Democracy and participation Flashcards
(155 cards)
1
Q
What are the two main democratic systems?
A
- Direct Democracy
- Representitive Democracy
2
Q
What is direct democracy?
A
Individuals participate directly making decisions at public meetings
3
Q
What is representitive democracy?
A
Citizens elect representitives to make decisions on their behalf
4
Q
Which democratic system is best suted for large populations?
A
Representitive democracy
5
Q
Which democratic system has citizens making collective decisons in large meetings?
A
Direct democracy
6
Q
In which democratic system do citizens elect representives to make decisions on their behalf?
A
Representitive democracy
7
Q
In representitive democracy are representitves delegates or trustees?
A
Trustees
Make decisons based on own judgement on behalf of citizens
8
Q
Name an example of direct democracy
A
Referendum
9
Q
Give an example of a representive democracy
A
UK - MP’s sit in parliament representing their constituents
10
Q
Which democratic system includes more safeguards for minorities?
Direct/Representitive
A
Representitive democracy
11
Q
Name an advantage of direct democracy
A
- Equal weight for all votes
- Encorages participation
- Sense of community
12
Q
Name a disadvantage of direct democracy
A
- Impractical in large populations
- People do not want to/do not feel qualified taking part
- Minority viewpoints likely to be ignored
13
Q
Name an advantage of representitive democracy
A
- Parites formed- make choice easier
- Reduces ‘Tyrrany of the Majority’
- Representives held accountable in elections
- Politicians experts- more informed than average citizen
14
Q
What is the ‘Tyrrany of the Majority’?
A
When the majority opinion leads to minority needs being disregarded
15
Q
Name some disadvantages of representitve democracy
A
- Can cause reduced participation
- Often run by elites
- Politicians avoid accounability
- Representives may be corrupt/incompetent
16
Q
What is a pluralist democracy?
A
Decisions made as a result of contributions from multipule parties/pressure groups
17
Q
Give examples of Direct Democracy being used in the UK
(There are 2)
A
- Referendums
- 2015 Recall of MP’s act
18
Q
What is the 2015 Recall of MP’s Act?
A
Allows a petition to be triggered if an MP suspended for over 21 days. If 10% of constitiuents sign- byelection triggred
19
Q
Define Legitimacy
A
Legal right to exercise power
20
Q
Define democratic deficit
A
Percieved deficciency in a democratic bodies accountability/ policy making
21
Q
Where do modern goverments get their legitimacy from?
A
Citizens
22
Q
Which electoral system is used to elect Parliament in the UK?
A
First past the post
23
Q
Is the House of Commons elected?
A
Yes
24
Q
Is the House of Lords elected?
A
No
25
When was the Human Rights Act passed?
1998
26
Which act incorporates the European Convention on Human Rights into UK law?
1988 Human Rights Act
27
What did the 1988 Human Rights Act do?
Incorporate the European Convention on Human Rights into UK law
28
Name 2 newspapers controlled by Rupert Murdoch?
1. The Times
2. The Sun
29
Is the UK considered to be suffering a participation crisis?
Yes
30
Define a participation crisis
Political engagement from the population low
31
Low political engagement in a population
| Which key term best matches this definition
Participation crisis
32
What was the average turnout at General Elections between 1945-1997?
76%
33
Which years general election had the lowest turnout since WW1?
2001
34
Is turnout usually higher in General elections or second order elections?
General elections
35
Give some examples of 'second order' elections
1. Devolved assembley's
2. Local council elections
36
What was the average turnout in the May 2016 Local Elections for England?
33.8%
37
Why is turnout in by-elections usually lower?
People are not choosing a govenment, only their MP
38
What was the turnout in the Feburary 2017 Stoke on Trent by election?
38.2%
39
What was the voter turnout of the 2012 Police and Crime Comissioner elections?
15%
| Thus the lowest in any UK competition
40
Why was the Turnout so low for the 2012 Police and crime comissioner elections?
* People did not understand the purpouse of PCC's
* People had no disire to vote for PCC's
41
How much of the 2022 electorate is a member of a political party?
1.5%
42
How much of the 1983 electorte was a member of a political party?
3.8%
43
How many members did the Conservative party have in 2016?
150,000
44
How many members did the Consevative party have in the mid 1990's?
400,000
45
How many members did the Labour party have while last in Government?
| Blair/Brown
190,000
46
How many members did Labour have in 2016?
515,000
47
Which Leader lead to a rise in Labour party membership?
Jeremy Corbyn
48
Has the Conservative party membership risen or fallen in the past 50 years?
Fallen
49
How many members did the Liberal democrats have in the early 2000's?
70,000
50
How many members did the Liberal Democrats have during the 2010-15 Coalition?
49,000
51
How many members did the Liberal Democrats have in 2017?
82,000
52
What happend to the Liberal Democrat membership during coalition?
Fell
53
Has the Liberal Democrat membership recovered since the 2017 election?
Yes
| 2017- 82,000
54
Has the membership of smaller parties increased or decreased recently?
Increased
| SNP-25,000(2013)- 120,000(2016)
55
How much of the Vote in the 2017 General Election when to smaller parties?
| (parties other than Conservatives, Lib dems, and Labour)
24.8%
56
Can you become a member of a pressure group?
Yes
57
How has social media impacted democracy?
* People able to exchange political views
* Online Campaigns on issues
* Election campaigns utilise social media
58
What is an example of e-democracy in the UK?
E-petition
59
What is political apathy?
Lack of awareness/interest in political events/issues
60
What is a lack of political awareness known as?
Political apathy
61
What was the turnout for the Scottish Independence referendum in 2014?
84.6%
62
What was the turnout for the 2016 EU referendum?
72.2%
63
Sum up the 2009 expenses scandal
Abuse of parliamenty expenses system- lead to 5 MP's and 2 lords sentenced to prision terms
64
What year was the parliamenary expenses scandal?
2009
65
Which newspaper uncovered the Parlamentry expenses scandal?
Daily Telegraph
66
Give some proposals for increasing voter turnout?
1. Move election days to a weekend
2. Dropping need to go to specific poliing station
3. Allowing elections to take place over multipule days
4. Wider use of electronic/postal voting
## Footnote
0= none 1=1 2=2 ect
67
In which election were all postal votes trialed in four regions?
2004 European parliament election
68
What is the usual concern with postal voting?
Increased risk of voter fraud
69
What are the main risk's of electronic voting?
1. Risk of cyberattack
2. Possibility of impersonation
70
71
Are any groups disenfranchised by a move to postal voting? Who?
Yes, Older/poorer voters who may lack access or knowlage of computers
72
In which election was the voter age reduced to 16?
2014 Scottish Independence Referendum
73
In which countries is voting compulsory?
Belgium and Australia
74
Give some arguments for voting to be made compulsory
1. Social duty
2. Make parliament more representitive
3. Politicans would have to make more inclusive policies
75
Give some arguments as to why voting should not be made compulsory
1. Undemocratic to force people
2. Would not stop politicans ignoring minorities
3. Does not adress issues as to why people do not vote
76
What is franchise?
The right to vote in elections
77
What is sufferage?
The right to vote in elections
78
What is the voter age in the UK?
18
79
True or false: Prisoners can vote in UK elections
False- Prisioners cannot vote in UK elections
80
What did the Great Reform Act of 1832 do?
1. Abolish rotten boroughs
2. Extended franchise
81
How big was the electorate in the early 19th Century?
400,000 men
82
What size was the electorate after the Great Reform Act of 1832?
650,000
83
In which year was the right to vote treated a citizens right?
1918
84
Which year were Women over 30 and all men over 21 franchised?
1918
85
In which year were all men and women over 21 given the right to vote?
1928
86
In which year was the voting age reduced to 18?
1969
87
In which year was the National Union of Womens Sufferage societies created?
1897
88
Who was the first leader of the National Union of womens sufferage?
Millicent Fawcett
89
Describe a typical 'suffragist' under Fawcett's leadership
* Middle class
* Believed in non violent methords
90
Which organisation, founded by Pankhurst, was behind the 'Suffragetts'?
Womens social and political union
91
When was the Womens social and policial union founded?
1903
92
Who founded the Womens social and political union?
Emmeline/Christabel Pankhurst
93
Give an example of an action taken by the suffragetts
Davinson throwing herself under a horse at Epsom Derby
94
Which event caused the Suffragetts to suspend campaigning?
Outbreak of WW1
| (1914)
95
Which act lead to Female Enfranchisement?
1918 Representation of the People Act
96
When was the votes at 16 coalition formed?
2003
97
Give an early sucess of the votes at 16 coalition
Study into the issue by the Electoral commission
98
Which Labour MP sponsored a Private Members Bill on votes at 16 which eventually ran out of time?
Julie Morgan
99
Which election were 16 and 17 year old's allowed to vote in?
2014 Scottish Independence referendum
100
Which was the only major party at the 2015 general election not to support votes at 16?
Conservatives
101
How do pressure groups differ from political parties?
They do not seek public office, only to influence it
102
Which are the 3 main types of pressure group?
1. Sectional group
2. Cause group
3. Social movement
103
Define a sectional group
Groups that represent a specific occupation
| eg: Trade Unions
104
Which type of pressure group represent a specific occupation?
Sectional group
105
Which type of pressure group are trade unions?
Sectional groups
106
Give an example of a sectional pressure group
* National Farmers Union (NFU)
* Confederation of British Industry (CBI)
* British Medical Association (BMA)
107
What are cause pressure group?
Pressure groups focused on achieving a certain goal?
108
Who can join a cause pressure group?
Anyone who wishes to
109
Which sort of pressure group is dedicatied to achieving a particualar cause?
Cause group
110
Give examples of cause pressure groups?
* Greenpeace
* CND
* Shelter
111
What are social movement pressure groups?
Loosley structured groups with a specific goal
112
Which type of pressure group are loosely structured with a specific aim?
Social movement
113
Give examples of social movement pressure groups
1. Camps for Climate Action
2. Occupy
3. Arab spring
114
What are the two ways to define a pressure group by looking at their relationship with government?
1. Insider
2. Outsider
115
What is an insider pressure group?
One with contacts with ministers and civil servants they can utilise to achieve their aims
116
Which type of pressure group has direct contact with government ministers and civil servants?
Insider pressure group
117
Define an outsider pressure group?
A group that is not consulted by governmet
118
Which type of pressure group is not consulted by Government?
Outsider pressure group
119
Give examples of Insider pressure groups
1. National union of farmers
2. British Medical association
3. Confederation of British Industry
120
What is a low profile insider pressure group?
Groups that rely on discreet contacts which is not visible to the public
121
What is a high profile insider pressure group?
Groups that suppliamnet their lobbying with media activity to help make their case
122
Why might a pressure group be an outsider pressure group?
1. Objectives so far outside political mainstream
2. Wisihing to preserve independence
123
Give examples of outsider pressure groups
1. Occupy
2. Just stop oil
3. Fathers for Justice
124
Can pressure groups move between insider and outsider status?
Yes
125
Which set of pressure groups have seen a decline in their influence since the war?
Trade unions
126
Under which prime minister were union leaders influence delibeately impeded?
Margret Thatcher
127
Which protest group lobbied MP's to promote their views on human rights?
Liberty
128
How do outsider pressure groups try to influence the government?
* Campaigning
* Direct Action
* Publicity stunts
* Legal action
129
True or False
Direct Action is always peaceful?
False
130
Why is it hard to gague the sucsess of an insider pressure group?
Much of their work takes place behind closed doors which they cannot publicise in order to keep their contacts
131
Name 4 factors of pressure group sucsess
* Resources
* Tactics
* Public support
* Govenment willingness
132
What is a think tank?
A group of experts investigating and proposting solutions to different problems
133
Which thinktanks were behind Thatchers free market thinking?
Center for Policy Studies
Adam Smith Instutute
134
Which thinktacnk wsa set up by Ian Duncan Smith?
Center for Social Justice
135
What is a lobbyist?
An individual paid to influence the government on certain issues
136
True or False:
MP's can accept payment to represent a viewpoint
False, this is banned by the Parliamentry Code of Conduct
137
Since which year have Lobbyists had to sign up to a register?
2014
138
What is the 'revolving door'?
Politicians leaving politics for cushy jobs in private industry
139
Which organisation lobbied the goverment in 2016 to oppose the sugary drinks tax?
British Soft Drinks associaton
140
In which year was the Human rights act passed?
1998
141
Which piece of legislation protects citizens rights?
1998 Human rights act
142
Which year was the Magna carta written?
1215
143
Why was the Magna carta written?
Limit the power of King John
144
What is widely considered the first statement of citizens rights in the UK?
Magna Carta
145
Which year did the Human RIghts act come into effect?
2000
146
In which year was the European Convention on Human Rights drawn up?
1950
147
Which organisation drew up the European convention on human rights?
Council of Europe
148
What set up the Europen court of Human rights?
European convention on Human rights
149
Which existing document did the European convention on human rights seek to replicate?
United Nations convention of human rights
150
Where is the Eurpoean Court of Human rights located?
Strasbourg
151
When was the Equality act passed?
2010
152
What was the 2010 Equality act
Legislation which brought together existing equal rights legislation into one document
153
Why can't supreme court judges legally compell parliament to follow rulings?
Parliamentry soveringty
154
What have the Conservative party wanted to replace teh Human rights act with?
A 'British Bill of Rights'
155
What is the major change in the proposed 'British Bill of Rights'?
Established supremacy of British COurts over ECHR
