Democracy In Scotlaand Flashcards
Describe in deatil, the rights people in Scotland have
Freedom of speech - people can freely express their opinion on speech, print and online, as long as its legal. For example, journalists in newspapers such as the scottish dailt mail, are very critical on the current snp
Freedom of assembly - people can freely join political parties and pressure groups tat share their opinion. For example, in 2023, the SNP had about 75,000 members
Right to protest - people can freely protest, as long as they do so peacefully and no illegal actions are taken place. For example, at the recent cop26 climate change conference in glasgow, thousands of people showed up just to protest
Describe, in detail, the devolved powers of the scottish governemnt
Education - the scottish governemnt is responisble for developing and implementing the curriculum in scotland, it wants to stop the gap between rich and poor pupils. For example, in 2016, the education bill was passed, which reduced the inequalities in education, and provided support for pupils with additional support needs
Health - the NHS is overlooked by the scottish governmemnt, its current focus is covid 19 recovery, obesity, smoking and drug/alcohol misuse. For example, in 2016, a bill banned smoking in cars while there was a chld present
Law and order - the scottish government is responsible for legislation on all aspects of the justice system, from policing to prisoners. For example, a 2015 bill ended the rights of some long time serving prisoners, including sex offenders to be automatically released after serving two thirds of their sentence
describe, in detail, the roles of the first minister
media appearances - the FM regularly appears on tv and newspaper interviews, to inform people about the government policies and to answer journalist questions. For example, Humza Yousaf was featured on the front coer of Time Magazine in octoer 2023, and was given an interview to explain his background, and outline the priorities of his SNP Government, including arguing for Independence.
answering FM questions - For 45 minutes every Thursday when Parliament is sitting, the FM answers questions from opposition leaders and MSPs. For example, Recently at PMQs, Humza Yousaf has attacked Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross, mocking him for the actions of the UK’s Conservative Prime Minister.
recommending judges - Although they cannot appoint them directly, the FM can recommend senior judges (the Lord Advocate and Solicitor General) to the Monarch for approval.
For example, Former FM Nicola Sturgeon recommended the appointment of the current Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain QC, who has responsibility for advising the Scottish Government on legal issues.
describe, in deatil, why the FM is powerful
Responsibility for setting the agenda - As the leader of the Scottish Government, the FM is responsible for deciding the direction the country will take for their five years in office, taking huge decisions that will affect the lives of everyone in the country. For example, In his first speech to the Scottish Parliament, Humza Yousaf said the main priorities of his Government were addressing poverty, building a fair and green economy, and improving Scotland’s social services to solve issues such as drug deaths.
Resposibility for appointing the cabinet - The FM can choose Cabinet Secretaries loyal to them to oversee particular areas, for example Justice or Education, and has the power to remove them from office if they are underperforming. For example, In Nicola Sturgeon’s last cabinet as FM, she appointed John Swinney, a long-term ally, to the important roles of Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery.
Responsibility for representing scotland overseas - The FM is responsible for promoting Scotland globally, potentially boosting Scottish businesses and gaining good publicity for themselves. For examample, In 2019, former FM Nicola Sturgeon met Katrín Jakobsdóttir, the Prime Minister of Iceland to discuss issues concerning both countries, including trade and climate change.
desctibe, in detail, the roles of MSP’s on teir constituencies
responding to correspondance - Responding to correspondence means writing back to all of the constituents, businesses, charities, pressure groups, councillors, MSPs, and others who have contacted them about issues of concern. For example, Kevin Stewart, SNP MSP for the Aberdeen Central constituency, can be contacted by email, telephone, or Facebook.
Surgeries - MSPs hold regular surgeries (one-to-one meetings with constituents) in their constituency offices or other public buildings, such as libraries. For example, Daniel Johnson, Labour MSP for Edinburgh Southern, holds surgeries by appointment at his constituency office at 134 Comiston Road on Monday and Friday mornings.
Meeting local groups - MSPs may be asked by many different groups to attend a meeting. This could be to see how the MSP can help the group, or to let them know about the work that is going on in the community. For exmaple, Michael Matheson, SNP MSP for Falkirk West, attended a meeting at the Go Youth Trust in Falkirk to find out about the work they do.
describe, in detail, the roles of MSP’s in the scottish goernemnt
Debating - Debates are a chance for the different political parties to share their views on the issues, and ensure that all views are heard prior to voting on proposed new laws. For example, In 2016, MSPs debated whether or not to ban smoking in cars with children.
Voting - Once debates have been had, and all views have been shared, MSPs are then responsible for voting on proposed new laws. They do this by choosing ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on their console in the debating chamber. For example, In 2019, MSPs voted to ban smacking children, by 84 votes to 29.
First Minister’s Questions - FMQs is a weekly questioning session where MSPs have the opportunity to scrutinise the Government by asking the First Minister questions. For example, In November 2021, Siobhian Brown, SNP MSP for Ayr, asked the First Minister what the Scottish Government was doing to ensure proper policing of fireworks laws.
explain, in detail, the advantages of the additional member system
encourages participation - the AMS produces rougly proportional results, meaning that people are more likely to get the representative that they want. For example, In the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, the Green Party won no constituency seats, but still managed to gain 8 regional list seats
Produces coalitions - The regional list part of AMS normally ensures no party gets an overall majority, which means that the leading party has to form a coalition if they want to successfully pass new laws. For example, Following the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, the SNP formed a ‘power-sharing agreement’ with the Green Party.
Gives 8 MSPs per person - Under AMS, everyone has 1 constituency MSP, and 7 regional list MSPs; this gives people a choice in who they go to with any issues. For example, After the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, people living in the Aberdeen Central constituency have an SNP constituency MSP, plus Conservative, Labour, and Green regional list MSPs.
explain, in detiail, the disadvantages of the additonal member system
No say on regional lists - Decisions about who is on the regional list, and who is near the top, are made by political parties; unless they take time to check, people may have no idea who they are actually voting for to represent them. For example, The Scottish Conservatives put their leader, Douglas Ross, at the top of their regional list for the Highlands and Islands region in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election.
Smaller parties are too powerful - Smaller parties are invited to join coalitions, and can demand more involvement in policy-making than they deserve based on the votes they received. For example, The Green party only won 8 seats in the 2021 Scottish Parliament elections, but they were invited to join the SNP in government, and demanded more green policies to do so.
AMS is not perfectly proportional - Some parties still tend to receive a higher percentage of seats than their percentage of votes, and vice-versa. For example, In the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, the SNP won about 40% of the overall vote, but received just under 50% of the total seats, highlighting the lack of proportionality.
explain, in detail, why women are being under represented in the scottish parliament
Role in family life - Being an MSP is a demanding job; as women are still the primary caregiver in most Scottish families, the prospect of spending so much time away from their children can put them off seeking election. For example, Ruth Davidson, former leader of the Scottish Conservatives, has said that one of the reasons she stood down from Holyrood was the guilt about not spending enough time with her new baby.
Media treatment - Female politicians are often treated in a sexist manner in the media. They will be depicted as unserious, with a focus on their bodies or clothes rather than their policies. For example, The Sun newspaper made up an insulting image of Nicola Sturgeon in a tartan bikini.
Sexist behaviour - There have been complaints raised by MSPs and staff about sexist behaviour, like comments and touching, by men at Holyrood. For example, In a 2018 survey of Scottish Parliament staff, one third of women said they had experienced sexist behaviour while at work.
explain, in detail, why ethnic minoroties are under represented in the scottish parliament
Lack of role models - Without role models like themselves in the Scottish Parliament, many people of an ethnic minority background don’t feel politics includes them. For example, Before the 2021 Scottish Parliament elections, there were just 2 ethnic minority MSPs, despite 5% of the population of Scotland being ethnic minorities.
Racism and prejudice - Being a politician means you have a high-profile, and for ethnic minorities, this can lead to suffering racist abuse online or in person. For example, In 2021, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar was racially abused by a man outside the Scottish Parliament while conducting a television interview.
Recent immigration status - Because many ethnic minorities are recent arrivals, and still settling in Scotland, they may not speak English fluently, or be focused on involvement in politics. For example, On average, 22000 people per year migrate to Scotland from all over the world.
Describe, in detail, the campaign methods used by Scottish political parties.
Or
Describe, in detail, the ways in which individuals can participate in election campaigns.
Or
Explain, in detail, why some campaign methods are more effective than others during elections in Scotland.
Canvassing -Canvassing involves party supporters going door-to-door, trying to gather support for their candidate; canvassers can answer any questions people might have about their candidate or party and convince floating voters. For example, During the 2021 Scottish Parliament elections, canvassing was only permitted after Covid restrictions were lifted a month before voting.
Posters - Political parties use eye-catching posters to attract attention; these may be posted on billboards, on vehicles, or in people’s windows to attract attention, raise discussion, and convince floating voters. For example, The Scottish Conservatives’ 2021 election poster accused Nicola Sturgeon of focusing on independence more than other important issues.
Leafleting - Leaflets describing the candidate’s background and policy ideas in-depth will be handed out on the street, or posted through doors, helping voters to make an informed choice. For example, Labour’s Jackie Baillie called herself a ‘strong voice for local people’ in her 2021 election leaflet.
Explain, in detail, how political parties can effectively use the media during elections in Scotland.
Or
Explain, in detail, why the media is very influential within a democracy.
Gaining newspaper support OR Supporting political parties -Newspapers can influence election campaigns by supporting certain parties, and attacking rival parties by criticising their policies; this can sway floating voters. For example, The Scottish Daily Mail have always opposed the SNP, and frequently criticise their focus on independence.
Taking part in TV debates OR hosting TV debates - High-profile TV debates before elections and referendums educate the public about the main parties’ policies, potentially influencing voting people’s voting choices. For example, During the 2021 election campaign, leader’s debates were held on all of the main Scottish TV channels (BBC, STV, Channel 4).
Using social media OR Promoting participation through social media - Social media (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) allows political parties to reach large numbers of people quickly and cheaply, including groups like young people, who often don’t engage with politics or traditional media. For example, Together, the main political parties spent £460,000 on social media advertising during the 2021 election campaign.
describe, in detail, the roles of the scottish parliament committess
Scrutinising legislation - Each Government department is overseen by a committee. Proposed Bills are examined in-depth before being voted on in Parliament. For example, Before it was voted on in Parliament, the Health and Sport Committee studied the legislation on banning smoking in cars with children.
Holding Inquiries - Inquiries allow committees to gather information and examine an issue. They may be held in response to a specific event, or look into progress in a Government department. For example, In 2022, the Scottish Parliament’s Economy and Fair Work Committee held an inquiry into Scotland’s town centres and retail.
Proposing new laws - Committees have the ability to suggest new laws in their area of expertise. For example, In 2017, the Climate Change Committee proposed that Parliament should consider aiming for a 90% reduction in emissions by 2050 instead of the current target of 80%.
