnson the mandate to govern the UK

Question 7

Similarities between direct democracy and representative democracy

Answer 7

both systems engage the population in political decision-making and encourage them to be politically educated in order to take part in the political system
Both systems recognise the people as the source of political power requiring the consent of the voters in representative democracy this consent gives legitimacy to the elected officials in direct democracy it gives legitimacy to the decision in the referendum
Both systems try to balance competing interest within a country often citizens and politicians do not agree on a single course of action both of these types of democracies tries to provide answers and political direction