democracy and aprticaption

What is democracy?

A system of government in which political power ultimately comes from the people

What does democracy literally mean?

Rule by the people

What are the main principles of democracy?

Political participation, popular sovereignty, political equality, accountability and free and fair elections

What is popular sovereignty?

The principle that ultimate political authority rests with the people

What is political equality?

The principle that citizens should have equal political rights and an equal opportunity to participate

What is political participation?

The involvement of citizens in political activities and decision-making

What are examples of political participation?

Voting, joining parties, campaigning, contacting MPs, signing petitions and participating in demonstrations

What is representative democracy?

A system in which citizens elect representatives to make political decisions on their behalf

What is direct democracy?

A system in which citizens participate directly in making political decisions rather than relying entirely on elected representatives

What is the UK's main form of democracy?

Representative democracy

How is direct democracy used in the UK?

Mainly through referendums

What is a referendum?

A direct vote by citizens on a specific political question or proposal

What is a mandate?

The authority claimed by a political party to implement policies after winning an election

What is accountability?

The principle that those exercising political power should be answerable to the public

Why are elections important to democracy?

They allow citizens to choose representatives and remove governments from office

Why is political participation important?

It allows citizens to influence government and gives democratic institutions legitimacy

What is democratic legitimacy?

The extent to which political authority is accepted as rightful because it is based on democratic consent

What is consent?

The agreement or acceptance of citizens that gives government democratic legitimacy

What is majority rule?

The principle that decisions should generally reflect the preferences of more than half of those participating

What is minority rights protection?

The protection of the political and civil rights of groups even when they are not part of the majority

Why can majority rule be problematic?

A majority could potentially impose decisions that unfairly restrict minority rights

What is pluralism?

The idea that political power is distributed among many competing groups and interests

What is political equality in voting?

The principle that each eligible citizen's vote should have equal value

What is universal suffrage?

The right of all eligible adult citizens to vote regardless of factors such as gender, wealth or social class

What is suffrage?

The right to vote in political elections

What is franchise?

Another term for the right to vote

What is disenfranchisement?

The removal or denial of someone's right to vote

Why was suffrage historically restricted?

Voting rights were limited by factors such as wealth, property, gender, age and social status

What was the Great Reform Act 1832?

Legislation that significantly reformed parliamentary representation and extended the franchise to some middle-class men

Did the Great Reform Act introduce universal male suffrage?

No, voting remained restricted mainly by property qualifications

Why was the Great Reform Act significant?

It began a major process of parliamentary and electoral reform

What did the Great Reform Act change about representation?

It redistributed parliamentary seats and reduced the influence of some rotten boroughs

What was a rotten borough?

A parliamentary constituency with very few voters that could be controlled by a wealthy patron

What was a pocket borough?

A constituency effectively controlled by an individual or small group

Why did reformers oppose rotten boroughs?

They believed they undermined political equality and fair representation

What was the Chartist movement?

A working-class movement that campaigned for political reform during the nineteenth century

What was the People's Charter?

The 1838 document setting out six major Chartist demands

What was Chartism?

A mass movement seeking political reform and greater working-class participation

What were the six demands of the People's Charter?

Universal male suffrage, secret ballots, annual Parliaments, equal constituencies, payment for MPs and removal of property qualifications for MPs

What was universal male suffrage?

The demand that all adult men should have the right to vote

Why did Chartists demand secret ballots?

To prevent voters being intimidated or pressured by employers and landowners

Why did Chartists demand equal constituencies?

To ensure votes had greater equality of value

Why did Chartists demand payment for MPs?

To allow working-class people to become MPs

Why did Chartists oppose property qualifications for MPs?

They wanted MPs to be chosen regardless of wealth

Why did Chartists demand annual Parliaments?

They believed frequent elections would make MPs more accountable

Was Chartism successful immediately?

No, Parliament rejected the Chartists' petitions

Why was Chartism nevertheless significant?

It helped establish demands for wider political participation and influenced later reforms

How did Chartism use political participation?

Through petitions, meetings, demonstrations and political campaigning

What was the 1848 Chartist petition?

A major petition claiming to have millions of signatures and demanding political reform

Why did Chartism decline?

Government opposition, divisions within the movement and limited immediate success weakened it

What happened to Chartist demands in the long term?

Many were eventually introduced through later reforms

Which Chartist demand remains unfulfilled in the UK?

Annual Parliaments

What was the Reform Act 1867?

Legislation that extended the vote to more working-class men in urban areas

Why was the 1867 Reform Act significant?

It substantially increased the number of men eligible to vote

What was the Reform Act 1884?

Legislation that extended the franchise to many rural working-class men

What did the 1884 Reform Act achieve?

It created a more uniform male franchise across urban and rural areas

What was the Representation of the People Act 1918?

Legislation that greatly expanded the electorate and gave some women the vote

Which women gained the vote in 1918?

Women aged 30 and over who met specified property qualifications

Which men gained the vote in 1918?

Almost all men aged 21 and over

Why was women's suffrage still unequal in 1918?

Women had to meet an age and property qualification that did not apply in the same way to men

What was the Representation of the People Act 1928?

Legislation giving women the vote on the same terms as men

What did equal franchise mean in 1928?

Men and women aged 21 and over could vote on equal terms

Why was 1928 significant for democracy?

It established equal voting rights for men and women aged 21 and over

What was the Representation of the People Act 1948?

Legislation ending plural voting and helping establish equal voting rights more fully

What was plural voting?

A system where some people could have more than one vote because of factors such as property or occupation

Why was plural voting undemocratic?

It meant some citizens had greater voting power than others

What was the Representation of the People Act 1969?

Legislation lowering the voting age from 21 to 18

Why was the voting age lowered to 18?

Young adults were increasingly seen as mature enough to participate politically

What is the current voting age for UK general elections?

18

What is the main argument for lowering the voting age?

Young people affected by government decisions should have a democratic voice

What is the main argument against lowering the voting age?

Critics argue that younger voters may have less political knowledge or experience

What is the argument that voting is a human right?

It holds that citizens should have an equal opportunity to influence government decisions affecting them

What is the argument that voting is a civic responsibility?

It holds that citizens have a responsibility to participate in maintaining democracy

What was the women's suffrage movement?

The campaign for women to gain the right to vote

Who were the Suffragists?

Members of the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies who generally used peaceful constitutional methods

What was the NUWSS?

The National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies, led by Millicent Fawcett

Who was Millicent Fawcett?

Leader of the NUWSS who campaigned for women's suffrage through peaceful constitutional methods

What methods did the Suffragists use?

Petitions, lobbying, public meetings, speeches and peaceful campaigning

Why did Suffragists favour peaceful methods?

They believed constitutional campaigning could persuade Parliament to introduce reform

Who were the Suffragettes?

Members of the Women's Social and Political Union who used more militant tactics to campaign for votes for women

What was the WSPU?

The Women's Social and Political Union founded by Emmeline Pankhurst

Who founded the WSPU?

Emmeline Pankhurst and her supporters founded it in 1903

What slogan was associated with the Suffragettes?

Votes for Women

What methods did the Suffragettes use?

Demonstrations, civil disobedience, property damage and other militant tactics

Why did the Suffragettes adopt militant methods?

They believed peaceful campaigning had failed to achieve rapid reform

Who was Emmeline Pankhurst?

A leading figure in the militant women's suffrage movement and founder of the WSPU

Who was Christabel Pankhurst?

A prominent WSPU organiser who supported militant campaigning

What was the difference between Suffragists and Suffragettes?

Suffragists generally used constitutional methods while Suffragettes adopted more militant tactics

Which organisation used the slogan 'Deeds not words'?

The WSPU

What was the significance of the Suffragists?

They maintained sustained constitutional pressure for women's voting rights

What was the significance of the Suffragettes?

They increased publicity surrounding women's suffrage and demonstrated the intensity of the campaign

Did the Suffragettes alone win women the vote?

No, women's suffrage resulted from several political, social and historical factors

How did World War One affect women's suffrage?

Women's contribution to the war effort strengthened arguments that women deserved greater political rights

Why was the 1918 Representation of the People Act important for women?

It gave millions of women the right to vote for the first time

What is direct democracy's main advantage?

Citizens can make decisions directly rather than relying entirely on representatives

What is direct democracy's main disadvantage?

Complex political issues can be reduced to simple yes-or-no choices

Why can referendums increase legitimacy?

A decision directly supported by voters can claim a clear democratic mandate

Why can referendums weaken representative democracy?

They can allow voters to bypass elected representatives

What is the main criticism of referendums?

Voters may lack sufficient information to make complex policy decisions

How can referendums increase participation?

They provide citizens with a direct opportunity to decide an important political issue