democracy&government

what is a democracy

a system of government in which citizens have a role in choosing how they are governed

what is representative democracy

a system where citizens elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf

give three characteristics of representative democracy

regular elections, representatives act on behalf of constituents; representatives are a small proportion of the population

what is a political party

an organised group seeking political power through policies and candidates

what is a pressure group

an organisation seeking to influence government or public policy without normally seeking to form a government

a manifesto

a document setting out a political party’s principles, policies and plans

what is first past the post

an electoral system where the candidate with the most votes in a constituency wins

give two advantages of first past the post

simple to understand, produces a clear constituency representative

quick counting

possibility of a strong government

two disadvantages of first past the post

they may win millions of votes nationally but gain few seats as their MPs do not win enough support in local elections

voters may vote tactically rather than for their preferred party

what is tactical voting

voting for a candidate whom you wouldn't normally support in order to prevent another candidate from winning

what is a constituency

an area represented by an elected representative such as an MP

what is political participation

taking action to influence political decisions or participate in democratic processes

give four ways citizens can participate in democracy

voting, joining a political party, joining a pressure group, campaigning, writing an MP

what is lobbying

attempting to influence politicians or other decision makers

what is government accountability

the requirement for people in power to explain and justify their decisions and actions

which nationalist political parties campaign for more devolution in the UK

sinn fein (ireland) plaid cymru (wales) scottish national party (scotland)

devolution

transfers of powers from central government/UK parliament to local governments or legislatures in parts of the UK

which parts of the UK have devolved institutions

scotland, wales, northern ireland

give two arguments for devolution

it can bring decision making closer to people, it allows local people who know what is best for their area to make decisions

local leaders are easier to contact

what is the difference between a political party and a pressure group

a political party seeks political power through elections

a pressure group seeks to influence decisions usually around single issues without seeking to form a government