Edexcel A-Level Politics- UK Politics

What is a democracy?

Power exercised by the mass of the people.

What is a direct democracy?

Where citizens speak and vote on all issues, with the majority view becoming law.

What are some advantages of a direct democracy?

• Everyone in society participates

• People directly make decisions in their interest

• All citizens’ voices are heard

• It is the purest form of democracy

What are some disadvantages of a direct democracy?

• It is impractical as it requires all citizens to be involved in decision making on a daily basis

• People may not want to make decisions on a daily basis

• People are likely to vote in their own interests and not in the interest of society

• Minority voices will not be heard, leading to the tyranny of the majority

Give an example of a direct democracy:

• The Athenian democracy. Citizens would meet regularly and vote on a decision with the majority vote being final.

• Referendums e.g. the Brexit Referendum

What is a representative democracy?

Where citizens elect a representative to make decisions on their behalf.

What are the features of a representative democracy?

• the elections of representatives should be regular, competitive and secret

• elections should be carried out without force and with universal suffrage

• civil liberties must be protected and elections must have multiple political parties running

• there should be constitutional checks to prevent a concentration of government power

• there should be an independent judiciary

What are some advantages of a representative democracy?

• professional politicians make complex decisions

• minority views are considered and upheld

• elected politicians are held to account by the people

• it is the most practical form of democracy

What are some disadvantages of representative democracies?

• citizens are disengaged from politics

• politicians may lack independence since they are part of a political party

• politicians may avoid being held accountable and are open to corruption and self interest

Give an example of a representative democracy:

The UK- it is a representative democracy where the citizens elect a representative to sit in parliament and make decision son their behalf

What is a pluralist democracy?

Where power and influence are dispersed among a wide range of individuals, groups and organisations, rather than being concentrated in the hands of the government or an elite. Different groups compete and cooperate to influence political decisions.

What are some similarities between direct democracies and representative democracies?

• Citizens participate in both

• They both have legitimacy

• Both uphold the rule of law and protect individual rights and freedoms

What are some differences between direct democracies and representative democracies?

• Citizens directly contribute to the decisions in direct democracy, whereas in representative democracies, citizens elect representatives to make decision son their behalf

• Direct democracies are better suited to small populations and simpler decisions, whereas representative democracies are better suited to larger populations and more complex decisions

• Direct democracy is slower since the entire populations in involved, whereas representative democracy is slower since only elected representatives partake