1. Democracy and participation Flashcards
(102 cards)
1
Q
Democracy
A
Rule by the people or ‘people power’.
2
Q
Representative democracy
A
Where citizens elect representatives to formulate legislation and take other decisions on their behalf.
3
Q
Liberal democracy
A
a style of democracy incorporating free and fair elections with a belief in the importance of certain key rights and responsibilities.
Liberal democracies extend the right to vote (the franchise) widely among citizens. They guarantee freedom of speech and allow the people to assemble and petition for the redress of grievances.
4
Q
Totalitarian democracy
A
where citizens of a given state are granted the right to vote but are unable to choose between candidates representing parties other than the one in power.
Totalitarian democracies are ‘top-down’; citizens are not allowed any real input into the policymaking process.
5
Q
Majoritarian democracy
A
where the government is based on the majority support of those who inhabit a given territory.
This form of democracy has the potential to see minorities marginalised and excluded from the policy-making process.
6
Q
Consensual democracy
A
where there is a conscious effort to reach out in a more inclusive way to all groups within a given territory as opposed to simply seeking to carry the support of a majority.
7
Q
Parliamentary democracy
A
where the executive part of government is drawn from the elected legislature and is, in turn, accountable to it.
8
Q
Consultative or participatory democracy
A
where a more conventional representative democracy incorporates elements of direct democracy — such as public inquiries, referendums, citizens’ assemblies or elements of e-democracy — with a view to engaging the broader citizenry in the policy-making process
9
Q
Pluralist democracy
A
a system of government that encourages participation and allows for free and fair competition between competing interests
10
Q
characteristics of a pluralist democracy…
A
there will be a diverse range of competing interests there will be numerous access points — points of leverage where pressure groups can exert influence no single group will be able to exclude any other from the political process
11
Q
Direct democracy
A
Where citizens are given a direct input into the decision-making process
12
Q
Referendum
A
A vote on a single issue put to a public ballot by the government of the day. Referendums offer a degree of direct democracy. They are generally framed in the form of a simple ‘yes/no’ question
13
Q
Initiative
A
A process by which citizens can call a referendum, normally by collecting a predetermined number of signatures on a petition.
14
Q
Recall
A
A device that allows citizens to unseat an elected official before the end of their term in office
15
Q
The Electoral Commission’s ‘Question Assessment Guidelines’ The question should
A
- prompt an immediate response
- be well structured
- reflect the language used and understood by the voter
- be consistent
16
Q
The Electoral Commission’s ‘Question Assessment Guidelines’ The question should not
A
- have positive or negative connotations. lead voters in a particular direction. be loaded.
- contain ‘jargon’. provide more information than is necessary to answer the question meaningfully.
- be longer than necessary
17
Q
Political culture
A
The ideas, beliefs and attitudes that shape political behaviour within a given area. It describes the way in which citizens collectively view the political system and their status and role within it.
18
Q
Homogeneity
A
the belief that citizens shared a common heritage and identity; a sense of togetherness that transcended what divided them
19
Q
Consensus
A
where UK citizens accepted the basic ‘rules of the game’.
These rules include the need for
- toleration,
- pragmatism,
- peaceful negotiation and
- compromise
20
Q
Deference
A
the idea that people deferred to an elite that was regarded as being ‘born to rule’, that there was a natural willingness to accept an ingrained, class-based inequality and a rigid social hierarchy.
21
Q
Political participation
A
Collectively refers to the range of ways in which citizens can involve themselves in the political process
22
Q
Franchise
A
The franchise is the right to vote as established by parliamentary statute. The vast majority of adult UK citizens have the right to vote.
23
Q
Turnout
A
The percentage of registered voters who cast a ballot in a given election
24
Q
Legitimacy
A
The legal right or authority to exercise power. A government claims legitimacy as a result of the mandate it secures at a general election.
25
Mandate
The doctrine of the mandate gives the governing party the authority to pursue its stated policies but does not require it to do so or prevent it from introducing proposals not included in its manifesto
26
Mandate explained
The doctrine of the mandate gives the governing party the authority to pursue its stated policies but does not require it to do so or prevent it from introducing proposals not included in its manifesto
27
Mandate example
In its 1997 general election manifesto, New Labour promised both to remove the rights of hereditary peers to sit and vote in the House of Lords and to move towards a more democratic and more representative second chamber.
It largely delivered on the first of these pledges with the House of Lords Act (1999).
28
Differential turnout
Where the national turnout figure recorded at a given election masks differences in turnout by constituency or by region.
29
factors which account for differential turnout
* how marginal an individual seat or election is (is there a chance to make a real change?)
* the electoral system in operation (do people think that their vote will count?)
* local or national issues and controversies the ‘intensity’ of the campaign media attention (lesser or greater media activity in one constituency or in a given election may affect turnout)
30
Political apathy
A state of passivity or indifference towards political institutions and their associated processes — linked to a decline in political participation
31
‘Hapathy’
the idea that voters may abstain from voting as a result of happiness with (as opposed to indifference towards) the way in which they are being governed
32
Canvassing
Where local party activists go from door to door in an effort to assess (i.e. canvass) the strength of support and win over floating voters.
33
Participation crisis
The view that declining levels of political participation in the UK threaten to undermine its democratic systems.
34
POWER inquiry
An inquiry from 2006 into the state of political participation in the UK initiated by the Joseph Rowntree Trust.
The inquiry resulted in the publication of the *POWER Report: Power to the People: The Report of POWER — An Independent Inquiry into Britain’s Democracy*.
35
Recommendations of the POWER inquir
* A rebalancing of power away from the executive and unaccountable bodies towards parliament and local government.
* The introduction of greater responsiveness and choice into the electoral and party systems.
* Allowing citizens a much more direct and focused say over political decisions and policies.
36
Subsidiarity
The principle that decisions should be taken at the lowest tier of government possible.
37
e-democracy
The greater use of the internet, mobile phones and other electronic media as a means of enhancing the operation of existing political institutions and processes, and encouraging greater political participation
38
e-democracy top-down
initiatives by the government, or local authorities, often with the goals of lowered costs, or increased efficiency, transparency and convenience
39
e-democracy bottom-up
initiated by citizens and activists at the grassroots level.
These generally aim to increase transparency, accountability or convenience as well as to inform, educate and campaign
40
e-democracy one-way processes
dissemination of information from the government to citizen
41
e-democracy two-way processes
public opinion polls, or consultation on draft bills.
Such two-way, interactive forms of web-based e-democracy are often referred to as Web 2.0 applications
42
Examples of e-democracy in the UK
* **www.parliamentlive.tv** (top-down, one-way). This website carries live and archived coverage of all public proceedings in parliament.
* **http://theyworkforyou.com** (bottom-up, two-way). This website provides a searchable, annotatable version of what is said in parliament. Used by over 100,000 visitors a month, it provides information on a range of different measures of activities by MPs, such as parliamentary appearances and voting patterns.
* **http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk** (bottom-up, two-way). This website allows members of the public to petition the government about whatever issues they see fit. One of the most popular petitions, on road pricing, received over 1.8 million signatures.
* **www.mysociety.org** (bottom-up, two-way). This is a hub that provides links to many of the sites above — but also a group providing support to other individuals hoping to establish similar citizen-led web initiatives
43
Rule by the people or ‘people power’.
Democracy
44
Where citizens elect representatives to formulate legislation and take other decisions on their behalf.
Representative democracy
45
a style of democracy incorporating free and fair elections with a belief in the importance of certain key rights and responsibilities.
Liberal democracies extend the right to vote (the franchise) widely among citizens. They guarantee freedom of speech and allow the people to assemble and petition for the redress of grievances.
Liberal democracy
46
where citizens of a given state are granted the right to vote but are unable to choose between candidates representing parties other than the one in power.
Totalitarian democracies are ‘top-down’; citizens are not allowed any real input into the policymaking process.
Totalitarian democracy
47
where the government is based on the majority support of those who inhabit a given territory.
This form of democracy has the potential to see minorities marginalised and excluded from the policy-making process.
Majoritarian democracy
48
where there is a conscious effort to reach out in a more inclusive way to all groups within a given territory as opposed to simply seeking to carry the support of a majority.
Consensual democracy
49
where the executive part of government is drawn from the elected legislature and is, in turn, accountable to it.
Parliamentary democracy
50
where a more conventional representative democracy incorporates elements of direct democracy — such as public inquiries, referendums, citizens’ assemblies or elements of e-democracy — with a view to engaging the broader citizenry in the policy-making process
Consultative or participatory democracy
51
a system of government that encourages participation and allows for free and fair competition between competing interests
Pluralist democracy
52
there will be a diverse range of competing interests there will be numerous access points — points of leverage where pressure groups can exert influence no single group will be able to exclude any other from the political process
characteristics of a pluralist democracy…
53
Where citizens are given a direct input into the decision-making process
Direct democracy
54
A vote on a single issue put to a public ballot by the government of the day. Referendums offer a degree of direct democracy. They are generally framed in the form of a simple ‘yes/no’ question
Referendum
55
A process by which citizens can call a referendum, normally by collecting a predetermined number of signatures on a petition.
Initiative
56
A device that allows citizens to unseat an elected official before the end of their term in office
Recall
57
* prompt an immediate response
* be well structured
* reflect the language used and understood by the voter
* be consistent
The Electoral Commission’s ‘Question Assessment Guidelines’ The question should
58
* have positive or negative connotations. lead voters in a particular direction. be loaded.
* contain ‘jargon’. provide more information than is necessary to answer the question meaningfully.
* be longer than necessary
The Electoral Commission’s ‘Question Assessment Guidelines’ The question should not
59
The ideas, beliefs and attitudes that shape political behaviour within a given area. It describes the way in which citizens collectively view the political system and their status and role within it.
Political culture
60
the belief that citizens shared a common heritage and identity; a sense of togetherness that transcended what divided them
Homogeneity
61
where UK citizens accepted the basic ‘rules of the game’.
These rules include the need for
* toleration,
* pragmatism,
* peaceful negotiation and
* compromise
Consensus
62
the idea that people deferred to an elite that was regarded as being ‘born to rule’, that there was a natural willingness to accept an ingrained, class-based inequality and a rigid social hierarchy.
Deference
63
Collectively refers to the range of ways in which citizens can involve themselves in the political process
Political participation
64
The franchise is the right to vote as established by parliamentary statute. The vast majority of adult UK citizens have the right to vote.
Franchise
65
The percentage of registered voters who cast a ballot in a given election
Turnout
65
The percentage of registered voters who cast a ballot in a given election
Turnout
66
The legal right or authority to exercise power. A government claims legitimacy as a result of the mandate it secures at a general election.
Legitimacy
66
The legal right or authority to exercise power. A government claims legitimacy as a result of the mandate it secures at a general election.
Legitimacy
67
The doctrine of the mandate gives the governing party the authority to pursue its stated policies but does not require it to do so or prevent it from introducing proposals not included in its manifesto
Mandate
67
The doctrine of the mandate gives the governing party the authority to pursue its stated policies but does not require it to do so or prevent it from introducing proposals not included in its manifesto
Mandate
68
The doctrine of the mandate gives the governing party the authority to pursue its stated policies but does not require it to do so or prevent it from introducing proposals not included in its manifesto
Mandate explained
69
In its 1997 general election manifesto, New Labour promised both to remove the rights of hereditary peers to sit and vote in the House of Lords and to move towards a more democratic and more representative second chamber.
It largely delivered on the first of these pledges with the House of Lords Act (1999).
Mandate example
69
In its 1997 general election manifesto, New Labour promised both to remove the rights of hereditary peers to sit and vote in the House of Lords and to move towards a more democratic and more representative second chamber.
It largely delivered on the first of these pledges with the House of Lords Act (1999).
Mandate example
70
Where the national turnout figure recorded at a given election masks differences in turnout by constituency or by region.
Differential turnout
70
Where the national turnout figure recorded at a given election masks differences in turnout by constituency or by region.
Differential turnout
71
* how marginal an individual seat or election is (is there a chance to make a real change?)
* the electoral system in operation (do people think that their vote will count?)
* local or national issues and controversies the ‘intensity’ of the campaign media attention (lesser or greater media activity in one constituency or in a given election may affect turnout)
factors which account for differential turnout
71
* how marginal an individual seat or election is (is there a chance to make a real change?)
* the electoral system in operation (do people think that their vote will count?)
* local or national issues and controversies the ‘intensity’ of the campaign media attention (lesser or greater media activity in one constituency or in a given election may affect turnout)
factors which account for differential turnout
72
A state of passivity or indifference towards political institutions and their associated processes — linked to a decline in political participation
Political apathy
72
A state of passivity or indifference towards political institutions and their associated processes — linked to a decline in political participation
Political apathy
73
the idea that voters may abstain from voting as a result of happiness with (as opposed to indifference towards) the way in which they are being governed
‘Hapathy’
73
the idea that voters may abstain from voting as a result of happiness with (as opposed to indifference towards) the way in which they are being governed
‘Hapathy’
74
Where local party activists go from door to door in an effort to assess (i.e. canvass) the strength of support and win over floating voters.
Canvassing
74
Where local party activists go from door to door in an effort to assess (i.e. canvass) the strength of support and win over floating voters.
Canvassing
75
The view that declining levels of political participation in the UK threaten to undermine its democratic systems.
Participation crisis
75
The view that declining levels of political participation in the UK threaten to undermine its democratic systems.
Participation crisis
76
An inquiry from 2006 into the state of political participation in the UK initiated by the Joseph Rowntree Trust.
The inquiry resulted in the publication of the *POWER Report: Power to the People: The Report of POWER — An Independent Inquiry into Britain’s Democracy*.
POWER inquiry
76
An inquiry from 2006 into the state of political participation in the UK initiated by the Joseph Rowntree Trust.
The inquiry resulted in the publication of the *POWER Report: Power to the People: The Report of POWER — An Independent Inquiry into Britain’s Democracy*.
POWER inquiry
77
* A rebalancing of power away from the executive and unaccountable bodies towards parliament and local government.
* The introduction of greater responsiveness and choice into the electoral and party systems.
* Allowing citizens a much more direct and focused say over political decisions and policies.
Recommendations of the POWER inquir
77
* A rebalancing of power away from the executive and unaccountable bodies towards parliament and local government.
* The introduction of greater responsiveness and choice into the electoral and party systems.
* Allowing citizens a much more direct and focused say over political decisions and policies.
Recommendations of the POWER inquir
78
The principle that decisions should be taken at the lowest tier of government possible.
Subsidiarity
78
The principle that decisions should be taken at the lowest tier of government possible.
Subsidiarity
79
The greater use of the internet, mobile phones and other electronic media as a means of enhancing the operation of existing political institutions and processes, and encouraging greater political participation
e-democracy
79
The greater use of the internet, mobile phones and other electronic media as a means of enhancing the operation of existing political institutions and processes, and encouraging greater political participation
e-democracy
80
initiatives by the government, or local authorities, often with the goals of lowered costs, or increased efficiency, transparency and convenience
e-democracy top-down
80
initiatives by the government, or local authorities, often with the goals of lowered costs, or increased efficiency, transparency and convenience
e-democracy top-down
81
initiated by citizens and activists at the grassroots level.
These generally aim to increase transparency, accountability or convenience as well as to inform, educate and campaign
e-democracy bottom-up
81
initiated by citizens and activists at the grassroots level.
These generally aim to increase transparency, accountability or convenience as well as to inform, educate and campaign
e-democracy bottom-up
82
dissemination of information from the government to citizen
e-democracy one-way processes
83
public opinion polls, or consultation on draft bills.
Such two-way, interactive forms of web-based e-democracy are often referred to as Web 2.0 applications
e-democracy two-way processes
83
public opinion polls, or consultation on draft bills.
Such two-way, interactive forms of web-based e-democracy are often referred to as Web 2.0 applications
e-democracy two-way processes
84
* **www.parliamentlive.tv** (top-down, one-way). This website carries live and archived coverage of all public proceedings in parliament.
* **http://theyworkforyou.com** (bottom-up, two-way). This website provides a searchable, annotatable version of what is said in parliament. Used by over 100,000 visitors a month, it provides information on a range of different measures of activities by MPs, such as parliamentary appearances and voting patterns.
* **http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk** (bottom-up, two-way). This website allows members of the public to petition the government about whatever issues they see fit. One of the most popular petitions, on road pricing, received over 1.8 million signatures.
* **www.mysociety.org** (bottom-up, two-way). This is a hub that provides links to many of the sites above — but also a group providing support to other individuals hoping to establish similar citizen-led web initiatives
Examples of e-democracy in the UK
84
* **www.parliamentlive.tv** (top-down, one-way). This website carries live and archived coverage of all public proceedings in parliament.
* **http://theyworkforyou.com** (bottom-up, two-way). This website provides a searchable, annotatable version of what is said in parliament. Used by over 100,000 visitors a month, it provides information on a range of different measures of activities by MPs, such as parliamentary appearances and voting patterns.
* **http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk** (bottom-up, two-way). This website allows members of the public to petition the government about whatever issues they see fit. One of the most popular petitions, on road pricing, received over 1.8 million signatures.
* **www.mysociety.org** (bottom-up, two-way). This is a hub that provides links to many of the sites above — but also a group providing support to other individuals hoping to establish similar citizen-led web initiatives
Examples of e-democracy in the UK
