Democracy And Participation

Question 1

What is direct democracy

Answer 1

People can directly participate
referendums and protests

Question 2

What is representative democracy

Answer 2

When people elect representatives

Question 3

Advantages of direct democracy

Answer 3

People participate directly
The wishes of the people can’t be ignored
more legitimate

Question 4

Disadvantages of direct democracy

Answer 4

Public might to be fully aware of what they’re voting for- eg eu many people not sure exactly what would happen can be slow and expensive- 2016 £129 million

Question 5

How suffrage has changed

Answer 5

Rest reform act 1832- 5.6% of population could vote
Second (1867)- allowed working class to vote
Third (1884)- all working class men
Representation of people act 1918- women
Representation of people act 1968- age lowered to 18

Question 6

Debates around suffrage

Answer 6

Gender = wome seen as weaker sex
Class= wealthy elite worried power could be reduced if poorer people had the vote
Ethnicity= in 2019 black and Asian less likely to vote in 2019
Age= younger people less likely to vote in 201916/17year olds an vote in Scotland and wales

Question 7

Significance of chartists

Answer 7

Campaigns for votes for all men above 21, yearly elections , secret ballots

Question 8

Significance of suffragists

Answer 8

Peacefully cpaigned
Possibly iignificant as by 1903 women= no closer to vote

Question 9

Significance of suffragettes

Answer 9

Militant methods
Dealt with harshly by police being force fed etc
Many rogue vote was won (1918) due to war efforts

Question 10

What was the Hirst vs uk case (2005)

Answer 10

The echr said prisoners should have the right to vote, however uk didn’t uphold this until much later and only gave few prisoners the vote (2017)
Prt- still campaign for go to follow the ruling
In 2020 Scottish gov gave prisoners hit a very short sentence the right to vote

Question 11

Arguments that there is a participation crisis + factors

Answer 11

1. Turnout - decreasing, in 1950 over 80% of the electorate voted, in 2001 only 59% did
   Party membership = decreasing Conservative Party has above 2.5 million but n 2018 had 124,000
   Partisan dealignment = in 2024 reform a new party got 2.4 million votes

Question 12

Arguments that there isn’t a participation crisis + factors

Answer 12

Referendums have very high turnout = 2016 as high 72% voted
Minor parties have done well in the lat decade= eg ukip, reform
Pressure group membership is high - Greenpeace= +20,000 members from 2015-23

Question 13

Times there has been high partisan dealignment

Answer 13

2019- conservatives beat the ‘red wall’
Conservative Party membership= 3 mill in 1950s but under 200,000 in 2020s