Democracy and Participation Flashcards
(25 cards)
Direct Democracy
A type of democracy where individuals express their decisions themselves and not through representatives acting on their behalf.
Representative Democracy
A type of democracy where individuals elect representatives who make political decisions on their behalf.
Liberal Democracy
A representative democracy which protects human rights.
Universal suffrage
Gives the right to vote to all adult citizens (with minor exceptions).
Franchise/ Suffrage
The right to vote in public elections.
How can suffrage be expanded?
16-17 year olds across the UK
Prisoners
Pluralist Democracy
Political power and influence are widely distributed so that different groups can compete to influence government decisions.
Pressure Groups
An organised group of people that aims to influence the government.
Sectional pressure groups
Groups that advance the interests of a particular section of society.
Promotional pressure groups
Groups that are based on shared attitudes, values and beliefs and promote a particular issue. Tend to have open membership.
Insider pressure groups
Groups that are consulted on a regular basis by the government for their advice in helping to create government policy.
Outsider pressure groups
Groups that have no special links with the government. They therefore try to exert influence indirectly through protest or the Courts.
Methods employed by pressure groups
Courts
lobbying
Protest
Direct action/ strikes
Civil disobedience
Factors which determine pressure group success
Wealth
Insider status
Ideological compatibility with the government
Think tanks
Groups of experts who seek to influence government policy through their research and ideas.
Corporations
Vital to the running of the economy
Corporations can have a significant impact as the government may seek their specialist knowledge.
Lobbying firms
They advise others on how to influence the government. They are often staffed by previous members of the government and so have useful political connections. Lobbying in the UK is an industry worth an estimated £2bn per year, which employs over 4,000 people.
Human Rights
Rights to which people are entitled to by virtue of being human. They are moral assertions that are now protected by law in many countries.
Civil liberties
The rights and freedoms that are recognised within a particular country which protect the individual from the state.
Habeas Corpus (The Magna Carta)
Allows people to appeal against imprisonment without trial.
What law was John Locke influential in passing?
Bill of Rights- Imposed greater limits on the power of the monarchy and set out the rights of parliament, including regular parliaments and parliamentary free speech.
In what year were UK citizens first able to challenge the government or a public body if they believed their human rights had been infringed?
In 1998, under the Human Rights Act.
What is the difference between collective and individual rights?
Collective rights are those expressed by the state, such as the need to keep the public safe. Individual rights are for the person.
What changes did the Investigatory Powers Act (2016) introduce?
Allows law enforcement and intelligence agencies to access individuals’ emails and browsing histories, which phone and internet companies must store for a set period. Authorities can only access this data with a warrant.
