politics (political actors)

Question 1

representative democracy def

Answer 1

democracies that elect some people to exercise power on behalf of the population

Question 2

accountability def

Answer 2

in the westminster system, a minister is personally responsible for everything their department does.
if something goes wrong, the minister must take responsibility, fix the problem, and in serious cases they should resign.

Question 3

legitimacy def

Answer 3

the perception that an act, actor, group or institution is justified in its exercise of power; legitimacy is thought to transform power into authority

Question 4

political perspectives def

Answer 4

-the ways political actors see, understand their interests
-influenced by their ideas, values, experiences and contextual factors

Question 5

what is a social movement

Answer 5

-many individuals and sympathetic groups
-aim to make change
-influence public opinion and gov decisions
-raise awareness, pressure politicians
-protests, campaigns, petitions, media

Question 6

pork barrelling

Answer 6

when politicians use public money to fund projects in certain electorates, usually their own ones or the ones they want to win, to gain votes rather than focusing on those who need it.