uk - democracy and participation

Question 1

what is direct democracy

Answer 1

when individuals express their opinions themselves by voting

Question 2

what is representative democracy

Answer 2

when individuals pass their authority to someone else and vote for someone else to represent them, e.g, local MPS

Question 3

what are some advantages of direct democracy

Answer 3

• greater participation
• individuals hold responsibility for their own choices
  -each vote counts
  -provides debate and a sense of community

Question 4

disadvantages of direct democracy

Answer 4

• politicians are more educated on some topics than the average citizens
• some people might just not bother to vote
• impractical in heavily populated countries
• open to manipulation by well articulated speakers

Question 5

what are some advantages of representative democracy

Answer 5

-more practical for large countries
- politicians are better educated
- reduces tyranny of the majority
-individuals can be held to account

Question 6

disadvantages of representative democracy

Answer 6

• minority views are still disregarded
  -politicians are corrupt
• reduced participation as authority is handed over
• politicians are good at avoiding accountability

Question 7

where is direct democracy used in a representative system

Answer 7

-national referendums; only 1 vote casted and its a simple yes/no. only 3 referendums in Uk, 2015,1975 EU Ref, 2011 AV Ref
- recall of MPs Act; if an MP is sentenced to imprisonment or is suspended in the commons then a petition must be signed and if 10% of party members sign it then the MP will be recalled.

Question 8

Positive democratic features in UK

Answer 8

• devolved governments
• free/fair elections
• free media
• pressure groups

Question 9

democratic deficit

Answer 9

some flaws in democracy, decision making is made by appointments who lack legitimacy and accountability

Question 10

where is the UK undemocratic

Answer 10

• FPTP
• Lack of protection for citizen rights
• Media controlled by capitalist
• HOL are unelected and lack expertise

Question 11

define participation crisis

Answer 11

when there is a significant amount of citizens who don’t engage in politics through voting or joining a political party

Question 12

define legitimacy

Answer 12

the legal right to exercise power

Question 13

define pluralist democracy

Answer 13

a type of government in which they govern based on the interplay of various groups views

Question 14

define franchise/ suffrage

Answer 14

the right to vote

Question 15

define think tanks

Answer 15

experts that investigate/research and try to resolve social/political issues.

Question 16

define lobbyist

Answer 16

individuals who are paid by clients to attempt to influence government , MPS when passing legislation or proposing legislation.

Question 17

voter turnout

Answer 17

a term used to describe the amount of citizens that vote at elections. a measuring method

Question 18

what was the average voter turnout from 1945-1997

Answer 18

71%- since then its dropped but the last 3 GE’s are slowly staring to catch up

Question 19

why are people less likely to vote in local elections

Answer 19

because they don’t think that the local bodies/parties will benefit them

Question 20

why are people less likely to vote in by-elections

Answer 20

because they aren’t voting for government so they don’t think its important

Question 21

what can be done to reform the UK system

Answer 21

• lower voting age to 16
• allow people to vote anywhere in their constituencies rather than one allocated poll station
• move voting day to weekends instead of Thursday
  -allow voting to be carried over several days
• e-voting; but there security issues, such as cyberattacks, elderly will struggle to use it

Question 22

who were the suffragists

Answer 22

women who wanted to achieve equality/change in a peaceful manner

Question 23

who were the suffragettes

Answer 23

women who wanted to achieve change but used militant methods

Question 24

what methods did the suffragists use

Answer 24

• walking/protesting
  -lobbying
  -petitions

Question 25

what methods did the suffragettes use

Answer 25

• caused fires
• smashed windows
• Emily Davison- ran in front of kings horse
• chained themselves to railings

Question 26

1832 Reform Act

Answer 26

• abolished separate representation for ‘rotten boroughs’ and giving more votes to urban areas such as Manchester
• allowed tenant farm owners and property owners to vote
• new eligibility, must pay £10 annually for rent; mainly middle class men who grew in importance due to the industrial revolution
• WC men still couldn’t vote as they couldn’t afford to own properties

Question 27

1918 Rep of People Act

Answer 27

• gave vote to all males 21
• women who were married, 30 , graduates or land owners could vote
  -passed by a coalition gov
• this was mainly passed due to the pressure from WW1

Question 28

1928 Rep of People Act

Answer 28

• everyone 21 and over could vote
• passed by conservative government

Question 29

1969 Rep of People Act

Answer 29

• voting age lowered to 18
• attitudes to adulthood had changed
  -passed by a Labour gov

Question 30

recent case study for extending franchise

Answer 30

• 16/17 year old left out of suffrage
• Votes @ 16 coalition made in 2004
• was studied by electoral commission but no changes made
• labour, Lib Dem and snp still kept this alive
• after Scottish ref in 2014 - 16/17 year olds could vote
• in the UK all parties support votes@16 except conservative

Question 31

what is a pressure group

Answer 31

a group that attempts to influence public policy for a particular cause

Question 32

what are the 3 types of pressure groups

Answer 32

cause, sectional, social

Question 33

sectional groups?

Answer 33

promote the interest of members of the group
usually are professional workers
e.g., trade unions represent members by striking for higher pay

Question 34

cause groups?

Answer 34

groups that don’t have an entry criteria
seek to achieve a certain goal
anyone who agrees can support this cause
e.g., Greenpeace advocates for environmental change
members don’t have to fit the social group- don’t have to be homeless to support homeless shelters

Question 35

social movements?

Answer 35

similar to cause groups but have less structure
politically radical and seek to support a certain interest, e.g., BLM
members may be from traditional pressure groups, but some may just support the cause