Year 9 - Citizenship
In person or online: How should MPs vote?
Can digital democracy increase political participation?
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
Pupils consider what a digital citizen is and how the digital world can be used to increase political engagement, examining cases of how digital democracy has worked across the globe.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to determine whether MPs should vote electronically or continue voting in person.
Key Notes
- MPs vote in person by walking into aye or nay lobbies and scanning passes to record their vote.
- Tellers count votes and report results to the Speaker, who oversees and announces the final outcome.
- During Covid-19, MPs used a digital system to vote remotely for the first time in UK Parliament history.
- Remote voting offered benefits like better access, time-saving, and continuity in emergencies.
- Concerns included security risks, weaker debate, and the loss of tradition and accountability.
Vocabulary To Learn
- Member of Parliament: a person elected to represent our interests and concerns in the House of Commons; they consider and can propose new laws, as well as raising issues that matter to you in the House
- House of Commons: an elected body consisting of 650 Members of Parliament, where MPs debate, make laws, and scrutinise the government; it is the lower house of Parliament and meets in the Palace of Westminster
- Speaker (House of Commons): an MP chosen by other MPs to chair debates in the House of Commons; they make sure the rules are followed; once elected they stop being involved in party politics and stay neutral in debates
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- MPs don't vote digitally at all, it is all done on paper or by hand.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
MPs vote in person by walking into aye or nay lobbies and scanning passes to record their vote. Tellers count votes and report results to the Speaker, who oversees and announces the final outcome.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'Member of Parliament'
a person elected to represent our interests and concerns in the House of Commons; they consider and can propose new laws, as well as raising issues that matter to you in the House.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: MPs don't vote digitally at all, it is all done on paper or by hand. Correction: It is true that MPs vote in person, but since 2020 they have used electronic systems in the division lobbies to record their votes by scanning a pass.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Can political engagement be increased using digital media? Study Guide
- Can voter engagement be improved through digital participation? Study Guide
- How can social media be used to increase political participation? Study Guide
- How well has digital democracy worked in other countries? Study Guide
- What is digital citizenship? Study Guide
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