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Politics > Unit 1: Participation and Democracy > Flashcards

Unit 1: Participation and Democracy Flashcards

1
Q

What is a constitutional democracy?

A

A democracy that operates within a clear constitutional framework and focuses on inidividual freedom and minority rights

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2
Q

What is a majoritatian democracy?

A

A form of democracy based on the principle of majority rule and the collective interests of society are placed above paritucular or minority interests

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3
Q

What is the main benefit of representative democracy?

A

It allows the people to decide who governs while the day-to-day policy making is left in the hands of professionals.

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4
Q

What are the core features of UK democracy? [3]

A
  • democratic elections
  • parliament
  • pressure groups
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5
Q

What are the supplementary features of UK democracy? [3]

A
  • referendums
  • devolution
  • the European Parliament
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6
Q

What features make UK elections democratic? [3]

A
  • free and fair
  • based on universal suffrage
  • competitive and provide electoral choice
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7
Q

What are the main features of free and fair elections in the UK? [5]

A
  • the secret ballot, introduced in 1872
  • ‘one person, one vote’ established in 1948
  • proportional representation for elections to political bodies created since 1997
  • the electoral commission, established in 2000
  • fixed-term parliaments, introduced by Cameron (contestable)
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8
Q

What are the objectives of the Electoral Commission? [2]

A
  • well-run: -elections -electoral registration -referendums

- transparency and compliance in party and election finance

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9
Q

What are the main responsibilities of the Electoral Commission? [6]

A
  • reports on elections and referendums
  • consultants for changes to election law and electoral procedures
  • regulate referendum questions
  • register political parties
  • establish and enforce rules on election finance
  • publish details of party/candidate finance details
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10
Q

What are key benefits of direct democracy? [4]

A
  • genuine/pure democracy. collective destiny/general will
  • personal development - educational benefits. creates better informed and more interested citizens through regular participation - greater understanding of how society does and should work
  • end of professional politics - ends public’s dependence on self-serving career politicians.
  • legitimate government - people are more likely to accept decisions they made themselves. take all responsibility.
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11
Q

List the devolution referendums since 1997 [7]

A
  • 1997 Scottish Parliament/tax varying powers (‘Yes’ 74% / 64%) (Turnout 60%)
  • 1997 Welsh Assembly (‘Yes 50%) (Turnout 50%)
  • 1998 Good Friday Agreement - Northern Ireland Assembly (‘Yes’ 72%) (Turnout 80%)
  • 1998 Greater London Authority (‘Yes’ 72%) (Turnout 34%)
  • 2004 Northeast England Assembly (‘No’ 78%) (Turnout 48%)
  • 2011 Welsh Assembly primary legislative powers (‘Yes’ 63%) (Turnout 35%)
  • 2011 AV (‘No’ 68%) (Turnout 42%)
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12
Q

Which five referendums were laid out in the 2010 coalition’s programme for government?

A
  • introduction of AV vote (‘No)
  • any further transfer of power to Brussels
  • further Welsh devolution (primary legislative powers) (‘Yes’)
  • creation of directly elected mayors in the 12 largest English cities (mostly ‘No’)
  • the possibility of local referendums on any local issue, instigated by residents (but were already possible to a lesser extent)
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13
Q

Why has there been a revived interest in referendums? [3]

A
  • Lib Dems in government; have always been proponents of electoral reform
  • Since 1997; convention of public endorsement of constitutional reform
  • good way of avoiding conflict in a divided or coalition government
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14
Q

What are the main features of a majoritarian democracy? [5]

A
  • protects society
  • parliamentary sovereignty
  • majoritarian elections
  • single-party rule
  • centralized government
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15
Q

What are the main features of a constitutional democracy? [5]

A
  • protects the individual
  • divided sovereignty
  • proportional elections
  • coalitions
  • fragmented government
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16
Q

Between 1945 and 1992, what was the average turnout in UK elections?

A

-above 75%

17
Q

What year and what percentage was the lowest UK general election turnout?

A
  • 2001

- 59%

18
Q

What was the 2005 UK general election turnout and what are the probable reasons for the rise [2]?

A
  • 61%
  • postal voting
  • Iraq war controversy
19
Q

What was the 2010 UK general election turnout and what are the probable reasons for the rise [2]?

A
  • 65%
  • narrow margins in polls
  • first televised leaders’ debates
20
Q

What percentage of the UK population was a party member in the 50s, in 1983 and in 2010?

A
  • 7%
  • 3.8%
  • 1%
21
Q

What is meant by the decline of ‘social capital’, and what factors may have caused this?

A
  • the decline in trust and social connectedness which promote stability, cohesion and prosperity (‘I’ into ‘we’)
  • the growth of individualism (e.g. Thatcherism ‘rugged individualism’), materialism and consumerism
22
Q

Which three key factors have contributed to the decline in participation?

A
  • the public (decline in social capital)
  • the media (hype culture, tabloid press, culture of contempt)
  • politicians
23
Q

For what possible reasons are modern politicians held in such low regard? [4]

A
  • lack of vision - catch all parties, career politics (whereby politics is an end in itself)
  • age of spin - growth of media –> greater importance of presentation (how things appear, not as they are) –> creates untrustworthy image of politicians –> leads back to negative press
  • lack of choice - consensus politics, unimportant outcome, Lab/Con chase of middle class votes and abandonment of traditional ideologies
  • electoral strategies - targeting of key seats/voters - voters in majority seats are ignored
24
Q

What is a citizen’s jury?

A

-a panel of randomly chosen non-specialists used to deliberate on and express views about issues of public policy

25
Q

What are recall elections and do they take place in the UK?

A
  • a special election usually precipitated by a popular partition that forces an official to seek re-election before they end of their term in office
  • their use was proposed by the coalition but the proposal was shelved
26
Q

What is the concern about the coalition’s proposals on alternative ways of participation?

A

-that they are a form of ‘fig leaf democracy’ which give an impression that the government is listening to the public without sharing any actual policy-making power

27
Q

What are six major arguments for the use of referendums?

A
  • direct democracy
  • political education
  • responsive government
  • reduced government power
  • constitutional changes
  • moral or ethical issues
28
Q

What are five major arguments against the use of referendums?

A
  • ill-informed decisions by the public
  • weakens parliament
  • irresponsible government
  • strengthens government (deciding when/what etc.)
  • unreliable views
29
Q

What are four major arguments for the lowering of the voting age?

A
  • responsibilities without rights (e.g. leaving home, getting married etc.)
  • youth interests ignored by politicians
  • stronger political engagement
  • irrational cut-off age - many ill informed adults
30
Q

What are four major arguments against the lowering of the voting age?

A
  • immature voters - not full citizens, mostly uninterested
  • preserving childhood
  • deferred representation, not ignored
  • undermining turnout
31
Q

What are four major arguments for the increased usage of digital democracy?

A
  • easier participation
  • access to information
  • two-way democratic process
  • ease of organisation e.g. referendums
32
Q

What are three major arguments against the increased usage of digital democracy?

A
  • electoral malpractice e.g. electoral malpractice 2005 with introduction of postal voting
  • ‘virtual’ democracy - could demean politics - a series of consumer choices
  • digital divide - access to new technology is not universal
33
Q

Why is democratic elections a key feature of the UK’s democratic system?

A
  • free and fair elections (secret ballot 1972)
  • universal adult suffrage 1928
  • electoral choice (allows electors to vote for parties they most prefer which is ensured through competition between parties e.g. Con and Liberals during 19th century and Con and Lab during 20th century and today. There has also been a proliferation of parties e.g nationalist parties such as Plaid Cymru and SNP)
34
Q

Why is Parliament a key feature of the UK’s democratic system?

A
  • Parliament lies at the heart of the democratic process
  • Parliament is the main institution which links government to the people
  • It upholds representative and responsible government
  • ensure representation through the dominant chamber of House of Commons
  • MPs are meant to represent their constituencies and HoC serves as the debating chamber therefore maintains deliberative democracy
  • ensures responsible government by scrutinising and overseeing it
35
Q

Why are Pressure Groups a key feature of the UK’s democratic system?

A
  • they give a political voice to minorities that are ignored by majoritarian parliamentary system
  • provide a way in which electorate can exert influence between elections
  • vehicle for public participation beyond the ritualistic act of voting
  • while election turnout is falling, PG membership is on the increase
36
Q

Why are Referendums a feature of the UK’s democratic system?

A
  • since 1997 referendums have been more widely used in the UK due to the prominent issue of constitutional reform (imminent Scottish Independence referendum)
  • these issues should be left to the public to decide and were revived with the coalition government (lib dem strong support)
  • most important referendum was in 1975 on continued membership in the EC which held together Wilson’s deeply divided labour party over the issue of Europe
37
Q

Why is devolution a key feature of the UK’s democratic system?

A
  • strengthened democracy by giving nations in UK to have a political voice. representation of Scottish, Irish and Welsh MPs were always dominated by English MPs in HoC
  • could express views about nationalistic views
  • strengthened civil engagement and political education

Politics (6 decks)

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