Questions + Answers Flashcards
What are two roles of the House of Lords in the UK
+ to scrutinise proposed bills from the House of Commons, using their expertise in particular fields.
- Lord Waheed Alli whom is an expert on media
+ to challenge and therefore delay the vote on a proposed bill, as they believe that it requires amendment.
- Lords challenged George Osborne proposed cut to tax rates in 2015
+ creates an alternative law-making body, preventing the House of Commons from becoming too powerful
Why do some people participate in a trade union?
+ they would like to have a say in how their company is run and to popularise their own opinions on company matters
- Rugby players association was founded in 1998, as the sport became professional, and many players joined in an attempt to receive official contracts
+they would like some security within the company and would like a support network of senior individuals aid them.
-many workers challenged their shell employers in 2018 and were supported by the rest of the union
Why do some people participate in a pressure group
+ they would like to raise awareness of their issue and attempt to influence the government on related legislation
- groups such as Greenpeace would like to influence government policy about being environmentally friendly and raise awareness about climate change
+ they realise that they are more likely to be heard in greater numbers and therefore join a group of like-minded people.
- fathers4justic are a pressure group whom joined together as they lost custody of their children during a divorce and would like to change government policy to allow them to see them more often.
What are two of the reserved powers in Scotland
+ the power of defence
- in 2015 David Cameron took the individual, executive decision to stage military intervention in Syria, without consulting his government, advisors or devolved ministries.
+ the power of foreign affairs/ representation of the country abroad
- in 2018 Theresa May visited African countries such as Kenya to establish a trade link with Britain.
+the power of immigration
- in 2017 the Westminster government allowed around 120,000 refugees into the UK, including Ireland wales and Scotland.
What are the devolved powers in the UK
+ the power of education
- Scotland has its own education board known as the SQA
+environment
- the Scottish national trust is an I dependant body whom are responsible for maintaining the quality of historic sites such as Crathes castle
How do trade unions attempt to influence the UK government
+ industrial action (strikes)
- 2017 McDonald’s workers strike over their zero hours contracts - 2017 British airways strikes over the large pay gaps between certain members of cabin crew
+ go-slows
- 2010 Birmingham binmen staged a go slow leaving unprecedented amounts rubbish uncollected on the streets.
+ work to rule
- in 2012 British teachers only worked to their contracts, leaving supply classes unattended and work unmarked.
How do pressure groups attempt to influence the UK government
+Petitions
- 2019 Greenpeace petition to make supermarkets abandon the use of plastic bags
+ staging ‘direct action’ in public
- fathers4justice member scaled the London eye dressed as Spider-Man in 2004
What are the advantages of the first past the post electrical system
+ in theory, it produces majority governments
- labour government of 2006, whom held a majority of 355 seats in the House of Commons
+ it is simple to employ and cheap
- the 2017 general election only cost 123 million pounds, much less than the cost of other voting systems
What are the advantages of the additional member electoral system
+ reduces the number of wasted votes and the presence of tactical voting
- in the FPTP 2017 general election, 1.8 million Scots recorded their votes as wasted, however in the 2016 Scottish election, this number was almost halved.
+ It is fairer and more representative of the country’s consensus as % of votes=% of seats
- in the 2011 Scottish election, the SNP won a majority of votes and received a majority of seats. Compared to the minorât governments that FPTP produces.
+it prevents a two party system, reducing the number of safe seats
-in the 2016 Scottish election the smaller Green Party won more seats (6) than the much larger Liberal Democrats.s
What are ways in which a party can campaign during a general election
+ appearing in televised debates
- in the 2010 general election , David Cameron, Ed Milliband and Nick Clegg debated on live television
+ canvassing in public and handing out leaflets
- Days before the vote, Theresa May was seen appearing in public and giving speeches in an attempt to appeal to the public
+ Increasing their social media presence
- in 2017 labour had the highest social media presence and had a large increase in vote percentage, particularly from the youth, compared to previously, recent general elections.
+ going door-to-door
- Theresa May was seen going door to door in London the day before the election, attempting to win votes - however many people slammed the door in her face.
What are the disadvantages of the first past the post electoral system
+ discriminates smaller parties whom are spread out across the nation - creates a two party system
- In the 2015 general election, UKIP won 13 per cent of the vote across the country yet only received one seat
+ increases safe seats
- chipping Barnet constituency has been a conservative safe seats since 1974
+ results in minority government and not representative of the general consensus of the country
-2017 winning Conservative party only received 42.3% of the vote
Why are some political parties campagnes more successful than others
+ increased funding/spending
- in 2017, the winning conservatives spent £26 million on their campaign - 7.5 million more than the runners up Labour
+increases social media presence
- 2017 general election, labour were ever present on twitter and saw a much better results than previous, recent
+ celebrity endorsement/ printed press
- Rupert Murdoch’s tabloid endorsement usually results in the endorsed party emerging victorious
What are the political right of UK citizens
+ freedom of speech
+ freedom to protests
- pressure groups such as Greenpeace often meet and voice their opinions publicly, outside of the House of Commons.
How can MPs represent their constituents
+ vote on their behalf in the House of Commons
- recent vote in commons on the alcohol minimum pricing
+ question the prime minister and the government and scrutinise their decisions
- prime ministers questions on a Wednesday
Why do people not vote
+ they do not support any of the parties views
- controversial manifesto pledges from parties such as the Lib Dem’s in 2017 states that they would legalise cannabis from selected retailers, saw a large decrease in votes
+ they live in a safe seat constituency
- chipping Barnet constituency has been a conservative safe seats since 1974
+ they believe that their vote is worthless in the FPTP electoral system
- many people do not vote unless it is for one of he two main parties
Why do people vote
+ they would like to prevent a certain party from assuming power
- 6.5 million people voted tactically in the 2017 general election
+ they would like a certain party to assume power due to their manifesto or party ideals
- many people were attracted to vote for Theresa May due to her ‘strong and stable’ campaign
What are some powers of the prime minister
+ the power of defence
- in 2015 David Cameron took the individual decision to stage military intervention in Syria, without consulting his government, advisors or devolved ministries.
+ the power of foreign affairs/ representation of the country abroad
- in 2018 Theresa May visited African countries such as Kenya to establish a trade link with Britain.
+ the chair of cabinet
- in 2017 Theresa May brought Michael gove into her cabinet as environment secretary so that she could dictate his rogue actions
How can the Scottish court punish people
+ custodial sentences (jail time)
+ non-custodial sentences
- probation puts restrictions on their daily life whilst allow them to be a functioning citizen
+ Fines
- drink driving in Scotland can lead to fines of up to £2500
What are the factors that cause Crimes
\+ lack of positive role models growing up
- leads to a lack of motivation and boredom
# 47% of pupils who were reported as aggressive has no interests
+ misuse of drugs and alcohol
- 7 out of 10 murderers in Scotland are under the influence of alcohol
+ geographical situation
- Ferguslie park in Paisley has the highest crime rate in Scotland and is notoriously deprived.
+ mental illness
-the level of mental illness in the UK prison population is up to 15 times higher than that of the general UK public
How can children’s hearing help young people
+ send them to a foster home
+ send them to a young offenders institution
+ refer them to counselling
+ relaxed atmosphere that allows them to be open
Why are other forms of punishment being used as alternatives to
prison
- prison sentences and the upholding of the prison system is very expensive
+ the average UK prison sentence costs £70,000 - prisons have had extremely high reoffending rates in recent years, compared to that of a non-custodial alternative such a probation
+ UK prison reoffending rate within three years of being released= 75%
+ UK probation reoffending rate = 29.5% - prison have support of the public in recent years, as they are extremely expensive yet unsuccessful
- in a UK public survey, 58% of the general public replied ‘no’ to the question ‘does prison work’
+ probation is extremely effective as it allows the offender to exist within society as a functioning member with some restriction on their life. Prevents them from acting irrationally when thrown into alien surroundings
-29.5% reoffending rate
How have the police attempted to reduce crime levels
+ they have introduced specific crime units that have aimed to take down area of crime that are particularly prominent in Scotland
- Scottish crime and drug enforcement agency, established in 2013
+ cohesion of separate forces into ‘Police Scotland’
- from the establishment of police Scotland in 2013, the crime rate fell by around 150,000 crimes a year by 2017
How have the government attempted to decrease levels of crime in Scotland
~ decrease the drink driving limit
+only allowed 50 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood (used to be 80)
~increase the minimum pricing of alcohol in an attempt to tackle the drinking culture of Scotland
+ minimum price of one unit of alcohol is now 50p, in some cases a 30p increase.
Why are some people affected by crime more than others.
+ geographical situation
- ferguslie park housing estate has the highest crime rate in Scotland and is notoriously deprived
+ age (particularly elderly)
- 83 year old man was assaulted and given lasting injuries in Dundee in March 2019
+ upbringing
- exposed to crime at a young age - ferguslie park has had the highest crime rate for years as they trend is passed on through generations, as children are exposed to criminal civility from a young age.
Why do people commit crimes as a result of economic issues
+ they cannot afford basics such as food
- many people in the Ferguslie housing estate in Paisley robbed businesses until they moved away as they could not afford to buy from shops
+ they are socially excluded
- over a third of criminals in Scottish prisons have been socially excluded
What are some consequences of crime on a community
+ decrease in housing price
-Ferguslie park, in paisley, has the highest crime rate inScofland and one of the lowest housing prices
+ many businesses will decide to leave the area
- after the 2011 London riots, many businesses left the area as they no longer felt safe after the vandalism they had experienced
Why are prisons an effective form of punishment
+ they can be rehabilitated privately
- offender learning scheme allows the prisoners to have jobs and learn employment skills, whilst remaining in the confinement of prison. Prepares the, for their release.
+ they are excluded from society and isolated
- around 15 thousand prisoners are put off from committing time by the isolation of prison every year.
How were ordinary people affected by the Syrian conflict
+ a gargantuan number of Syrian civilians have fled the country as refugees in an attempt to establish a better life in a stable economy
- 3 million Syrian refugees have entered turkey since the exposition of the war in 2011.
+ the Syrian civil war has a believed death toll of 550,000
- around 11.5% of the Syrian pre-war population is now dead
How has the UN attempted to resolve the Syrian conflict without using military force
+ Geneva peace talks
- four instances of these, the most recent of which took place in 2017
+ establishing a special envoy of the Secretary General to act as a link between opposing groups
- kofi Annan went to Syria in 2012 in an attempt to resolve the conflict
- currently Geir Pedersen
What were the factors that caused the Syrian conflict
+ religious divide
- 73% of population was Sunni, 16% was alawite
- Assad and his inner circle were alawite and discriminated Sunni, creating a minority rule,
- created tension shown by 2011 graffiti ‘the Christians to Beirut, the alawites to the grave’
+ the Arab spring/contagion effect
- in 2010, Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire after being embarrassed in Tunisia, sparking the Arab spring.
+ oppressive rule/ police state
- torturing of schoolboys who graffitied anti-Assad slogans in deraa, in 2011.
Why was the UN unsuccessful in resolving the Syrian conflict
+Russia’s right to veto any movement
- veto of the Aleppo ceasefire of December 2016
+ lack of cooperation between Assad regime and rebel forces
-Geneva peace talks of 2014, which only lasted for three days rebel delegates and Assad officials refused to speak with one another.
How has the Syrian conflict had an impact on other countries
+ overwhelming number of refugees whom cascaded into nearby countries
- turkey have spent $30 billion on refugee aid since 2011
- 3 million Syrian refugees have entered turkey since 2011
+ the increase in population size has led to increase tax, frustrating the locals
-Jordanian tax increase of 2018 due to massive, sudden increase in population due to refugee flooding requiring increased government funding as a result of the pressure of the war.
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Good luck in the exam!
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