* Democracy in the UK Full PEEs Flashcards
Roles/Powers of the Prime Minister:
One power of the Prime Minister (PM) is the Power of Appointment. This means that the PM appoints the cabinet after their own appointment as PM. The PM can decide who will be in the government and which government departments they will be responsible for running. This makes them powerful because they can appoint their allies who are likely to support them and the policies they plan to introduce. For example, when Liz Truss became PM, she appointed her close ally James Cleverly as Foreign Secretary.
Another power of the PM is being Cabinet Chairsperson. The cabinet meets every Thursday morning to make decisions on government policy. As cabinet Chairsperson, the PM can decide what will be discussed and who will speak during a meeting. This makes them powerful because the Cabinet is bound by ‘collective responsibility’, meaning all members must publicly agree with all policies made by the government. For example, when Boris Johnson was PM, he led cabinet discussions on policies to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Another power of the PM is Prerogative Powers. The PM has a number of powers made in the name of the monarch, known as ‘Royal Prerogative Powers’. These include writing the ‘King’s speech’ and taking military action on behalf of the UK. This makes them powerful because they do not have to discuss their plans to take military action on behalf of the UK with the cabinet, and if they do, the final decision still lies with them. For example, in 2018, Theresa May decided that the UK should take military action in Syria. She did this without having to discuss her plans with the cabinet beforehand.
Reserved Powers of the UK Parliament:
One reserved power the UK Parliament has responsibility for in foreign policy. This means that the UK Parliament has responsibility for how the UK deals with other countries and international organisations. For example, the UK Parliament has the final say in the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.
Another reserved power the UK Parliament has responsibility for is defence. This means that the UK Parliament has responsibility for national security and the armed forces. For example, in 2021, the UK Parliament voted to increase the UK’s nuclear warhead stockpile.
Rights of UK citizens:
One right of UK citizens is the right to vote. People aged 18 and over can vote in UK elections and referendums. For example, people over 18 years old were able to vote in the 2016 Brexit Referendum.
Another right of UK citizens is the right to a fair trial. People in the UK have the right to a fair trial, with protection by the police. The judge and jury should be impartial. For example, in the UK you can only be held by the police for 24 hours (except for terrorist charges).
Another right of UK citizens is the right to join a political party. As we live in a democracy, we can join a political party and run for an election in the UK. For example, ex- St. Mungo’s pupil James Bundy put himself forward for the Conservative Party and won a seal within the Falkirk election.
Responsibilities of UK citizens:
One responsibility of UK citizens is to accept the final decision of a vote. For example, many did not accept the 2016 EU referendum decision and protested against leaving the EU.
Another responsibility of UK citizens is to support the police and courts by telling them the truth and attending jury duty when summoned. For example before you give evidence in court, you must swear under oath.
Another responsibility of UK citizens is to tell the truth when campaigning for an election. For example, when standing for Parliament, you must tell the truth.
Pressure Group Methods:
One method used by pressure groups is demonstrations. These are marches and protests in which members often carry placards and banners to attract publicity and media attention. For example, in 2019, a million people attended a demonstration organised by the People’s Vote Campaign calling for a second referendum on Brexit.
Another method used by pressure groups is celebrity support. The backing of a famous celebrity will usually demonstrate more media attention and support from the group. For example, the actress Emma Thomson has supported Extinction Rebellion demonstrations.
Reasons why someone would join a pressure group:
One reason why people would join a pressure group is because they feel that collective action is more effective than individual action. The government is more likely to pay attention to a pressure group’s petition, protest or direct action rather than people individually expressing their concerns. For example, thousands of people have joined together to participate in Extinction Rebellion protests. (collection voice has raised awareness and pushed the issue of climate change up the agenda).
Another reason why people would join a pressure group is because they are seen as the best way to express a view and influence the government in between elections. UK general elections are usually held every 5 years and there may be issues that people want to have a say on in the years in between. For example, thousands of people attended a Stop the War Coalition demonstration against the UK Government’s plans to take military action in Syria, an issue that was not being discussed at the previous general election.
Another reason why people would join a pressure group is because people may have been personally affected by an issue. Some people may therefore wish to join a pressure group to pressurise the government into taking action in order to seek justice on the issue. For example, many black people participated in the Black Lives Matter demonstrations as they had been personally affected by racism and racial inequalities.
Advantages of FPTP:
One advantage of FPTP is that it is a simple and straightforward system to understand. This is because FPTP allows voters to place their vote by simply writing an ‘X’ next to the name of their preferred candidate. This is an advantage because it decreases the likelihood of spoiled ballots and its simplicity makes people more likely to vote. For example, 67.3% of the electorate turned out to vote in the 2019 general election compared to 63% of the electorate in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election.
Another advantage of FPTP is that it usually produces a majority Government. This means that FPTP usually creates a government containing a one-party majority, rather than a ‘hung Parliament’. This is an advantage because it allows the Government to be as effective as possible and to introduce the policies they planned to, without having to compromise with other parties. For example, 18 of the 21 post-war UK general elections produced a one-party majority government.
Another advantage of FPTP is that it prevents extremist parties from getting into power. Although disproportional representation is often seen as a disadvantage of FPTP, it can also be viewed as an advantage. Parties with extremist views may get voted for by some people, however they are not likely to be the most voted for party in any constituencies, meaning they are unlikely to earn any seats in Parliament. This is an advantage because it prevents these people with extremist views from making policies and decisions that will negatively impact the UK and its citizens. For example, in the 2010 general election, BNP- who have racist policies- won over 500,000 votes but no seats, whereas if a proportional electoral system had been used they would’ve won 12.
Disadvantages of FPTP:
One disadvantage of FPTP is that it can result in tactical voting. FPTP limits voter choice because in many constituencies, it is either a foregone conclusion which parties will win, or at best a ‘two-horse race’. This is a disadvantage because it can lead to many people deciding to vote ‘tactically’ to prevent a party they don’t like from winning, instead of voting for their preferred choice if they think it will be a wasted vote. For example, during the 2019 general election, people who didn’t want a Conservative government may have voted Labour to try and stop the Conservatives from getting into power.
Another disadvantage of FPTP is that is creates disproportional representation which disadvantages smaller parties. Under FPTP, the percentage of the seats that parties have is not proportional to their percentage of votes. This is because FPTP is ‘winner takes all’ which means that losing votes for candidates in a constituency count for nothing, resulting in millions of ‘wasted votes’. This is a disadvantage because it tends to disadvantage smaller parties who struggle to win enough votes to come first in many seats therefore most of their votes are wasted. For example, in the 2019 general election, the Liberal Democrat’s won 11.5% of votes but only won 11 seats (1.7%)- they were second place in 91 constituencies.
Another disadvantage of FPTP is that it leads to wasted votes. Under FPTP thousands of votes are wasted in each election. This is because the only votes that count are the votes cast for the winning candidate. This is a disadvantage because it means that the votes that were cast for other candidates are not taken into account and are therefore wasted. For example, the people who voted for parties other that the Conservative Party are unfairly represented as they did not vote for a Conservative government.
Roles of the media:
One role of the media is to inform the public. The media reports on political issues such as parties’ policies and key votes in parliament. This can have an impact on people’s political views, particularly during general election campaigns. For example, left-wind newspapers like the Daily Mirror are likely to report Conservative policies negatively.
Another role of the media is public watchdog. This means the media investigates the policies and actions of the government and other policies parties to report to the public. For example, BBC Panorama has highlighted problems in the benefits system.
Another role of the media is to represent the public. The media represents the views of the public to the government (acts as a megaphone) through articles, opinion polls and TV panel shows. For example, the Daily Mail has put pressure on the government about the public’s immigration concerns.
Effectiveness of election campaigns:
One aspect which influences the effectiveness of an election campaign is the popularity of their policies. Having popular policies during an election campaign can increase the number of votes a party receives. This is because people will usually vote for the party with the policies they support the most. For example, in the 2019 general election, Conservatives’ main policy to “get Brexit done” was popular with most voters across the UK.
Another aspect which influences the effectiveness of election campaigns is the popularity of the leaders. If a party’s leader is popular, it will increase the number of votes the party receives. This is because people will vote a party if they see the leader to be a better fit for Prime Minister. For example, in the 2019 general election, Boris Johnson was a much more popular leader than Jeremy Corbyn- 45% of non-labour voters said the main reason they didn’t vote labour was because of Corbyn.
Another aspect which influences the effectiveness of election campaigns is the use of media. Using various forms of media is likely to increase the number of votes a party gets. This is because the media is capable of influencing voters and is a good way to share a party’s policies instantly with a large number of people. For example, in the 2019 general election, the Conservatives were supported by most of the national newspapers.
Election campaign methods:
One election campaign method used by parties is canvassing voters. This is when activists if political parties go to people’s doors to tell them about their party’s policies and try to persuade them to vote for their local candidate. For example, SNP activists in the Falkirk area visited households across the constituency to encourage them to re-elect Johnny McNally, and promote their party’s main policy of another independence referendum.
Another election campaign method used by political parties is making use of various forms of media. This includes producing party election broadcasts on TV, posting videos, pictures and articles on social media, and trying to persuade newspapers to support them. For example, in the 2019 General Election, the Conservatives posted dozens of photos and articles on Facebook criticising Labour’s leader, Jeremy Corbyn.
