Questions and Answers
What is an advantage of direct democracy regarding transparency?
What is meant by direct democracy being the 'purest' form of democracy?
It doesn't involve any interpretation.
Public engagement is considered an advantage of direct democracy.
True
In direct democracy, not all votes count equally.
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In direct democracy, citizens become educated on key political issues, an example being the _____ referendum in 2011.
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What is one disadvantage of direct democracy regarding practicality?
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How can direct democracy be manipulated?
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Voters in direct democracy are typically better informed than representative politicians.
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Study Notes
Advantages of Direct Democracy
- Transparency: Promotes openness between citizens and government, fostering trust and accountability.
- Purest Form: Represents democracy in its most direct version, eliminating interpretative elements introduced by elected officials.
- Public Engagement: Increases political participation as citizens feel their input directly impacts decisions.
- Equal Voting Weight: Each vote holds the same significance, unlike in representative democracies where larger constituencies dilute individual votes.
- Educated Citizenry: Enables citizens to gain knowledge on political issues, as evidenced by the AV referendum in 2011, which taught different voting methods.
Disadvantages of Direct Democracy
- Impracticality: Frequent decision-making can be time-consuming and costly, particularly problematic for larger nations; 2016 EU referendum cost an estimated £142.4 million.
- Manipulation Risks: Outcomes can be influenced by question phrasing and timing; the EU referendum question reworded from "yes/no" to "remain/leave" to sway public sentiment.
- Voter Knowledge Gap: Citizens may lack the necessary expertise to make informed decisions on complex political matters compared to elected representatives.
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Description
Explore the advantages and disadvantages of direct democracy through comprehensive flashcards. Each card highlights a key aspect, such as transparency, public engagement, and its purity as a form of democracy. Perfect for students looking to deepen their understanding of democratic systems.
