AQA A-Level Politics UK Politics overview quiz quiz

In direct democracy citizens choose elected delegates to act for them; in representative democracy they vote in referendums

Representative democracy is used only in local government, while national decisions are taken directly by the people

In direct democracy citizens decide themselves; in representative democracy they elect others to decide

Direct democracy is illegal in the UK, so all decisions must be taken by elected representatives

Rising membership of all political parties

Turnout reaching record highs in every election

Compulsory voting being introduced

Falling turnout and declining party membership

The Representation of the People Act 1928

The Representation of the People Act 1918

The Great Reform Act 1832

The Representation of the People Act 1969

It campaigns for a broad cause that benefits society

It defends the interests of its own members

It always has insider status

It seeks to win governmental power

A proportional system with large multi-member constituencies allocating seats by vote share

A hybrid system combining constituency seats with proportional regional top-up seats

A plurality system where the candidate with the most votes in each seat wins

A system requiring an overall majority of more than half the votes cast to win a seat

Whether the United Kingdom should leave the European Union and end its membership

Whether Scotland should become an independent country separate from the United Kingdom

Whether to abolish the unelected House of Lords and replace it with an elected chamber

Whether to replace first-past-the-post with the Alternative Vote

The long-term weakening of the link between social class and party support

The growing strength of social class as the single best predictor of how people vote

The realignment of all the major parties around clear and distinct social class blocs

The steady decline in the size and influence of the middle class within the electorate

Westminster general elections

Scottish Parliament elections

Northern Ireland Assembly elections

UK referendums

Parties only ever seek to influence a few narrow issues, while pressure groups try to win power and govern directly

Parties never contest elections, instead relying solely on lobbying ministers behind closed doors

Parties seek to win governmental power across many issues; pressure groups seek to influence policy

Pressure groups must by law register formally with Parliament before they can campaign publicly

A voter's deep and lifelong psychological attachment to one particular party

The geographical distribution of votes across different regions and constituencies

The effect that introducing compulsory voting would have on overall election turnout

The overall judgement of which party is most competent to govern

It reduces the influence of large private donors and the risk of scandal

It forces taxpayers to fund parties whose policies and values they strongly oppose

It would entrench the largest established parties and freeze out smaller challengers

It removes the need for competitive elections by guaranteeing every party equal funding

Outsider group

Insider group

Promotional group

Sectional group