Deliberative Debate: What are the strengths and weaknesses of democracy in the UK?

Deliberative Debate: What are the strengths and weaknesses of democracy in the UK?

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. In this lesson, we will recall all that we have learnt over the last few weeks on the topic of democracy. We will then prepare a speech which aims to answer answer the overarching question of this unit: does democracy in the UK work well?

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This content is made available by Oak National Academy Limited and its partners and licensed under Oak’s terms & conditions (Collection 1), except where otherwise stated.

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5 Questions

Q1.
What are the different ways of improving democracy?
Correct answer: Increase representation, participation and reform our electoral /voting system
Introduce limits on voting.
Only increase the use of referendums
Q2.
Which out of the four nations have not lowered the voting age?
Correct answer: England and Northern Ireland
England and Scotland
Wales and Scotland
Q3.
Which statement supports lowering the voting age?
16-17 year olds are not mature enough to vote.
Correct answer: Politicians would be more likely to act on issues affecting young people if they could vote.
Young voters are less likely to vote and this will result in a decline in turnout.
Q4.
Which statement suggests the voting age should NOT be lowered?
Correct answer: Parents, teachers or college lecturers may easily influence 16-17 year olds to vote a certain way.
Voting at 16 would match other aspects of citizenship available at that age e.g joining the army.
Young people may well have a better knowledge of issues than some older people.
Q5.
Why might lowering the voting age help improve democracy?
Correct answer: It will increase public participation and provide political power for young people.
It will lower the age at which you can become an MP
It will protect human rights.

5 Questions

Q1.
Democracy is a system of government in which power is vested in people and can mean 'rule by the people’.
False
Correct answer: True
Q2.
One feature of a healthy democracy is:
Correct answer: A multi-party system with free and fair elections
A president who remains in power for 20 years without an election
Single party government with limited elections
Q3.
Why is media freedom important?
Correct answer: Because the media informs the public and holds people in positions of power accountable for their actions.
Because the media tells people what to think.
Q4.
Some argue one way of improving democracy is to:
Continue using first past the post voting system.
Correct answer: Expand the right to vote by lowering the voting age.
Only have elections when the Prime Minister decides we can.
Q5.
Proportional representation is:
Correct answer: A type of voting system
A way of dividing up public resources
How much media each citizen is allowed to read.

Lesson appears in

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

Citizenship