Year 10 - Citizenship
Should political problems be solved by a referendum?
How can politicians involve citizens in direct decision making?
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Study Guides
This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
Through a series of case studies from across the globe pupils explore different methods of direct democracy and consider how UK citizens can play a part in shaping national policy.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to create a reasoned argument about whether political problems should be solved by a referendum.
Key Notes
- Political problems affect how a country is run and can create conflict or unfairness in society.
- Political problems can lead to low voter turnout and unfair representation.
- Australia uses referendums to change its constitution through a national vote.
- Electoral reform can be used to address political problems.
Vocabulary To Learn
- referendum: a general vote by the electorate on a single political issue which has been referred to them for a direct decision; it is a form of direct democracy
- Proportional Representation: an electoral system where political parties get a number of seats in Parliament that matches the percentage of votes they receive in an election
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Proportional Representation is always a better and fairer voting system.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
Political problems affect how a country is run and can create conflict or unfairness in society. Political problems can lead to low voter turnout and unfair representation.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'referendum'
a general vote by the electorate on a single political issue which has been referred to them for a direct decision; it is a form of direct democracy.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: Proportional Representation is always a better and fairer voting system. Correction: Proportional Representation can make elections fairer by matching seats to votes more closely. It often leads to coalition governments, which can be unstable or slow to make decisions.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Can citizens play a bigger role in select committees? Study Guide
- Should environmental issues be decided by referendum? Study Guide
- Should moral decisions be decided by referendum? Study Guide
- Should the UK involve citizens more directly in democracy? Study Guide
- What is direct democracy? Study Guide
- What roles can citizens play in policy shaping? Study Guide
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