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Year 10 - Citizenship

Does the UK's democracy need reform?

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the UK democratic system?

Unit Summary

Pupils develop their knowledge of democracy and the different types of democracy considering the strengths and weaknesses of the UK system.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to evaluate the pros and cons of democracy in the UK.

Key Notes

  • There are both pros and cons to the current form of democracy in the UK.
  • Electoral reform could improve democracy in the UK, for example, lowering the voting age and increasing referendums.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • representative democracy: a type of democracy where citizens choose others to represent them, making important decisions on their behalf
  • first-past-the-post: the voting system used in the UK to elect members of some local councils and Members of Parliament, whereby the candidate with the most votes in a constituency wins
  • media freedom: the ability of the press to give information and express opinions

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Democracy is not either strong or weak.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain the lesson in two key points.

There are both pros and cons to the current form of democracy in the UK. Electoral reform could improve democracy in the UK, for example, lowering the voting age and increasing referendums.

2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'representative democracy'

a type of democracy where citizens choose others to represent them, making important decisions on their behalf.

3. Correct this common mistake.

Mistake: Democracy is not either strong or weak. Correction: There are different features and areas of democracy, such as the type of democracy, electoral system, media and voting age. Each of these will have their own strengths and weaknesses that come together to form an overall judgement on democracy.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 10 Citizenship guide library.