Democracy and participation-part 1

Democracy and Participation

• Democracy involves giving power to the people.
• It involves the ideas of political participation.
• The Greek words "demos" means "mass of the people" and "kratos" means "power".
• Different types of democracies exist.

Key Terminology

• Legitimacy: A political principle claimed by governments,
  • governments gain legitimacy by winning electoral mandates.
  • their decisions and actions need to be considered "rightful" to retain legitimacy.
• Direct democracy: Where the people directly make decisions.
• Representative democracy: Where citizens elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf.
• Liberal democracy: A system of government with recognised and protected individual rights, limitations on the power of the governing body/political leadership and rule of law.
• Pluralist democracy: Multiple views and voices in society, such as political parties and pressure groups.
• Democratic deficit: When a political system falls short of the ideal of democratic principles.
• Participation crisis: A decline in political engagement or participation amongst the public or certain demographic groups.
• Franchise/suffrage: The right to vote in political elections.
• Think tanks: Groups that conduct research and provide policy recommendations on various political matters.
• Lobbyists: Individuals or groups that attempt to influence government policy.

Wider Franchise and Suffrage Debates

• Key milestones in the widening of the franchise (the right to vote) in various countries, particularly the UK,
  • included the 1832 Great Reform Act
  • and the following Representation of the People Acts in 1918, 1928 and 1969.
• The work of suffragettes/suffragists and a contemporary movement to extend the franchise are important historical facts.
• Debates include considerations of individual and collective rights.

Pressure Groups and Other Influences

• Pressure groups exert influence in contemporary politics.
• Methods vary significantly amongst pressure groups.
• Case studies of two different pressure groups, highlighting differences.
• Other organisations (including think tanks and corporations) and their influence on government and Parliament.

Rights in Context

• Major milestones in the development of rights.
• The significance of Magna Carta and other milestones such as the Human Rights Act 1998 and Equality Act 2010.
• Debates on the extent, limits, rights and freedoms, and also tensions.
• Include the contributions from civil liberties pressure groups of the UK.

Direct Democracy

• How direct democracy looks in Switzerland.
• Advantages of implementing direct democracy in the UK.
• Disadvantages of implementing direct democracy in the UK.

Problems with Democracy

• Fukuyama's argument concerning the end of history and the potential for the decline/danger of Democracy.

How Effective is Our Democratic System

• Democratic deficit - The features of the political system that do not, or fall short of, the ideal criteria of proper democracy.
• How to participate in UK politics (eg. standing for public office, voting, joining political parties, campaigning in pressure groups, and using social media).

Evaluating Representative Democracy

• Positives and negatives of UK democracy.
• Case studies to evaluate the state of Democracy in the UK.
• Specific examples (eg. peaceful transition of power, free and fair elections, participation/absence of participation, range of elections, the functioning of Parliament, the role of pressure groups, and the protection of rights).

Compulsory Voting

• Arguments for and against compulsory voting.
• Evaluating the arguments for and against compulsory voting.

Political Legitimacy

• The decline/loss of political legitimacy.
• Evaluating data on political legitimacy and general elections.

Pressure Groups and Civil Liberties

• The functions of pressure groups.
• Methods of pressure groups' operations (eg. boycotts, petitions, lobbying, protests, media campaigns, and strikes)
• Case studies of different UK pressure groups to evaluate influence and methods in contemporary politics.
• Example pressure groups like Extinction Rebellion, BMA. RMT.

Modern Campaigns for Suffrage

• Current debates over the voting age.
• Debates and arguments over prisoners' rights to vote.