Democracy and Participation

Question 1

what is representative democracy?

Answer 1

• the people vote to choose politicians who will represent their views
• unpopular representatives can be voted out at the next election

Question 2

what are 2 strengths of representative democracy?

Answer 2

• elected representatives have greater expertise and experience
• representatives are held to account at the next election

Question 3

what are 2 limitations of representative democracy?

Answer 3

• fptp makes it hard for smaller parties to gain seats and hold representation
• mandate theory

Question 4

what is direct democracy?

Answer 4

• voters make their own political decisions and are directly involved in the process of political decision-making

Question 5

what are 2 strengths of direct democracy?

Answer 5

• prevents power from being concentrated in the hands of an elite
• encourages participation and educates the public on key issues

Question 6

what are 2 limitations of direct democracy?

Answer 6

• tyranny of the majority
• public may not understand or take interest in certain issues

Question 7

what are referendums?

Answer 7

• a vote on a bill or amendment that has already been passed

Question 8

give evidence for direct democracy used in the uk

Answer 8

• 2016 EU Referendum
• ‘should the united kingdom remain a member of the EU or leave the EU?’

Question 9

give evidence for representative democracy used in the uk

Answer 9

• general elections
• 650 constituencies with roughly equal population sizes
• all have an mp

Question 10

what is turnout?

Answer 10

• the percentage of registered voters who actually vote in a particular election

Question 11

what 2 things do a low turnout threaten?

Answer 11

• gov legitimacy
• party mandate

Question 12

give evidence for age as a factor of turnout

Answer 12

• 2017 election
• 71% of 65+ voted
• 54% of 18-24 voted

Question 13

what is partisan dealignment?

Answer 13

• voters no longer strongly identify with a party
• their support changes between parties from election to election

Question 14

give evidence for class as a factor for voter behaviour

Answer 14

• middle classes are more likely to vote than working class
• middle class is more conservative

Question 15

what are 3 issues with democracy as a whole in the uk?

Answer 15

• low turnout for referendums in the uk
• populist policies and tyranny of the majority
• dominance of wealthy special interests

Question 16

what are 3 ways democracy as a whole could be improved in the uk?

Answer 16

• lower voting age
• compulsory voting
• more referendums

Question 17

what is suffrage?

Answer 17

• the right to vote

Question 18

give 3 acts that serve as evidence for how suffrage has changed since the 1832 Great Reform Act

Answer 18

• 1918 Representation of the People Act: gave the vote to all men over 21 and all women over 30 who met property qualifications
• 1928 Equal Franchise Act: gave all women equal voting rights with men (21+)
• 1969 Representation of the People Act: lowered voting age to 18

Question 19

what are primacy factors on voting behaviour?

Answer 19

• class
• age
• ethnicity
• gender

Question 20

whats a recency factor on voting behaviour?

Answer 20

• election campaigns

Question 21

whats class alignment?

Answer 21

• theres a clear and predictable link between class and voting behaviour

Question 22

whats embourgeoisement?

Answer 22

• as working class people become more middle class, so does their voting behaviour

Question 23

why does group membership not determine voting behaviour?

Answer 23

• people will be exposed to very different socialisation processes with conflicting interests and ideas

Question 24

how do gender, ethnicity, age, and region impact voting behaviour?

Answer 24

• gender: women are more likely to vote conservative and men labour, but this gap has narrowed
• ethnicity: ethnic minorities are more labour
• age: older voters are more conservative
• region: the north is more labour