Democracy In The Uk Flashcards
(34 cards)
Describe, in detail, two features of a
democratic society. (6 marks).
P- A feature of a democratic society is that the government is elected by
the people.
E- The government is chosen by the people in an election
and so are accountable to voters.
E-For example, in 2024, the Labour
Party won a majority of 174 after winning 412 seats and receiving 9.7
million votes.
P-Another feature of a democracy is that people can criticise the
government.
E-Free speech is one of the fundamental principles of a
democratic society and citizens have a right to express their opinions,
including critical opinions of the government.
E- This allows citizens to
hold their leaders accountable and advocate for change
Explain, in detail, two reserved matters for which
the UK Parliament has responsibility. (6 marks).
P- A reserved power the UK Parliament has responsibility for is immigration.
E- Following
Brexit, the UK Government created a new points-based system for immigration
which was designed to attract highly skilled migrants to the UK.
E-A total of 70 points
is needed to be able to apply to work in the UK.
P- Another reserved power is foreign policy. The UK parliament and government in
E- Westminster handle matters related to foreign affairs, including international
relations and defence.
E-For example, the UK government has provided military aid
and humanitarian support to Ukraine following the Russian invasion and has
imposed sanctions on the Russian state
Explain, in detail, two reasons why the Prime
Minister is Powerful. (6 marks).
P- The Prime Minister is powerful as they have the power to appoint Cabinet members.
E-This makes the Prime Minister powerful because MPs have to do what they’re told if they want promotion to run a government department.
E-For example, Keir Starmer made Rachel Reeves Chancellor of the Exchequer when he was elected as Prime Minister in 2024.
P-The Prime Minister is also powerful as they are the leader of the UK government.
E- This makes the Prime Minister powerful because he is the head o he biggest party and can decide what policies should be implemented in th UK.
E-For example, after becoming Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged to introduce a Fit for the Future fund to reduce cancer waiting lists.
Describe, in detail, two roles of the Prime Minister in the UK. (4 marks).
P- A role of the Prime Minister is to chair Cabinet meetings.
E-The PM meets his cabinet every Tuesday at 12 noon in 10 Downing Street to discuss any issues arising from the past week as well as plans for the future.
E-For example, Keir Starmer has used Cabinet meetings to discuss how to grow the UK economy and how to reduce NHS waiting lists.
P-Another role of the Prime Minister is to represent the UK as a country figurehead.
E-The PM is the leader of the country and a focal point both in the UK and abroad. This involves meeting with foreign leaders to discuss potential cooperation.
E-For example, in July 2024 Keir Starmer attended the Washington Summit with other heads of government of the 32 members of NATO, their partner countries and the EU to represent the UK.
Explain, in detail, why some political parties’ election
campaigns are successful during General Elections. (6 marks).
P -Some political parties’ election campaigns are successful due to the effective use
of social media.
E -Social media allows political parties to reach a large number of
voters and tell them about their policies.
E -For example, in the 2024 election
campaign Labour had over 1 million followers and shared their priorities with
voters.
P -Political parties can also be successful due to having a positive party image with
the public.
E -Some argue that voters often make decisions in an election based on
their overall impression of a political party.
E- In 2024, polling organisations such as
YouGov showed that Labour was viewed as more competent in areas such as the
economy, law and order and education
Describe, in detail, two ways in which political parties
campaign during General Elections. (4 marks).
P- Political parties can campaign by canvassing.
E- This gives parties the opportunity to go door-to-door to speak with the public in an attempt to increase voter awareness of the party and their policies.
E- This may secure more votes for the party as the canvassers will outline and explain the party policies to be implemented once elected.
P- Political parties can also campaign by creating Party Election Broadcasts (PEB).
E- This is a television or radio broadcast made by a political party to inform voters about their policies and vision for the country in order to try and secure more votes in an election.
E-For example, in 2024 the Labour Party created a PEB called
‘Change’ where Keir Starmer asked the public to vote for his party and outlined policies such as reducing NHS waiting times.
Explain, in detail, two ways in which MPs can represent
their constituents in the UK Parliament. (6 marks).
P- MPs can represent their constituents in Parliament by introducing a private members bill. E- This is a bill introduced to parliament by an MP who is not a government minister and may reflect the concerns of their constituents.
E- For example, in 2024, The Pet Abduction Act was passed into law after being introduced as a PMB by the Conservative MP
Anna Firth. This made the abduction of domestic pets such as cats
and dogs a specific criminal offence which could lead to 5 years in prison.
P-Another way MPs can represent their constituents in Parliament is by asking a written question.
E- An MP can submit a written question to the government and receive a reply, they can then relay the response to their constituents . E- For example, in 2024, the Labour MP Alex Maver submitted a written question to the government asking if they planned to reinstate a full ban on the testing of cosmetic products on animals.
Describe, in detail, two ways in which political parties
campaign during General Elections. (4 marks).
P- Political parties can campaign by canvassing.
E- This gives parties the opportunity to go door-to-door to speak with the public in an attempt to increase voter awareness of the party and their policies.
E- This may secure more votes for the party as the canvassers will outline and explain the party policies to be implemented once elected.
P- Political parties can also campaign by creating Party Election Broadcasts (PEB).
E- This is a television or radio broadcast made by a political party to inform voters about their policies and vision for the country in order to try and secure more votes in an election.
E-For example, in 2024 the Labour Party created a PEB called
‘Change’ where Keir Starmer asked the public to vote for his party and outlined policies such as reducing NHS waiting times.
Describe, in detail, two ways in which MPs fulfil their
role in the constituency. (4 marks).
P-MPs fulfil their constituency role by holding surgeries.
E- This is when constituents can
drop into meet their local MP and express any concerns they have.
E- For example,
Pamela Nash MP for Motherwell, Wishaw and Carluke has held surgeries in
Motherwell ASDA.
P- MPs can fulfil their constituency role by engaging in visits and social events.
E-An MP
is considered a high-profile guest for many different organisations and so spend a large proportion of their time attending various events.
E- For example, this could be
an event such as the opening of a new business or a school’s awards ceremony
Explain, in detail, two reasons why women are
underrepresented in the UK Parliament. (6 marks).
P- Women are underrepresented in the UK Parliament because they may have caring responsibilities to deal with.
E- Women, with children, are often the main carer and might find
it difficult working in London depending on where they live in the UK.
E-For example, a single female parent, living in Glasgow with young children may find it extremely difficult to manage a family and a career as an MP given the travelling to and from London as well as
finding suitable childcare.
P- Women may also be underrepresented in Parliament due to being put off by the misogynistic culture at Westminster where many women have been bullied or harassed.
E- Over two-thirds of female MPs have reported witnessing sexist behaviour in Parliament.
E-For example, the Labour MP Dawn Butler reported inappropriate sexual comments being made about her clothing which affected her self esteem
Describe, in detail, two of the roles the House of Lords
has in the UK Government. (4 marks).
P- A role of the House of Lords is to amend bills.
E-The House of Lords debate and
scrutinise government bills and can table amendments to these bills which the House
of Commons will then vote on.
E- For example, in 2024, the Lords introduced
amendments to the government’s Rwanda Bill asking that asylum seekers who had
previously worked with the UK military would be exempt from being sent to Rwanda.
P-Another role of the House of Lords is to work as part of committees
. E- These expert committees can examine and scrutinise bills and highlight any issues.
E- For example,
the Lords have a Democracy and Digital Technologies committee which has examined
issues such as democracy being under threat from online misinformation and fake
news
Describe, in detail, the advantages of First Past the Post.
(4 marks).
P- An advantage of First Past the Post is that it usually provides strong, single-party government.
E-This allows the Prime Minister and Cabinet to pursue the
policies stated in their manifesto without having to compromise.
E-For example,
in 2024, the Labour Party won a majority of 174, this means that they were
able to form a majority government and don’t need to rely on other parties to
pass laws.
P-Another advantage of FPTP is it allows by-elections.
E-This allows the public in an
area to show if they still support the same party or if they have changed their
minds about which party they want to represent them in parliament
E-. For example, in 2023, there was a by-election in Tamworth after their Conservative
MP Chris Pincher resigned following allegations of sexual assault. The Labour
candidate Sarah Edwards won this vote and became the new MP for this area
Explain, in detail, the disadvantages of First Past the
Post. (6 marks).
P- A disadvantage of First Past the Post is that it is not a proportional electoral system which can lead to disparities.
E- This means that the percentage of votes a party receives often does not accurately reflect the percentage of seats they get in Parliament.
E - For example, in 2024 the Labour Party got 34% of the vote
but 63% of seats in Parliament.
P- Another disadvantage of FPTP is that it is unfair to smaller parties.
E- To be successful in FPTP you need to have concentrated support in a particular area, this is unfair to smaller parties whose support is spread across the UK but not in a particular region. This means you can get many votes but few seats in Parliament.
E- For example, in 2024, Reform UK got 14% of the vote but 1% of
the seats. Meanwhile, the Green Party got 7% of the vote but also got 1% of
the seats
Describe, in detail, two features of First Past the Post.
(4 marks).
P- One feature of First Past the Post is that it is easy to understand.
E- Voters simply mark an ‘X’ next to the candidate of their choice.
E- For example, in the
Motherwell, Wishaw and Carluke constituency in 2024, voters had 9
candidates to choose from and Pamela Nash won more votes than any other
candidate.
P- Another feature of FPTP is that it normally creates a majority government.
E- This allows the Prime Minister and Cabinet to pursue the policies stated in
their manifesto.
E- For example, in 2024, the Labour Party won a majority of
174, this means that they were able to form a majority government and
don’t need to rely on other parties to pass laws
Describe, in detail, why some people participate in
pressure groups. (4 marks).
P- Some people participate in pressure groups because they feel very strongly about
a particular issue,
E- for example, climate change. They may want to support the
group to influence government decision making.
E- For example, a person who felt
strongly about climate change might join Extinction Rebellion and engage in their
protests.
P- People may also join a pressure group as the government is more likely to listen to
a large, organised force.
E- This gives them strength in numbers and increases their collective influence on the government and makes them more difficult ignore than an individual acting alone.
E- For example, Extinction Rebellion has over 130 groups under their banner in the UK making their action hard for the government to ignore
Explain, in detail, two methods used by pressure
groups to gain influence in a democracy. (6 marks).
P- A method used by pressure groups is by engaging in protests.
E- These protests may cause disruption to people lives and pressure groups hope that these
tactics will gain media attention and make the government listen to their
demands.
E- For example, in 2024, Just Stop Oil activists covered Stonehenge in
an orange powder to demand the government stop burning fossil fuels by
2030.
P- Another method used by pressure groups is by creating posters.
E- Pressure groups may make a visually striking poster in order to create a visual message of why their issue is important.
E- For example, PETA created a poster entitled Frying Nemo’ to try to get people to consider becoming vegetarian and stop cruelty to animals
Explain, in detail, why the media is very influential within a
democracy. (8 marks)
P- The media is influential within a democracy because they hold the
government to account.
E- TV, newspapers and radio are free to report on, and
criticise the actions of the government
E- . For example, various media outlets
were critical of the Labour Party dropping its commitment to spend £28 billion
a year on green energy projects. This means that the government must be
ready to answer for any actions or
policy failures that are reported.
P- The media is also influential as it can help to educate the public on various issues.
E- There are various forms of media that the public can access to find out
about important issues such as newspapers, TV or social media outlets.
E- For example, 83% of 16-24-year-olds said that they got their news from online sources. This may help to educate them on important events such as the results of the general election in 2024
Explain, in detail, why some people participate in the
media. (6 marks).
P- Some people participate in the media to try and get attention for a cause they are interested in.
E- People may use social media campaigns to gain public support.
E- For example, Extinction Rebellion has used social media to share
their message about climate change and organise their campaigners.
P- Some people participate in the media to hold the government to account.
E- TV, newspapers and radio are free to report on, and criticise the actions of the government.
E- For example, various media outlets were critical of the Labour
Party dropping its commitment to spend £28 billion a year on green energy
projects
Explain, in detail, two reasons why many people in
the UK choose not to vote in elections. (6 marks).
P Some people choose not to vote as they live in a safe seat.
E This is a seat
where the same political party nearly always wins by a large number of
votes.
E For example, in 2024, David Lammy received 57.5% of the vote in
Tottenham and had a majority of over 15,000. This may prevent people from voting as they view the result as pre-determined.
P Another reason that people do not vote is because they distrust the
political system.
E They may view party policies as being very similar and
cannot see a difference between party manifestos and leaders
E. This may have contributed to the trend of decline in voter turnout in 2024 when turnout decreased by 7.4%
Explain, in detail, two reasons why people in the
UK may choose to vote in elections. (6 marks).
P-People may vote because they support a certain candidate. E-Individuals may
be strong supporters of a certain candidate or political party and support
their policies.
E-For example, someone who strongly supported Scottish
independence may vote for the SNP or Green candidate as independence is a
key policy area for these parties.
P-People may vote as it gives them a say on important matters that affect them.
E-Many people want a say in who they want to represent them in the UK
Parliament and feel that if they don’t vote they may not be represented by
someone who shares their views.
E-For example, they may want to have a candidate who shares their views on issues that are important to them such as education, healthcare or immigration
Explain, in detail, two reasons why many people in
the UK choose not to vote in elections. (6 marks).
P-Some people choose not to vote as they live in a safe seat.
E- This is a seat
where the same political party nearly always wins by a large number of
votes.
E- For example, in 2024, David Lammy received 57.5% of the vote in
Tottenham and had a majority of over 15,000. This may prevent people
from voting as they view the result as pre-determined.
P- Another reason that people do not vote is because they distrust the
political system.
E-They may view party policies as being very similar and
cannot see a difference between party manifestos and leaders.
E- This may have contributed to the trend of decline in voter turnout in 2024 when
turnout decreased by 7.4%
Explain, in detail, why some political parties’ election
campaigns are successful during General Elections. (6 marks).
P- Some political parties’ election campaigns are successful due to the effective use of social media.
E- Social media allows political parties to reach a large number of
voters and tell them about their policies.
E- For example, in the 2024 election
campaign Labour had over 1 million followers and shared their priorities with voters.
P- Political parties can also be successful due to having a positive party image with the public.
E-Some argue that voters often make decisions in an election based ontheir overall impression of a political party.
E- In 2024, polling organisations such as YouGov showed that Labour was viewed as more competent in areas such as the economy, law and order and education
Describe, in detail, two ways in which political parties
campaign during General Elections. (4 marks).
P- Political parties can campaign by canvassing.
E- This gives parties the opportunity to go door-to-door to speak with the public in an attempt to increase voter awareness of the party and their policies.
E-This may secure more votes for the party as the canvassers will outline and explain the party policies to be implemented once elected.
P- Political parties can also campaign by creating Party Election Broadcasts (PEB).
E-This is a television or radio broadcast made by a political party to inform voters about their policies and vision for the country in order to try and secure more votes in an election
E-. For example, in 2024 the Labour Party created a PEB callec
‘Change’ where Keir Starmer asked the public to vote for his party and outlinec policies such as reducing NHS waiting times.
Explain, in detail, two ways in which MPs can represent
their constituents in the UK Parliament. (6 marks).
P- MPs can represent their constituents in Parliament by introducing a private members bill. E- This is a bill introduced to parliament by an MP who is not a government minister and may reflect the concerns of their constituents
E-. For example, in 2024, The Pet Abduction Act was passed into law after being introduced as a PMB by the Conservative MP
Anna Firth. This made the abduction of domestic pets such as cats
and dogs a specific criminal offence which could lead to 5 years in prison.
P- Another way MPs can represent their constituents in Parliament is by asking a written question.
E- An MP can submit a written question to the government and receive a reply, they can then relay the response to their constituents
E- For example, in 2024, the Labour MP Alex Mayer submitted a written question to the government asking if they planned to reinstate a full ban on the testing of cosmetic products on animals
