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.
