Year 10 - Citizenship
What is direct democracy?
How can politicians involve citizens in direct decision making?
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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 what direct democracy is and explain its strengths and weaknesses.
Key Notes
- Direct democracy allows citizens to participate directly in decisions.
- Direct democracy can happen through the use of referendums or types of citizens' initiatives.
- Direct democracy exists regularly in Switzerland.
- Some representative democracies occasionally use forms of direct democracy such as the UK, US and New Zealand.
- Direct democracy can be costly and timely due to running regular referendums.
Vocabulary To Learn
- direct democracy: where the people decide on the policy directly, for example, through a vote or referendum on each issue
- 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
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- All democratic countries are governed in the same way.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
Direct democracy allows citizens to participate directly in decisions. Direct democracy can happen through the use of referendums or types of citizens' initiatives.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'direct democracy'
where the people decide on the policy directly, for example, through a vote or referendum on each issue.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: All democratic countries are governed in the same way. Correction: Democracy takes many different forms including direct democracy and representative democracy. Some representative democracies even include forms of direct democracy.
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
- Should the UK involve citizens more directly in democracy? Study Guide
- What roles can citizens play in policy shaping? Study Guide
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