A-Level Politics — UK, Ideologies & USA

Types of democracy

• Direct democracy (citizens decide themselves - e.g. referendums) vs representative democracy (elected representatives decide); the UK is liberal/representative with elements of direct democracy (referendums since 1975; 2016 EU referendum).
• Strengths/weaknesses of each; pluralist democracy (power dispersed among competing groups) vs elitism.

The state of UK democracy

• Positives: free elections, universal suffrage, a free press, devolution, pressure groups. Democratic deficit concerns: low turnout, the unelected Lords, an uncodified constitution, disproportional voting (FPTP), and the "participation crisis".
• Reform debates: votes at 16, compulsory voting, electoral reform, an elected second chamber, a codified constitution/bill of rights.

Participation and rights

• Forms of participation (voting, party/pressure-group membership, e-petitions, protest); the participation crisis debate (falling turnout/membership vs new digital activism).
• Pressure groups (sectional/cause; insider/outsider) and think tanks/lobbyists - how they enhance or distort democracy. Rights in the UK (Human Rights Act 1998, milestones like Magna Carta) and civil liberties debates.

Evaluate how democratic the UK is by weighing its strengths against the democratic deficit, and always reach a judgement on proposed reforms.

Diagram