Who rules //
People Power - Democracy
What is a representative democracy?
In a democracy the people of the country choose their leader and their representatives. Everyone who has power does so because the people of that country have voted for them. If you don't like what the leaders and government are doing, you are free to say so and can hold protests and demonstrations to express how you feel. Through their elected representatives, people hold the power in democracies.
Peace protesters march in central London to protest against the war in Iraq. An estimated one million marchers made it the largest demonstration in British history.
Key Points
- People get to choose who they think should run the country by voting in elections.
- There are elections regularly so that all the different parties get a chance to gain power and so that voters can change a government.
- Individual people are important in a democracy and they are given rights and freedoms to express themselves.
- People are generally allowed to print and say what they like in the media even if it's against the government.
- Most democratic countries are representative democracies.
Reality Bytes: France
In many western countries, democracy is taken for granted. Voter turnout is low because many people feel voting makes little difference to their lives. This can give parties or candidates with extreme views an advantage. They may have low levels of support, but if the majority of people who turn up at the polls vote for them, they win. Such parties or candidates gain power because relatively few people actua
In France, elections are held every five years for a president (the overall leader) and for members of parliament. Everyone over the age of 18 is allowed to vote and there are lots of political parties representing a range of ideas and opinions. In the first round of elections in 2002, voter turnout was low. This led to Jean-Marie Le Pen, a candidate with extreme views about immigrants and race, being within reach of the Presidency
In order to ensure Le Pen did not win, voter turnout needed to be high. Although nobody under the age of 18 is allowed to vote in France, young people campaigned and demonstrated, urging voters to prevent Le Pen becoming President. They were successful. True people power!
Interesting Facts
- In many European countries and North America, voter turnout is low, especially among young people and women.
- In countries where people have only recently been given the right to vote, turnout is very high, with people queuing for hours to vote. Why do you think this happens?
- New Zealand was the first country to allow women the vote – in 1893.
Big Question
- In the UK, elections are held every five years. Should they be held more or less often?
