Democracy & Participation Edexcel A Level Politics

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the systems of democracy, history of the franchise, pressure groups, and the protection of rights in the UK as outlined in the Edexcel A Level Politics syllabus.

Representative Democracy

A system where citizens elect people or political parties to make decisions and govern on their behalf, such as the 650 MPs elected to the UK Parliament.

Direct Democracy

A system where citizens make political decisions themselves by voting on individual issues, such as the 2016 Brexit referendum.

Democracy (Etymology)

Derived from the Greek words ‘demos’ and ‘kratos’, literally translated as ‘rule of the people’.

Accountability (Representative)

The requirement for representatives to justify their decisions to voters at election time; failure to do so can lead to their removal, as seen with Labour in the 2010 General Election.

Fixed-term Parliaments Act

Legislation under which UK General Elections are typically held every $5$ years to ensure stability and regular democratic input.

Tyranny of the Majority

A risk in direct democracy where the interests of the minority are ignored by the majority, potentially causing political and social polarisation.

E-petitions

A digital tool used to inform Parliamentary action; for example, a 2019 petition to 'Revoke Article 50' gained more than $6$ million signatures.

First Past The Post (FPTP)

The UK's voting system for general elections, criticized for distorting representation (e.g., in 2024, Labour won $63\%$ of seats with $33.7\%$ of the vote).

Human Rights Act 1998

Law that codified the European Convention on Human Rights into UK law, allowing individuals to challenge rights breaches in UK courts.

Constitutional Reform Act 2005

Legislation that led to the creation of the UK Supreme Court, which became operational in 2009.

Equality Act 2010

Law protecting individuals from discrimination based on nine protected characteristics, including gender, race, and disability.

Recall of MPs Act 2015

Law allowing constituents to force a by-election if their MP receives a custodial sentence, is suspended for $10$ or more days, or is convicted under the Parliamentary Standards Act 2009.

The Franchise

The right to vote, which has been expanded through several Acts of Parliament between 1832 and 1969.

Great Reform Act 1832

Legislation that extended the vote to middle-class men owning property worth $\pounds 10+$; it increased the electorate to roughly $800,000$.

Representation of the People Act 1918

Act that extended the vote to all men over $21$ and women over $30$ who met property requirements.

Equal Franchise Act 1928

Legislative change that gave women the right to vote on equal terms to men, increasing the electorate to around $26$ million.

Suffragists (NUWSS)

Led by Millicent Fawcett, this group used peaceful, constitutional methods like petitions and lobbying to achieve votes for women.

Suffragettes (WSPU)

Led by Emmeline Pankhurst, this group used militant tactics such as window-smashing, arson, and hunger strikes to force attention on women's suffrage.

Sectional Groups

Pressure groups representing a specific section of society, such as the British Medical Association (BMA) representing doctors.

Causal Groups

Pressure groups campaigning for causes that benefit wider society, such as Greenpeace for environmental protection.

Insider Groups

Organizations with close links to the government that are regularly consulted on policy, such as the National Farmers’ Union (NFU).

Outsider Groups

Organizations lacking government access that rely on public pressure and direct action, such as Extinction Rebellion (XR) or Insulate Britain.

Think Tanks

Independent research organizations, like the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), that develop policy ideas and submit evidence to select committees.

Lobbyists

Paid individuals or companies hired to arrange meetings with ministers and shape legislation on behalf of clients.

Magna Carta (1215)

A foundational document that limited monarchical power and established the principle of due process.

Bill of Rights (1689)

Document asserting Parliamentary sovereignty, guaranteeing frequent elections, and prohibiting cruel and unusual punishment.

Judicial Review

The power of the courts to challenge and block unlawful government actions, as seen in the 2019 Miller v PM case regarding the prorogation of Parliament.

European Court of Human Rights (ECHR)

An international court where UK citizens can take cases, such as the 2022 interim measure preventing the removal of an Iraqi national to Rwanda.