UK Politics

• political participation

  voluntary activities undertaken by the mass public to influence public policy
• democracy


  a state governed by representatives elected by the elegible public
• Representative Democracy


  a system of democracy in which people vote for elected representatives (e.g local and general elections).

  • elected representatives make decisions on the people’s behalf
• Direct Democracy


  the people decide on policy initiatives directly, as opposed to indirectly through their elected representatives.

  • votes take place on specific questions (e.g EU referendum, 1997 Scottish devolution)
• what are the benefits of democracy?

  • everyone gets a say
  • those in power can be removed at regular intervals by the people
  • free exchange of views
• what are some disadvantages of democracy?


  • people can be politically impartial - don‘t bother voting
  • some groups dominate, never truly representative
  • certain age groups dominate the polls