Power & Politics Flashcards
How do we choose our leaders
An election every 4 or 5 years
How does an election work
The country is split into 650 constituencies
Each constituency is allowed to elect an MP to represent them
People in political parties share the same ideas on how the country should be run
The political party who has the most MPs becomes the government
Main political parties on Britain
Labour The Conservatives The Liberal Democrats Plaid Cymru Scottish socialist Respect Sinn Fein
How are councillors and MPs elected
By voting
The name of Britain’s voting system
First past the post
What does “First past the post” mean
Each voter aged 18+ gets one vote. The candidate with the most votes wins the election and has all the power. The person who comes second has no power.
What is good about first past the post
It gives one winner the chance to make quick choices, therefore making the leaders more powerful
What is bad about first past the post
The winner of the election could have less than half the votes e.g. Labour only got 35% of the votes in 2005 but won as they had the highest!
Definition of proportional representation
A form of voting where power is split depending on the % of votes received
Is every vote important
Yes. In the first past the post system, you only need to win by one vote to get all the power in the constituency
How can people vote
People can go to a polling station
People can vote through the post in a postal vote
People can vote through proxy, where they get someone to vote for them
Reasons people should vote
It is a chance to have your opinion heard and have a say
You have the chance to change your MP/Councillor or Government if they haven’t been good leaders
If you don’t vote than people you dislike could be elected
Politics deals with very important issues and as we live in this country we should decide how these issues are dealt with
Arguments for people to not vote
Politicians never listen
All politicians and political parties are the same
Its a waste of time. One vote doesn’t make a difference
Politics hasn’t got anything to do with me
What’s the trend in voting recent years
Less people are voting
The trend is decreasing
In the 1997 election 71.5% voted
In the 2001 election 59.4% voted
we want as many people to vote as possible so that the country is fully represented in the Parliament
If everyone votes the election result is fairer
How do you know which political party to vote for
Before an election, each party releases a set of promises that they will do if they win the election. This is called a manifesto and people read them and decide which party they agree with
Why do voters vote for political parties
Their social class Their age, gender or background Important issues e.g. People won't vote for the conservatives as they favour the rich How the media portrays the party The newspaper they read (political bias) Where you live Who their family votes for
How do parties try to gain your vote
Sending out leaflets with manifestos
Door to door canvassing
Holding public meetings
Attract media coverage
Why do people want to become MPs
To make a change in their community
To have a say in society
To express their views
What happens after an election
The votes are counted and the 650 winners of each area go to parliament to become MPs. They join up with other people in their political parties. The party with the most MPs becomes the Government. The party with the second highest number of MPs becomes the opposition
What is the Prime Minister
The leader of the Government
What happens in Parliament
Each MP must represent the views of the people in their constituency and their political party
What does the government do
Run the country and suggest new laws (which must be voted on)
What parts of the country do the government run
The prime minister chooses people to be in the cabinet. Each cabinet minister is head of one of the these parts of the country: Money Law and order The UKs interests abroad Health Education Trade and industry Transport The environment Defence
How does the government get money
Through tax
What is income tax
This is taken out of people’s salaries. The more you earn, the more you pay
What is VAT
This is paid when we buy things - 20%
What is excise duty
This is paid on a special range of items, many of which aren’t good for us e.g. Cigarettes and alcohol
What is corporation tax
This is paid on the profit made by businesses
What are other taxes
Tax paid on cars and petrol. Taxes paid in the local area, such as council tax and business rates
Why do we pay tax
So the government can give us services. Our taxes pay for: The police Army Teachers Doctors Social services Roads Street lights
Who is in charge of the Government’s money
The chancellor of the exchequer (an MP).
George Osborne
How can your local MP help you
They can talk to to a government minister, ask questions, talk to an ombudsman, or create a bill which could become a law ( called a Private Member’s Bill)
How does the government make a new law
The government suggests a new idea they want to want to become law. This is called a bill
How does a bill become a law
First reading Second reading Standing committee Report stage House of Lords Third reading Royal assent
What is the first reading
When the bill is introduced to parliament
What is the second reading
A few weeks later, the bill is debated by MPs. A vote is taken and if the majority want it, the bill is passed
What is the standing committee
A group of 16-20 MPs look at the bill and make possible changes that come up in the second reading
What is the report stage
The committee sends the report, with all its changes, back to the MPs. The changes are either approved or ignored
What is the House of Lords
The Lords look at the bill. If they disagree with it they send it back to the MPs in the House of Commons
What is the third reading
The changed bill is debated by the House of Commons. The bill is debated. Each MP votes on whether to approve the bill or not. The bill is usually approved, as the government has got the most MPs…but sometimes MPs vote against their party
What is royal assent
Once the bill has passed the House of Commons and lords, it is sent to the queen to sign it. These days the queen cannot refuse to sign the bill. Once the bill has signed it becomes an act of law
Who are the House of Lords
They are lords who check bills. Lords haven’t been voted in. Down lords get the job through their family history, others are chosen by the government. They can postpone a law if they disagree with it, but they cant cancel a law. They have less power than MPs as they weren’t elected
What is a rereferendum
A referendum is a vote with all the public aged 18 or over vote on an issue to decide whether or not it should become law. The most recent referendum in the UK was to decide whether Scotland should stay part of the UK
What is a constituency
An area of Britain which elects one MP
How many constituencies are there
650
What is a by - election
It is an election when an MP retires, is sacked or dies.
What does left-wing mean
It is a way of thinking. The left-wing police in the government being strong and caring for all in society, including the poor. The left-wing believes in the public sector and this is paid for in high tax
What does right-wing mean
The right wing believes in the private sector. The right wing believe the governments should be strong on things like Law and order but should step back and let people take care of their own lives. The Conservative party is right wing.
What did Labour promise in their manifesto at the last election
To bring down hospital waiting lists
What did the Conservatives promise in their manifesto at the last election
To lower taxes
What did the Liberal Democrats promise in their manifesto at the last election
To stop university students paying tuition fees
To increase income tax for the richest
What is the difference between an MP and a government minister
A government minister is an MP who is in charge of a department, for example health , schools and foreign affairs
What does the opposition do
The opposition has got different ideas to the governments and tries to stop the government’s ideas becoming law. The opposition challenges the government and tries to make it look wrong
What happens if the government makes unpopular laws
The public has got a chance to change the government every four or five years in a general election
What is the local council
A group of people who are elected to look after the affairs of the town, district or County
What is a councillor
A member of the local council who has been selected by people in the area
How are councillors elected
In the same way as MPs. The councillors also belong to political parties
How is the council organised
After the election, the political party with the most councillors chooses a leader
The leader then picks a cabinet
Each member of the cabinets will have responsibility for one area of the council’s work
The leader and cabinets are chosen from members of the party with the most councillors
All the other councillors work under the cabinet in different areas of the council’s work
Do councillors get paid
No. They do a voluntary job. They can claim expenses
Why do people want to be councillors
They want to make a change in their local area. They want to make sure their area is run in a way they agree with. They want to have their voices heard.
What does the council do
The council is responsible for the running of the local town. Every year the council has a budget and must decide what to spend its money on
What services is the local council responsible for
Education Social services Leisure Fire brigade Police Housing Transport Planning Environment
How does the local council gets money
Money from central government, council tax and business rates
How is council tax worked out
Charges are based on the value of the property that one lives in
What does the local council spend most of its money on
Education and social services
How can you have your voice heard
You can vote at election
You can talk to your councillor
You can look at the council’s plans for the future
You can go to a council meeting
You can go to a cabinet meeting
You can visit the councils website and air your views
How can you complain to the local council or government
You can talk to an ombudsman, whose job it is to investigate complaints You can write to the council You can contact the local newspaper You can start a campaign and protest You can join a pressure group
What is a pressure group
A group of people who try to change policies to agree with their beliefs
How is a pressure group different to a political party
A pressure group is only interested in one issue
A pressure group often has a short m lifespan. They don’t want to win elections, they want people to hear their views and to make a change on an issue
Political parties are interested in running the country and a range of issues. They are more organised and are around for good
How can pressure groups protest
Write letters Petitions Contact councillors Contact newspapers Contact MPs Marches Demonstrations Boycott Strikes Planned violence Letter bombs
Are there any international pressure groups
Yes. One example is amnesty international
Who are amnesty international
It is a global pressure group that campaigns to save people who are imprisoned, hurt or threatened by their government. It promotes the values of the universal declarations of human rights
How does amnesty international work
It has 1 million members and supporters in 162 countries
It doesn’t belong to any government or religion
It is run by its members
If Amnesty International see people who aren’t getting their human rights they arrange public demonstrations, writes letters, put up posters, educates people, have fundraising concerts and make appeals
It’s aim is to put pressure on governments and other organisations to change the way they behave
Are there any other international pressure groups
Yes. Greenpeace are a pressure group who cares about the environment
How do you Greenpeace protest
They encourage people to send messages to protest and to gain new members
It has the ships which are sent to places where the environment is under threat
They have boarded an oil platform which was sunk with threat of pollution
Greenpeace sometimes breaks the law. Greenpeace feel strongly that its actions are the most effective way to get noticed. It’s important to remember that by breaking the law it may lose public sympathy
