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UK politics > Democracy and participation > Flashcards

Democracy and participation Flashcards

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1
Q

Direct democracy

A

All individuals express their opinions themselves and not through representatives acting on their behalf (This type of democracy emerged in Athens in classical times and direct democracy can be seen today in referendums)

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2
Q

Representative democracy

A

A more modern form of democracy through which an individual selects a person (and/or political party) to act on their behalf to exercise political choice

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3
Q

Pluralist democracy

A

A type of democracy in which a government makes decisions as a result of the interplay of various ideas and contrasting arguments from competing groups and organisations

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4
Q

Democratic deficit

A

A flaw in the democratic process where decisions are taken by people who lack legitimacy, not having been appointed with sufficient democratic input or subject to accountability

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5
Q

Participation crisis

A

A lack of engagement by a significant number of citizens to relate to the political process either by choosing not to vote or to join or become members of political parties or to offer themselves for public office

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6
Q

Franchise/suffrage

A

Franchise and suffrage both refer to the ability/right to vote in public elections

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7
Q

Suffragettes

A

Women campaigning for the right to vote on the same terms as men- usually use militant methods

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8
Q

Think tanks

A

A body of experts brought together to collectively focus on a certain topic(s) - to investigate and offer solutions to often complicated and seemingly intractable economic, social or political issues.

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9
Q

Lobbyists

A

A lobbyist is paid by clients to try to influence the government and/or MPs and members of the House of Lords to act in their clients’ interests, particularly when legislation is under consideration.

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10
Q

Opportunities for participation outside elections

A

Political party membership, pressure groups, e petitions

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11
Q

Key milestones in the widening of the franchise

A

-Great reform act 1832

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12
Q

-Ballot act 1872-

A
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13
Q

-Third reform act 1884-

A
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14
Q

-Representation of the people act 1918

A
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15
Q

-Equal franchise act 1928-

A
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16
Q

-Representation of the people act 1948

A
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17
Q

-Representation of the people act 1969

A
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18
Q

-Representation of the people act 1985

A
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19
Q

-Scottish election act 2016-

A
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20
Q

Third Reform Act 1884

A

Franchise extended to most working men

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21
Q

1832 Great Reform Act

A

Reorganised constituencies (adding, removing rotten boroughs, and adjusting), broadened property requirement (to include small landowners, tenant farmers, and shop keepers), extending vote to some renters

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22
Q

Rotten borough

A

a borough that was able to elect a representative to Parliament though having very few voters (the choice of representative typically being in the hands of one person or family)

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23
Q

1918 Representation of the People Act

A

Tripled electorate (7.7m to 21.4m), lowered voting age to 21 for all men, allowed property owning women over 30 to vote, allowed women to sit in Commons

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24
Q

1928 Representation of the People Act (Equal Franchise)

A

Gave women equal voting rights to men, gave all aged 21 and over the right to vote (regardless of property) (added 5m women to electoral roll, putting them in the majority)

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25
1969 Representation of the People Act
Lowered voting age to 18 (however under 21s could still not stand for election in constituencies)
26
Scottish Elections Act 2016
16& 17 yo vote in all Scot elections
27
Current campaigns to extend the franchise
Votes at 16, votes for prisoners
28
Hirst v United Kingdom (No 2)
2005 case in ECtHR ruling that a blanket ban on British prisoners exercising the right to vote is contrary to the European Convention on Human Rights
29
Advantages of pressure groups
Contribute to pluralism, education, representation
30
Cons of pressure groups
Undemocratic (internal structures), elite theory (reinforcing inequality), tyranny of the minority
31
Advantages and disadvantages of introducing compulsory voting
Advantages
32
- increase turnout of elections and improve legitimacy of elected officials
33
- will force more votes, especially among young people
34
- give greater democratic legitimacy to the party or individual who win an election
35
- ensures all sections of society vote, therefore policies would have to adress concerns than all sections have
36
- voting is a civil duty
37
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Disadvantages
39
- forcing people may not improve public engagement
40
- people should equally have a right not to vote (civil liberties violation)
41
- there would be lots of ill-informed participation
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- would involve lots of public expenditure to administer and enforce system
43
- favour large parties against small parties (ill-informed voters would vote for well-known parties and candidates)
44
Give an example of there being a participation crisis in the UK
2001 general election - historically low turnout of 59.4%, down 12% from 1997 and 18% from 1992
45
Give two examples of exceptions to declining party membership
1. In 2015, there was a surge in Labour membership when Ed Miliband made it possible to join the party for only £3
46
2. Following 2014 referendum on Scottish independence, SNP membership surged to 100,000 members (5 mil people in Scotland)
47
Give evidence that older people tend to vote more than younger people
18-24 age group - 35%over-60 age group - 80%
48
Advantages and disadvantages of e-petitions
Advantages
49
- require little effort
50
- immediately apparent how much support a particular issue may have
51
- rapidly build interest in an issue (bandwagon effect)
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Disadvantages
54
- no guarantee participants know much about the issue
55
- need 100,000 signatures to be discussed in parliament with no guarantee of a successful outcome
56
Advantages and disadvantages of prisoners voting
Advantages:
57
-The right to vote is a human right in a democracy. We shouldn't remove their human rights, we should only limit their freedom.
58
-The European Courts ruled that barring prisoners from voting is against Human Rights.
59
-Prisoners shouldn't face 'civic death' just because they're already in prison.
60
-It is allowed in most EU countries.
61
Disadvantages:
62
-Prison denies people of their freeedom, including the freedom to walk into a polling station and vote for whoever they want to.
63
-In a prison, people will generally have an 'anti-state' sentiment, therefore they are less likely to cast a reasonable vote.
64
-It is generally not supported by the public, who tend to see prison as a punishment rather than a method of reform.
65
Advantages and disadvantages of extending the vote to 16 and 17 year olds
Advantages
66
- young people are more informed with spread of citizenship education
67
- voting turnout among 18-24 age group is low so may encourage young people to become more engaged
68
- information on internet and social media
69
- old enough to pay tax, drive or serve in army
70
- radicalism of young voters should act as a balance to conservatism
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Disadvantages
73
- 16 and 17 year olds required to stay in some form of education until 18
74
- some issues are too complex for young people to understood
75
- not all people in this age group pay tax
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- young people can be excessively radical as they have not enough life experiences
77
Do pressure groups enhance or threaten democracy?
Enhance
78
- help to disperse power and influence more widely
79
- educate the public about important political issues
80
- give people more opportunities to participate in politics
81
- promote and protect the interests and rights of minority groups
82
- help to call the government to account
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Threaten
85
- some considered elitist and tend to concentrate power in too few hands
86
- may distort information in their own interest
87
- groups that are internally undemocratic may not accurately represent views of members and supporters
88
- use of civil disobedience can undermine freedom and rights of other citizens
89
1215 Magna Carta
Limited the power of the King, gave rights to the people
90
1689 Bill of Rights
Created by the English Parliment - listed parliamentary powers and rights of the individual, stated that no law could be suspended by king, no taxes or militaries maintained without consent, no subject could be arrested or detained without legal process. Further limited power of monarchy.
91
1953 European Convention on Human Rights
The Convention guarantees specific rights and freedoms and prohibits unfair and harmful practices.
92
1973 European Court of Justice
Interprets EU law to make sure its applied in all countries
93
1984 Data Protection Act
Established protections surrounding personal information held by public institutions - updated in 1988 and 1998.
94
1998 Human Rights Act
a UK law which protects 15 fundamental rights and freedoms, including the right to life, privacy and free speech - all based on articles in the ECHR. It ensures that people can defend their rights in court, and that public and private organisations must treat everyone equally, with fairness, dignity and respect
95
2000 Freedom of Information Act
Gave all citizens the right to access information about themselves and other public bodies.
96
2010 Equality Act
Passed to prevent discrimination or harassment based on nine 'protected characteristics', including race, age and sexuality.
97
2016 Investigatory Powers Act
act which authorised the retention of personal electronic data
98
2018 court case
where supreme court argued that exclusion of heterosexual couples from rights legislation was incompatible with the HRA therefore upholding their individual rights to civil partnerships
99
works of liberty for individual rights:
- in 2020 they represented a welsh man in a case where facial recognition technology in public breached his right to privacy. Liberty were succesful.
100
-Liberty have also campaigned against the 2016 investigatory powers act. Although despite campainging act has not been repealed
101
2022 Police Crime and Sentencing Bill
criminalises one person protests, gives police power to impose on noisy protests, creates "buffer" around parliament. however many protest groups are against it as it limits individual rights to protest, however gov still kept it.

UK politics (1 decks)

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