Year 10 - Citizenship
Should the UK involve citizens more directly in democracy?
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 explain and argue a viewpoint about whether the UK should involve citizens more directly in its democracy.
Key Notes
- The UK is a representative democracy but still involves citizens in the decision making process.
- The UK invovles citizens through the use of refernedums, select committees and citizens' assemblies.
- Involving citizens in the decision making process gives people a voice and ensures a wider range of views are heard.
- The UK Government might not involve citizens in decisions that are complex or need to be made quickly such as crises.
Vocabulary To Learn
- representative democracy: type of democracy where citizens choose others to represent them, making important decisions on their behalf
- government: the group of people with the authority to govern a country; in the UK, the government is chosen and led by the Prime Minister (PM)
- citizens' assemblies: a group of people who are brought together to learn about, discuss and make recommendations on a specific issue, such as climate change
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- The UK is a representative democracy so citizens cannot be involved in the decision making process at all.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
The UK is a representative democracy but still involves citizens in the decision making process. The UK invovles citizens through the use of refernedums, select committees and citizens' assemblies.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'representative democracy'
type of democracy where citizens choose others to represent them, making important decisions on their behalf.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: The UK is a representative democracy so citizens cannot be involved in the decision making process at all. Correction: Even though the UK is a representative democracy (where elected MPs make decisions), citizens can still be involved in the decision making process through referendums, select committees and citizens' assemblies.
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 political problems be solved by a referendum? Study Guide
- What is direct democracy? Study Guide
- What roles can citizens play in policy shaping? Study Guide
Browse all guides in the Year 10 Citizenship guide library.