Democracy Flashcards
(139 cards)
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2
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Explain: People in Scotland have a right to vote in local, Scottish and UK general elections.
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This means people can cast a vote in elections and referenda as long as they are over the age of 18 in UK elections and over the age of 16 in Scottish elections. People have the right to vote in a number of elections for someone to represent them in the UK and Scottish Parliaments or in their local Council. Some people, like prisoners with long sentences are not allowed to vote.
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Provide an Example for: People in Scotland have a right to vote in local, Scottish and UK general elections.
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Most people in Shetland voted for Beatrice Wishart to be their MSP in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election.
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Explain: Scottish people have the right to free speech.
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This means that people can freely express their political views publicly. If citizens are unhappy with a government decision or with a particular politician’s views or actions, they can express their opinions in public or on social media. People can also express their views in support of the government or specific politicians.
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Provide an Example for: Scottish people have the right to free speech.
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During COVID some people expressed support for government’s decision to cancel exams in 2020, and others expressed their disagreement.
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Explain: One way that people can participate is by standing as a candidate.
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This means that individuals can put themselves forward in an election to represent their constituents in the Scottish, UK parliaments and the local council.
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Provide an Example for: One way that people can participate is by standing as a candidate.
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People elected include John Swinney who put himself forward as a candidate for the Scottish Parliament in the 2021 election.
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Explain: A way that people can participate is by voting.
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This means individuals are able to vote for a person, party or issue in an election or referendum as a way of expressing their voice.
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Provide an Example for: A way that people can participate is by voting.
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Millions of people in Scotland over the age of 16 voted in the 2021 Scottish Parliament elections, an election won by SNP.
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Explain: One reason why people vote is because they know how important decisions made by the Scottish Parliament are for life in Scotland.
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The Scottish Parliament is very powerful and has a lot of responsibility for making Scotland a good place to live. Many people get involved in politics to make sure the Scottish parliament does a good job. Scottish parliament is responsible for devolved matters like health and education which are some of the issues that people care more about.
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Provide an Example for: One reason why people vote is because they know how important decisions made by the Scottish Parliament are for life in Scotland.
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The Scottish Parliament made prescriptions and university tuition free in Scotland and these are issues that are important to many voters.
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Explain: A reason why people vote is because they feel strongly about an issue.
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This means that when people feel strongly about an issue that affects them or a cause they believe in and they want something done about it they will vote for a political party that promises to address that issue. People that care about the environment may vote for Green party and people in favour of Brexit might have voted Conservative.
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Provide an Example for: A reason why people vote is because they feel strongly about an issue.
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In Scotland many people that favour independence usually vote SNP as that is a key policy of this party.
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Explain: One reason why many Scots choose not to vote in elections is because they don’t feel like any of the candidates represent them.
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Young people, women, LGBT people, ethnic minorities and disable people often don’t vote because they don’t see anyone representing them in politics and can’t relate to policies candidates stand for. This stops them from voting because they feel politics isn’t for them.
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Provide an Example for: One reason why many Scots choose not to vote in elections is because they don’t feel like any of the candidates represent them.
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There are few ethnic minorities in the Scottish Parliament and no openly transgender politicians. Also there has only been one women in charge of Scotland’s democracy and three in the UK’s democracy.
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Explain: A reason is because they don’t think their vote will matter.
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Individuals on their own might not feel that their voice is loud enough and feel that a single vote won’t make a difference in the election result. This is the case in safe seats where same party has won every election for decades and so some voters choose not to vote because they believe the same party will win anyway.
17
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Provide an Example for: A reason is because they don’t think their vote will matter.
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In Shetland the Liberal Democrats have been the winning party in every General Election for the last 20 years.
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Explain: One group less likely to participate is young people because they do not care much about politics.
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This means young people don’t follow politics because they find it boring or don’t think it really affects them. They might not understand the policies of different parties and not know who to vote for and chose not to vote at all.
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Provide an Example for: One group less likely to participate is young people because they do not care much about politics.
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Many 16 and 17 year olds don’t even register to vote, and of those who register a smaller proportion turnout to vote compared with voters over 50 years old.
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Explain: One group less likely to participate is minority groups because they do not feel represented by candidates.
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Most politicians are white men and because of that young people, women, LGBT people, ethnic minorities and disable people often don’t see anyone representing them in politics and can’t relate to policies and ideas they stand for. This can lead to them not voting.
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Provide an Example for: One group less likely to participate is minority groups because they do not feel represented by candidates.
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There are few ethnic minorities in the Scottish Parliament and no openly transgender MSP.
22
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Explain: A campaign method used by parties is to take part in debates.
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This is often when a representative of the party will take part in a public debate against people from the opposite party. They do this in the hope that people will like what they say and vote for them.
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Provide an Example for: A campaign method used by parties is to take part in debates.
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The most famous example is the Leaders Debates that are on BBC, STV and Chanel 4 with the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon against the other party leaders.
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Explain: One method used by parties is canvasing & leafleting.
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This is when the candidates and other party members will go around the local constituency to knock on doors, hand out leaflets and try and encourage people to vote for their party. Even with the increasing popularity of other tools like the internet and social media, canvasing and leafleting are still very much the basis of most local campaigns.
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Provide an Example for: One method used by parties is canvasing & leafleting.
Tom Wills in 2021 walked around parts of Shetland putting out leaflets.
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Explain: One reason some campaigns are successful is they have many activists and members involved.
This means a high number of members can help a party have a successful campaign. The more members a party has, the more people it has going around and knocking the doors of local people promoting the party and convincing people to vote for the party’s candidate.
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Provide an Example for: One reason some campaigns are successful is they have many activists and members involved.
The SNP have over 75,000 members who often volunteer their time to promote the party.
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Explain: One reason some campaigns are successful is they have the right leader.
The leader is really important as they are the face of your party and will take part in Leaders debates on TV that let people judge you and your party. A good leader could increase your support based on their personal charisma. The Conservatives promoted their ex-leader Ruth Davidson in the 2021 election as she was more popular than the actual leader Douglas Ross even though she was not standing.
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Provide an Example for: One reason some campaigns are successful is they have the right leader.
Nicola Sturgeon was very popular throughout 2020 and 2021 and that was a key factor for the victory of her party (SNP) in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election.
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Explain: One of the ways individuals can get involved is to canvass during the campaign.
This is when supporters of a party will go door to door and try to encourage people to support the party of their choice.
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Provide an Example for: One of the ways individuals can get involved is to canvass during the campaign.
Many of the SNP supporters went door to door in Lerwick and other parts of Shetland to try and talk to people into supporting Tom Wills in the 2021 election.
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Explain: A way individual can get involved in an election campaign is to share social media posts.
This is where people who are supporters of political parties will use their own social media to help get more clicks and views for that political party.
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Provide an Example for: A way individual can get involved in an election campaign is to share social media posts.
Many of the SNP supporters shared YouTube versions of their party-political broadcasts on X and Facebook that talked about independence for Scotland.
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Explain: A role of the political parties is to produce a manifesto.
A manifesto is a collection of policies that the party has. The policies in the manifesto are like a promise being made to voters.
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Provide an Example for: A role of the political parties is to produce a manifesto.
The SNP said in 2021 that all students should have a laptop or tablet in school and that all primary students should get a free school meal.
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Explain: A role of political parties is to go out and campaign.
This is when the parties will organise their supporters and members to go out onto the streets, knock doors and try and convince people to support them.
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Provide an Example for: A role of political parties is to go out and campaign.
Tom Wills walked around Lerwick putting out leaflets to try and win votes in the 2021 election.
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Explain: One role of the media is to scrutinise the political parties.
The media have a really important role where they will have a deep look at the policies of the parties and ask the leaders and candidates very difficult questions. This is to help inform us, the public, to make our choice.
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Provide an Example for: One role of the media is to scrutinise the political parties.
During the 2021 election, the BBC asked Nicola Sturgeon questions about a hard border in an independent Scotland.
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Explain: A role of the media is to promote public concerns.
This is where the media will gather the views and concerns of the public and put them to the candidates. By doing this publicly it makes us all aware and puts pressure on politician to address those issues.
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Provide an Example for: A role of the media is to promote public concerns.
In the 2021 election the leaders all took part in the BBC Leaders Debate where Nicola Sturgeon and the other leaders took questions from the public through Zoom about COVID and a second referendum.
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Explain: Parties use social media such as X and Facebook to try and encourage voters, especially young people, to vote and vote for them.
Parties use YouTube to promote their policies by posting short video clips. Young people use social media everyday so it’s an easy way to reach young voters. They also try to mobilise these young people to actually turnout to vote because traditionally they are less likely to do so.
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Provide an Example for: Parties use social media such as X and Facebook to try and encourage voters, especially young people, to vote and vote for them.
For example Labour was successful at using YouTube videos and social media posts during the 2019 general election as many younger voters who voted Labour said they were influenced by social media.
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Explain: A reason why political parties use the media during election campaigns in Scotland to discredit opposition.
This means that political parties will use the media to attack their political opponents and expose the reasons why voters should not support other parties. Parties create ‘attack’ advertising to make their opponents look bad. They are not allowed to slander or lie, but sometimes use misleading messages to attach their rivals.
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Provide an Example for: A reason why political parties use the media during election campaigns in Scotland to discredit opposition.
A 2021 SNP advert titled 'Scotland’s future is Scotland’s choice', stars actress Neila Stephens who attacks the Conservatives on a number of issues including austerity and Brexit.
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Explain: One of the key features of Scotland’s democracy is that the government is elected by the people.
What this means is that people in Scotland have been free to choose who they want to run the country by voting in an election without intimidation.
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Provide an Example for: One of the key features of Scotland’s democracy is that the government is elected by the people.
Millions of people over the age of 16 voted in the 2021 Scottish Parliament elections which decided the SNP were to run the country.
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Explain: A feature of Scotland democracy is that free speech is supported.
What this means is that citizens in Scotland are free to express themselves however they like with some restrictions like not being able to use hate speech, encourage violence or tell damaging lies.
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Provide an Example for: A feature of Scotland democracy is that free speech is supported.
Expressed views after the Queen’s death on the monarchy’s role in today’s society and put their views online, in newspapers and on TV without the government stopping them.
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Explain: One devolved power/area is Health.
This matter is about making sure the people of Scotland are as healthy as they can be and have the services they need such as hospitals and access to treatments. This allows Scotland to have its own policies regarding the NHS, prescriptions, and health prevention. This power was used to make prescriptions free in Scotland.
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Provide an Example for: One devolved power/area is Health.
The Scottish Parliaments Health and Sports Committee looked at the new Organ Donation law that means Scots now have to opt out of donating their organs when they die.
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Explain: One devolved power/area is Education.
This means Scottish Parliament has autonomy to decide how the education system is run in Scotland including the creation of a Scottish curriculum, exams and qualification system. Scotland also has autonomy to manage school buildings and recruitment of teachers. The Scottish Parliament can adjust the education system to enable children and young people to become successful learners, confident individuals, and responsible citizens.
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Provide an Example for: One devolved power/area is Education.
The Scottish Parliaments Education Committee gathered evidence about the cancellation of the 2020 exams and how it would impact students.
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Explain: One reserved power of the UK Parliament is national defence.
This responsibility includes decisions regarding the deployment of armed forces, the management of the military budget, and the establishment of defence strategies to protect the country from external threats. As defence is critical to maintaining national security, it is managed at a centralized level to ensure consistency and effectiveness. Parliament holds the power to authorize military actions, often consulting with the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Defence to make informed decisions.
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Provide an Example for: One reserved power of the UK Parliament is national defence.
In recent years the UK has provided military aid to Ukraine.
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Explain: One reserved power of the UK Parliament is the management of foreign policy.
This encompasses the negotiation and ratification of treaties, the establishment of diplomatic relations, and decisions related to international trade and cooperation. Foreign policy decisions are made at the national level to maintain a unified approach in representing the UK’s interests on the global stage. Parliament plays a significant role in holding the government accountable for its foreign policy decisions through debates and committees.
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Provide an Example for: One reserved power of the UK Parliament is the management of foreign policy.
One example of this power is the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union (Brexit) passed by UK Parliament.
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Explain: One role of the Scottish Parliament is to supervise the Scottish Government.
The Scottish Government is the devolved government in Scotland. It is a separate organisation from the Scottish Parliament. The party or parties that win the election form the Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament has a responsibility to supervise the work they do to ensure they are working in the best interest of the Scottish people.
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Provide an Example for: One role of the Scottish Parliament is to supervise the Scottish Government.
MSPs across different parties criticised the government’s proposal to create Highly Protected Marine Areas and Parliament voted to force the government to reconsider the scheme.
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Explain: One role of the Scottish Parliament is to make and change laws.
The Scottish Parliament has a responsibility to decide which laws will be enforced in Scotland, related to devolved matters such as health and education. In 2012 and 2016 more powers were transferred to the Scottish Parliament and they can now make laws about the drink drive limit and the national speed of roads.
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Provide an Example for: One role of the Scottish Parliament is to make and change laws.
For example, this is why Scotland has a lower drink drive limit than England. Also, Parliament passed laws to support people and businesses during the cost of living crisis.
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Explain: One role of the First Minister of Scotland is to lead the Scottish Government.
The First Minister is responsible for running the country, setting out the priorities of the Scottish Government and responds to events as they happen. The First Minister makes the final decision on what each of the departments of government do in devolved areas such as health and education.
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Provide an Example for: One role of the First Minister of Scotland is to lead the Scottish Government.
Former First Minister Humza Yousaf decided to freeze council tax in Scotland in 2024 to help with the Cost of Living Crisis.
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Explain: One role of the First Minister is to appoint cabinet secretaries and government ministers to the Scottish Government.
As First Minister they will select other MSPs from the Scottish Parliament to take responsibility for the different departments of the Scottish Government. Cabinet Secretaries run the different departments of government based on the Scottish Parliaments powers such as housing, education, and health.
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Provide an Example for: One role of the First Minister is to appoint cabinet secretaries and government ministers to the Scottish Government.
Jennifer Gilruth was appointed the Cabinet Secretary for Education & Skills which is why she has been speaking about the reforms of the exam system.
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Explain: A reason the First Minister is powerful is because they are the leader of the Scottish Government.
As the First Minister makes the final decision on what each department of government does they are very powerful as they can approve and reject policies.
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Provide an Example for: A reason the First Minister is powerful is because they are the leader of the Scottish Government.
For example, Humza Yousaf approved the Scottish Governments decision to introduce higher taxes on the top earners in Scotland to help pay for more support for the poorest in Scotland.
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Explain: A reason the First Minister is powerful is because they can appoint and remove cabinet members.
As the First Minister one of their roles is choose who is in charge of each government department meaning they have the power to reward those loyal to them and punish or remove those they don’t think are good enough.
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Provide an Example for: A reason the First Minister is powerful is because they can appoint and remove cabinet members.
Jenny Gilruth was appointed by former First Minister Humza Yousaf to be in charge of the Education and John Swinney kept her in this role when he chose his cabinet when he became First Minister.
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Explain: A reason the First Minister is not powerful because they are 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 resolved matters.
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Provide an Example for: A reason the First Minister is not powerful because they are only responsible for devolved matters.
The First Minister scrapped a bottle return scheme because the UK government didn’t give permission for it.
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Explain: A reason the First Minister is not always powerful is because they sometimes have to agree deals to pass bills.
When the government does not have a majority of MSPs in the Scottish Parliament the First Minister has to agree deals with smaller parties showing where she lacks power.
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Provide an Example for: A reason the First Minister is not always powerful is because they sometimes have to agree deals to pass bills.
Former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon had to agree a deal with the Greens so that their government’s budget passed each year since 2016.
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Explain: People may wish to join a pressure group because they are interested in the cause.
They may want to support the group to influence the government and/or public. When people are passionate about a cause and want change to happen they may be willing to do something about it. This is easier as part of a large group of people that believe in the same cause.
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Provide an Example for: People may wish to join a pressure group because they are interested in the cause.
A person who felt strongly about climate change might have joined Extinction Rebellion and take part in their ‘die-in’ protest in Central Station in Glasgow.
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Explain: People may choose to join a pressure group because they will be successful in pressuring the government if they are part of a group.
They may choose to join Greenpeace if they are concerned about the environment. They feel that by joining a pressure group they can have more of an impact by campaigning with other people. The more people participate in activities organised by pressure groups like protests or petitions the more attention the media will dedicate to it. When this happens the government is more likely to take it into account when making decisions in order to appease voters.
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Provide an Example for: People may choose to join a pressure group because they will be successful in pressuring the government if they are part of a group.
Greenpeace has over 11,000 Scottish members, this gives it strength in numbers and increases its chances of influencing the government.
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Explain: Protesting (demonstrating) can be an effective method used by pressure groups.
This often involves people marching, gathering in large crowds and making their feelings known. Sometimes groups break the law when they do this but it can be effective as the media attention it attracts can also put pressure on the government to act.
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Provide an Example for: Protesting (demonstrating) can be an effective method used by pressure groups.
After the Climate Extinction group organised protests to shut down cities and for students to walk out of class, the Scottish Government declared a climate emergency and changed some of its policies.
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Explain: Another method used by pressure groups that can be effective is organising a petition.
This is when the group gathers signatures from the public to show they support something the group is campaigning for. Petitions can be affecting as they show the government how much support the group and their cause have. Recently many petitions have been submitted to the Scottish Parliament Petitions Committee.
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Provide an Example for: Another method used by pressure groups that can be effective is organising a petition.
Fans Against Criminalisation submitted a petition with nearly 10,000 signatures calling for the repeal of the Offensive Behaviour Act.
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Explain: One reason why most pressure groups use legal methods to influence the government is because illegal methods affect their credibility.
This means that if groups use illegal methods they may lose the respect of the public and the government. People are less likely to support a group that uses violence for example. If group is seen as violent it makes it less likely that the government will give them any attention.
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Provide an Example for: One reason why most pressure groups use legal methods to influence the government is because illegal methods affect their credibility.
An insider pressure group like the CBI only uses legal methods of pressure.
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Explain: One reason why most pressure groups use legal methods to influence the government is because members do not want to be punished for breaking the law.
This means that most pressure group members do not want to commit crime or go to prison. Even when people feel very strongly about a cause and join a pressure group they may not want the group to use illegal tactics that could land them in prison.
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Provide an Example for: One reason why most pressure groups use legal methods to influence the government is because members do not want to be punished for breaking the law.
In recent years groups like Just Stop Oil have used illegal methods and some members have got prison sentences as a result of the action they took. Most groups avoid this by protesting within the law.
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Explain: Some pressure groups may break the law to protest against laws that they believe are unjust.
This means they believe that breaking them is necessary in order to bring attention to the issue and effect change. In some cases, pressure groups may also feel that the legal avenues available to them are inadequate to achieve their goals and that breaking the law is the only way to make their voices heard. They may feel that the ends justify the means, and that breaking the law is a small price to pay for achieving their goals.
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Provide an Example for: Some pressure groups may break the law to protest against laws that they believe are unjust.
A Fathers for Justice member was taken to court for scaling a bridge dressed as Spiderman and disrupting traffic in Taunton to protest laws on parental custody that prevent fathers from seeing their children.
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Explain: Breaking the law can be a way to raise awareness public awareness of certain issues.
This means that breaking the law pressure groups can draw public attention to their causes and create a sense of urgency around their cause and demonstrate the importance of their cause to the public. This can help to increase public pressure on government or other decision makers to take action on their issues.
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Provide an Example for: Breaking the law can be a way to raise awareness public awareness of certain issues.
In 2022, activists from Just Stop Oil have thrown tomato soup over Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers at the National Gallery to raise awareness of environmental issues.
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Explain: One role of the media is to inform and educate the public.
This means to keep the public up to date on current affairs and breaking news. This helps educate the public on party policies, new laws and complex issues of the day. This allows people to be informed when they vote on elections or referendums.
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Provide an Example for: One role of the media is to inform and educate the public.
During the COVID-19 pandemic the First Minister gave a daily briefing through the BBC to make sure people were informed about the rules to keep safe.
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Explain: Another role of the media is to influence the public.
This means to make people think in a particular way or encourage us to vote or a certain party. During election campaigns special news programmes will appear on TV such as the leader debates to provide people with the opportunities to question political party leaders. Also, newspapers will openly support a political party through the stories they publish in an attempt to influence voters.
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Provide an Example for: Another role of the media is to influence the public.
In the run up to the 2021 Scottish election the Daily Mail ran headlines warning voters of the SNP and supported the Conservatives while the National ran headlines making fun of the Conservatives and Boris Johnson.
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Explain: One method used by new media to influence is targeted ads.
This is when media companies like X, Facebook and Instagram can use the data they learn about you to target you with adverts to make you think a certain way.
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Provide an Example for: One method used by new media to influence is targeted ads.
Younger voters were more often likely to see videos of the youngest SNP MP Mhairi Black while older voters might see videos of Conservative Party politicians because older people are more likely to support that party.
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Explain: One method used by the print media is front page headlines.
The print media is allowed to be biased so it will often use its front covers to express an opinion in a sensationalist way and encourage the reader to join its point of view.
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Provide an Example for: One method used by the print media is front page headlines.
In the run up to the 2021 Scottish election the Daily Mail ran headlines warning voters of the SNP and supported the Conservatives while the National ran headlines making fun of the Conservatives and Boris Johnson.
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Explain: One way the media is influential is by running debates.
Though broadcasters have to be balanced in their reporting, by putting on leadership debates they allow the public to see how the political leaders do under pressure and this helps voters make up their mind. By doing this publicly it makes voters aware of the issues and how candidates propose to address them. Some TV programs like Question Time on BBC do this on a regular basis, but there are special news programmes during campaigns, before elections. In some cases, voters can chose the questions the journalists will ask from the candidates.
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Provide an Example for: One way the media is influential is by running debates.
In the 2021 election the leaders all took part in the BBC Leaders Debate where Nicola Sturgeon and the other leaders took questions from the public through zoom about COVID and a second referendum.
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Explain: One way that the media can be influential is by uncovering scandal.
Often newspapers will look carefully at the government and try and find a scandal. This means that the media will have a deep look at the policies of parties and ask the leaders and candidates very difficult questions. Journalists can fact-check politicians claims and confront them with misleading statements. This can be influential as it forces the government to act.
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Provide an Example for: One way that the media can be influential is by uncovering scandal.
During the COVID-19 pandemic the media repeatedly questions Nicola Sturgeon about her advisor breaking the rules and she had to quit.
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Explain: One reason why the media is influential is because they hold the government to account.
The media does this by asking difficult questions to politicians and then sharing what is said. This can influence then how people think about that politician.
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Provide an Example for: One reason why the media is influential is because they hold the government to account.
During the 2021 election campaign, journalists in the media questioned all the party leaders in the debates and recent studies show 35% of voters think that TV debates have been the most influential.
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Explain: One reason why the media can be influential is because they stimulate debate.
This is where the media will focus on issues that voters find important and make news reports of stories about it that people can then ask their politicians about.
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Provide an Example for: One reason why the media can be influential is because they stimulate debate.
For example, Tt
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Explain: One reason why some forms of media are more effective than others is because they are credible.
Because they have a legal requirement to be neutral and unbiased, TV and radio have a reputation for providing accurate and balanced information and are often seen as more trustworthy by voters and therefore they have great influence in how people vote. This is especially true when it comes to middle age and older voters that are less likely to use social media. TV and radio are effective because they can engage voters with news bulletins, special programmes, debates and party election broadcasts.
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Provide an Example for: One reason why some forms of media are more effective than others is because they are credible.
The BBC Scotland election debate in 2021 was fact-checked by BBC Reality Check on various topics such as tax rates, COVID deaths, education and climate change.
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Explain: A reason why some forms of media are more effective than others is newspapers are allowed to be biased which means they can publish want they want.
This means that the print media they have the right to support one party over another. Newspapers have a say on Election Day, telling readers which parties they think deserve their vote. A newspaper will usually pick a political party to support during an election campaign, which can then influence its readers into voting a particular way. This type of media is allowed to be biased and might miss out certain facts and be one sided when telling a story.
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Provide an Example for: A reason why some forms of media are more effective than others is newspapers are allowed to be biased which means they can publish want they want.
The National is a Scottish newspaper that supports Scottish independence and they have backed the SNP in 2021 election.
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Explain: One work MSPs do outside Parliament in their constituencies is Surgeries.
Usually scheduled once a week, an MSP will visit various areas within their constituency or region for an open advice clinic, known as a surgery. Constituents can drop in to the surgery to express concerns that they have about devolved or local issues that are important to them directly to their MSP. These concerns could be about local issues as well as national issues.
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Provide an Example for: One work MSPs do outside Parliament in their constituencies is Surgeries.
People in Shetland might attend a surgery in Lerwick town hall and discuss with Beatrice Wishart their local issues or concerns, such as Loganair’s unreliability.
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Explain: One work MSPs do outside Parliament in their constituencies is attending meetings.
MSPs will attend a huge number of meetings when they are in their constituencies. MSPs may meet local charities or business organisations to listen to their views on current government policy. For example, Beatrice Wishart will regularly meet with members of the local fishing industry to listen to their concerns.
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Provide an Example for: One work MSPs do outside Parliament in their constituencies is attending meetings.
Visiting local schools: MSPs will often visit schools in their local area to talk to young people about issues important to them as well as helping the students understand more about the Scottish Parliament.
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Explain: One work MSPs do in Parliament is Committee work.
MSPs can become members of a committee. This gives them an opportunity to look at a specific issue in depth. An example of this is if an MSP is interested in educational issues they could sit on the Education and Culture Committee, perhaps looking at the impact of a Curriculum for Excellence.
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Provide an Example for: One work MSPs do in Parliament is Committee work.
Beatrice Wishart is a member of the rural affairs committee, which looks at issues affecting Highland and island communities.
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Explain: One way MSPs find out problems in their constituency because people contact them.
People/Constituents can write MSPs a letter, email or contact them by phone. Following this, the MSP can question the Government on FMQs or can submit a written question to the Government and receive a reply. They can then relay this to a concerned constituent.
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Provide an Example for: One way MSPs find out problems in their constituency because people contact them.
Beatrice Wishart asked about COVID-19 lateral flow tests being available for collection in local retail community shops in rural, remote and island areas.
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Explain: One way MSPs find out problems in their constituency is through surgeries.
People/Constituents attend surgeries and tell MSPs about their problems. MSPs will attend a huge number of meetings when they are in their constituencies. MSPs may meet local charities or business organisations to listen to their views on current government policy.
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Provide an Example for: One way MSPs find out problems in their constituency is through surgeries.
Beatrice Wishart will regularly meet with members of the local fishing industry to listen to their concerns.
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Explain: One way MSPs can help solve problems problems in their constituency is by meeting with local councillors.
By meeting with councillors the MSP can raise awareness for issues and can also collect information they can then bring up in parliament. When MSPs belong to the government Party they are more likely to be able to be able to influence the government to help people in their constituency.
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Provide an Example for: One way MSPs can help solve problems problems in their constituency is by meeting with local councillors.
There has been discussion on how to recover and rehabilitate the sites used for the construction of the Viking Wind Farm and Beatrice Wishart has met with councillors to share concerns.
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Explain: MSPs can help solve problems in their constituency is by bringing up the issue in Parliament.
MSPs can question ministers and the First Minister about specific issues. They can also bring up issues by introducing a members’ bill to address that issue or by participating in debates.
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Provide an Example for: MSPs can help solve problems in their constituency is by bringing up the issue in Parliament.
FBeatrice Wishart has brought up the issue of maintaining the Air Islander Scheme and the cost of getting to and from Shetland being so expensive, she can bring it up in parliament to see what the government could do to solve it.
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Explain: One group that is historically underrepresented in the Scottish Parliament is ethnic minorities.
There are hundreds of thousands of Scottish people who are not white yet, they are historically underrepresented in the Scottish Parliament. Racism may limit the number of ethnic candidates picked for an election but it can also put people off getting involved in the first place because of the racist abuse they may face.
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Provide an Example for: One group that is historically underrepresented in the Scottish Parliament is ethnic minorities.
Before 2021 less than 2% of MSPs are from an ethnic minority background compared to around 4-5% of the population being an ethnic minority.
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Explain: One group that has been underrepresented in the Scottish Parliament is women.
Despite some high-profile women being in the parliament the reality is that Nicola Sturgeon as the only female First Minister out of 7 is the exception rather than the rule. Due to sexism in politics and the way women are treated in politics, with the media often more likely to focus on a women’s looks rather than their ideas, can be a big barrier to women’s participation. Lack of role models is also an issue because politics has been dominated by men while girls and women are told their place is in the home.
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Provide an Example for: One group that has been underrepresented in the Scottish Parliament is women.
Only 45% of MSPs are female which is the highest it’s ever been meaning women have never had fair representation.
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Explain: A reason why ethnic minorities may not put themselves forward for parliament is because of the racism they face.
Racism may limit the number of candidates picked for an election but it can also put people off getting involved in the first place because of the abuse they face.
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Provide an Example for: A reason why ethnic minorities may not put themselves forward for parliament is because of the racism they face.
Anas Sarwar and Humza Yousaf have spoken about the racism and abuse they have they have faced.
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Explain: A reason why ethnic minorities may be underrepresented might be due to the lack of role models.
To those groups that have been marginalised (excluded/left behind) if they look and don’t see people like them in politics then it can be very off putting. Being more likely to have already suffered abuse as a minority they may be very reluctant to put themselves in such a public position if they have not seen how others have survived it successfully.
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Provide an Example for: A reason why ethnic minorities may be underrepresented might be due to the lack of role models.
There were only ever 4 MSPs who are from an ethnic minority group in the first 20 years of the Scottish Parliament.
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Explain: One reason why woman may not get involved in politics is due to sexism in politics.
The way women are treated in politics, with the media often more likely to focus on a women’s looks rather than their ideas can be a big barrier to women’s participation.
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Provide an Example for: One reason why woman may not get involved in politics is due to sexism in politics.
It was reported by the Sunday post that women are 2 to 3 times more likely to experience abuse online than men.
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Explain: A reason why women maybe underrepresented might be due to the lack of role models.
Politics has always been dominated by men while girls and women are told their place is in the home. It can then be really off putting for women if they look at politics as a place that is not very friendly for women.
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Provide an Example for: A reason why women maybe underrepresented might be due to the lack of role models.
There has only ever been 1 female First Minister with all parties in the parliament led by men (except the greens who have a female co-leader).
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Explain: One purpose of the committees is to conduct inquiries.
The committee will gather evidence on an issue, learn any important lessons and make recommendations for the future. When controversies or problems emerge, committees will investigate them by looking into documents and getting people to answer their questions and in the end they produce a report.
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Provide an Example for: One purpose of the committees is to conduct inquiries.
In 2023 the Equalities committee undertook an inquiry into how asylum seekers are treated in Scotland.
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Explain: A purpose of the committees is to scrutinise legislation (laws).
This means to look very carefully at proposed Bills by going line by line and discussing how it works. The committee will also gather evidence to support their decision on supporting or rejecting the Bill. Parliament doesn’t have to follow a Committee recommendation but they will often do so, or at least take it into consideration.
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Provide an Example for: A purpose of the committees is to scrutinise legislation (laws).
The Health and Sports Committee reviewed the Organ Donation Bill before recommending that all of Parliament supports it.
