Liberal Democracy

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  • Government is accountable to the people to ensure that it is attempting to act in their general interests
    • Parliament in the UK forces government to be constantly accountable, requiring ministers to explain and justify their actions and accept criticism. There is full reporting of Parliament's proceedings in Hansard.
    • However, Parliament does not always have enough time, expertise or technical back-up to undertake this task effectively.
  • There are free, fair and regular elections
    • Elections in the UK are generally free of corruption, although there has been some concern over postal votes. There is an independent Electoral Commission that oversees elections to ensure they are honestly conducted. All adult citizens have the right to vote and stand for office, unless disqualified for justified reasons.
    • However, voting in general elections is done with the 'First Past the Post system' which is not seen to be fair. Many votes are wasted and so although there is 'one person one vote' not all of those votes have equal worth.
  • There is a peaceful, orderly transfer of power from one government to the next
    • In Britain there is a high degree of acceptance of the results of elections and all mainstream parties accept the full legitimacy of government. There is little…

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BMET Student

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Good, looks like something out of a textbook.

Old Sir

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These notes form a concise and clear introduction to what is meant by the term liberal democracy. They are also a good example of one of the ways in which notes for simple knowledge and understanding can be organised, (AO1). To gain marks at AO2 (evaluation and analysis), students will want to put illustrative examples alongside their knowledge.

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