Unit 1 Topic 1 - Democracy And Participation Flashcards
Definitions of Direct and Representative Democracy
Direct - A form of democracy where the electorate directly decides on the political issue without elected representatives acting on their behalves.
Representative - A form of democracy where the electorate has political decisions made on their behalves by an elected individual
Name 3 Features of direct democracy
Referendums
E - Petitions
Consultative exercises
What is a referendum? Provide 2 examples with statistics.
A referendum is a direct vote by the electorate on a single political issue.
The 2016 Brexit Referendum - 48 % voted to stay, 52 % voted leave. Turnout: 72%
The 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum - Against becoming an independent country - 55%, for = 45%
Turnout = 85%
What is an E Petition? How many signatures do they need to be considered for a debate in Parliament?
An E - petition is an online petition that people can vote on if they believe a law should be debated or produced.
If a petition revives 10,000 signatures it gets a response from government.
If a petition revives 100,000 signatures it is considered for a debate in parliament.
Example 1: Opt in - Opt out organ donation
Max and Keira’s law came into effect in 2020. The E - Petition received over 100,000 signatures and was debated in Parliament. This law changed organ donation from opt in to opt out, saving many lives.
Example 2: Raising the age limit to 16 years old for social media
The E - Petition received 130,000 signatures and was debated in parliament. Parliament decided not to impose the ban on social media for under 16 year olds, and you can watch a video of the debate online.
What is a Consultative Exercise? Name 2 Examples.
Kids Talk 2008:
South Downs….?:
3 features of representative democracy
3 Advantages of representative democracy
- Representatives have the expertise to deal with matters the public does not have the knowledge or the time to deal with.
- Representatives can be held to account for their actions at election time.
- Elected representatives are informed and able to go off of their better judgement - they would not be swayed by campaigns and emotional appeals like the public might.
3 disadvantages of representative democracy
- Representatives may not act in the best interests of their constituents- they may have to toe party line or be encouraged to vote a certain way by the party whip.
- It can be difficult to hold representatives to account between elections. (Recall of MPs?)
- Representative bodies are not always representatives- “tyranny of the majority”. They may ignore the concerns and needs of the minority.
3 advantages of direct democracy.
- Decisions made directly by the people have more legitimacy + can avoid delay and deadlock - the government is more likely to follow through if the decision has been made by the electorate themselves.
- Direct Democracy can help to educate people about political issues - the electorate may become more interested in political issues and may help the voter turnout if we give them more opportunity.
- It is the purest form of democracy - it’s the voice of the people.
3 disadvantages of direct democracy
- It can lead to the tyranny of the majority - the winning majority may simply ignore the concerns and need of the minority.
- Some people may be too easily swayed by campaigns and emotional appeals.
- Some issues may be too complex for ordinary citizens to understand.
- Low voter turnouts can limit the legitimacy of the vote - it does not give an accurate impression of the public’s opinion.
Definition of a casual pressure group
An assassination whose goal is to promote a particular cause, or set of beliefs or values
Name 3 features of a causal pressure group
They serve the whole community.
They often use direct action in the form of campaigns and public demonstrations
They seek widespread support. Anyone can become a member.
Name 2 causal pressure groups and give examples of their methods and successes
Liberty - insider pressure group
Methods:
- Carries out research and seeks to promote it through media campaigns.
- Works with government to advise on legislation + make sure it’s in line with the HRA.
Successes:
- In 2015 following the GE, Liberty launched a campaign to ‘save the HRA’ opposing the tories manifesto commitment to replace the HRA with a British bill of rights.
Greenpeace - outsider pressure group.
Methods:
- Lobbying
- consumer pressure
- research + exposing what they’ve found.
Successes:
- Investigated pollution levels + caused London to expand its ultra low emission zone.
- Helped persuade UK government to call for a global ban on deep sea mining.
What is a sectional pressure group?
These pressure groups represent a particular section of the community in the UK. Not everybody can be a member and they are usually self interested - they promote the interests of their own membership.
Give 2 examples of sectional pressure groups + their methods + their successes.
BMA (British Medical Association) - Core Insider pressure group.
Methods:
- Regular withdrawal of doctors + nurses that perform operations + treatments. This puts pressure on the government as waiting lists increase.
- Organise government meetings
Successes:
- In 2012 they started campaigning for a ban on smoking in cars carrying children. In 2014, a labour peer introduced an amendment to the 2014 children and families bill, banning smoking in cars carrying children.
What are insider pressure groups?
- Closely associated with the government.
- Can offer specialist advice when the government is drafting legislation.
- Powerful, well resourced groups that have connections with business / industry.
- Different types of insider pressure groups - peripheral insiders = groups that have insider status but are rarely needed by government.
What are outsider pressure groups?
- Lack links with government.
- Turn more to media attention + direct acting to try and influence.
- Some pressure groups are outsider by necessity- they choose violent tactics and are not compatible with government.
Definition of a think tank + their main role
A think tank is a public research organisation.
- Their main role is to carry out research and develop policy ideas that can be adopted by government.
- Usually they’re funded by wealthy patrons or business,
