Democracy and participation evidence

Question 1

What are the two recent referendums in the UK?

Answer 1

United kingdom European union 2016 > 33 million voted to remain or leave the EU. 51.89% voted to leave.
The alternative vote referendum 2011 > over 19 million voted against the alternative vote and chose to keep first past the post system

Question 2

What Is an example of an online petition ?

Answer 2

1.6 million people signed a petition to stop Us president donald trump from making a state visit to the uk ( changed to working visit at 2018)

Question 3

What are examples of rallies and protests ?

Answer 3

In 2010 students marched in London about the rise of student fees.
In 2017 thousands of citizens gathered against the government’s economic decisions

Question 4

What was the last general election and who won?

Answer 4

A recent one took place in December 2019 with conservatives winning 43.6% of the vote.

Question 5

What is an example of when representative put their constituents before their party?

Answer 5

Ken Clarke and Anna Sourby voted in favor of the parliament vote on many Brexit deals representing their constituents , going against the conservatives.

Question 6

When did the devolved bodies come in place?

Answer 6

Elections in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland for the devolved governments since the frst elections in 1998.

Question 7

What was the turnout in the 2014 EU election ?

Answer 7

35.6%

Question 8

An example of a safe seat

Answer 8

In belfast south in 2015, the winning candidate won with 24.5% of the vote.

Question 9

Example of 16 year old voting in the UK

Answer 9

In Scotland there was a legislation passed in 2015 that allowed the 16 year olds to vote in Scottish elections. The 16 year olds were also allowed to vote in the 2014 independence referendum

Question 10

An example of compulsory voting

Answer 10

In Australia , compulsory voting existed and turnout is usually around 95% at elections.

Question 11

Example that there is no demand for major reforms

Answer 11

Changes to the voting system have been rejected - major House of Lords reform was rejected in 2012 by the coalition government, and in 2011 the public voted against AV.

Question 12

How do we know that trade unions are in decline ?

Answer 12

By 2016 trade union membership had a dropped to an all time low of 6.23 million

Question 13

Example of single issue groups on a rise

Answer 13

In 2013 the passionate collaboration study found that 139 environmental groups they analysed had a total membership of 4.5 million which is one in ten of the uk.

Question 14

Why was there a need for more voting rights in the UK?

Answer 14

There was pressure to give working class men the right to vote because non property owner men fought in the war.

Question 15

What is NICE?

Answer 15

an insider pressure group -NICE ( national institute of healthcare and excellence) works with the government to create policy around healthcare and the NHS.

Question 16

Give me three other examples apart from NICE that are Inside pressure groups in the uk

Answer 16

CBI ( confederation of british industry ) and the NFU ( national farmers union) also work with the governments.
The taxpayers alliance also has close links with the conservative party.

Question 17

Give me four examples of outsider groups in the UK

Answer 17

Fathers4justiice works for equal rights for fathers after separation.
Occupy movement campaign for balance between the executive and worker pay
Plane stupid is a pressure group against the expansion of uk airports
There is also Amnesty International which works for human rights.

Question 18

Give me three examples of cause groups AKA promotional groups

Answer 18

Stop HS2 wanted to the building of the second fastest railway in the uk
Greenpeace wanted to end the destruction of the environment.
Mediawatch UK wanted to promote “ family values in the media”.

Question 19

Give me two examples of sectional groups

Answer 19

Houses building federation represent the voice of the housing building industry.
The British medical association represents 160.000 doctors.

Question 20

Give me an example of pressure groups being part of a political debate

Answer 20

In the debate over building the third runway in Heathrow airport, british chambers of commerce have argued for it and no third runway action group has argued against it.

Question 21

Give me two examples of popular pressure groups that give voices to minorities

Answer 21

The national union of teachers represents the teachers.
The police federation aggregates concerns of police officers in the uk.

Question 22

Example of pressure groups creating political participation on a National level

Answer 22

we demand a referendum “ group dropped off a petition at Downing street with over 100.00 signatures in 2012 calling for a referendum on EU membership.

Question 23

Example of pressure groups creating political participation on a local level

Answer 23

Stop Somerset protest against their council who wants to cut public services by 2020.

Question 24

example of pressure groups influencing policies

Answer 24

The royal society for the prevention of accidents works to change policies.

Question 25

give me two examples of pressure groups educating the public

Answer 25

Muslims council of britain’s goal is to educate the uk on islam
Migration uk watch provides immigration numbers for the public.

Question 26

give me two examples of pressure groups having direct access to decision making

Answer 26

CBI has direct influence on economic , industrial and trading policies.
BMA has direct influence on health policies.

Question 27

examples of pressure groups influence the government outside parliament

Answer 27

Fahters4jusitice marched outside former pm , david cameron’s home in oxfordshire in 2011. They did this to demonstrate their anger to his article of feckless fathers who should be looked at like drunk drivers.
Hacked off had a signed petition of over 175,000 people in 2013 for the recommendations for phone hacking.

Question 28

two examples of pressure groups taking direct action

Answer 28

Fathers4 justice did a public stunt where an individual scaled the Buckingham palace dressed as batman.
The animal liberation front carried out attacks on people’s homes with connections to pharmaceutical companies who do animal testing.

Question 29

Example of pressure groups being part of legal challenges

Answer 29

The countryside alliance pressure group contested a ban of fox hunting in the high court

Question 30

An example of lobbyists influence politics

Answer 30

Eg. hamburg strategy > this was set up by Ameet Gill, a former special adviser to former PM David Cameron, and Paul Stephenson, a director for the campaign group Vote Leave.Both founders have personal connections to senior decision makers within the Conservatives.Hanbury Strategy lobby primarily around Brexit issues that affect their clients.

Question 31

two examples of corporate political influence - companies having input

Answer 31

E.g BMW and Airbus are two of several companies threatening to reduce investment and cut thousands of UK jobs in the event that there is a ‘hard’ Brexit.
E.g Bernie Ecclestone donated £1 million to Labour before the 1997 general election and led to the Labour government seeking an exemption for the company he headed, Formula One, from an EU ban on advertising tobacco.

Question 32

An two examples of case of the Human Rights Act serving to defend the rights of individuals within the UK.

Answer 32

Abu Qatada, a Jordanian national who was deemed to have connections to terrorist groups, was not able to be deported in 2012 because evidence used against him was gained through torture.

After the Hillsborough disaster, families of victims used the Human Rights Act to force an in-depth inquiry into the deaths

Question 33

What is the evidence of people being aligned with a party ?

Answer 33

As of the 2019 Audit of political engagement, only 34% claim to be a ‘very/fairly strong supporter’ of a political party.

Question 34

What was the turnout of 2016 local election ?

Answer 34

2016 Local election in England voter turnout was 33.8%

Question 35

What was is an example of party dealignment in a party

Answer 35

The conservative party had just under 150,000 members in 2016 when they had around 400,000 members in the mid-1990s.

Question 36

Who is Howard league ?

Answer 36

-Howard League (insider, casual) campaigns for better prison conditions; secure books for prisoners from families in 2014. : pressure groups support those without a voice

Question 37

An example of human rights being ignored

Answer 37

Rwanda bill- declaration of incompatibility by the courts , yet ignored by the government

Question 38

An example of an increase in judicial review

Answer 38

There has been an increased use of judicial review, indicating the growing prominence of rights; The number of reviews was 4240 in 2000 and then rose to 15,600 in 2013