citizenship theme D

What are opportunities in citizenship participation

Chance to get involved or participate in political or community actions

What are barriers in citizenship participation

Something that prevents people from participating or getting involved

Examples of opportunities

Politics such as voting

Local community work eg volunteering

Wider community work eg charities to improve health or campaign for justice and equality

Examples of barriers

Busy life no time

Lack of interest

Lack of awareness and education

Worry about process

Direct actions

Try to political goals themselves

Indirect actions

Try to influence politicians

Direct actions example

Join campaign, march, protest

Boycott companies or countries, strikes

Indirect actions examples

Join political party

Vote in elections and referendum

Stand in election as MP

John pressure interest advocacy groups

Why get involved in citizenship participation

Make a difference

Influenced by parents friends personal experience

See it as a duty to help out

Ambition

Desire to improve or complete community work

Why people dont vote or participate in politics

Not interested

Feel they won’t make a difference

Dont understand enough

Lack of time

Difficult getting to a polling station

Improving voters engagement

Make voting compulsory

Improve citizenship education in young children

Increase face to face meetings between candidates and voters

Change first past the post system so all votes counts

Allow voting across weekend

Place polling stations at convenient places

Digital democracy

Use of online tech to engage voters with election campaign to make them more likely to vote

Digital democracy benefit

Vote at home or online is easier (e-voting)

Interactive

Free to use

Digital democracy draw back

Need tight security to prevent people hacking

Lots of people voting at the same time causes crash

How to improve political participation through social media

Benefits

Messages targeted to specific voters

Getting page likes and shares spread the party’s message

Allows parties to pick up on issues that are important which can help with their campaigns

Engage young voters → increase voting rate

Improving political participation through social media

Drawbacks

Politicians need to be careful of what they send

Sites posting fake news to confuse voters

Democratic features

Free and fiar elections

Governmental checks and balances

Citizen included in politics

Citizenship support gov

Freedom of expression

Democratic system (norway)

Most adult citizens can vote, registration is automatic

Most adults can stand for elections

Participation in elections are high, seen as civic duty

Politicians are seen by voters as normal people, not out of touch elites

Wide range of parties often cooperate in coalition (pluralism)

Free fair open elections

Anyone can join or form political parties and pressure groups

Freedom of expressions highly valued

Media free to express what they want

Non democratic system (n korea)

No genuine elections, national leader not elected

Country leader is dictator

No rule of law

Country leader is passed down generationally, supreme leader for life

Only one party (workers party of Korea) allowed to control over all candidates in rigged elections

Military is central to country’s politics

No opportunities to take part in any political activity without approval form Country

Criticism of country is likely to lead to prison camp

No free media