Edexcel Politics A-Level-Democracy and Participation Key Terms

direct democracy

A form of democracy where the people themselves make key decisions.

In modern societies this usually takes the form of holding referendums.

representative democracy

A form of democracy in which citizens elect officials to govern on their behalf

accountability

Willingness to take credit and blame for actions.

redress of grievances

The practice , adopted by many elected representatives , of taking up the case of an individual constituent who feels they have suffered an injustice , usually at the hands of government or an agency of the state.

manifesto

a public statement explaining the intentions, motives, or views of an party produced during an election to inform the public about the political platform upon which its candidates are standing.

decentralisation

The process of spreading power away from the centre both towards devolved governments in the national regions and to local government.

mandate

The principle, operating in the UK whereby a party that has been elected to government has the authority of the electorate to carry out its manifesto commitments.

civil society

Organisations outside of the state that help people define and advance their own interests. Acts as a vital counterbalance to the power of government

limted government

a feature of democracies with a constitutional safeguard is that the power of the government should have strict limits will be enforced by the judiciary and the legal system in general . The only exceptions would involve emergency power.

democratic deficit

a collective term for the features of the political system which do not conform to, or fall short of, the normal criteria for a true democracy.

pluralism

the theory that all interests are and should be free to compete for influence in the government; the outcome of this competition is compromise and moderation

elitism

a description of a society or political system where power and influence are concentrated in the hands of a few people and organisations.

e-democracy

a name used to describe the growing tendency to be carried out online in the form of e-petitions an other online campaigns.

the franchise

the right to vote

the suffragettes

People who campaigned for women's right to vote in the late 1800's and early 1900's.

the clickocracy

The increasing practice of taking part in surveys, petitions and political campaigns by registering one's opinion online. examples include the 38 degrees

promotional group

an association whose goal is to promote a particular cause or set of beliefs or values . Such groups seek to promote favourable legislation , prevent unfavourable legislation or simply bring an issue onto the political agenda.

sectional group

An association which has an identifiable membership or supporting group. Such groups represent a section of society and are mainly concerned with their own interests.

lobbying

an activity commonly used by pressure groups to promote causes and interests.

Various forms including large gatherings at parliament or council offices , seeking direct meetings with decision makers including ministers and councillors and employing professional organisations to run campaigns.

hyper-pluralism

a modern phenomenon describing the rapid growth in the number of interests and campaign groups operating in modern democracies. It is feared that the growth in numbers and influence of such growth groups makes government extremely difficult demands and interests have to be satisfied.

group politics

A term that refers to the idea that political decision making involves mediating between the competing demands of different groups. It also implies that different groups have open access to decision-making individuals and bodies and that the demands of different groups are heard.

think tank

an organisations whose role is to undertake research into various aspects of public policy. They are financed either by government or by private sources or both and they are used by decisions makers to inform their policy deliberation . They may be neutral or have a political axe to grind.

civil liberties

Constitutional freedoms guaranteed to all citizens

common law

(civil law) a law established by following earlier judicial decisions

formal equality

The idea that all individuals have the same legal and political rights in society.