Democracy Flashcards

Question

What is representation?

Answer 1

To provide representation for citizens e.g. every area has an MP that represents them

Answer 2

Representation Accountability Participation Power dispersal Legitimacy Education

Answer 3

To ensure those in power are held accountable for their actions e.g. Boris Johnson was made to resign after being found out for going to parties during COVID times ( lied to parliament)

Answer 4

To enable people to participate in the political process e.g. those over 18 can vote

Answer 5

To make sure one branch of the government cannot become too powerful e.g. the court system can check what the government/parliament is doing

Answer 6

To teach people how the political process works e.g. mock elections and school lessons (PHSE)

Answer 7

To make sure those in power deserve to be in power e.g. can only be in power if parliament supports you and UK citizens pick who is in parliament every 5 years

Answer 8

Democracy was born in Ancient Greece in the city state of Athens in around 500BC The Athenian leader Cleisthenes introduced a system of political reforms that he called demokratia or “rule by the people” in 507BC However only male citizens over the age of 18 could participate in the democratic process meaning only 40,000 people could Athenian democracy was made up of 3 important parts : The ekklesia (assembly), The Boule (council of 500 men) and the Dikasteria (popular courts) Ekklesia- decisions about war and foreign policy were made and the group made decision by simple majority vote so had a big say in the outcome of decline Boule- positions on the boule were chosen by lot and not by election, this was because a random lottery was more democratic than span election and choosing the people could not be influenced by things like money or popularity Dikasteria- every day more than 500 jurors were chosen by lot from a pool of male citizens older than 30, they were paid a wage for their work so that the job could be accessible to everyone and not just the wealthy Athenian Democracy ended around 460BC Athenian democracy was different from what we see in Britain today as they didn’t have universal suffrage as women and slaves couldn’t vote

Answer 9

Switzerland USA Britain

Answer 10

The use of referendums The use of recall petitions The use of Petitions and E-petitions The trialled use of citizens in assembly/jury

Answer 11

Delegate model- a delegate is someone who is elected to represent the views of others. In this system, the delegate has little control over what they do. Their job is to act as the mouthpiece of their constituents and do as they will Trustee model- a trustee is someone who is trusted to act on behalf of other and deploy their own judgement to make the best decisions on their constituents’ behalf. This model is deployed in Britain

Answer 12

The trustee model is also called the Burkean model, named after Edmund Burke In his speech in Bristol in 1774, he said that if you are an MP you must balance the needs of yourself, your country, and the community you represent (not just take into account the view of your constituents (a person that lives in the MP’s area) Examples of where the Trustee model was important to use: In the constituency of North Fife, Stephen Gethins became the MP by just two votes. He received 32.9% of the vote meaning that 67.1% of people in his constituency did not want him to be the MP, therefore following the Delegate model would be difficult for him In Brexit, 52% of the country voted to leave the EU however over 400 of 650 (61.5%) MP’s voted to remain in the EU

Answer 13

Each representative must have a clear constituency (a constituency is a specified area that a representative represents and is therefore accountable to) Representatives must be held accountable e.g. elections, however this is difficult as a petition cannot be started if the MP has not done one of three things

Answer 14

It is increasingly important that representatives should look like the UK In recent years, Parliament has begun to look like the population in recent years 0% of women in Parliament in 1920 18% of women in Parliament in 2000 34% of women inParliament in 2020 However women make just over 50% of the UK population so this is not represented well

Answer 15

MP’s are elected by a local constituency. However, they also have to represent the national interest. There are often times when what is best for the local constituency is not what is best nationally e.g. big infrastructure projects like HS2, it is good as whole for London and makes travel quicker but local people who live in the middle of London will be disrupted through building and so some villages may have to be destroyed, MPs need to think of the benefits the country will have not the problems their constituency will have

Answer 16

Modern liberal democracies are characterised by the existence of political parties. It is almost impossible to be elected in the UK as an independent. MPs will therefore need to try and ensure they carry out the manifesto promises of their party

Answer 17

MP’s have to represent local constituents or they risk not being re- elected in the future. They need to: Represent the interests of their constituency as a whole and sense the mood of the people within their constituency They will need to redress the grievances of individual constituents who may feel they have been unfairly treated They will need to listen to their constituents’ views on national issues, sometimes these may conflict with their own views

Answer 18

MP’a will be elected for what they stand for. There are certain groups in society who rely on them to advocate on their behalf e.g. Green MP Caroline Lucas, is seen as a voice for Green minded voters, even if she is not their MP e.g. Jess Phillips is a Labour MP and challenges domestic violence (represents a specific issue)

Answer 19

He thought that voting was a skill and not everyone has that skill People should need to qualify to vote People vote for people who promise them untrue stuff (dominated by populism) Without using the term, Socrates was warning about the dangers of populism

Answer 20

A political approach that strives to appeal to ordinary people who feel that their concerns are disregarded by established elite groups

Answer 21

Crises can make the activation of populist attitudes more likely e.g. a financial crash Widespread corruption plays straight into populist hands because if parties are found out to be highly corrupt then the whole party system is turned upside down and leads the way for the rise of populists The changing media environment also plays a role, with no more filtering newspapers, information online is direct and scandals and conflict fuel the sense of crisis that populists can draw on Populism varies with geography, in Northern Europe, successful populists are mainly radical rightwing populists

Answer 22

Clement Atlee was British PM from 1945-1951 Prior to 1945, Referendums were associated with Nazi Germany where Hitler used plebiscites to confirm support for his policies e.g. 1934- Hitler held a referendum on his assumption of the Presidency and pronouncement of himself as ‘Fuhrer’, 89.9% of Germans voted in favour of this e.g. 1938- A referendum was held on the Anschluss between Germany and Austria, 99.7% voted in favour of thus policy So traditionally, there was a concern that the Referendums would undermine Parliamentary Sovereignty- a very important doctrine within the UK constitution, however, since 1975, they have increased dramatically in their use within the UK

Answer 23

A referendum is a general vote by the electorate on a single political question which has been referred to them for a decision or opinion

Answer 24

An advisory referendum- This is a referendum which allows citizens to express their opinion, but it is not binding on the government, an advisory referendum has never been held on a national level, however they are held on local levels quite often A pre-legislative referendum- This is a referendum held before a law is passed and the law will depend on the result of the referendum e.g. EU referendum 2016 A post-legislative referendum- This is a referendum held after a law is passed to confirm whether people are satisfied with it e.g. EEC Referendum in 2016 Technically, all referendums in the UK are advisory because of Parliamentary sovereignty, however, in reality, referendums are politically binding when called

Answer 25

All the people in a country or area who are entitled to vote in an election

Answer 26

Not all referendums held are official In 2017 in the region of Catalonia, a region of Spain in which there is a strong urge for independence, there was a referendum held but it was classed as unofficial so was not put into action The legitimacy of Referendums comes from the fact that they are granted by Parliament/Government

Answer 27

Citizens vote for MPs in an election A government is formed based on the make-up of Parliament, the government proposes laws The parliament (the House of Commons and the House of Lords vote on these proposals) Voters have a new say on these laws at the next general election The most important Statute laws (in the UK) have been passed in this way: Human rights act 1998 House of Lords act 1999- reformed the House of Lords by removing all but 92 hereditary peers Constitutional reform act 2005- reformed the Judiciary and created the UK Supreme Court

Answer 28

The electoral commission (in charge of regulating how things work) changed the wording from “do you agree that Scotland should be an independent country” to “should Scotland be an independent country” this was because the commission said the question must be presented clearly, simply, and neutrally Martin Boom argued that the original question was a problem because he said that asking “do you agree?” puts the question in an overwhelmingly positive light, and Professor O’Donnell argued that there was a lack of context within the question so that was a problem, this is relevant to the Brexit referendum as Brexit was also a very over complicated question

Answer 29

The Conservative Party had been tearing itself apart over the issue of the EU for 20 years In 1988 Thatcher gave her Bruges speech in which she indicated her increasing Euroscepticism: “To try to suppress nationhood and concentrate power at the centre of a European conglomerate would be highly damaging and would jeopardise the objectives we seek to achieve” Divisions about the issue of Europe saw a split in her cabinet and were a main reason that her government eventually fell David Cameron’s famous party confidence speech from 2006: “While parents worried about childcare, getting the kids to school, balancing work and family life -we were banging on about Europe” The Brexit referendum was part of the Conservative Manifesto in 2015, they promised that if they won a majority they would hold a referendum on the EU, he said in his autobiography “it was right to try to get a better deal for us in Europe”

Answer 30

In 2013, David Cameron promised that if the Conservatives won a majority at the next General Election, he would hold an in/out referendum on whether to remain in the EU He said this was in the British interest as it would settle the European issue once and for all However in reality he may have done so to combat the electoral threat of UKIP

Answer 31

Two options- remain a member of the EU, leave the EU Leave isn’t descriptive, what does it actually mean, will there be free trade?

Answer 32

The term franchise refers to the right to vote in public elections

Answer 33

The franchise is still not completely universal, these people cannot vote: Children (however 16 year olds can vote in Scottish + Welsh elections) The King (or other senior members in the Royal family) Anyone sitting in the House of Commons Anyone convicted of an electoral fraud People serving a custodial prison sentence How would this group have been bigger in the 1900? Women couldn’t vote (only could in 1918) People who didn’t own property couldn’t vote The working class couldn’t vote

Answer 34

Before 1832, the electrical systems in the UK were in disarray Many of the laws governing the franchise were centuries old Many new industrial cities like Manchester and Leeds (despite having large populations) were not even represented by an MP Less than 3% of the population were eligible to vote in General Election

Answer 35

A rotten borough is a seat in which the representation no longer matches the electorate This was because the boundaries had not been adjusted to take into account changes in demographics e.g: Old Sarum-7 voters Gatton- 7 voters Newton-23 voters Whilst Manchester, with 700,000 people, had no seat in Parliament in 1831

Answer 36

Women now have the vote, but they are still underrepresented in UK politics 3 PMs have been female- Margaret Thatcher, Theresa May and Liz Truss 4 leaders of the 3 main political parties have been female- Margaret Thatcher, Theresa May, Jo Swinson and Liz Truss One suggested solution that has been tried is the introduction of ‘all-women shortlists’ How successful have they been? The Equality Act in 2010 extended the period in which all women shortlists may be used until 2030 Has been successful as generally across all major parties from 2010 to 2017 the percentage of women MPs in these parties have increased greatly Although this is not that strong as Labour abandoned the shortlist for general election purposes in March 2022 Allows only women to stand in particular constituencies for particular political parties in order to increase the proportion of female MPs

Answer 37

In 1969 the Voting Age in the UK was lowered to 18 by the Representation of the Peoples Act 1969 However it has not come down to 16 In 2017 a bill was brought forward by the Labour MP Jim McMahon. However the bill was filibustered (when someone none stop talks so a bill cannot be passed) by the Conservative Party and he ran out of time Labour, Green Party, SMP and Lib Dem’s support lowering the voting age while the Conservative Party opposes it One of the biggest arguments for votes at 16 has been the Scottish Independence Referendum, overall turnout in this election was 84.6%, turnout among 16-17 year olds was estimated to be 75%( higher than 18 to 24 year olds at 54%) Following its success, the Scottish Parliament passed then Scottish Elections (Reduction of Voting Age Bill) and 16 year olds can now vote in Holyrood (name for Scottish Parliament) and Local Elections in Scotland

Answer 38

The process of engaging with the political system by a variety of means (not just by voting)

Answer 39

Writing to your MP or attending a constituency surgery Being a member of a pressure group like extinction rebellion Filling out an E-petition on the Government Website Going on a protest march outside Parliament Joining a social media group that campaigns for a certain issue Watching a TV debate during a General Election Donating money to a political party Arguing with a stranger on Facebook about Brexit

Answer 40

A pressure group is an organisation that attempts to influence policy without seeking power itself e.g. Charities, Churches, Business and Trade associations, Trade Unions, Professional Associations, Think Tanks

Answer 41

Representation Participation Education Policy formulation Policy implementation This is what political parties do, however pressure groups do not want to be in power/elected

Answer 42

Pressure groups are an extremely important form of participation. It is estimated that 40-50% of UK citizens belong to at least one pressure group, with 20% belonging to two or more. They also encourage participation in ways that political parties don’t, for example, they may push the boundaries of laws in ways that it would be untenable for political parties to do. This can often make some pressure groups particularly attractive to young people

Answer 43

They play an important role in representing citizens in society that would otherwise be unrepresented within the political system e.g Stonewall representing LGBTQ+ interests Pressure groups may also represent people based on their function within society and the economy e.g trade unions representing the working class

Answer 44

They often help to educate the public about political issues They often use celebrities to try to push their agenda to help the public engage with them e.g: Jamie Oliver on school food Marcus Rashford on Free School Meals Bono on world poverty They often carry out detailed research to support their input to government. E.g Greenpeace produced an annual impact Report which focuses on the impact of Climate change. This is seen to be an authoritative document on the topic

Answer 45

Pressure groups can participate in the making of policy, particularly if they are seen by the Government to be an insider group. They also help the government to deal with emergencies, e.g the Foot and Mouth outbreaks in 2001 and 2007 Pressure groups may interact with the Opposition parties and also Think Tanks in the formulation of policy. Some also play a role in actually carrying out policy e.g the NFU works with the DEFRA and its agencies to implement policies related to farm subsidies, disease control and animal welfare. This gives such groups a clear leverage when influencing decisions government policy

Answer 46

Similarities: They both represent groups in society They both encourage participation They both educate the public Some parties resemble pressure groups bc they have a narrow focus and are unlikely to win power e.g UKIP-led by Nigel Farage up to 2019 Differences: Usually Pressure groups do not run for office, they aim to influence those that do Pressure groups tend to have a more narrow focus than political parties that need to be “catch-all” Pressure groups aren’t always democratic organisations

Answer 47

A group which promotes the interests of a particular section of society. They tend to have a restricted membership as a result e.g NEU that represents teachers

Answer 48

A group which endeavours to promote a particular cause, and for this reason are sometimes called “cause” groups e.g National trsut which promotes looking after British heritage sites

Answer 49

They are regularly consulted by government departments. The price of this privileged access is restraint: keeping confidences, making sure arguments are well-substantiated, avoiding disruptive tactics and “screening out” unacceptable demands

Answer 50

Groups are not regularly consulted by government, and are thus reliant on winning over public opinion

Answer 51

Insider groups- Funding politicians, Lobbying Outsider groups- Civil Disobedience, Legal Action Both- Publicity campaigns, Publishing research, Organising strikes, Using the media and social media

Answer 52

A term meaning to try to persuade someone in Parliament or Government to their point of view Lobbying is a big business and there are even lobbying firms who are employed by pressure groups to try to influence the Government or Parliament It is estimated by the Hansard Society that MPs meet with Lobbyists at least 100 times per week It is estimated that Pressure groups spend around £2 billion per year on lobbying of parliament

Answer 53

By doing this, they are not only trying to influence the government but also win wider support for their agenda e.g in 1978 Greenpeace invested in a shop they named ‘Rainbow Warrior’ and for their first mission they sailed into the waters around Iceland to protest against the whaling trade and to disrupt further whaling and seal hunting and they gained huge publicity in the press Also in 1985 they used the ship as part of a protest against nuclear testing. This involved helping the residents of the Marshall islands to evacuate as the US had tested a hydrogen bomb close to the islands in 1954 and the residents of the islands suffered from cancer disproportionately also in 1988, they gained massive publicity when the ship sailed into water around New Zealand to again protest against nuclear testing , the french intelligence service bombed the ship, destroying it and killing a photographer. The outrage this caused made Greenpeace into one of the most well recognised pressure groups ever

Answer 54

pressure groups like to harness the power of celebrities to get across their message e.g Marcus Rashford grew up in a family that relied on free school meals, and so he has formed a group called the child food poverty task force that has tackled the issue, in particular, Rashford criticised the government for not extending free school meals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rashford’s campaign was taken up by the Labour party. In the end, the Government relented and extended its provision of Free School Meals

Answer 55

Means breaking the law in order to get a point across Famous example = The suffragettes Other examples = In September 2021 Insulate Britain held protests on the M25 and other motorways to urge the Government to insulate houses across Britain In February 2021 protesters against HS2 set up a camp on w building site and when ordered to remove, they tunnelled underground, where they spent 31 days

Answer 56

Pressure groups also sponsor research and publish reports that challenge the government to take action on certain issues e.g in September 2021 the homeless charity shelter commissioned report into the impact of universal credit (the new government welfare system) on homelessness and they found that the changes to welfare were likely to result in more people becoming homeless In 2016 Amnesty International published a report on the cuts to legal aid made by the Conservative government. Their report highlighted that legal aid cuts disproportionately groups in society who were already marginalised- such as ethnic minorities

Answer 57

This is something that is organised by Trade Unions. Withdrawing Labour is a way to force the Governments hand on an issue Famous strikes: 2021- civil servants went on strike over the government pay freeze and pension changes. 1.39 million working days were lost 1984-1985- the miner’s strikes took place in the UK over closures of Britain’s mines. 27.1 million working days were lost 1926- there was a general strike in the UK. The original argument was over coal-miners, but other unions ‘sympathy strikes’. 162.2 million working days were lost in the 9 days of the strike. In 1927, ‘sympathy striking was banned’ in 2016 a new law called the trade unions act was passed. This makes it much harder for union to take strike action. To take strike action a Union must now: 1) Hold a postal ballot 2) Require 50% turnout of all union members 3) Require 40% in favour of all union members

Answer 58

These happen particularly in the run-up to elections e.g Lakshmi and Usha Mittal donated 75,000 each to the Conservatives, Lakshmi is the CEO of ArcLelorMittal, the worlds largest steel making company and he owns 38% of its shares Ecotricity donated 35,000 to Labour Unite (the union) donated £3 million to Labour, the owner (Len McCluskey) played a key role in preventing Labour from swinging behind a second referendum or a Remain position Noel Hayden gave £100,000 to the Lib Dem’s

Answer 59

Increases people’s awareness of issues Top 2 most famous #: 1) #Blacklivesmatter- occurred after George Floyd 2) #MeToo- women used this hashtag in response to people sharing their stories Social media and the use of hashtags allows pressure groups to target certain demographics they wish to advertise too

Answer 60

Public Demonstrations are organised by pressure groups to show the stench of feeling and put pressure on the Government e.g On 15th February 2003, over 1 million Anti-Iraq War protesters marched in London. It was mainly organised by the Stop the War coalition e.g In 2019, thousands protested in London against Donald Trumps visit to the UK. This was organised by pressure troops like Hope not Hate

Answer 61

e.g The good law project has taken the government to court a number of times, including cases that found that: Michael Gove broke the law by giving a contract to a communications agency run by long time associates of him and Dominic Cummings The good law project took the department of health and sofia care to court for the mishandling of contracts for personal protective equipment and the judge concluded that the public were entitled to see who this money was going to and what it was being spent on e.g Numerous pressure groups including Greenpeace, took the Government to court in 2020 over plans for Heathrow Expansion. The court of appeal found that the Government had failed to fully take into account the impact of Climate change on the decision and ordered a review of the impact (slowing down the process)

Answer 62

Some groups are more insider or outsider depending on who is in government (Labour/Conservative) It can change depending on how society is e.g Stonewall is now an insider group due to LGBTQ + rights being more accepted in this day and age

Answer 63

A group that is on the outside as a result of the nature of the current government or the current political circumstances e.g Trade Unions when they are under a Conservative Government

Answer 64

A group that chooses to remain on the outside and doesn’t try to develop close relationships with the government e.g Amnesty International They might do this because if they are an insider group it limits their methods (can’t use direct action) and if they are close with government they lose their ability to hold them fully to account/oppose them

Answer 65

Refers to the idea that large parts of the population do not participate in the political process and this lack of participation undermines the legitimacy of elections

Answer 66

Voting turnout Membership of Political parties Levels of Pressure Group Activity Levels of Digital Activism

Answer 67

Turnout refers to the number of eligible voters who cast their vote in an election Turnout has changed significantly in the 20th and 21st century The general trend in the last century has been towards a decline in turnout e.g 67.3% in 2019 and 59.4% in 2024 Turnout at local election include those to: County Council, District Council, Parish Council and Directly Elected Mayors. The turnout for these local elections are higher in 2001,2005,2010,2015 as general elections took place in a these years so people thought they may as well vote in these as it is easy. Yet the local councils account for 27% of all public spending and so are important Lowest of the low: In 2021 David Cameron created Police and Crime Commissioners to add more accountability to the Police Forces in the UK. These PCCs would be elected. In 2021, turnout was averaged 33.2% across the 34 police forces with PCC elections. But the low turnout in Essex in 2012 showed that the winner only had the support of just 4.74% of the electorate Problems with this: Low turnout reduces the legitimacy of elected officials e.g In 2001 the Labour party won a landslide of 418/659 seats, however only 26% of all registered voters voted for the Labour Party, meaning 74% of registers voters did not want the government they ended up having, reducing the legitimacy of the Labour Government Low turnout allows extremism parties to get a larger share of the vote e.g In 2015 UKIP won 12.6% of the vote, this was more than the Lib Dem’s, despite not being as popular in opinion polls