Democracy in the UK Essay - 787 Words

Democracy in the UK Direct democracy comprises a form of democracy and theory of civics where all citizens can directly participate in the decision-making process. Direct democracy in its traditional form is rule by the people through referenda. The people are given the right to pass laws, veto laws and withdraw support from a representative at any time. In the United States when specific direct democracy issues, other than the election of representatives, reach a local- or state-level ballot, they are commonly referred to by local and state governments as ballot questions or ballot measures. B) Explain the main features of indirect democracy. Indirect democracy is when†¦show more content†¦acts on majority desires. There is evidence that this type of system works: westerns economy has flourished under this type of democracy. It provides certain amounts of freedom and equality i.e. freedom of speech and equal rights for men and women. There is a widespread toleration of beliefs; there is no discrimination i.e. you will be treated in the same way what ever colour of skin you have or what ever religion you follow. However there are things that show that indirect democracy although effective is not as fair as it seems. It gives power to few people; this increases the chances of corruption and abuse of power by the government. The members of the House of Lords in the UK are unelected, they have inherited their positions. This means that people who may be unsuitable for the job are in power. There is limited freedom in that an average adult only votes 11 times in the whole of his or her life. Government secrecy leads to belief that the public is being denied the right to know various things such as where in the UK you are most likely to be affected by cancer C) How democratic is the UK? I think the UK is a fairly democratic state. It has an extensive franchise meaning that almost all adults over the age of 18 have the right to vote. There are no barriers of class, race or gender. Everybody has ONE vote i.e. everyone ideally has the same amount of power.Show MoreRelatedIs The Uk Really A Democracy? Essay1356 Words   |  6 PagesIS THE UK REALLY A DEMOCRACY? A democracy, according to Abraham Lincoln, is a government of the people, by the people and for the people. The word democracy comes from the Greek word demos which means â€Å"people and kratia, which means rule (http://educationportal.ontla.on.ca/en/ ). A democracy is a system where the people have a little of control over the government in some specific important processes like voting in elections and decision making. In a democracy, the majority rule and minorityRead MoreInfluence of the Eu on Democracy in the Uk854 Words   |  4 PagesInfluence of the EU on Democracy in the UK One of the objectives of the creation of the European Union was to develop a single market and remove trading barriers so there would be standardisation of technical regulations and convergence of conditions between European markets. With this in mind, it saw the need for employers and employees to work together in order to achieve this. The main statement of the European social policy is the Social Charter (approved by 11 of the then 12 member states)Read MoreInfluence of the Eu on Democracy in the Uk870 Words   |  4 PagesInfluence of the EU on Democracy in the UK One of the objectives of the creation of the European Union was to develop a single market and remove trading barriers so there would be standardisation of technical regulations and convergence of conditions between European markets. 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