Layla and Claudia

Question 1

Citizen influence on government decision making:
Pressure Groups

Answer 1

-For
They are effective at garnering media attention and public support.
-Expand
If there is enough support of an issue it’s more likely the government will respond.
-Example
Surfers against sewage (SAS) managed to persuade the Scottish government to introduce a bottle deposit scheme in 2023.

-Against
Governments can choose to ignore them
-Expand
This means if a group has been egnored there is very little they can do to make a difference on their issue.
-Example
The campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) has been protesting for almost 40 years but the government have remained confident in their decision to keep nuclear weapons.

-conclusion
This overall shows that pressure groups are not the most effective way for citizens to have an impact on government decision making as it shows they can easily be ignored.

Question 2

Citizen influence on government decision making:
Voting

Answer 2

-For
The public can choose the representative’s that they would like and vote out those that they don’t
-Expand
This means that if a party already in power would like to remain in power they must follow what majority of the public want.
-Example
In 2019 Boris Johnson won a majority due to his opinions on Brexit.

-Against
The nature of the voting system restricts the voter
-Expand
It means smaller parties are less likely to receive a sufficient amount of votes to gain any power.
-Example
In 2019 the conservatives increased their share of seats to dominate parliament despite 57% of their electorate voted for other parties.

• conclusion
  This shows that voting is not the most effective way for citizens to influence government decision making as it is an unfair system.

Question 3

Citizen influence on government decision making:
Protests

Answer 3

-For
Citizens can force the government to reconsider policy decisions.
-Expand
People can protest about an issue they feel strongly about to raise awareness of the issue.
-Example
In 2023 protests took place around the Uk about the uk government’s place to send refugees to Rwanda. Protestors raised concerns about the human rights of refugees, resulting in the government changing their plans.

-Against
Governments can simply choose to ignore protestors
-Expand
If the government feel the protestors wishes can’t be justified they will just ignore them.
-Example
Large protests have taken place every year since the uks decision to leave the EU. The wishes of those who have wanted fo rejoin the EU have been ignored.

-Conclusion
Overall protesting is one of the most impactful ways for citizens to influence government decision making because it often gathers a lot of media attention putting the government under pressure to respond.

Question 4

Citizen influence on government decision making:
Conclusion

Answer 4

There are many ways in which citizens can influence government decision making, including; pressure groups, voting, and protests.
In my opinion protests are the most impactful way that citizens can influence government decision making. This is because they gather a lot of media attention and are good for recruiting other people to join.

Question 5

Health inequalities Poverty

Answer 5

For - people struggle to meet basic needs, likely to live in poor housing ( no heating less, sanction facilities and over crowding). This can lead to health issues as living in these conditions can cause infectious diseases it can also lead to chronic stress, anxiety and depression.

Example - research by the Resolution Foundation uncovers a strong association with poor quality housing and poor health – with the former twice as likely to experience poor health as those not living in poor quality housing (22 per cent vs 11 per cent).

Further - Poverty can lead to poor nutrition which causes further health issues. Not enough money to buy healthy food as it is more expensive this can lead to economic insecurities. This daily strugle can lead to chronic stress.

Question 6

Factors which influence voting behaviour:
Social class

Answer 6

-For
One way in which there is a link between social class is because those from less well off backgrounds are more likely to identify with the Labour Party and those who are well off are likely to vote conservative.
-Expand
This is because those who are less well off are more likely to fit in with the labours policies on welfare and education.
Those who are more well off are more likely to want to focus on lower taxation and freedom for big businesses.
-Example
In 2017 the general election,

Question 7

Factors which influence voting behaviour:
Age

Question 8

Factors which influence voting behaviour:
Media

Question 9

Factors which influence voting behaviour:
Conclusion