democracy - participation

Question 1

what are the rights and responsibilities of scottish citizens?

Answer 1

• the right to vote and the responsibility to use it
• the right to free speech but without hate speech
• the right to protest but in a law obeying way

Question 2

describe, in detail, the rights and responsibilities of citizens in Scotland

Answer 2

• a right and responsibility of scottish citizens is the right to vote and the responsibility of using it
• people in scotland are able to vote for a person, party or issue in an election or referendum as a way of expressing their voice
• for example, the voting turnout in the 2021 scottish election was 63.2%
• another right and responsibility of scottish citizens is the right to free speech with the responsibility of avoiding hate speech.
• scottish people have the right to express their opinion and even criticise the scottish government without fear but must not use any form of hate speech when doing so
• for example certain songs cannot be sung at football games in scotland as they are classed as sectarian
• another right and responsibility of scottish citizens is the right to protest with the responsibility of obeying the law
• citizens are allowed to gather in large groups to protest about something important to them however they should first notify the police in advance and follow all laws
• for example in recent years many people have protested on relevant issues such as the black lives matter protests that happened in 2020

Question 3

how can people participate in scottish politics?

Answer 3

• join a political party
• stand as a candidate
• make petitions

Question 4

describe, in detail, ways that individuals can participate in politics

Answer 4

• the first way that individuals can participate in politics is by joining a political party
• all citizens have the right to join a political party and in joining a party, you can support, donate and help the party get elected
• for example, a person who supports independence might join the SNP where as a person whos main concern is the environment may join the green party
• another way that individuals can participate in politics is by standing as a candidate
• people can choose to either stand for an election as an independant candidate or for a political party, and can stand for various levels - in council or national elections
• for example, rona mackay stood as a candidate in the strathkelvin and bearsden constituency
• another way individuals can participate in politics is by signing petitions
• individuals can share their own petition about a particular cause or issue and this can be done electronically through the scottish parliament website
• for example, there was a petition in 2021 to use teacher assessed grades to award national qualification

Question 5

why do people choose to participate in politics?

Answer 5

• they want a say in how the country is run
• they are unhappy with how the country is being run
• to protect their rights

Question 6

explain, in detail, reasons why people choose to participate in elections in scotland

Answer 6

• a reason why people choose to participate in elections is because they want a say in how the country is run
• the scottish parliament is very powerful and has a lot of responsibility for making decisions that will impact the people of scotland, many people get involved in politics and elections to make sure the scottish government is making decisions that suit them
• for example, those who wish for scotland to achieve independence will give their vote to the SNP
• another reason why people choose to participate in elections is because they are unhappy with how the country is being run
• many people in scotland have joined parties and pressure groups, stood in elections and voted because they want to change government policy
• for example, there was a protest outside the scottish parliament over lockdown restrictions
• another reason why people choose to participate in elections is to protect their rights
• many countries around the world are dictatorships and some of these countries used to be democracies that changed because the people in power took away their rights, by continuing to vote people can ensure scotland stays a democracy and ensure their rights are protected
• for example, the hate crime and public order (scotland) act 2021 creates a new crime of “stirring up hatred” relating to age, disability, religion etc

Question 7

why do people choose not to participate in politics?

Answer 7

• they feel excluded from politics
• they dont think their participation will matter
• they dont know how

Question 8

describe, in detail, why some people choose not to participate in politics

Answer 8

• the first reason why people choose not to participate in politics is because they feel excluded from politics
• many young people, women, ethnic minorities, disabled people and those in the LGBT community feel that they are underepresented by the people in power and feel there is a lack of political role models from these groups
• for example, there has only ever been one womanfirst minister in scotlands democracy

-another reason why people choose not to participate in politics is because they dont think their participation will matter
- individuals on their own might not feel that their voice is loud enough and so feel that a single protest or a single vote wont make a difference
- for example, people have been protesting and voting against the nuclear weapons at faslane in scotland for decades but no change has occurred as nuclear weapons are still held there

• another reason why people choose not to participate in politics is because they dont know how to
• not every student in scotland studies modern studies and so many might not learn about all their rights as well as how scotlands democracy works
• an example of this is that only around half of those who can vote in scottish electins, do vote in scottish elections

Question 9

what are the ways that political parties campaign?

Answer 9

• producing a manifesto
• canvasing and leafleting
• taking part in leader debates

Question 10

describe, in detail, the ways political parties campaign

Answer 10

• the first way that political parties campaign is by producing a manifesto
• a manifesto is a collection of policies that the party has or in other words, a list of promises to voters
• for example, the SNP said in 2021 that all primary school students should get a free school meal
• another way that political parties campaign is by canvasing and leafleting
• this is when candidates and other party members go around the local constituency to knock on doors, hand out leafelets and try and encourage people to vote for their party
  for example, John Scott went around Ayr and Prestwick asking people to vote for him in 2016 and in 2021 he walked around putting out leaflets but he ultimately lost
• another way that political parties campaign is by taking part in leader debates
• a representative of the party will take part in a public debate against other people from the opposite party and they do this in hope that people will like what they say and vote for them
• most famous example is the Leader Debates that are on the BBC, STV, and Chanel 4 with the First Minister against the other party leaders

Question 11

why are some election campaigns more successful?

Answer 11

• the number of members
• having the right leader
• using social media

Question 12

explain, in detail, why some election campaigns are more successful

Answer 12

• the first reason why some election campaigns are more successful is due to the number of members the party has
• the more members a party has, the more people it will have going around canvassing and leafleting for them
• for example, the SNP have around over 125,000 members who often volunteer their time to promote the party
• another reason why some election campaigns are more successful is because the party has the right leader
• a leader is really important as they are the face of your party and will take part in leader debates on TV that let people judge you and your party
• for example 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
• another reason why some election campaigns are more successful is due to the use of social media
• social media allows the party to reach a large amount of voters and tell them about their policies and this can help convince voters to support the party
• for example the SNP have around 337,000 followers on X

Question 13

what are the roles of individuals in an election?

Answer 13

• paying attention to campaigns through leader debates, party-political broadcasts and reading manifestos so that they can understand the parties and make up their minds
• standing as candidates because if individuals don’t put themselves forward as candidates then there is no one to select so it is really important that individuals step up to be scrutinised and voted on for example Nicola Sturgeon and John Scott both put themselves forward to be candidates in the the 2021 SP elections
• voting as individuals need to make up their mind and select the people and parties that they want to vote for
• for example millions of people voted in the 2021 SP elections which the SNP won

Question 14

what are the roles of political parties in elections?

Answer 14

• to recruit and promote candidates
• to produce a manifesto
• to go out and campaign

Question 15

describe, in detail, the role of political parties in an election

Answer 15

• the first role of political parties during elections is to recruit and promote candidates
• in Scotland’s democracy each of the parties have to recruit people to stand and represent them, political parties will want to recruit candidates that are popular among voters but also are strong supporters of the parties policies
• for example all of the parties introduced policies to promote more female candidates in the winnable seats in the 2021 election, except for the conservative party
• another role of political parties during elections is to produce a manifesto
• a manifesto is a collection of policies that the party has or in other words is like a promise being made to voters
  for example, the SNP said in 2021 that all students should have a laptop or tablet and all primary students should get a free school meal
• another role of political parties during elections is to go out and campaign
• parties will organise their supporters and members to go out onto the streets, knock doors and convince people to support them
• for example Alex Cole-Hamilton went around Edinburgh Western asking people to vote for him in 2016 and in 2021 he walked around putting out leaflets

Question 16

what is the role of media in an election?

Answer 16

• to scrutinise the political parties
• to provide a platform for parties
• promote public concerns

Question 17

describe, in detail, the role of the media in an election

Answer 17

• the first role of the media during an election is to scrutinise the political parties
• the media 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 the public so that we can make our choice
• for example, during the 2021 election the BBC asked Nicola Sturgeon questions about a hard border in an independent Scotland
• another role of the media during an election is to provide a platform for parties
• the media will give time to each of the parties so that they can directly reach the voters and promote themselves
• for example, in 2021 most of the parties had party political broadcasts (PPBs) shown on the BBC
• another role of the media during an election 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 of what is going on
• for example, around 2021 election there was a BBC Leaders debate where Nicola Sturgeon and the other leaders took questions from the public through zoom about covid and a second referendum

Question 18

why do parties use the media in election campaigns?

Answer 18

• they use Broadcast media (TV & Radio) to reach the majority voters
• they use Print ( Newspaper and news sites) to reach older voters
• they use New media (social media & blogs) to reach younger voters

Question 19

explain, in detail, reasons why parties use the media in election campaigns

Answer 19

• One reason why parties use broadcast media in election campaigns is because they want to reach the majority of voters
• this type of media is the most popular form of media for all voters. Many polls have shown that most people go to TV for information in elections so parties will prepare party political broadcasts to try and reach most voters
• For example, the SNP had a party political broadcast saying that education will always be free in Scotland
• Another reason why parties use print media in election campaigns is because they want to reach older voters.
• print media is allowed to be biased and is primarily used by older voters. political parties will work with newspapers to try and reach supportive older voters who are more likely to vote.
• For example, the sun in Scotland has supported the SNP while the daily mail in Scotland has supported the conservatives and spoke out against the SNP and Labour
• A final reason why parties use new media in election campaigns is because they want to reach younger voters.
• new media, such as social media & blogs is heavily used by young people, so using it will allow political parties to reach out to the younger voters who traditionally don’t vote. It is also very cheap and sometimes free to use which saves parties money.
• For example, the SNP have over 350,000 followers on X where they can directly engage with younger voters

Question 20

what are the general roles of the media?

Answer 20

• to inform us
• to influence us
• to educate us

Question 21

describe, in detail, the role of the media

Answer 21

• One role of the media is to inform us
• The media keeps the public updated on current affairs and breaking news
• For example, 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 us safe.
• Another role of the media is to influence us
• The media can encourage the public to vote a certain way by promoting a certain political party or by highlighting policies. Print and new media does this often as they can be biased
• For example, in 2021, the National ran headlines making fun of the Conservative Party.
• A final role of the media is to educate us
• The media helps the public learn about party policies, new laws and current, complex issues
• For example, in 2016, all of the political parties used Twitter to educate voters on their policies.