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Copyright © 2010/reviewed 2013
Democracy and Political Participation
political equality
political participation
public control
differences between direct and representative democracy
Copyright © 2010/reviewed 2013
L5: Democracy and Political Participation
To understand that there are different forms of democracy
To know what the term direct democracy means
To consider how direct democracy differs from representative democracy
Copyright © 2010/reviewed 2013
Democracy flourished in Athens 2,500 years ago. At the time, Athens was a small city state. In this system, all citizens who were entitled to vote would gather in the town and vote on the issues of the day (Of course, not all citizens were allowed the vote; slaves and women were not entitled to take part! ). At that time, people who were entitled to take part in the democracy, would vote on the issues to be decided directly for themselves. The ordinary men allowed to decide for themselves how things would be decided. This was a brand new idea.“Our constitution is called a democracy because power is in the hands not of a minority but of the whole people” - Pericles of Athens, 431 BCDo you think this was true? Was power in the hands of the “whole people” in Athens?This system is known as DIRECT DEMOCRACY
Copyright © 2010/reviewed 2013
Research and read the article
Answer these questions:
• What ruling systems, other than democracies, (e.g. oligarchies) are mentioned in the article?
• What does the article say are the three key differences between modern democracy and the Greek democracy?
• What involvement did the voters have in the courts?
Copyright © 2010/reviewed 2013
Could direct democracy like this flourish in your classroom?
What about your wider school?
Copyright © 2010/reviewed 2013
Democracy, although an old idea, was not popular or taken seriously again until the 18th
and 19
th Century.
TASK - given the problems that you identified with direct democracy, what alternative system would you suggest to deal with it?
Problem Strategy/Solution/Possibility
Copyright © 2010/reviewed 2013
TASK - In order to consider some different views of democracy, your mission is to create a fictional dinner party scene in which you discuss whether your nation should be a democracy or not. Each of the dinner party guests must have one of these quotes and use this as the basis of their argument for or against democracy.
(You will need to be confident that you understand your quote before you use it to formulate your argument).
v
Brooks Atkinson 1894-1984,
The Times 15 June 1957
v
G.K. Chesterton, New York Times, 1
Feb 1931
President Abraham Lincoln 1863
John Stuart Mill, liberal
philosopher1806-1873
Winston Churchill, speech in the House
of Commons 11
November 1947
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, The Social Contact 1968
George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman 1903
Copyright © 2010/reviewed 2013
Democracy
Copyright © 2010/reviewed 2013
Complete the definitions with the missing words
DIRECT DEMOCRACY
Involves the _______and _____________________
of citizens in Government (like the Athens model)
REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY
Involves _______ government by the people, through
_________________elected by the people.
direct continuous participation
indirect
representatives
indirect
direct
representatives
continuous participation
Copyright © 2010/reviewed 2013
1 thing I am not sure
about
2 question you would like to
ask
3 things that you have
learnt this lesson
Copyright © 2010/reviewed 2013
L5: Democracy and Political Participation
To understand that there are different forms of democracy
To know what the term direct democracy means
To consider how direct democracy differs from representative democracy