Politics Gillingham

Question 1

What is a continent?

Answer 1

A continent is a geographical term that has become accepted by convention over time

Question 2

What is a nation?

Answer 2

A nation is a group of people who share a common culture e.g. Palestinians or Tamils

Question 3

What is a state?

Answer 3

A state is a self-governing political entity, it is also called a country

Question 4

What is a Nation-State?

Answer 4

A nation-state is a cultural entity that also has its own sovereignty. Nation-states have been the basis of the global system since the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648

Question 5

The UK

Answer 5

Is a sovereign state made up of four constituent parts:
England
Scotland (could have changed in 2014 bc of the Scotland referendum to leave the UK but 50% voted to stay)
Wales
Northern Ireland

Question 6

Parliament

Answer 6

Existed in some form since 1215 (the parliament of England)
As different nations became part of the UK, their parliaments merged with that of England (Scotland in 1707 and Ireland in 1800)
Parliament is made up of three parts:
House of Commons- 650 elected MP’s
House of Lords- 800 Lords (92 hereditary)
The Monarch- their role is largely symbolic, they can refuse to give Royal Assent to laws (without which the laws won’t pass), last time the Monarch did this was Queen Anne on 1707

Question 7

Why is there now more than one parliament in the UK?

Answer 7

Since 1998, Britain has overgone a process of devolution, where some power has been given back to the nations of the UK they have created their own Parliaments to make laws on the issues they are given control over:
Scottish Parliament- created in 1999
Welsh Parliament- created in 1999 (called the Welsh Assembly until May 2020)
Northern Irish Assembly- created in 1998

Question 8

How many people voted for Donald Trump to become US President in November 2016?

Answer 8

62,984,828 (25.7% of all Americans)

Question 9

How do elections in the US and UK work?

Answer 9

In the US, they have a Presidential system, meaning the President receives his or her mandate by being directly elected by the people
In the UK, they have a Parliamentary System, meaning the Prime Minster receives his or her mandate from having the support (“confidence”’) of the House of Commons. This means that in the UK, there can be Prime Minster’s who have never won an election whilst leader of their party e.g. Liz Truss (49 days in 2022), Gordon Brown (2007-2010) and Rishi Sunak (2022-2024)
Because in the UK, unlike the USA, the Prime Minster has to come from Parliament. The UK has a ‘fusion of powers’ compared to a ‘separation of powers’ in the USA

Question 10

What is the Government?

Answer 10

The Government is made up of a select group of MP’s (around 100) who are normally from one party
The Government run the country on a daily basis and respond to domestic and international issues
As a result of having the most seats, the Government can normally pass the laws it wants to see enacted, but not always.
Mandate from the House of Commons

Question 11

What is Parliament?

Answer 11

Parliament is made up of MPs and Members of the House of Lords and the House of Commons
They scrutinise the work of the Government and make suggestions as to how it could do better
Parliament also legislates (passes laws), however, because the Government have the most seats they can’t usually pass the laws the government doesn’t like
Parliament can vote to remove a Government, but this happens rarely and last occurred to James Callaghan in 1979. Mandate from the people

Question 12

What is a mandate?

Answer 12

A mandate is the authority given to an elected group of people, such as a Government, to perform an action or govern a country

Question 13

What is the Judiciary in the UK law?

Answer 13

The Judiciary is made up of judges, magistrates, tribunal members and coroners. Together they uphold the rule of law and adjudicate on constitutional issues. Mandate from the Rule of Law and Parliament

Question 14

The UK’s two legal systems:

Answer 14

Criminal- relates things that affect society as a whole, controlled/persecuted by the state, in a criminal case you must be found guilty ‘beyond a reasonable doubt’, you also have the right to remain silent
Civil- relates to disputes between individuals, can’t be imprisoned in civil cases but can be made to pay compensation, in a civil case you must be found guilty on the ‘balance of probabilities’, you must answer the question

Question 15

What does democracy mean?

Answer 15

Ruled by the people

Question 16

What does Autocracy mean?

Answer 16

Rule by one person with absolute power

Question 17

What does Aristocracy mean?

Answer 17

Rule by the societies elites

Question 17

What does Polycracy mean?

Answer 17

Rule by many

Question 18

What does Theocracy mean?

Answer 18

Rule by religion e.g. Vatican City, Saudi Arabia

Question 19

Key summary points of democracy

Answer 19

Started in Athens
After Magna Carta was signed in 1215 by the King of England, he did not have total power
People who have power must also pay respect to the rules
Everyone is equal under the law (race and religion)
A good democracy protects the rights of minorities

Question 20

Britain is a Liberal Democracy, what makes Britain a strong democracy?

Answer 20

Regular elections (every 5 years)
Everyone over the age of 18 has the right to vote (universal suffrage)- apart from The King, people in a mental asylum, and prisoners
We don’t have a dictator (we have parliament instead)

Question 21

Case study- North Korea is not a liberal democracy

Answer 21

Kim Jong-Un is the leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea (dictatorship)
They are a prime example of a country that tries to give the appearance of being a modern democracy- e.g the People’s Assembly is elected by universal suffrage, but in reality, the elections are not free as people have been known to be sent to prison camps for voting against the Worker’s Party (governing party)
Also:
The country has been led by the same family since 1948
All TV’s are tuned to state channels and people can be sent to prison camps for listening to foreign channels
An estimated 100,000 people are kept in Prison Camps for opposing the government
It is a criminal offence for citizens to leave the country without permission, but permission is virtually never granted
Private business is banned in North Korea
Government permission is needed to own a computer and internet access is limited to State websites only
Therefore, North Korea is far from a liberal democracy

Question 22

Pluralism and Democracy

Answer 22

Pluralism is central to modern Liberal Democracy
Pluralism is the existence of different types of people, who have different beliefs and opinions, within the same society
In a pluralist democracy, governments make decisions as a result of interactions with those that they govern

Question 23

Case study- Russia is not a Liberal Democracy

Answer 23

Putin has changed the constitution so that he could remain in charge for over 2 years (he destroyed democratic institutions)
There is a lack of quality consumer goods and a frustrating degree of censorship
Courts are politicised (loyalty to Putin)
Free media outlets were shuttered
Civil society organisations were strangled
Electoral institutions were carefully manipulated to ensure Putin would remain in power

Question 24

What is representation?

Answer 24

To provide representation for citizens e.g. every area has an MP that represents them

Question 24

What are the 6 key functions of a liberal democracy (that the UK has) ? RAPPLE

Answer 24

Representation
Accountability
Participation
Power dispersal
Legitimacy
Education

Question 25

What is accountability?

Answer 25

To ensure those in power are held accountable for their actions e.g. Boris Johnson was made to resign after being found out for going to parties during COVID times ( lied to parliament)

Question 26

What is participation?

Answer 26

To enable people to participate in the political process e.g. those over 18 can vote

Question 27

What is power dispersal?

Answer 27

To make sure one branch of the government cannot become too powerful e.g. the court system can check what the government/parliament is doing

Question 28

What is education?

Answer 28

To teach people how the political process works e.g. mock elections and school lessons (PHSE)

Question 28

What is legitimacy?

Answer 28

To make sure those in power deserve to be in power e.g. can only be in power if parliament supports you and UK citizens pick who is in parliament every 5 years

Question 29

The birth of Democracy

Answer 29

Democracy was born in Ancient Greece in the city state of Athens in around 500BC
The Athenian leader Cleisthenes introduced a system of political reforms that he called demokratia or “rule by the people” in 507BC
However only male citizens over the age of 18 could participate in the democratic process meaning only 40,000 people could
Athenian democracy was made up of 3 important parts : The ekklesia (assembly), The Boule (council of 500 men) and the Dikasteria (popular courts)
Ekklesia- decisions about war and foreign policy were made and the group made decision by simple majority vote so had a big say in the outcome of decline
Boule- positions on the boule were chosen by lot and not by election, this was because a random lottery was more democratic than span election and choosing the people could not be influenced by things like money or popularity
Dikasteria- every day more than 500 jurors were chosen by lot from a pool of male citizens older than 30, they were paid a wage for their work so that the job could be accessible to everyone and not just the wealthy
Athenian Democracy ended around 460BC
Athenian democracy was different from what we see in Britain today as they didn’t have universal suffrage as women and slaves couldn’t vote

Question 30

What countries does direct democracy still play a role in?

Answer 30

Switzerland
USA
Britain

Question 31

What are some examples of direct democracy in the UK?

Answer 31

The use of referendums
The use of recall petitions
The use of Petitions and E-petitions
The trialled use of citizens in assembly/jury

Question 32

What are the two different models of representative democracy?

Answer 32

Delegate model- a delegate is someone who is elected to represent the views of others. In this system, the delegate has little control over what they do. Their job is to act as the mouthpiece of their constituents and do as they will
Trustee model- a trustee is someone who is trusted to act on behalf of other and deploy their own judgement to make the best decisions on their constituents’ behalf. This model is deployed in Britain

Question 33

What is the Trustee model of Democracy?

Answer 33

The trustee model is also called the Burkean model, named after Edmund Burke
In his speech in Bristol in 1774, he said that if you are an MP you must balance the needs of yourself, your country, and the community you represent (not just take into account the view of your constituents (a person that lives in the MP’s area)
Examples of where the Trustee model was important to use:
In the constituency of North Fife, Stephen Gethins became the MP by just two votes. He received 32.9% of the vote meaning that 67.1% of people in his constituency did not want him to be the MP, therefore following the Delegate model would be difficult for him
In Brexit, 52% of the country voted to leave the EU however over 400 of 650 (61.5%) MP’s voted to remain in the EU

Question 34

What elements are essential to making the Trustee model work?

Answer 34

Each representative must have a clear constituency (a constituency is a specified area that a representative represents and is therefore accountable to)
Representatives must be held accountable e.g. elections, however this is difficult as a petition cannot be started if the MP has not done one of three things

Question 35

What is social/descriptive representation?

Answer 35

It is increasingly important that representatives should look like the UK
In recent years, Parliament has begun to look like the population in recent years
0% of women in Parliament in 1920
18% of women in Parliament in 2000
34% of women inParliament in 2020
However women make just over 50% of the UK population so this is not represented well

Question 36

What is national representation?

Answer 36

MP’s are elected by a local constituency. However, they also have to represent the national interest. There are often times when what is best for the local constituency is not what is best nationally e.g. big infrastructure projects like HS2, it is good as whole for London and makes travel quicker but local people who live in the middle of London will be disrupted through building and so some villages may have to be destroyed, MPs need to think of the benefits the country will have not the problems their constituency will have

Question 37

What is party representation?

Answer 37

Modern liberal democracies are characterised by the existence of political parties. It is almost impossible to be elected in the UK as an independent. MPs will therefore need to try and ensure they carry out the manifesto promises of their party

Question 37

What is constituency representation?

Answer 37

MP’s have to represent local constituents or they risk not being re- elected in the future. They need to:
Represent the interests of their constituency as a whole and sense the mood of the people within their constituency
They will need to redress the grievances of individual constituents who may feel they have been unfairly treated
They will need to listen to their constituents’ views on national issues, sometimes these may conflict with their own views

Question 38

What is casual representation?

Answer 38

MP’a will be elected for what they stand for. There are certain groups in society who rely on them to advocate on their behalf e.g. Green MP Caroline Lucas, is seen as a voice for Green minded voters, even if she is not their MP e.g. Jess Phillips is a Labour MP and challenges domestic violence (represents a specific issue)

Question 39

Why was Socrates sceptical of representative democracy?

Answer 39

He thought that voting was a skill and not everyone has that skill
People should need to qualify to vote
People vote for people who promise them untrue stuff (dominated by populism)
Without using the term, Socrates was warning about the dangers of populism

Question 40

What is the definition of Populism?

Answer 40

A political approach that strives to appeal to ordinary people who feel that their concerns are disregarded by established elite groups

Question 41

Why has populism become a bigger issue?

Answer 41

Crises can make the activation of populist attitudes more likely e.g. a financial crash
Widespread corruption plays straight into populist hands because if parties are found out to be highly corrupt then the whole party system is turned upside down and leads the way for the rise of populists
The changing media environment also plays a role, with no more filtering newspapers, information online is direct and scandals and conflict fuel the sense of crisis that populists can draw on
Populism varies with geography, in Northern Europe, successful populists are mainly radical rightwing populists

Question 42

Why were referendums not used until 1975?

Answer 42

Clement Atlee was British PM from 1945-1951
Prior to 1945, Referendums were associated with Nazi Germany where Hitler used plebiscites to confirm support for his policies e.g. 1934- Hitler held a referendum on his assumption of the Presidency and pronouncement of himself as ‘Fuhrer’, 89.9% of Germans voted in favour of this e.g. 1938- A referendum was held on the Anschluss between Germany and Austria, 99.7% voted in favour of thus policy
So traditionally, there was a concern that the Referendums would undermine Parliamentary Sovereignty- a very important doctrine within the UK constitution, however, since 1975, they have increased dramatically in their use within the UK

Question 43

What is a referendum?

Answer 43

A referendum is a general vote by the electorate on a single political question which has been referred to them for a decision or opinion

Question 44

What are the different types of referendums?

Answer 44

An advisory referendum- This is a referendum which allows citizens to express their opinion, but it is not binding on the government, an advisory referendum has never been held on a national level, however they are held on local levels quite often
A pre-legislative referendum- This is a referendum held before a law is passed and the law will depend on the result of the referendum e.g. EU referendum 2016
A post-legislative referendum- This is a referendum held after a law is passed to confirm whether people are satisfied with it e.g. EEC Referendum in 2016
Technically, all referendums in the UK are advisory because of Parliamentary sovereignty, however, in reality, referendums are politically binding when called

Question 45

What does electorate mean?

Answer 45

All the people in a country or area who are entitled to vote in an election

Question 46

What are unofficial referendums?

Answer 46

Not all referendums held are official
In 2017 in the region of Catalonia, a region of Spain in which there is a strong urge for independence, there was a referendum held but it was classed as unofficial so was not put into action
The legitimacy of Referendums comes from the fact that they are granted by Parliament/Government

Question 47

What is the usual legislative process?

Answer 47

Citizens vote for MPs in an election
A government is formed based on the make-up of Parliament, the government proposes laws
The parliament (the House of Commons and the House of Lords vote on these proposals)
Voters have a new say on these laws at the next general election
The most important Statute laws (in the UK) have been passed in this way:
Human rights act 1998
House of Lords act 1999- reformed the House of Lords by removing all but 92 hereditary peers
Constitutional reform act 2005- reformed the Judiciary and created the UK Supreme Court

Question 48

The wording of the question- Scottish independence referendum 2014

Answer 48

The electoral commission (in charge of regulating how things work) changed the wording from “do you agree that Scotland should be an independent country” to “should Scotland be an independent country” this was because the commission said the question must be presented clearly, simply, and neutrally
Martin Boom argued that the original question was a problem because he said that asking “do you agree?” puts the question in an overwhelmingly positive light, and Professor O’Donnell argued that there was a lack of context within the question so that was a problem, this is relevant to the Brexit referendum as Brexit was also a very over complicated question

Question 49

The Tories and Europe

Answer 49

The Conservative Party had been tearing itself apart over the issue of the EU for 20 years
In 1988 Thatcher gave her Bruges speech in which she indicated her increasing Euroscepticism:
“To try to suppress nationhood and concentrate power at the centre of a European conglomerate would be highly damaging and would jeopardise the objectives we seek to achieve”
Divisions about the issue of Europe saw a split in her cabinet and were a main reason that her government eventually fell
David Cameron’s famous party confidence speech from 2006:
“While parents worried about childcare, getting the kids to school, balancing work and family life -we were banging on about Europe”
The Brexit referendum was part of the Conservative Manifesto in 2015, they promised that if they won a majority they would hold a referendum on the EU, he said in his autobiography “it was right to try to get a better deal for us in Europe”

Question 50

What was David Cameron’s Promise?

Answer 50

In 2013, David Cameron promised that if the Conservatives won a majority at the next General Election, he would hold an in/out referendum on whether to remain in the EU
He said this was in the British interest as it would settle the European issue once and for all
However in reality he may have done so to combat the electoral threat of UKIP

Question 51

What was the problem with the ballot paper set for June 23rd 2016?

Answer 51

Two options- remain a member of the EU, leave the EU
Leave isn’t descriptive, what does it actually mean, will there be free trade?

Question 52

What does franchise mean?

Answer 52

The term franchise refers to the right to vote in public elections

Question 53

Who cannot vote today?

Answer 53

The franchise is still not completely universal, these people cannot vote:
Children (however 16 year olds can vote in Scottish + Welsh elections)
The King (or other senior members in the Royal family)
Anyone sitting in the House of Commons
Anyone convicted of an electoral fraud
People serving a custodial prison sentence
How would this group have been bigger in the 1900?
Women couldn’t vote (only could in 1918)
People who didn’t own property couldn’t vote
The working class couldn’t vote

Question 54

What was voting like back in 1832?

Answer 54

Before 1832, the electrical systems in the UK were in disarray
Many of the laws governing the franchise were centuries old
Many new industrial cities like Manchester and Leeds (despite having large populations) were not even represented by an MP
Less than 3% of the population were eligible to vote in General Election

Question 55

What is a Rotten Borough?

Answer 55

A rotten borough is a seat in which the representation no longer matches the electorate
This was because the boundaries had not been adjusted to take into account changes in demographics e.g:
Old Sarum-7 voters
Gatton- 7 voters
Newton-23 voters
Whilst Manchester, with 700,000 people, had no seat in Parliament in 1831

Question 56

The position of women today in politics

Answer 56

Women now have the vote, but they are still underrepresented in UK politics
3 PMs have been female- Margaret Thatcher, Theresa May and Liz Truss
4 leaders of the 3 main political parties have been female- Margaret Thatcher, Theresa May, Jo Swinson and Liz Truss
One suggested solution that has been tried is the introduction of ‘all-women shortlists’
How successful have they been?
The Equality Act in 2010 extended the period in which all women shortlists may be used until 2030
Has been successful as generally across all major parties from 2010 to 2017 the percentage of women MPs in these parties have increased greatly
Although this is not that strong as Labour abandoned the shortlist for general election purposes in March 2022
Allows only women to stand in particular constituencies for particular political parties in order to increase the proportion of female MPs

Question 57

Should 16 year olds be allowed the vote?

Answer 57

In 1969 the Voting Age in the UK was lowered to 18 by the Representation of the Peoples Act 1969
However it has not come down to 16
In 2017 a bill was brought forward by the Labour MP Jim McMahon. However the bill was filibustered (when someone none stop talks so a bill cannot be passed) by the Conservative Party and he ran out of time
Labour, Green Party, SMP and Lib Dem’s support lowering the voting age while the Conservative Party opposes it
One of the biggest arguments for votes at 16 has been the Scottish Independence Referendum, overall turnout in this election was 84.6%, turnout among 16-17 year olds was estimated to be 75%( higher than 18 to 24 year olds at 54%)
Following its success, the Scottish Parliament passed then Scottish Elections (Reduction of Voting Age Bill) and 16 year olds can now vote in Holyrood (name for Scottish Parliament) and Local Elections in Scotland

Question 58

What is Political Participation?

Answer 58

The process of engaging with the political system by a variety of means (not just by voting)

Question 59

What are some types of political participation?

Answer 59

Writing to your MP or attending a constituency surgery
Being a member of a pressure group like extinction rebellion
Filling out an E-petition on the Government Website
Going on a protest march outside Parliament
Joining a social media group that campaigns for a certain issue
Watching a TV debate during a General Election
Donating money to a political party
Arguing with a stranger on Facebook about Brexit

Question 60

What is a Pressure Group?

Answer 60

A pressure group is an organisation that attempts to influence policy without seeking power itself e.g. Charities, Churches, Business and Trade associations, Trade Unions, Professional Associations, Think Tanks

Question 61

What are the functions of pressure groups?

Answer 61

Representation
Participation
Education
Policy formulation
Policy implementation
This is what political parties do, however pressure groups do not want to be in power/elected

Question 62

The role of Pressure groups in Participation

Answer 62

Pressure groups are an extremely important form of participation. It is estimated that 40-50% of UK citizens belong to at least one pressure group, with 20% belonging to two or more.
They also encourage participation in ways that political parties don’t, for example, they may push the boundaries of laws in ways that it would be untenable for political parties to do. This can often make some pressure groups particularly attractive to young people

Question 63

The Role of pressure groups in Representation

Answer 63

They play an important role in representing citizens in society that would otherwise be unrepresented within the political system e.g Stonewall representing LGBTQ+ interests
Pressure groups may also represent people based on their function within society and the economy e.g trade unions representing the working class

Question 64

Pressure groups and Education

Answer 64

They often help to educate the public about political issues
They often use celebrities to try to push their agenda to help the public engage with them e.g:
Jamie Oliver on school food
Marcus Rashford on Free School Meals
Bono on world poverty
They often carry out detailed research to support their input to government. E.g Greenpeace produced an annual impact Report which focuses on the impact of Climate change. This is seen to be an authoritative document on the topic

Question 65

Pressure groups on Policy formulation and implementation

Answer 65

Pressure groups can participate in the making of policy, particularly if they are seen by the Government to be an insider group.
They also help the government to deal with emergencies, e.g the Foot and Mouth outbreaks in 2001 and 2007
Pressure groups may interact with the Opposition parties and also Think Tanks in the formulation of policy. Some also play a role in actually carrying out policy e.g the NFU works with the DEFRA and its agencies to implement policies related to farm subsidies, disease control and animal welfare. This gives such groups a clear leverage when influencing decisions government policy

Question 66

Difference between pressure groups and political parties

Answer 66

Similarities:
They both represent groups in society
They both encourage participation
They both educate the public
Some parties resemble pressure groups bc they have a narrow focus and are unlikely to win power e.g UKIP-led by Nigel Farage up to 2019
Differences:
Usually Pressure groups do not run for office, they aim to influence those that do
Pressure groups tend to have a more narrow focus than political parties that need to be “catch-all”
Pressure groups aren’t always democratic organisations

Question 67

Sectional pressure group

Answer 67

A group which promotes the interests of a particular section of society. They tend to have a restricted membership as a result e.g NEU that represents teachers

Question 68

Promotional pressure group

Answer 68

A group which endeavours to promote a particular cause, and for this reason are sometimes called “cause” groups e.g National trsut which promotes looking after British heritage sites

Question 69

Insider pressure group

Answer 69

They are regularly consulted by government departments. The price of this privileged access is restraint: keeping confidences, making sure arguments are well-substantiated, avoiding disruptive tactics and “screening out” unacceptable demands

Question 70

Outsider pressure group

Answer 70

Groups are not regularly consulted by government, and are thus reliant on winning over public opinion

Question 71

What methods do Pressure groups use?

Answer 71

Insider groups- Funding politicians, Lobbying
Outsider groups- Civil Disobedience, Legal Action
Both- Publicity campaigns, Publishing research, Organising strikes, Using the media and social media

Question 72

Lobbying

Answer 72

A term meaning to try to persuade someone in Parliament or Government to their point of view
Lobbying is a big business and there are even lobbying firms who are employed by pressure groups to try to influence the Government or Parliament
It is estimated by the Hansard Society that MPs meet with Lobbyists at least 100 times per week
It is estimated that Pressure groups spend around £2 billion per year on lobbying of parliament

Question 73

Organising publicity campaigns

Answer 73

By doing this, they are not only trying to influence the government but also win wider support for their agenda
e.g in 1978 Greenpeace invested in a shop they named ‘Rainbow Warrior’ and for their first mission they sailed into the waters around Iceland to protest against the whaling trade and to disrupt further whaling and seal hunting and they gained huge publicity in the press
Also in 1985 they used the ship as part of a protest against nuclear testing. This involved helping the residents of the Marshall islands to evacuate as the US had tested a hydrogen bomb close to the islands in 1954 and the residents of the islands suffered from cancer disproportionately
also in 1988, they gained massive publicity when the ship sailed into water around New Zealand to again protest against nuclear testing , the french intelligence service bombed the ship, destroying it and killing a photographer. The outrage this caused made Greenpeace into one of the most well recognised pressure groups ever

Question 74

Use of the power of Celebrity

Answer 74

pressure groups like to harness the power of celebrities to get across their message
e.g Marcus Rashford grew up in a family that relied on free school meals, and so he has formed a group called the child food poverty task force that has tackled the issue, in particular, Rashford criticised the government for not extending free school meals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rashford’s campaign was taken up by the Labour party. In the end, the Government relented and extended its provision of Free School Meals

Question 75

Civil disobedience

Answer 75

Means breaking the law in order to get a point across
Famous example = The suffragettes
Other examples = In September 2021 Insulate Britain held protests on the M25 and other motorways to urge the Government to insulate houses across Britain
In February 2021 protesters against HS2 set up a camp on w building site and when ordered to remove, they tunnelled underground, where they spent 31 days

Question 76

Research and publish reports

Answer 76

Pressure groups also sponsor research and publish reports that challenge the government to take action on certain issues e.g in September 2021 the homeless charity shelter commissioned report into the impact of universal credit (the new government welfare system) on homelessness and they found that the changes to welfare were likely to result in more people becoming homeless
In 2016 Amnesty International published a report on the cuts to legal aid made by the Conservative government. Their report highlighted that legal aid cuts disproportionately groups in society who were already marginalised- such as ethnic minorities

Question 77

Go on strike

Answer 77

This is something that is organised by Trade Unions. Withdrawing Labour is a way to force the Governments hand on an issue
Famous strikes:
2021- civil servants went on strike over the government pay freeze and pension changes. 1.39 million working days were lost
1984-1985- the miner’s strikes took place in the UK over closures of Britain’s mines. 27.1 million working days were lost
1926- there was a general strike in the UK. The original argument was over coal-miners, but other unions ‘sympathy strikes’. 162.2 million working days were lost in the 9 days of the strike. In 1927, ‘sympathy striking was banned’
in 2016 a new law called the trade unions act was passed. This makes it much harder for union to take strike action.
To take strike action a Union must now:
1) Hold a postal ballot
2) Require 50% turnout of all union members
3) Require 40% in favour of all union members

Question 78

Donations to political parties

Answer 78

These happen particularly in the run-up to elections
e.g Lakshmi and Usha Mittal donated 75,000 each to the Conservatives, Lakshmi is the CEO of ArcLelorMittal, the worlds largest steel making company and he owns 38% of its shares
Ecotricity donated 35,000 to Labour
Unite (the union) donated £3 million to Labour, the owner (Len McCluskey) played a key role in preventing Labour from swinging behind a second referendum or a Remain position
Noel Hayden gave £100,000 to the Lib Dem’s

Question 79

Using Media and Social Media

Answer 79

Increases people’s awareness of issues
Top 2 most famous #:
1) #Blacklivesmatter- occurred after George Floyd
2) #MeToo- women used this hashtag in response to people sharing their stories
Social media and the use of hashtags allows pressure groups to target certain demographics they wish to advertise too

Question 80

Organise Public Demonstrations

Answer 80

Public Demonstrations are organised by pressure groups to show the stench of feeling and put pressure on the Government
e.g On 15th February 2003, over 1 million Anti-Iraq War protesters marched in London. It was mainly organised by the Stop the War coalition
e.g In 2019, thousands protested in London against Donald Trumps visit to the UK. This was organised by pressure troops like Hope not Hate

Question 81

Take legal action against the Government

Answer 81

e.g The good law project has taken the government to court a number of times, including cases that found that:
Michael Gove broke the law by giving a contract to a communications agency run by long time associates of him and Dominic Cummings
The good law project took the department of health and sofia care to court for the mishandling of contracts for personal protective equipment and the judge concluded that the public were entitled to see who this money was going to and what it was being spent on
e.g Numerous pressure groups including Greenpeace, took the Government to court in 2020 over plans for Heathrow Expansion. The court of appeal found that the Government had failed to fully take into account the impact of Climate change on the decision and ordered a review of the impact (slowing down the process)

Question 82

Why is it hard to categorise whether a group is Insider or Outsider?

Answer 82

Some groups are more insider or outsider depending on who is in government (Labour/Conservative)
It can change depending on how society is e.g Stonewall is now an insider group due to LGBTQ + rights being more accepted in this day and age

Question 83

Potential Insider group

Answer 83

A group that is on the outside as a result of the nature of the current government or the current political circumstances e.g Trade Unions when they are under a Conservative Government

Question 84

Deliberate outsider group

Answer 84

A group that chooses to remain on the outside and doesn’t try to develop close relationships with the government e.g Amnesty International
They might do this because if they are an insider group it limits their methods (can’t use direct action) and if they are close with government they lose their ability to hold them fully to account/oppose them

Question 85

What is meant by the term ‘participation crisis’?

Answer 85

Refers to the idea that large parts of the population do not participate in the political process and this lack of participation undermines
the legitimacy of elections

Question 86

To look at whether or not the UK is suffering a political crisis, a number of factors can be considered:

Answer 86

Voting turnout
Membership of Political parties
Levels of Pressure Group Activity
Levels of Digital Activism

Question 87

General Election- Voting Turnout

Answer 87

Turnout refers to the number of eligible voters who cast their vote in an election
Turnout has changed significantly in the 20th and 21st century
The general trend in the last century has been towards a decline in turnout e.g 67.3% in 2019 and 59.4% in 2024
Turnout at local election include those to: County Council, District Council, Parish Council and Directly Elected Mayors. The turnout for these local elections are higher in 2001,2005,2010,2015 as general elections took place in a these years so people thought they may as well vote in these as it is easy. Yet the local councils account for 27% of all public spending and so are important
Lowest of the low: In 2021 David Cameron created Police and Crime Commissioners to add more accountability to the Police Forces in the UK. These PCCs would be elected. In 2021, turnout was averaged 33.2% across the 34 police forces with PCC elections. But the low turnout in Essex in 2012 showed that the winner only had the support of just 4.74% of the electorate
Problems with this:
Low turnout reduces the legitimacy of elected officials e.g In 2001 the Labour party won a landslide of 418/659 seats,
however only 26% of all registered voters voted for the Labour Party, meaning 74% of registers voters did not want the government they ended up having, reducing the legitimacy of the Labour Government
Low turnout allows extremism parties to get a larger share of the vote e.g In 2015 UKIP won 12.6% of the vote, this was more than the Lib Dem’s, despite not being as popular in opinion polls