A-level politics - UK politics Exam 2025
Questions and Answers
legitimacy - ANSWER✔✔-political authority conferred by law or by a state or national constitution
direct democracy - ANSWER✔✔-A form of government in which citizens rule directly and not
through representatives
Representative democracy - ANSWER✔✔-A government in which leaders make decisions by
winning a competitive struggle for the popular vote
pluralist democracy - ANSWER✔✔-a political system where there is more than one center of
power. Democracies are by definition pluralist as democracies allow freedom of association.
democratic deficit - ANSWER✔✔-when government or government institutions fall short of
fulfilling the principles of democracy in their practices or operation or where political representatives
and institutions are discredited in the eyes of the public
pluralism - ANSWER✔✔-a condition or system in which two or more states, groups, principles,
sources of authority, etc., coexist.
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,participation crisis - ANSWER✔✔-fewer people are getting involved in politics. ... The decline in
turnout in general elections is a significant indication that the UK is suffering from a participation
crisis as the trend has existed since 1959
franchise/ suffarage - ANSWER✔✔-the right to vote in public, political elections
think tanks - ANSWER✔✔-a body of experts providing advice and ideas on specific political or
economic problems.
lobbyists - ANSWER✔✔-a person who takes part in an organized attempt to influence legislators.
initiatives - ANSWER✔✔-a process that enables citizens to bypass their state legislature by placing
proposed statutes and, in some states, constitutional amendments on the ballot.
petitions - ANSWER✔✔-a formal written request, typically one signed by many people, appealing
to authority in respect of a particular cause. e.g. anything on change.org
recall - ANSWER✔✔-procedure whereby voters can remove an elected official from office
e-democracy - ANSWER✔✔-Online methods of political participation such as through online
petitions on sites such as change.org
access points - ANSWER✔✔-the places to which pressure groups go to exert influence. Assuming
they have a choice, it's a good guide to where the real power lies in a political system. The amount of
access points available depends on the type of political system that operates.
compulsory voting - ANSWER✔✔-a law that requires all citizens in a particular county to vote and
pay a fine if they don't vote e.g. Australia
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, political apathy - ANSWER✔✔-indifference on the part of any citizens with regard to their attitude
toward political activities
cause groups - ANSWER✔✔-organizations whose members care intensely about a single issue or a
group of related issues
sectional groups - ANSWER✔✔-seek to represent the common interests of a particular section of
society. As a result, members of sectional groups are directly and personally concerned with the
outcome of the campaign fought by the group because they usually stand to gain professionally
and/or economically.
insider groups - ANSWER✔✔-pressure groups that are regularly consulted by government
departments
outsider groups - ANSWER✔✔-those whose aims do not enjoy the support of the Government.
They tend to adopt media based, high profile campaigns to capture public attention.
pressure groups - ANSWER✔✔-collections of people outside government who campaign for
changes in society
old labour (social democracy) - ANSWER✔✔-an unofficial name used to talk about the British
Labour Party before it was changed by Tony Blair in the 1990s. Old Labour was thought to be more
left wing, and supported the idea of increasing taxes to pay for public services such as education and
health.
new labour (third wave) - ANSWER✔✔-A movement to update Britain 's Labour Party by
discarding the traditional Labour platform calling for state ownership of the means of production.
FOR STUDY PURPOSES ONLY COPYRIGHT © 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3
Questions and Answers
legitimacy - ANSWER✔✔-political authority conferred by law or by a state or national constitution
direct democracy - ANSWER✔✔-A form of government in which citizens rule directly and not
through representatives
Representative democracy - ANSWER✔✔-A government in which leaders make decisions by
winning a competitive struggle for the popular vote
pluralist democracy - ANSWER✔✔-a political system where there is more than one center of
power. Democracies are by definition pluralist as democracies allow freedom of association.
democratic deficit - ANSWER✔✔-when government or government institutions fall short of
fulfilling the principles of democracy in their practices or operation or where political representatives
and institutions are discredited in the eyes of the public
pluralism - ANSWER✔✔-a condition or system in which two or more states, groups, principles,
sources of authority, etc., coexist.
FOR STUDY PURPOSES ONLY COPYRIGHT © 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
,participation crisis - ANSWER✔✔-fewer people are getting involved in politics. ... The decline in
turnout in general elections is a significant indication that the UK is suffering from a participation
crisis as the trend has existed since 1959
franchise/ suffarage - ANSWER✔✔-the right to vote in public, political elections
think tanks - ANSWER✔✔-a body of experts providing advice and ideas on specific political or
economic problems.
lobbyists - ANSWER✔✔-a person who takes part in an organized attempt to influence legislators.
initiatives - ANSWER✔✔-a process that enables citizens to bypass their state legislature by placing
proposed statutes and, in some states, constitutional amendments on the ballot.
petitions - ANSWER✔✔-a formal written request, typically one signed by many people, appealing
to authority in respect of a particular cause. e.g. anything on change.org
recall - ANSWER✔✔-procedure whereby voters can remove an elected official from office
e-democracy - ANSWER✔✔-Online methods of political participation such as through online
petitions on sites such as change.org
access points - ANSWER✔✔-the places to which pressure groups go to exert influence. Assuming
they have a choice, it's a good guide to where the real power lies in a political system. The amount of
access points available depends on the type of political system that operates.
compulsory voting - ANSWER✔✔-a law that requires all citizens in a particular county to vote and
pay a fine if they don't vote e.g. Australia
FOR STUDY PURPOSES ONLY COPYRIGHT © 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
, political apathy - ANSWER✔✔-indifference on the part of any citizens with regard to their attitude
toward political activities
cause groups - ANSWER✔✔-organizations whose members care intensely about a single issue or a
group of related issues
sectional groups - ANSWER✔✔-seek to represent the common interests of a particular section of
society. As a result, members of sectional groups are directly and personally concerned with the
outcome of the campaign fought by the group because they usually stand to gain professionally
and/or economically.
insider groups - ANSWER✔✔-pressure groups that are regularly consulted by government
departments
outsider groups - ANSWER✔✔-those whose aims do not enjoy the support of the Government.
They tend to adopt media based, high profile campaigns to capture public attention.
pressure groups - ANSWER✔✔-collections of people outside government who campaign for
changes in society
old labour (social democracy) - ANSWER✔✔-an unofficial name used to talk about the British
Labour Party before it was changed by Tony Blair in the 1990s. Old Labour was thought to be more
left wing, and supported the idea of increasing taxes to pay for public services such as education and
health.
new labour (third wave) - ANSWER✔✔-A movement to update Britain 's Labour Party by
discarding the traditional Labour platform calling for state ownership of the means of production.
FOR STUDY PURPOSES ONLY COPYRIGHT © 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3
