9-mark Qs

Question 1

Explain and analyse three different ways in which the British Constitution upholds citizens’ rights

Answer 1

1. Constitutional statute law - e.g HRA 1998, Equalities Act 2010
2. Court rulings - e.g R (Nicklinson) v Ministry of Justice 2014, on ban on assisted dying under Suicide Act 1961 breached article 8 of ECHR. Interpretive role/sometimes controversial
3. Ancient documents - e.g Bill of rights 1689, doesn’t focus on rights of ordinary citizens, not as relevant

Question 2

Explain and analyse three ways in which any two constitutional changes since 1997 have affected the British Constitution

Answer 2

1. Devolution acts - from unitary system to quasi-federal
2. FTPA 2011
3. Limitations of both - 2017, 2019 FTPA repealed in 2022. Devolution has failed to extend to England

Question 3

Explain and analyse the significance of three sources of the British Constitution

Answer 3

1. Statute law - passed by both houses, royal assent, e.g HRA 1998. Most significant, takes precedence because created by legislative body - parliamentary sovereignty
2. Works of authority - e.g Cabinet manual - main laws, rules, conventions and conduct and operation of government
3. Conventions - unwritten rules e.g Salisbury-Addison convention 1945, helps government through parliament to function smoothly

Question 4

Explain and analyse three prerogative powers of the prime minister

Answer 4

1. Calling Elections: A powerful electoral tool to exploit political advantage — limited by FTPA, but still influential.
2. Awarding Honours: Used to reward loyalty and shape the Lords, though often accused of corruption or bias.
3. Ministerial Appointments: Central to controlling the government, but PMs must tread carefully to maintain party unity and representation.

Question 5

Explain and analyse three factors that explain how prime ministers select their cabinet

Answer 5

1. Competence and political standing
2. Desire for diversity and representation
3. Ideological balance within the party

Question 6

Explain and analyse three constraints on the power of prime ministers

Answer 6

1. Cabinet Unity: PMs must secure consensus to avoid resignations and internal splits (e.g. Brexit chaos under May).
2. House of Lords: Can delay and amend legislation, but easily overridden—its power lies more in symbolism than real constraint.
3. Backbench Rebellions: A major constraint, particularly with weak majorities—revolts can block, dilute or derail government policies.

Question 7

Explain and analyse three key policies of the Conservative Party

Answer 7

1. Euroscepticism - division over Europe
2. Traditional values
3. Economic values - low tax/little state intervention

Question 8

Explain and analyse three ways that ordinary members can play a role in one of the main UK political parties

Answer 8

1. Leadership Elections → OMOV empowers members (esp. post-2014), but MPs still filter the shortlist.
2. Local Campaigning → Members provide vital on-the-ground support, but impact is limited by national trends.
3. Candidate Selection → CLPs play a core role, but party HQ increasingly intervenes, causing local frustration.

Question 9

Explain and analyse three factors that can explain why some parties do better than others in elections

Answer 9

1. Leadership and party image
2. Media support and influence
3. Electoral system (FPTP)

Question 10

Explain and analyse three arguments in favour of reforming the system used for Westminster elections

Answer 10

1. Disproportionality of FPTP system
2. Use of AMS/STV systems elsewhere in the UK
3. More representation for smaller parties

Question 11

Explain and analyse the role of the media in any three elections you have studied. One must be 1997, one before and one after`

Answer 11

1. 1983 - Thatcher v Foot, ‘Maggie cult’, staged photo stunts, ‘Longest Suicide Note in History’, Falklands
2. 1997 - Blair and The Sun, influential after 18 years of Conservative rule
3. 2019 - Johnson turned down Andrew Neil BBC interview, but debated effectively against Corbyn. Unfiltered media appearances, £16m on media campaign, microtargeted and localised Facebook ads

Question 12

Explain and analyse three arguments against the greater use of referendums in the UK

Answer 12

1. ‘Blunt instrument’ - simplifies complex issues into binary question, Brexit, S.I 2014
2. Undermines representative government - Many MPs pro-Remain in 2016, better educated
3. ‘Tyranny of the majority’, small majorities can have the final say, e.g Brexit

Question 13

Explain and analyse three factors that can affect the outcome of presidential elections in the USA

Answer 13

1. Role of finance
2. Personality and image of individual candidates (compared to the UK)
3. Televised debates - e.g Kennedy-Nixon in 1960, debates between Trump and Biden in 2020

Question 14

Explain and analyse three arguments that are used to justify the Electoral College

Answer 14

1. Delivers the ‘right result’ - majoritarian nature/clear outcomes
2. Reflects the federal structure of the US
3. Popular involvement in primaries/caucuses

Question 15

Explain and analyse the voting behaviour of any three groups in US elections

Answer 15

1. African-Americans - democrats
2. Hispanic - as a group trends democrat
3. ‘Religious rights’ - reliable Republican supporters, pro-life, traditional values especially in regard to LGBT

Question 16

Explain and analyse three key policies of the Labour Party

Answer 16

1. Economic policy - public spending and tax reform
2. Green investment
3. Reform - House of Lords and voting rights