Do Now- (chapter 6 and 7)
1. What did the Chartists campaign for?
2. Name 2 groups in society who still can’t vote
3. How were the suffragettes and suffragists different?
4. What’s the difference between representative and direct democracy
5. Name one type of direct democracy other than referendums
6. What is slacktivism?
7. Name one referendum held in the UK since 1997 other than Brexit
8. Which elections have the highest and lowest turnout? Why?
9. Name two other electoral systems used in the UK other than FPTP. Where are they used?
10. Name one reason Thatcher won the 1983 election
11. Name one reason Blair won the 1997 election
12. Name one reason Johnson won the 2019 election
13. Name one advantage of FPTP and one disadvantage
14. Name two factors which affect voting behaviour other than age
15. How has the role of the media changed from 1983-2019?
, Comparative essays feedback
- Everyone defined the theory and wrote 3 paragraphs
- Everyone mentioned both countries.
- Everyone had a mix of A01 and A02
- The big EBI is specific examples- one per paragraph is
fine, but you need them as 6 marks are for A01.
,What does this show?
, Direct vs representative democracy
Direct democracy- when voters make key decisions directly, rather
than going through elected representatives.
Examples:
- Referendums
- Recall petitions and e-petitions
- Direct action/pressure group activity
Representative democracy- when key decisions are made by elected
representatives (MPs).
The UK is generally a representative democracy, with elements of
direct democracy.
,What are the pros and cons of direct democracy?
, Pros of direct democracy Cons of direct democracy
1. Promotes political participation and education 1. Lack of expertise
Scottish independence referendum 2014- 84.6% turnout, 100,000 16 and 17 AV referendum 2011- 51% of voters admitted to having little to no knowledge
year olds voted. of what AV was.
Promotes participation amongst younger people who tend not to vote as much MPs are specialists- if decisions are left to ordinary voters, this could lead to
in elections. decisions being made for the wrong reasons/voters being more vulnerable to
misinformation.
Could lead to greater political knowledge as citizens have to become more
well-informed. Ordinary people don’t always have the time or energy for extensive research.
2. Greater legitimacy in decision-making 2. Tyranny of the majority
Direct democracy= pure form of democracy Referendums allow a majority to vote to take rights away from a minority.
MPs not always in touch with public opinion- only 24% of MPs voted Leave Brexit 2016- 52% voted Leave, removing the right to freedom of movement for
compared to 52% of the public the other 48%.
Direct democracy ensures decisions which are made by the government truly In a representative democracy this is less likely to happen as minority voices
reflect people’s will. should always be represented in Parliament.
3. Greater accountability 3. Could lead to gridlock if MPs and the public clash
Direct democracy allows citizens to hold the government to account in EU referendum- Parliament couldn’t agree what form Brexit should take,
between election cycles leading to 3-year gridlock from 2016-2019, causing political chaos.
Direct action e.g., Just Stop Oil protests (although this can be illegal) or Due to Parliamentary sovereignty, it is very difficult to resolve an issue when
e-petitions (Trump’s state visit) voters and MPs disagree- this is why decisions should be left to MPs
,How democratic is the UK?
, Democratic Undemocratic
The extension of the franchise over time Groups who do not have the vote:
- Key legislation (the Reform Acts) - 16-year-olds
- The role of the Chartists - Prisoners
- The role of the women’s suffrage
movements leading to the Representation
of the People Acts)
- The extension of the franchise to
18-year-olds in 1969.
Constitutional changes under Blair Undemocratic features of the UK constitution
- Human Rights Act - The role of the House of Lords
- Devolved Parliaments - The role of the monarch
- Abolition of hereditary peers
- Creation of the Supreme Court
The growth of direct democracy The electoral system
- The rise of e-petitions and pressure groups - FPTP and the winners’ bonus
- Referendums (2011, 2014, 2016)
,Is the UK undergoing a participation crisis?
, Participation crisis No participation crisis
1. Declining turnout in elections 1. High turnout in key elections
General Election turnout in 1950= approx 84% Voters vote when they care about the issues at stake
Nowadays it is approx 67% (2019) EU referendum turnout= 72%
Local election turnout= 25-30% Scottish referendum turnout= 84%
PPC turnout= 10-12%
2. Declining party membership 2. Partisan dealignment and the Corbyn era revival
Conservative membership in the 1950s= 3 million. Now it is 200,000 Labour membership went up to 600k under Corbyn (the youthquake)- has
since gone down.
Crisis for democracy as these 200k people have chosen the last 2
Conservative PM’s besides Sunak) Partisan dealignment- voters are joining the minor parties, whose membership
has gone up (SNP/Greens)
3. The issue of age 3. Alternative/non-traditional participation
Younger people are far less likely to vote than the elderly Young people= more likely to be involved in pressure groups like BLM or sign
e-petitions.
The average age of Conservative members is 57.
These methods are sometimes seen as slacktivism but can represent a
genuine desire to achieve change outside the traditional method of voting.
1. What did the Chartists campaign for?
2. Name 2 groups in society who still can’t vote
3. How were the suffragettes and suffragists different?
4. What’s the difference between representative and direct democracy
5. Name one type of direct democracy other than referendums
6. What is slacktivism?
7. Name one referendum held in the UK since 1997 other than Brexit
8. Which elections have the highest and lowest turnout? Why?
9. Name two other electoral systems used in the UK other than FPTP. Where are they used?
10. Name one reason Thatcher won the 1983 election
11. Name one reason Blair won the 1997 election
12. Name one reason Johnson won the 2019 election
13. Name one advantage of FPTP and one disadvantage
14. Name two factors which affect voting behaviour other than age
15. How has the role of the media changed from 1983-2019?
, Comparative essays feedback
- Everyone defined the theory and wrote 3 paragraphs
- Everyone mentioned both countries.
- Everyone had a mix of A01 and A02
- The big EBI is specific examples- one per paragraph is
fine, but you need them as 6 marks are for A01.
,What does this show?
, Direct vs representative democracy
Direct democracy- when voters make key decisions directly, rather
than going through elected representatives.
Examples:
- Referendums
- Recall petitions and e-petitions
- Direct action/pressure group activity
Representative democracy- when key decisions are made by elected
representatives (MPs).
The UK is generally a representative democracy, with elements of
direct democracy.
,What are the pros and cons of direct democracy?
, Pros of direct democracy Cons of direct democracy
1. Promotes political participation and education 1. Lack of expertise
Scottish independence referendum 2014- 84.6% turnout, 100,000 16 and 17 AV referendum 2011- 51% of voters admitted to having little to no knowledge
year olds voted. of what AV was.
Promotes participation amongst younger people who tend not to vote as much MPs are specialists- if decisions are left to ordinary voters, this could lead to
in elections. decisions being made for the wrong reasons/voters being more vulnerable to
misinformation.
Could lead to greater political knowledge as citizens have to become more
well-informed. Ordinary people don’t always have the time or energy for extensive research.
2. Greater legitimacy in decision-making 2. Tyranny of the majority
Direct democracy= pure form of democracy Referendums allow a majority to vote to take rights away from a minority.
MPs not always in touch with public opinion- only 24% of MPs voted Leave Brexit 2016- 52% voted Leave, removing the right to freedom of movement for
compared to 52% of the public the other 48%.
Direct democracy ensures decisions which are made by the government truly In a representative democracy this is less likely to happen as minority voices
reflect people’s will. should always be represented in Parliament.
3. Greater accountability 3. Could lead to gridlock if MPs and the public clash
Direct democracy allows citizens to hold the government to account in EU referendum- Parliament couldn’t agree what form Brexit should take,
between election cycles leading to 3-year gridlock from 2016-2019, causing political chaos.
Direct action e.g., Just Stop Oil protests (although this can be illegal) or Due to Parliamentary sovereignty, it is very difficult to resolve an issue when
e-petitions (Trump’s state visit) voters and MPs disagree- this is why decisions should be left to MPs
,How democratic is the UK?
, Democratic Undemocratic
The extension of the franchise over time Groups who do not have the vote:
- Key legislation (the Reform Acts) - 16-year-olds
- The role of the Chartists - Prisoners
- The role of the women’s suffrage
movements leading to the Representation
of the People Acts)
- The extension of the franchise to
18-year-olds in 1969.
Constitutional changes under Blair Undemocratic features of the UK constitution
- Human Rights Act - The role of the House of Lords
- Devolved Parliaments - The role of the monarch
- Abolition of hereditary peers
- Creation of the Supreme Court
The growth of direct democracy The electoral system
- The rise of e-petitions and pressure groups - FPTP and the winners’ bonus
- Referendums (2011, 2014, 2016)
,Is the UK undergoing a participation crisis?
, Participation crisis No participation crisis
1. Declining turnout in elections 1. High turnout in key elections
General Election turnout in 1950= approx 84% Voters vote when they care about the issues at stake
Nowadays it is approx 67% (2019) EU referendum turnout= 72%
Local election turnout= 25-30% Scottish referendum turnout= 84%
PPC turnout= 10-12%
2. Declining party membership 2. Partisan dealignment and the Corbyn era revival
Conservative membership in the 1950s= 3 million. Now it is 200,000 Labour membership went up to 600k under Corbyn (the youthquake)- has
since gone down.
Crisis for democracy as these 200k people have chosen the last 2
Conservative PM’s besides Sunak) Partisan dealignment- voters are joining the minor parties, whose membership
has gone up (SNP/Greens)
3. The issue of age 3. Alternative/non-traditional participation
Younger people are far less likely to vote than the elderly Young people= more likely to be involved in pressure groups like BLM or sign
e-petitions.
The average age of Conservative members is 57.
These methods are sometimes seen as slacktivism but can represent a
genuine desire to achieve change outside the traditional method of voting.
