democracy

Question 1

what are the key features of a democracy

Answer 1

• people vote for representatives from a wide list of parties. People can vote for their msp to represent them in parliament
• the right to demonstrate and protest
• free speech/ people can criticise their leaders
• independent and free press, TV, trade, unions and pressure groups

Question 2

describe 1 right and responsibility that people have in a democratic country

Answer 2

one right and responsibility in a democratic country is the right to vote. The responsibility of this right is to make an informed decision and accept the outcome. For example polling stations have opened across Scotland as voters cast their ballots in the 2021 scottish parliament election.

For example, in 2021 the constituents in Falkirk West voted for Micheal Matheson to be their constituency MSP.

Question 3

describe another right and responsibility that people have in a democratic country.

Answer 3

another right and responsibility people have in a democracy is the right to protest. The responsibility of this right is to engage in peaceful protest. For example hundreds gathered outside the Scottish power HQ demanding affordable energy.

For example in 2020 about 100 school pupils joined a demonstration in Glasgow in protest at the way sqa exam results had been graded.

Question 4

describe a final right and responsibility of people in a democratic country

Answer 4

another right and responsibility of people in a democratic country is the right to a fair trial. The responsibility of this right is to follow the rules of the court. For example a man was charged in connection with armed robbery at a petrol station

Question 5

identify the four levels of the government

Answer 5

• monarch
• central government
• devolved government
• local government

Question 6

describe one level of the government
central government

Answer 6

the leader of the UK government is the prime minister - they are the leader of the winning party and they will take the lead role in determining how the country will be run for the next few years. Traditionally the monarch will ask them to form a government after an election

Question 7

describe another level of the government in the UK
monarch

Answer 7

the monarch is the head of state. The monarch must sign off and agree with any new laws ( royal assent). The monarchs power is limited because in reality the monarch will never refuse to give royal assent to a new law passed by parliament. The monarch will choose who the prime minister is however they will always choose the leader of the party that commands support of the house of commons.

Question 8

describe another level of the government
devolved government

Answer 8

some parts of the UK have separate decision making bodies. This level of parliament is limited because parliament can make laws on matters that have been devolved to Scotland e.g health but cannot make laws on reserved matters e.g defense

Question 9

describe a devolved power (scotland)
law and order

Answer 9

one devolved power is law and order. This means the Scottish government can make changes to the police, decide what is illegal and decide what punishments can be used. Using this power the Scottish government decided to make changes to how the police and fire services were organised in Scotland. For example the Scottish parliament decided to ban the smacking of children in 2019.

Question 10

describe a devolved power (scotland)
health

Answer 10

another devolved power is health. This means the Scottish Government can make changes to the way the NHS in Scotland is run and decide what priorities are for improving health. For example, using this power in 2018, minimum unit pricing was introduced. A unit of alcohol must cost at least 50p - the aim is to encourage people to drink less.

Question 11

describe a reserved power
defense

Answer 11

Defense. This means the UK government can decide on the size of our armed forces and how they are equipped. Using this power the UK government decided to renew the trident nuclear submarine program, as a result 4 new submarines have been ordered which will cost at least £31 billion

Question 12

describe another reserved power
immigration

Answer 12

immigration. This means the UK Government can make rules on who is allowed to permanently live in the UK. Using this power the UK government decided that a non - EU husband or wife of a UK citizen could only live here if their partner earned over £18600 a year

Question 13

describe one role and power of the first minister
priorities of govt

Answer 13

one role and reason the first minister is powerful is that they decide on the priorities of the government. This means they can decide on what they think is best focus on to help the people in Scotland the most. For example , at the moment a priority is to reduce the attainment gap between children from poorer areas and those from wealthier areas.

Question 14

describe one role of the first minister and reason they are powerful,
hire and fire ministers

Answer 14

one role and reason that the first minister is powerful is because they can hire and fire ministers. This means he can choose who is in charge of each government department meaning he has the power to reward those loyal to him and remove those he doesn’t think are good enough. For example John Swinney stepped down as deputy first minister and education secretary after Covid and the first minister had to replace him and chose Shona Robison

Question 15

describe a role of the first minister
scrutiny

Answer 15

The first minister answers questions about the effectiveness of their government ( scrutiny ) every week when the parliament is in session, the first minister must face questions from msps about how well the government is doing its job. For example Douglas Ross asked a question about the waiting time for treatment for ovarian cancer

Question 16

describe one reason why the first minister is not powerful

Answer 16

one reason the first minister is not powerful is because he is only responsible for devolved matters. This means that the first minister can only make decisions about issues that are devolved and has no power over reserved matters. For example during the covid - 19 pandemic Scotland couldn’t close the borders to international travel as only west minster and the prime minister have that power.

Question 17

describe another reason why the first minister is not powerful
must answer to parliament

Answer 17

one reason why the first minister is not powerful is because he must answer to parliament. This means even though he is in charge of the Government and has power because of the number of msps he has in parliament, he must still go there every week and answer questions that sometimes embarrass him and his government. For example each week Humza Yousaf takes part in First Ministers Question time on a thursday at 12pm

Question 18

describe another reason why the first minister is not powerful
agree to pass deals

Answer 18

One reason why the first minister is not powerful is because they sometimes have to agree to deals to pass bills. This means wen the government does not have a majority of msps in the Scottish parliament the first minister has to agree on deals with smaller parties showing where they lack power, For example the first minister had to agree to a deal with the greens so that their governments budget passed each year since 2016

Question 19

describe one way in which msps represent constituents in parliament
debates

Answer 19

one way in which msps represent constituents in parliament is through participating in debates. Msps meet in the debating chamber tuesday to thursday and can put forward motions about problems the people they represent experience and can ask parliament to consider how to solve them. They also debate proposals for new bills/ laws. For example in November 2023 msps debated how flood hit communities could be helped after storm babet.

Question 20

describe another way in which msps represent constituents in parliament
votes
WEAK

Answer 20

one way msps represent constituents in parliament is through votes. At the end of each day of business in the debating chamber msps vote, ths is called decision time and the results of the vote can decide whether an issue passes onto the next stage of the legislative process

Question 21

describe another way in which msps represent constituents in parliament

Answer 21

one way in which msps represent constituents in parliament is through working on committees. Most msps are members of at least 1 committee, committees conduct inquiries into specific topics within their area and can then ask parliament to consider their findings. Committees also scrutinize legislation - this means they look closely at proposed new laws and can propose amendments. For example the Scottish parliament is currently considering a bill to improve the health and wellbeing of dogs by encouraging responsible ownership.

Question 22

describe one way in which msps represent constituents in the constituency
surgeries

Answer 22

one way in which msps represent constituents in the constituency is through surgeries. Surgeries allow msps to meet constituents face to face to discuss problems. For example in November 2023 people have contacted their msps with concerns about storm babet and questions about how those flooded will be helped

Question 23

describe one way in which msps represent constituents in the constituency
visits

Answer 23

one wahy in which msps represent constituents in the constituency is through visits. This means msps can visit local businesses to hear about their work and discuss ways to help them succeed. They can answer questions about current government strategies and can gather questions from businesses that could then be raised in the parliament. For example many businesses are involved in the transitions from oil to gas renewable energy so msps are interested in how this is being achieved.

Question 24

describe one campaigning method used by political parties during elections
social media

Answer 24

one campaigning method used by political parties during elections is their effective use of social media. This means parties use social media platforms to inform the public and target young people to effectively get their points across. For example SNP have their own website which they use to promote themselves and spread information

Question 25

describe another method of campaigning used by political parties during elections
door to door canvassing

Answer 25

One way in which political parties campaign during elections is through door to door canvassing. This means representatives will knock on doors in different communities to inform them about the party they are representing and try to persuade them to vote for their party in the lead up to an election

Question 26

explain one reason why some parties election campaigns are more successful than others
more money

Answer 26

one reason some political parties election campaigns are more successful than others is because they have more money to spend. This means bigger parties have a larger budget so their campaign could be more effective and better quality. For example in the 2021 Scottish parliament election SNP ( the biggest party) spent around £1.4 million whereas liberal democrats spent around £400,000.

Question 27

explain one reason why political parties use the media in their campaigns
persuade voters

Answer 27

one reason why parties use the media in their election campaigns is to persuade voters to vote for them. This means that parties can produce a party political broadcast for voters to watch to promote their party and explain their policies in hopes that the public will be persuaded to vote for them. For example the Scottish conservatives made a party political broadcast to tell the public what they planned to do

Question 28

explain a reason why parties use the media in their election campaigns
spread info

Answer 28

another reason why parties use the media in their campaigns is to spread information about their party. This means that a large audience uses social media so parties can acess more people this way. For example SNP uses their website www.snp.org to reach undecided voters and update the public.

Question 29

explain a reason why political parties use social media in their election campaigns
young people

Answer 29

One reason why people use social media in their election campaigns is to target young people. This is because social media is popular among young people so using social media to target them is more effective than other methods. For example SNP has their own website which they use to target young people and spread information

Question 30

identify three reasons why political parties use the media in their election campaigns

Answer 30

• to persuade voters to vote for them
• to spread information about their party
• to target young people

Question 31

identify 2 ways in which political parties campaign

Answer 31

• door to door canvassing
• effective use of social media

Question 32

identify two ways in which msps represent their constituents in the constituency

Answer 32

• surgeries
• visits

Question 33

identify two ways in which msps represent their constituents in parliament

Answer 33

• debates
• committees
• votes

Question 34

identify 3 reasons why the fm is not powerful

Answer 34

• agree to pass deals
• must answer to parliament
• can only make decisions about devolved matters

Question 35

indentify two reasons why the fm is powerful

Answer 35

• head of the government
• can hire and fire ministers

Question 36

explain another reason why some parties election campaigns are more successful than others
media

Answer 36

some politcal parties election campaigns are more successful than others because of their effective use of social media. This allows them to reach a large number of voters and tell them about their policies. Most political parties now have facebook and twitter pages. For example the SNP has over 335000 followers on twitter, more than 4x the second place scottish greens

Question 37

describe another reason why some parties election campaigns are more effective than others
party activists

Answer 37

If a political party has very active members at the constituency level, this will help their campaigns to succeed as these members are far more likely to campaign, therefore raising the profile of candidates and their party before an election. For example the SNP had over 400 activists in Aberdeen during the 2021 election campaign helping them win all three seats.

Question 38

identify three reasons why some parties election campaigns are more successful than others

Answer 38

• more money
• more active members
• effective use of social media

Question 39

describe two ways in which individuals can participate in election campaigns

Answer 39

one way in which individuals can participate in election campaigns is by campaigning for a party. This means individuals can organise and attend public meetings to help campaign for elections

Question 40

explain one reason why some people vote
lucky

Answer 40

some people choose to vote because the uk is a democracy and it is one of our key rights to be able to vote for our political leaders. Therefore many people think it is a key responsibility to vote especially since some people don’t have this right and opportunity. For example people used their vote in the 2021 scottish parliament election and snp won with 44% of votes for snp

Question 41

explain one reason why some people vote
tactical voting

Answer 41

people might vote to stop a party they don’t like from winning. This is called tactical voting. For example if you are a labour supporter who lives in Aberdeen shire west where the conservatives usually win you might vote snp as they might have a better chance of beating the conservatives. For example around 19000 votes were given to the conservatives representative compared to around 16000 to the snp representative

Question 42

explain one reason why people may choose not to vote

Answer 42

some people may not vote because they just aren;t interested in politics. This means some people dont care who is running the country as they don’t see any party improving things for them. For example people in deprived areas tend to vote less as they may not see politicians as helping them improve their lives, for example glasgow maryhill only had a turnout of 51% in 2021.

Question 43

explain one reason why people may choose not to vote

Answer 43

some people may choose not to vote as they don’r feel their vote will make a difference to the result in the constituency they live in. This means they may be a labour voter in a seat where the SNP are expected to win by a huge amount of votes and they think that their vote would just be wasted. For example in 2021 in Dundee west, the SNP won 62% of the vote compared to 22% for labour

Question 44

identify why might people join a pressure group?

Answer 44

passionate about a cause
more powerful than an individual
have a say between elections

Question 45

Explain why some people join pressure groups?
( passion )

Answer 45

some people may join pressure groups because they are passionate about a cause - for example someone who is really passionate about human rights might join amnesty international and get involved in their campaigns.

Question 46

Explain why some people might join pressure groups
( pressure groups are more powerful than individuals )

Answer 46

one reason why people might join pressure groups is because they are more powerful than individuals. This is because people working together have the power to be more influential than one person on their own. The government can also easily ignore one person but it is difficult to ignore thousands of people who show they want something changed through letters, petitions or protesting. For example any petition to the UK parliament that gets over 10,000 signatures must be considered for debate eg petition to let gold courses stay open during COVID.

Question 47

explain why some people join pressure groups
( have a say between elections)

Answer 47

Some people join pressure groups because it allows them to have a say in between elections. This is because we only have Scottish Parliament elections every 4-5 years but people will still want to get their views across on key issues. For example ‘ all under one banner group holds regular marches to draw attention to the aim of having a second Scottish independence referendum

Question 48

identify three pressure group methods

Answer 48

contact decision makers
petitions
marches, demonstrations and rallies

Question 49

explain one method that pressure groups use to gain influence
( contact decision makers)

Answer 49

one method that pressure groups use to gain influence is by contacting decision makers. This can be done by writing to or emailing msps or arranging face to face meetings. When you meet the person who is making decisions about the issue you are concerned about you can plead your case directly and try to gain their support. Some well funded groups can employ lobbyists, it is their job to contact the decision maker. For example 10 of the top 14 lobbyists from 2019-2020 represented private vented interests

Question 50

explain one method used by pressure groups to gain influence
( petitions)

Answer 50

One method used by pressure groups to gain influence is petitions. People sign petitions to show their support for an issue. The Scottish and UK parliaments both have a website where people can set up petitions and try to get support. For example a petition was set up to keep golf courses open during lockdown.

Question 51

marches demonstrations and rallies

Answer 51

One method pressure groups use to gain influence is marches, demonstrations and rallies. This is because it helps get publicity and attention for their issue. Groups can get permission from the police to hold a march or a rally and then draw attention from both the public and the media. For example students held a rally protesting sqa exam results in 2020

Question 52

what factors make a pressure group more successful ?

Answer 52

funding
if the public agree with their cause
methods used are legal
government supports issue

Question 53

describe a factor that makes a pressure group more successful
( funding )

Answer 53

one factor that makes a pressure group more successful is funding. This means if a pressure group has lots of money they can afford to campaign on a large scale. They can also arrange large rallies, pay for advertising and fund lobbyists. For example A total of £3.6m was granted by Amnesty International in 2022 to fund the UK Section, and £11.3m to fund international projects

Question 54

describe a factor which makes a pressure group more successful.
( public agrees with cause)

Answer 54

One factor that makes a pressure group more successful is if the public agrees with the cause. This means if the public also feels strongly about the issue pressure groups are protesting they may get more support. For example many people are worried about the impacts of global warming so would support groups like green peace and extinction rebellion.

Question 55

describe a factor that makes a pressure group more successful
( methods used are legal )

Answer 55

One factor that makes a pressure group more successful is if the methods used are legal. This means governments won’t want to support groups that use illegal or disruptive tactics as they don’t want to encourage other groups to do the same. For example over 50 Just Stop Oil activists were blockading an oil terminal in Glasgow in 2022.

Question 56

describe an advantage of AMS
fairer to smaller parties

Answer 56

One advantage of AMS is that it is fairer to smaller parties. This means that it is more likely that a small party will gain representation and will be able to contribute more than they would in a first past the post election. For example there are 8 green msps since the 2021 Scottish parliament election

Question 57

another advantage of AMS
more proportional result

Answer 57

Another advantage of AMS is that it is a more proportional result. This means that AMS better represents the public’s views than first past the post, the results provide an accurate representation of who people actually want in power. For example after the 2021 election 44% voted SNP.

Question 58

disadvantage of AMS
too complicated

Answer 58

One disadvantage of AMS is that it is too complicated. This means that voters may be confused with AMS as there are two ballot papers. They may see lists of names on the second ballot paper but not really understand how someone on that list could get elected. As a result they could mess up their vote and it wouldn’t count

Question 59

influence, newspaper

Answer 59

newspapers are often biased in there support. Eg a newspaper may support labour. This reinforces the beliefs of labour supporters that read the paper and may influence a small number of people to vote the way the paper suggests

Question 60

influence party political broadcasts

Answer 60

the media can influence us through party political broadcasts. This means party political broadcasts are also shown on TV providing undecided voters with more information on policies and are aired in the evenings when most people will be watching . This provides undecided voters with information to help them make up their mind.

Question 61

one way in which msps represent constituents in parliament is through asking a question at first ministers question time.

Answer 61

one way in which msps represent constituents in parliament is through asking a question at first ministers question time. This allows party leading msps and other msps to ask the first minister questions directly. The first minister is ultimately responsible for the Scottish Parliament Programme and in this way he can be held accountable to the people of Scotland. For example in September 2023 Douglas Ross asked a question about the waiting time for treatment for Ovarian Cancer.

Question 62

describe two rights that pressure groups have

Answer 62

One right that pressure groups have is the right to organise a petition to show public support. The responsibility of this right is that they must not falsify signatures - they must be genuine

Another right that pressure groups have is that they can actively try to recruit new members. The responsibility of this right is that they must not try to force people to join and they cannot bully or intimidate those who opposed their aims