DP History Questionbank

Description

The 20th century witnessed the establishment, survival, destruction and re-emergence of democratic states. Democratic systems faced threats to their existence from internal and external sources. In some cases the system coped successfully, in other cases the pressures proved difficult to withstand. The performance of democratic states in relation to such pressures—economic, political and social—form the basis for this topic.

Major themes

Nature and structure of democratic (multiparty) states

• Constitutions (written and unwritten)
• Electoral systems, proportional representation, coalition governments
• Role of political parties: role of an opposition
• Role of pressure (interest/lobby) groups

Economic and social policies

• Employment
• Gender
• Health, education
• Social welfare

Political, social and economic challenges

• Political extremism
• Ethnicity, religion, gender
• Movements for the attainment of civil rights
• Inequitable distribution of wealth/resources

Material for detailed study

• Africa: South Africa 1991‑2000, Mandela; Nigeria 1961‑6
• Americas: Argentina 1983‑95, Alfonsin and Menem; Canada 1968‑84, Trudeau; United States 1953‑73, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon
• Asia and Oceania: India 1947‑64, Nehru; Japan 1945‑52, post-war reconstruction; Australia 1965‑75
• Europe and Middle East: France 1958‑69, de Gaulle; Great Britain and Northern Ireland 1967‑90; Weimar Germany 1919‑33

Directly related questions

• 16N.2.BP.TZ0.12:

  Discuss the reasons why Johnson was more successful than Eisenhower and Kennedy in securing the passage of civil rights legislation.

• 16N.2.BP.TZ0.7:

  “Democratic electoral systems led to stable governments.” Discuss with reference to two post-1945 states.

• 16N.2.BP.TZ0.10:

  Evaluate the effectiveness of economic policies in either Weimar Germany (1919–1933) or Argentina under Alfonsin (1983–1989).

• 16N.2.BP.TZ0.11:

  Evaluate the success of social policies in either India (1947–1964) or South Africa (1991–2000).

• 16N.2.BP.TZ0.8:

  To what extent were the methods used by 20th-century political parties similar to those used by pressure (interest/lobby) groups?

• 16N.2.BP.TZ0.9:

  Evaluate the ways in which two 20th-century democratic states responded to the challenges posed by either ethnic or religious groups.