Citizen Participation and Community Groups

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.

Participation words

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

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

A news report describes what local residents did about a planned road closure. Tap the TWO actions that are forms of citizen participation.

• Hundreds of residents signed a petition against the closure.
• The weather that week was cold and wet.
• A group organised a peaceful march to the town hall.
• The road was originally built in the 1970s.
• The council offices are on the high street.

How would you act?

Three people want to change something. Choose the most effective lawful action for each.

• A group is worried about a factory polluting the local river. What is an effective first step?
• Workers feel their pay is unfairly low. What lawful action can they take together?
• A citizen wants to change a national law they think is unfair. What can they do?

Make your case

'Joining a group is the most effective way for a citizen to bring about change.' Evaluate this statement. Consider participation on your own versus through a group, and reach a conclusion.

• Give one way a citizen can bring about change on their own, such as voting or a petition
• Explain how joining a group, such as a pressure group or trade union, can be more powerful
• Give a reason someone might disagree that groups are always best
• Reach a clear conclusion that answers 'most effective'