Democratic and Electoral Processes Flashcards
What are three three main parties in the UK?
Conservatives
Labour
Liberal Democrats
What do the Conservatives stand for?
the state should encourage people to look after themselves
the state should only provide what people cannot pay for themselves
What does Labour stand for?
the state should help the poor
the state should provide hospitals and schools for everyone equally
What do the Liberal Democrats stand for?
green issues are important
the government and individuals should work together to help everyone
What kinds of decisions does the Government in the UK make?
how schools and colleges should be run
how much money to pay in taxes and how much received in benefits
health treatments people can get on the NHS health service
defence
what human rights citizens are entitled to
how often rubbish is collected
whether armed forces go to war or not
What is a Pressure Group and what have they done to promote change in the UK?
A pressure group ‘puts the squeeze’ on governments and other people who influence policy decisions
The ‘squeeze’ is gentle, designed to draw attention to the cause in which the group believes in
It could be local - e.g. closure of post office or school
It could be national - e.g. problems created by landfill sites or poor treatment of asylum seekers
Some pressure groups work internationally - e.g. Amnesty International or Make Poverty History
What others ways can you take part?
Local Member of Parliament (MP)
Lobbying
Become a member of political party
Local Member of Parliament (MP)
they represent people who live in his/her local area
you can write to your local MP
you can arrange an appointment with them to speak about issues you would like them to address
Lobbying
= trying to influence decisions made by government
could be done privately, such as writing to MPs
could be done publicly, such as demonstrating or signing a petition
Become a member of political party
work and campaign for them without wanting to become an MP themselves
Stand for election
everyone who is allowed to vote can stand for election
you do not have to be a member of a political party
