Citizen Participation and Community Groups
In a democracy, citizens hold real power. Learn the many ways people take part, from voting to protesting, and how they join together in pressure groups, trade unions and community organisations to bring about change.
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Your voice, your power 🗳️
In a democracy, power does not only sit with politicians. **Citizens** hold real power too, through the everyday ways they take part and hold those in charge to account. This module covers how people **participate** in politics and society, from voting to protesting, and how they work together through **groups and organisations**, from pressure groups to trade unions, to change their communities.
The words you need 🔑
Five ideas run through power and influence:
Is this taking part? ✊
A student organises an online petition calling on the council to fix a dangerous road crossing. Which best describes what they are doing?
- Participating in democracy by campaigning on an issue
- Nothing meaningful, since only voting counts
- Breaking the law by pressuring the council
- Bribing officials to get their own way
Direct or indirect? 📣
Citizens can act in two broad ways to bring about change.
Match each method to what it means 🔗
- Voting
- Petition
- Demonstration
- Lobbying
- Choosing a representative in a free election
- Collecting signatures to show support for a change
- Gathering in public to protest peacefully
- Trying to persuade an MP or official to act
Holding power to account ✅
Select the TWO lawful ways a citizen can hold those in power to account.
- Voting them out at the next election
- Campaigning and petitioning to change a decision
- Threatening politicians with violence
- Ignoring politics completely
Democracy goes digital 📱
**Digital democracy** is changing how people take part. **E-petitions**, social media campaigns and online news make it easier, and cheaper, to organise, especially for **young people**. A petition on the UK Parliament website that passes 100,000 signatures can be considered for a debate. But digital participation has a downside too: **misinformation** spreads fast, so citizens must check that what they share is accurate.
What democracy allows 🏛️
In a democratic country, citizens can do something that people in a non-democratic country usually cannot. What is it?
- Vote in free elections and protest peacefully against the government
- There is no real difference between the two
- Avoid paying any taxes at all
- Ignore any laws they happen to disagree with
Two ways to act together 🤝
When citizens want more influence than they have alone, they join organisations. Two important kinds are pressure groups and trade unions.
Complete the picture 🧱
Citizens take part in democracy by _____ in elections and by joining a _____ to campaign on a single issue. Acting in person, such as at a protest, is called _____ action. Workers who join together to improve their pay and conditions form a _____. If a workplace dispute cannot be settled, it may go to an employment _____.
Spot the participation 🖍️
An interactive activity.
How would you act? 🔀
An interactive activity.
Make your case ✍️
An interactive activity.