Curriculum Portal

neurologyYou need to know

• The meaning of the key terms:
• direct democracy
• representative democracy
• suffrage
• participation
• partisan dealignment
• That suffrage means the right to vote, and that the franchise in the UK has expanded gradually rather than appearing all at once.
• The main stages in the development of suffrage in the UK from the Great Reform Act of 1832 to the present day.
• That the 1832 Great Reform Act was an important early step in reforming the electoral system, but that voting rights remained very limited.
• How later reforms widened the franchise, including the extension of voting rights to:
• more working-class men
• women
• younger people
• The main debates surrounding suffrage in relation to:
• gender
• class
• ethnicity
• age
• That access to the vote has historically been unequal, and that political rights were often restricted by wealth, property, sex and social status.
• The significance of the Chartists, including their role in demanding political reform and a wider franchise in the nineteenth century.
• The significance of the Suffragists, including their peaceful campaigning methods and their contribution to winning votes for women.
• The significance of the Suffragettes, including their more militant tactics and the impact they had on public and political debate.
• That suffrage can be understood as a human right, linked to political equality, citizenship and democratic legitimacy.
• The difference between direct democracy and representative democracy.
• Examples of direct democracy, such as referendums.
• The main features of representative democracy, including the election of representatives to make decisions on behalf of citizens.
• The nature of democracy, including the idea that democracy involves political participation, accountability, representation and consent.
• That people participate in politics in different ways, not only through voting.
• Different forms of political participation, such as:
• voting in elections
• joining political parties
• campaigning
• protest
• pressure group activity
• online activism
• That there are patterns of participation, meaning some groups participate more than others and participation changes over time.
• The meaning of partisan dealignment, where voters become less loyal to traditional political parties and are more likely to switch support or disengage.

• Define and use accurately the key political terms in written and spoken responses.
• Explain how suffrage has changed in the UK from 1832 to the present day.
• Identify and describe key turning points in the extension of the franchise.
• Explain the significance of the Chartists, Suffragists and Suffragettes in the struggle for voting rights.
• Analyse debates about suffrage in relation to gender, class, ethnicity and age.
• Discuss whether the extension of suffrage was driven more by pressure from below or reform from above.
• Explain why suffrage is considered a human right and connect this idea to democracy and political equality.
• Compare direct democracy with representative democracy, identifying strengths and weaknesses of each.
• Assess the nature of democracy by considering how far political systems reflect popular participation and representation.
• Analyse patterns of participation, including why some people or groups are more politically active than others.
• Evaluate different forms of participation, considering which are most effective in influencing political outcomes.
• Use examples to support analysis, such as historical campaigns for suffrage or modern forms of political participation.
• Analyse the impact of partisan dealignment on participation and representative politics.
• Construct balanced arguments about democratic issues, showing both sides before reaching a judgement.
• Make evaluative judgements on questions such as:
• How democratic is the UK?
• Is direct democracy preferable to representative democracy?
• Has suffrage truly become universal?
• Which forms of participation are most meaningful?
• Write clear, evidence-based political analysis and evaluation, using appropriate terminology and relevant examples.