Copyright © 2010/reviewed 2013 Democracy and Political Participation political equality political participation public control differences between direct

Copyright © 2010/reviewed 2013

Democracy and Political Participation

political equality

political participation

public control

differences between direct and representative democracy


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


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


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?


Could direct democracy like this flourish in your classroom?

What about your wider school?


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


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


Democracy


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


1 thing I am not sure

about

2 question you would like to

ask

3 things that you have

learnt this lesson


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

Documents

Copyright © 2010/reviewed 2013 Democracy and Political Participation political equality political participation public control differences between direct