democracy and participation #1 Flashcards
current systems of democracy in the UK main things (24 cards)
representative democracy
a form of democracy in which voters elect representatives to make political decisions on their behalf.
when was Edmund Burke an MP and what was his main idea
MP of Bristol from 1774-1780, and he thought that MPs should follow their own conscience and make a decision they believe is in their constituencies best interest, not just do what they want.
how many MPs are there in Westminster parliament
650, one for each constituency
what percentage of the 2019 Westminster Parliament was LGBTQ+ compared to real life
7% in Parliament, 2.7% (estimated) in real life
what percentage of the 2019 Westminster Parliament was an ethnic minority compared to real life
10% in Parliament, 14% in real life
what percentage of the 2019 Westminster Parliament was female compared to real life
34% in Parliament, 51% in real life
what percentage of the 2019 Westminster Parliament was privately educated compared to real life
29% in Parliament, 7% in real life
direct democracy
a form of democracy in which citizens themselves, rather than their representatives, make political decisions. e.g. a referendum
list three advantages of UK representative democracy
they are well-informed officials, the public could be swayed by emotions etc, they balance conflicting interests, they are held accountable to the electorate.
list three disadvantages of UK representative democracy
the house is unrepresentative because of FPTP AND it being mostly white middle class men, they may have outside interests that interfere with their work as MPs (Owen and Geoffrey), Westminster bubble, HoL is unelected and unaccountable
list two advantages of referendums
Providing public with a direct choice can help settle controversial issues, result can claim greater legitimacy than a decision reached by just the government. (e.g. 74% remain vs 52 leave)
list two disadvantages of referendums
public may lack a deep understanding of the issues. does not conclude issues, e.g. the ongoing debate over Scottish independence despite numerous referendums.
list two advantages of e-petitions
can draw attention to issues that people higher up on the social ladder (ie politicians) wouldn’t think so much about on the daily e.g. #EndChildFoodPoverty, and they generate publicity, which is important in informing and progressing public debate
list two disadvantages of e-petitions
they can raise false expectations, none of the stuff they bring up actually have to be debated or passed. they also unnecessarily consume parliamentary time, (e.g. revoking Tony Blair’s knighthood and revoking article 50 so the UK would remain in the EU)
list one advantage of consultative exercises
they give the government an important way of engaging with the public on issues that directly affect them
list two disadvantages of consultative exercises
they are not politically binding, so could be a waste of time for all parties involved anyways. the most socially disadvantaged groups are least likely to engage, so they’re not very representative.
when were open primaries used
to select 13 Conservative candidates for the 2015 general election. only one candidate was selected this way for the 2019 election, though.
list one advantage of open primaries
people who don’t necessarily feel connected to a party still want to enter and engage with politics
list one disadvantage of open primaries
having so many people that don’t align with a party may not be such a good thing
list one advantage of election of the party leaders
makes the leadership accountable to the whole party, this is super important in the Labour Party
list one disadvantage of election of the party leaders
gives too much power to party activists, who tend to be more radical than the rest of the electorate.
list one advantage of the 2015 Recall of MPs Act
it holds MPs accountable to their constituents
list one disadvantage of the 2015 Recall of MPs Act
the circumstances in which it can be activated are so extreme that its impact can be seen as negligible
list three advantages of direct democracy
representatives are kept better informed of changing public opinion. engages the public and makes politicians more responsive to what people really think. and gives the public the opportunity to make more decisions, increasing engagement and encouraging political education
