Democracy In The UK Flashcards
Features of a democracy
- The government government is elected by the people people in the UK are free to choose who they want to run the country by voting in an election without intimidation for example turn up at the 2024 general election was 59.7%.
- Free speech is supported citizens in the UK free to express themselves however they like with some restrictions like not being able to use hate speech encourage violence or tell damaging lies for example many people have been supportive and critical of Boris Johnson has had the COVID-19 pandemic and put their views online in newspapers and on TV without the government stopping them.
- We have many political rights. Political rights are the rights that allows citizens to participate in politics of the UK and how decisions are made .For example a be political right in the UK that many people have used has been protest and make views known to leaders on issues like Scottish independence climate change and black lives matter.
Right and responsibilities
- right to vote responsibility to use it. people are able to vote for a person ,party or issue in an election or referendum but they should make sure that they do vote. For example the Labour Party won the general election in 2024 with 9.7 million votes.
- Right to join a pressure group,Responsibility to not bring break the law. Pressure groups or groups of people that worked to put pressure on decisionmakers but must do so peacefully the weather.For example the pressure group extinction rebellion have carried out a number of high profile demonstrations to highlight ecological issues unstop climate change however the group admit to actively attempting to break the law to get notoriety.
3.Right to free speech ,responsibility to not use hate speech. People in the UK are able to express their opinion and even criticise the government without fear of being locked up however they must not use hate speech. For example, certain songs cannot be sung at football games because they are classed as sectarian
Opportunities to participate
1.By voting. Individuals are able to vote for person or issue in an election or referendum. for example 28.9 people voted in the 2024 UK Parliamentary elections 59.7% of those who were eligible.
2. Signing petitions. A petition is a statement or demand that citizens sign to show how they feel about something .All petitions on the UK parliament petition website that received over 100,000 signatures are automatically debated in the House of Commons . For example Marcus Rashford‘s petition to end a child food poverty by providing free school meals over school holidays received over 1 million signatures.
3. Standing as candidate. Individuals can put themselves forward in an election to represent their constituency. For example, Stephen Flynn put himself forward as candidate for the SNP in the general election to represent Aberdeen South in UK.
Reasons why people participate
- They know they can make a difference in politics. Some election can be very very close every vote counts people realise it is important to vote if they support a particular person or policy. For example in 2024 labour won the hendon seat by 15 votes .
- Protect their rights. Many countries around the world are dictatorships and some of them were democracies that changed as people in power take away their rights so people participate to gain and protect their rights. For example in recent years gay people gained the right to get married.
- One reason why people choose to participate is because they know how important it is.The UK Parliament is very powerful and has a lot of responsibility for making the UK a good place to live. Many people get involved in politics to make sure the UK Parliament does a good job.For example, benefits and welfare decisions for the whole of the UK are made in the UK Parliament,
Reasons why people do not participate
- They don’t think their participation will matter. individuals might feel that a single protest or a single vote won’t make a difference. For example, a small number of people have been protesting against the nuclear weapons at Faslane in Scotland for decades, but they are still there.
- They don’t know how. Not every student studies modern studies so many might not learn about how democracy works. For example, only about half of those who can vote in elections do vote.
3.They feel excluded from politics. Many minorities feel that they are represented by people in power.This can make them feel disillusioned . for example there has only ever been three female Prime minister.
Reserved powers
1.Benefits and Welfare. The responsibility for controlling the support and income provided to individuals and family in the UK remains at Westminster. For example the decision to combine many income support benefits into one payment called universal credit was made by the Conservative government at Westminster.
2. The constitution. This means that the UK parliament makes law regarding where power and decisions making in the UK takes place changing laws powers and the constitution is solely a matter for the parliament and in Westminster to decide. For example all decisions and future referendum about Scottish Independence also have to be approved by Westminster which means that the UK government could stop the Scottish government holding another referendum.
3. defence. The decision to go to war or use the U.K.’s military powers are made by the UK government. For example the UK government decided to renew the UK trident nuclear deterrent , costing the government over £40 million
Powers of the Prime Minister
- Appoint cabinet minister. The Prime Minister has a power to promote ordinary MPs from their party which usually means there will be more loyal to the prime minister. For example the prime minister appointed Rachel Reeves as chancellor of the exchequer.
- Chair cabinet. The Prime Minister has a power to decide what government should be making laws. The Prime Minister sets the agenda for meetings of the cabinet, issues viewed as more reported by the prime minister will be dealt with first.For example, labour has promised it will introduce free breakfast clubs and every primary school in England
- Lead the largest political party . Political parties use a whip system to promote discipline. This system is used by the Prime Minister to ensure the MPs vote how they want them to vote on an important issues. For example in July 2024 seven labour MPs had the whip suspended for six months after voting against the government on an amendment to scrap the two child benefits cap.
Roles of the prime minister
- Answer MPs questions at Prime Ministers Questions . PMQs is one occasion that the members of opposition parties can directly question the work of the PM and the Government. For example, Stephen Flynn, asked Boris Johnson if the only reason he was scrapping the Covid-19 rules was because he “didn’t understand them”
- To lead the United Kingdom. The PM must provide leadership and look after the interests and safety of all the citizens of the UK. This may mean responding to threats from other countries by defending the UK or declaring war. For example Boris Johnston announced a national lockdown to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic.
- Represent the United Kingdom Internationally. The PM travels to build or repair relationships between the UK and other countries these relationships are important for trade too and from the UK. For example, Keir Starmer traveled to Washington to the 2024 NATO Summit which outlined the developments made by NATO and policy decisions made, primarily involving providing support for Ukraine
Representation in the UK parliament :Women
- Sexist attitudes. Some voters may not regard women as highly as men and think men could do a better job in parliament. They therefore do not vote for female candidates. Media coverage of female politicians may also put some women off standing as a candidate. They often focus on the way women look and what they wear.For example, the Daily Mail posted a picture of Nicola Sturgeon and Theresa May on the front cover with the headline “Never mind Brexit, who won Legs-it!
2.Abuse received .A number of sitting female MPs who chose to step down ahead of the 2019 General Election who had cited the abuse they received in public office as the reason for this.For example a study conducted by Amnesty International found that female politicians were abused on twitter every 30 seconds. The research found that phrases such as “clueless”, “stupid” and “thick” were often use. - Caring responsibility. Women are still much more likely than men to take on responsibility for looking after a home and family and so the long hours and weekly travel to London can make becoming an MP more difficult for women with families than for men.For example MPs do not get maternity leave if they have a baby. However, Stella Creasy MP was told she was not allowed to bring her baby with her to allow her to vote.
Representation in the UK Parliament: Ethnic Minorities
1.Racism.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 receive.For example, Anum Qaisar, MP for Airdrie and Shotts spoke about regularly receiving racist abuse and being told to “f*** off home”.
2. Alack of role models.To those groups that have been marginalised if they look and don’t see people like them in politics it can be very off putting they may be very reluctant to put themselves in such a public position if they have not seen how others have survived it successfully.For example, only 14% of MPs elected in 2024 were from an ethnic minority.
3. Incumbency effect.The incumbency effect is where it is easier for people who are in power to stay in power because they can use their position to help them get re-elected. For example, since the first MP was elected in 1707, the share of ethnic minority MPs has never been higher than 15%.
Role of an MP in parliment
1.Participate in debates.This is when MPs meet in the House of Commons to debate new laws. For example, Stephen Flynn participated in a debate about energy production.
2. Prime Ministers Questions (PMQs). This is when MPs can directly question the work of the Prime Minister and the Government.For example, Stephen Flynn asked Boris Johnson if the only reason he was scrapping the Covid-19 rules was because he “didn’t understand them”
3. Join a committee. Most MPs will be a member of a select committee to look carefully at the parliaments business. Each committee will specialise in a particular area, such as education.For example, Stephen Flynn is a member of the Professional Qualifications Committee
Role of an MP in the constituency
- Respond to correspondence from constituents.They respond to enquiries from constituents. This can be in the form of letter, email or phone calls. For example Stephen Flynn replied to a constituent’s letter about benefits and the cost of living crisis.
- Attend meetings. MPs are often asked by lots of different stakeholders to attend meetings. This could be to see how the MP can help or just to let them know about the work that’s going on in the community. For example, Stephen Flynn visited Lochside Academy to meet with local pupils in the constituency.
3.Hold surgeries. This is when people go along to talk to an MP about problems they might have in the constituency. such as immigration issues, benefit problems, etc.
For example, Stephen Flynn holds advice surgeries at the Aberdeen South constituency office as well as other venues throughout his constituency.
Functions of the House of Lords
- Work with the Commons to shape laws. Peers don’t have to represent constituents so have a lot more time than MPs to debate issues and they have more expertise on subjects so they can propose, make changes to and block bills.For example, amendment 18 to the Financial Services and Market Bill was not accepted by them in June 2023,
- Investigate issues through committees. HoL committees investigate public policy, proposed laws and government activity on specific policy areas Committees publish reports on their findings and the government must respond in writing to each report.For example, the HoL Select Committee recently challenged the government to make urgent changes to adult social care.
- Question and challenge the work of the government. Peers ask government ministers about important issues in Question Time every Monday to Thursday morning Therefore, they get the government to justify their policies and decisions.For example They have persuaded the government to make policy changes on delaying cuts to tax credits until protections for low paid workers are in place.
Success of a campaign
- How many members a political party has. The more members a political party has, the more people they have (activists) to help promote their party. For example, almost 65,000 people volunteered their time to promote the Labour party.
- Who the party leader is. The leader is the face of the party a good leader can increase support. For example, the conservatives promoted their ex- leader the RuthDavidson in the 2019 election as she was more popular than the actual leader Douglas Ross even though she wasn’t standing for election.
- Celebrity endorsements the party receive. These are important as they can easily influence their funds and supporters to follow up political party too. For example, Stormzy used his social media platform to endorsed Jeremy Corbyn and the labour party
Campaign methods
- Canvassing .This is when candidates and other party members will knock on doors to try and encourage people to vote for their party. for example, Stephen Flynn canvassed people to vote for him in Aberdeen South 2024.
- Debates. This is when a representative of a party will take part in a public debate against people from the opposing parties. They do this in the Hope that people will like what they say and vote for them. for example in 2024 Keir Starmer the labour party leader and Rishi Sunak the conservative party leader took part in a televised debate on ITV.
- Party political broadcasts. Party political broadcast are shown on TV during election campaigns. For example, the Labour Party produced the party political broadcast ahead of the 2024 general election.
Stages of an General election.
1.Dissolution of the parliament. At the start of an election campaign, the parliament will close all MPs stop being MPs unless they are eventually reacted. for example when the parliament was dissolved in 2024 all former MPs were only allowed to be in the parliament as members of the public.
2. Campaign. This is when the people who want to be elected will try to promote themselves and ask you for you to vote for them. For example, all the leaders of the largest political parties took part in the leaders debate in 2024 on TV as well as creating manifestos and party political broadcast.
3. Election day. This is where the majority of citizens will cost the vote. Some people would choose to vote early with a postal vote all votes whether postal or on the day will then be counted together and the winner will be declared. for example in 2024 Stephen Flynn was reacted as MP force Aberdeen South.
Key features of FPTP
FPTP is the system used to choose who will represent us in the UK Parliament ie MPs. 650 different constituencies (areas).
In each constituency, there are a number of candidates (people who want to become the MP for the area) trying to get elected.
To vote, you need to put a cross (‘X’) inside the box on the ballot paper, next to the name of the candidate or party that you wish to vote for.
Outcomes of FPTP
-Election results are normally counted overnight.
• In each constituency, the person with the most votes wins, and they then become the MP.
• The party with the most MPs wins and becomes the government.
• If one party is able to win at least 50% of the seats in the House of Commons (326/650) then its leader gets to become Prime Minister and form a Government.
Pressure groups
1.Letter Writing . The public to write to the government or companies to try to get their support. It can be effective as it shows MPs how much people support the issue and they might not want to lose votes. For example, the Surfers Against Sewage organised a letter writing campaign about a bottle deposit scheme which the UK Government announced it would support.
2.Protesting. 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.
For example, after Extinction Rebellion organised protests to shut down cities and for students to walk out of class, the Government declared a climate emergency.
3. lobbying.This usually involves meeting directly with decision makers like MPs to try and persuade them to support the groups cause. It can be effective as it can happen in person and then be shown in the media, so MPs who want to look good to voters have to think carefully before they ignore people lobbying them.
For example, the British Medical Association (BMA) successfully lobbied the UK Parliament which resulted in them banning smoking in public places.
Role of the media
- Inform us.This means to keep the public up to date on current affairs and breaking news.
For example, during the Covid-19 pandemic the Prime Minister gave a daily briefing through the BBC to make sure people were informed about the rules to keep safe. - influence us.This means the media can encourage us to vote for a certain party.
For example, during the 2024 General Election the Daily Express urged readers to support the Conservative party, whereas the Daily Mirror backed the Labour party. - educate us.This means to help educate the public on party policies, new laws and complex issues of the day.For example, Labour released a party political broadcast to share what they would achieve in government and educate voters about their policies.
