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

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)

a group of people who are brought together to learn about, discuss and make recommendations on a specific issue, such as climate change

Should the UK involve citizens more directly in democracy?

Citizenship

What is direct democracy?

What roles can citizens play in policy shaping?

Can citizens play a bigger role in select committees?

Should environmental issues be decided by referendum?

Should moral decisions be decided by referendum?

Should political problems be solved by a referendum?

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.

How can politicians involve citizens in direct decision making?

The UK has a {{}} democracy where citizens elect Members of Parliament (MPs) to represent them on their behalf.

a group of elected MPs who investigate an issue and hear public input

a group of people brought together to learn about a topic

Match each form of citizen involvement to its description.

some decisions are too complex for the public to fully understand

some referendums are not worth it as the public all agree

Which of these is the best reason for not using direct democracy in every decision?

to involve citizens in discussing complex issues

Why might the Government use citizens’ assemblies?

some MPs are chosen randomly from the public

some people can become Prime Minister if they vote enough

some processes like referendums and citizens' assemblies allow public input

Why does being a representative democracy not stop citizens from being involved in decision-making?

it ensures more voices and viewpoints are heard

it stops debates from happening in Parliament

How does involving citizens in decision-making help strengthen democracy?

a group of citizens brought together to learn and discuss an issue

a group of elected politicians debating laws

a request signed by many people asking the Government to act

a formal vote by the public on a single issue

a group of MPs or members of the House of Lords investigating a topic

Match these forms of citizen involvement with their descriptions.

A referendum is a type of {{}} democracy where citizens vote directly on a specific issue.

Political problems can lead to low voter {{}} and unfair representation.

because only MPs understand voting systems

because it is a decision that affects the public directly

because the Government does not want to decide

because it is cheaper than a general election

Why might a referendum be used to decide on changes to a voting system (electoral reform)?

complex issues can be reduced to a simple yes/no answer

only MPs are allowed to vote in referendums

What is a potential weakness of using a referendum to solve political problems?

Starter Quiz

What is a citizens’ assembly?