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paper 1 Flashcards

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1
Q

what is direct democracy?

A

a form of democracy where citizen make decisions directly, rather than through elected representatives

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2
Q

what is representative democracy?

A

a type of democracy where citizens elect representatives to make decisions and pass laws on their behalf

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3
Q

give two advantages of direct democracy

A

increase political participation
ensures decisions reflect the will of the people directly

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4
Q

give two disadvantages of direct democracy

A

can lead to uninformed decision-making
impractical in a large and complex society

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5
Q

define legitimacy in politics

A

the rightful use of power, often confirmed through democratic elections

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6
Q

what is a referendum? give a uk example

A

a vote in which the public decided a specific political question.
example: 2016 EU referendum

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7
Q

what are strengths of UK Democracy?

A

free and fair elections
wide range of political parties
independent judiciary

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8
Q

what are weaknesses of Uk Democracy?

A

House of Lords in unelected
low turnout in some elections
influence of unelected pressure groups

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9
Q

what is the turnout trend in UK general elections since 1997?

A

turnout fell after 1997 (59% in 2001) but has slowly recovered (67.3% in 2019)

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10
Q

what reforms could improve UK democracy?

A

House of Lords reform
introducing proportional representation
compulsory voting

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11
Q

what are pressure groups? give an example

A

organisations that try to influence government policy without seeking election themselves, e.g Greenpeace

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12
Q

what is the difference between sectional and promotional pressure groups?

A

sectional groups represent specific interests (e.g trade unions). Promotional groups focus on issues or causes (e.g Amnesty International)

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13
Q

what is a social movement? give an example

A

a loosely organised group pushing for broad societal change. example: extinction rebellion

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14
Q

define elitism and pluralism in the context of pressure groups

A

Elitism: a small, powerful elite dominates decision-making
Pluralism: Power is dispersed among many groups

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15
Q

how do pressure groups enhance democracy?

A

represent minority interests
increase political participation
educate public on key issues

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16
Q

what are the features of political parties?

A

aim to gain power via elections
represent ideologies
have formal organisation and leadership

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17
Q

define left-wing and right-wing

A

Left-Wing: Favour equality, social justice, and state intervention
Right-Wing: Favour tradition, hierarchy, and free-market economics

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18
Q

outline the ideological stance of the Conservative Party

A

traditionally support free-market economics, law and order and gradual social change

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19
Q

what are the main beliefs of the Labour Party today?

A

social equality, higher public spending, progressive taxation and strengthening worker rights

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20
Q

what factors influence party success in elections?

A
  1. leadership image
  2. media coverage
  3. party unity
  4. economic conditions
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21
Q

What is First Past the Post (FPTP)

A

An electoral system where the candidate with the most votes in a constituency wins.

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22
Q

give two advantages of FPTP

A

simple and quick
usually produces strong, stable government

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23
Q

give two disadvantages of FPTP

A

disproportional outcomes
wasted votes

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24
Q

what is proportional representation (PR)?

A

an electoral system where seats are allocated in proportional to the number of votes received.

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25
what is the additional member system (AMS)?
a hybrid system combining FPTP and a regional party
26
where is AMS used in UK?
Scottish Parliament, Welsh Senedd and London Assembly
27
what is Single Transferable Vote (STV)?
a proportional system where voters rank candidates in multi-member constituencies
28
where is STV used in the UK?
Northern Ireland Assembly and local elections in Scotland
29
what are the features of a multi-party system?
several parties compete for powers and coalitions are common
30
define partisan dealignment
voters becoming less attached to political parties, leading to more floating voters
31
what are the main functions of elections?
representation accountability legitimacy participation
32
what factors affect voting behaviour?
social class age region media influence
33
what was significant about the 1997 general election?
Labour Landslide victory; end of 18 years of Conservative role; rise of 'New Labour/
34
what trends were observed in the 2019 general election?
Conservatives won working-class votes; Labour traditional heartlands ('Red Wall')
35
what is traditional conservatism?
a strand that values hierarchy, tradition and gradual change
36
who are key thinkers of traditional conservatism?
edmund burke and Thomas hobbes
37
what is one-nation conservatism
a paternalistic form that supports social reform to prevent class conflict
38
who developed one-nation conservatism?
Benjamin Disraeli
39
what is the New Right?
a blend of Neo-liberal economic and Neo-conservative social valuesw
40
which key thinkers are linked to the New Right?
Ayn Rand and Robert Nozick
41
what do conservatives believe about human nature?
Humans are flawed and need guidance from authority and tradition
42
what is conservative pragmatism?
a flexible approach to politics that values what works over ideology
43
what is paternalism?
the belief that the state should act in a fatherly way to care for the disadvantaged
44
what is libertarianism?
a belief in minimal state intervention and maximum individual freedom
45
how do conservatives view the state?
as necessary to maintain order and stability
46
how do traditional and new right conservatives differ on the economy?
Traditional: accept some state role New Right: Free-market capitalism
47
what is individualism in liberalism?
the belief that the individual is more important than the collective
48
what is negative freedom?
freedom from external constraints or interference
49
what is positive freedom?
the ability to fulfil one's potential, sometimes needing state help
50
what is liberal democracy?
a democracy limited by constitutional protections for rights and freedoms
51
who is a key classical liberal thinker?
John Locke
52
who is a key modern liberal thinker?
John Rawls
53
what is the liberal view of the state?
necessary but limited to protect individual rights
54
what is the liberal view of the economy?
classical liberals: laissez-faire modern liberals: some regulation and redistribution
55
what do liberals believe about human nature?
rational and capable of self-improvement
56
56
what is foundational equality
all people are born equal and should have equal rights
56
what is formal equality
everyone is equal before the law and has equal legal and political rights
57
what is collectivism?
the belief that goals are best achieved collectively
58
what is common ownership?
the state or community owns key industries or resources
59
who is a key revolutionary socialist thinker?
Karl Marx
60
what is social justice?
the pursuit of fairness in society, including equality of opportunity and outcome
61
what is social democracy?
a moderate form of socialism that accepts capitalism but seeks to reform it
62
who is a key social democrat thinker?
Anthony Crosland
63
what is the third way?
a centrist position between capitalism and socialism, associated with New Labour
64
who is a key third way thinker?
Anthony giddens
65
what is equality of outcome?
aims for equal living standards for all
66
what is equality of opportunity?
ensuring people have the same starting point or chances
67
what do socialists believe about human nature?
humans are social and cooperative by nature
68
what is the socialist believe about human nature?
humans are social and cooperative by nature
69
how do socialists view the economy?
prefer planning and redistribution over free-market capitalism
70
what is nationalism?
an ideology that believes the nation is the central unit of political organisation
71
what is civic nationalism?
national identity based on shared values, not ethnicity.
72
what is cultural nationalism?
emphasis on a shared national culture or heritage
73
what is expansionist nationalism?
an aggressive form that sees one's nation as superior and promotes empire
74
who is a key liberal nationalist thinker?
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
75
who is a key conservative nationalist thinker
Johann Gottfried Herder
76
Who is a key anti-colonial nationalist thinker?
Marcus Garvey
77
What is the nation-state?
a sovereign political entity representing a distinct nation.
78
how do liberal and expansionist nationalism differ?
Liberal: inclusive and democratic Expansionist: exclusive and militaristic
79
what is black nationalism?
a movement advocating for black self-determination and separation from white-dominated systems.
80
what is the nationalist view on the state?
essential for expressing the collective will of the nation
81
how does nationalism view human nature?
people desire identity and belonging through the nation

Politics (3 decks)

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