The Hardworkers Flashcards
Africa: how do social , economic and political factors cause underdevelopment social
Social
- poor education
Poor education means that people can’t get good jobs or no jobs so it can lead to less tax for the government leading to underdevelopment. For example, teachers in Sub-Saharan Africa (SUBSA) are so poorly qualified that only around 50% of secondary teachers are actually trained to teach at that level. It is no surprise that such countries have some of the highest levels of poverty when they have such low levels of quality education.
How can people hold the government to account
Ways to hold the government to account is by voting , FMQS and committee’s
~Voting occurs when the Government proposes a new law or change to legislation and needs the majority of the Scottish Parliament to vote with them in order to pass their proposals into law.
~ MSPs can use their votes to easily defeat the Government, forcing the government to rethink and re-evaluate their policies, providing effective scrutiny and upholding democratic values of collaboration and co-operation.
~ For example, in 2018, the SNP Government’s controversial Offensive Behaviour at Football Act (2012) was repealed after 62 MSPs from all opposition parties voted for its removal against 60 SNP MSPs who voted for it to remain,
~ Voting always comes with caveats. If there is a MAJORITY government then in most cases bills will pass without any problems, thus making any other MSPs who vote against the bill redundant. Voting always comes with caveats. If there is a MAJORITY government then in most cases bills will pass without any problems, thus making any other MSPs who vote against the bill redundant. Voting always comes with caveats. If there is a MAJORITY government then in most cases bills will pass without any problems, thus making any other MSPs who vote against the bill redundant.
~ This can be ineffective in holding the Government to account because it means that bills are ineffectively scrutinised and can be passed even if considerations and stakeholders have been overlooked, making them less robust and less likely to represent the best interests of the people of Scotland.
~ For example, since the 2021 Scottish Parliament Elections, the SNP have been able to pass an overwhelming majority of their bills after entering the Bute House Agreement with the Scottish Greens, where the Scottish Greens agreed to vote for all SNP proposals in return for the appoint of two green MSPs as Junior Ministers.
Reasons why income and wealth inequality exists?
- Education
If people don’t have higher education, they get the low pay, low skill jobs and many higher paying jobs require specific skills and qualifications, this causes wealth education. - Unemployment
If people are unemployed they don’t have any income so they may not be able to afford necessities to live.
-Capitalism
In a capitalism society business focus on making the most amount of profit and this means they would increase their prices, but this effects those will low income and might not be able to afford food etc.
Implications of the uk decision to leave the eu social
Social impact:
Brexit has damaged the healthcare
Since brexit the funds for the nhs has decreased and the once loved healthcare system is now declined. Many people who worked in the nhs have now left other countries and this pcauses a shortage of workers and people who need to have surgery, operations have to wait a long time for those to occur. For example, Brexit has worsened the UK’s acute shortage of doctors in key areas of care and led to more than 4,000 European doctors choosing not to work in the NHS, research reveals.
Wealth Inequality:
Another reason why capitalism causes wealth inequality.
Capitalism also causes wealth inequality as it limits social safety nets
- It doesn’t have a lot of benefits for working people and people are told to come back to work even when it could be impossible.
- This creates wealth inequality as it limits opportunities for working class people and leads to financial insecurity. Due to its lack of support for people, they don’t get to meet basic needs and they are less likely to return to work, making them more entrenched into poverty
For example, those on benefits, such as Universal Credit, have a poverty rate of around 54% in contrast to the overall working age poverty of around 20% for the UK.
FMQ
~ FMQT allows questions to be posed to the First Minister from opposition leaders and backbench MSPs. These questions may be specific to an issue within an MSP’s constituency or be within the broader context of legislation/policy
~ A response could also provide further clarification on legislation and policy changes, which ensures that the Government is kept on track with its promises. Difficult and demanding questions can also catch out the FM, damaging the reputation of the current government but ultimately promoting the democratic principle of transparency.
~ For example, in June 2023, after the publication of official NHS Scotland waiting list figures, secondary opposition leader Anas Sarwar grilled Humza Yousaf during FMQs branding his health record as ‘catastrophic’.
~ The First Minster will often give direct responses to those questions which come from a concerned constituent relayed by their MSP. The FM will liaise with their Cabinet and the MSP who posed the question, to seek clarification on these issues and find a resolution. The First Minster will often give direct responses to those questions which come from a concerned constituent relayed by their MSP. The FM will liaise with their Cabinet and the MSP who posed the question, to seek clarification on these issues and find a resolution.
~ For example, in 2023 Douglas Ross questioned the FM (Humza Yousaf) about why the SNP had not delivered on the dualling of the A9 that it promised in 2007. Instead of addressing the issue effectively, the FM suggested that the £400m they have spent doing this indicates their commitment to the promise.
Citizen Influence
Protesting - Citizens can protest about an issue they feel strongly about. The purpose is to raise awareness an issue and try to get enough support to influence policy makers. They may do, rallies, sit-ins, utilising the media, letter and leaflet campaigns, marches. Protesting is effective in helping citizens to influence Government decision making because citizens can force the government to reconsider policy decisions or even motivate other government bodies to take further action.
Ineffectiveness - Might be because they have unrealistic demands that do not align with the Government’s manifesto and commitments to other stakeholders at home and abroad. If issue is one that the government is against can therefore be difficult to influence them to change their mind no matter how many different methods they use. Pressure groups are therefore ineffective in helping citizens to influence Government decision making because Governments can choose to ignore them, at which point there is little they can do to force their hand on a particular issue. Citizens, therefore, might be better off heading to the polling station to vote in the hope of installing a more receptive Government.
Committee’s
~ Committees are composed of backbench MSPs who have the relevant skills and expertise to effectively scrutinise legislation and they can get access to expert support staff and witnesses
~ Committees can effectively hold the Government to account because they have the power to make inquiries over specific issues and call on Cabinet Secretaries and Government Ministers to give evidence or to effectively clarify an issue surrounding decision making, promoting democratic principles of responsibility and transparency.
~ For example, in 2021, The Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints was set up to investigate the Alex Salmond Scandal, which questioned the actions of the First Minister (Nicola Sturgeon) and Scottish Government officials in dealing with complaints about the Former First Minister, Alex Salmond.
~ In a majority government committees can prove to be ineffective as the membership of committees reflects the party spectrum in Parliament. As MSPs usually vote in line with their party (party whips), it is rare they would be a member of a committee and “hold up” the committee process by making a lot of amendments.
~ This can ineffective in holding the Government to account because the majority of MSPs in the governing party will agree with legislation put forward by the executive, regardless of whether or not it needs improving, meaning many policies could be getting passed without the appropriate scrutiny and understanding of its potential implications.
~ For example, the Health and Sport Committee has 10 members, five of whom belong to the SNP and another is in the Scottish Green. These parties have a power sharing agreement so this leaves criticism over the effectiveness of these committees.
Citizen Influence 2
Voting - Citizens have the right to vote in elections. enables citizens to chose who represents them different government levels. Citizens can vote for MPs in UK elections, MSPs in Scottish Parliament elections and councillors in local council elections.Voting is effective in helping citizens to influence Government decision making as the they choose their representatives and can vote out representatives/parties that they don’t want. This means Governments who have any intention of remaining in power must listen to the wishes of the people when making decisions.
Ineffectiveness -
FPTP system means that many votes for parties are wasted as there is only only one winner per constituency. This means that it would take an a lot of effort for a sitting Government to be driven out as they’d need to lose heavily in constituencies across the country. This makes voting ineffective in helping citizens to influence Government decision making as nature of voting system restricts voter power reducing the likelihood of smaller parties entering into power, making it greater for Governing parties to retain power.
Reasons why health inequality exists
Reason for health inequality is poverty, gender and alcohol
~ People who live in poverty, which means they struggle to meet their basic needs, are much more likely to live in substandard housing which can have significant negative impacts on health due to various factors associated with poor living conditions.
~ This can lead to health issues because living in these conditions increases the risk of contracting infectious diseases and the development of respiratory problems. Living in inadequate conditions can also lead to chronic stress, anxiety and depression.
~ For 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).
~ People living in poverty often face financial barriers that limit their ability to purchase a diverse range of nutritious foods. Healthy foods can be more expensive than processed and energy-dense but nutrient-poor alternatives. Further, economic insecurity and the daily struggle associated with poverty can lead to chronic stress.
~ This can create health problems because malnutrition can lead to deficiencies in essential nutrients, impairing physical development. Malnutrition can also hinder individuals’ ability to work and be productive, contributing to a cycle of poverty and limiting opportunities for social mobility.
~ For example, the Local Government Association in found in 2023 that lack of income, rather than food scarcity, is the main driver of hunger, food poverty and food related health inequalities in England.
Implications of the uk decision to leave the eu political
The uk now has to take greater control of its democracy. The uk now no longer is forced to accept decisions. Leaving the eu means that the uk gov has full control on decisions and the uk citizens voices cannot be overlooked anymore.
For example, the government has announced that all retained EU laws will be sunset on 31 December 2023, enabling the UK to create regulations tailor-made for its people.
Wealth inequality:
Is education a main cause of wealth inequality?
One of the main causes of poverty is a lack of educational attainment.
- This means that people with lower levels of education with have access to a narrower range of job opportunities. A lot of higher-paying jobs require specific knowledge and qualifications that are typically gained through education
- This creates wealth inequality as without these qualifications, many people are limited to low-skill, low -wage jobs which makes it difficult to escape poverty.
For example, the JRF found the poverty rate was lowest for those qualified to a degree level (around 10%) compared to those with no qualifications who had a poverty rate of around 40%.
Gender
~ Toxic masculinity refers to stereotypes that boys and men are expected to meet that may be toxic to their physical and mental health. Toxic masculinity often discourages the expression of emotions, except for anger.
~ This can lead to health issues because it can contribute to the development of mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. Men influenced by toxic masculinity may be less likely to seek mental health support and they may employ unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as drinking alcohol, which may explain the high suicide rate amongst men.
~ For example, male suicide in the UK is three times higher than for men than it is for women. Suicide is also the biggest killer of men under the age of 50 in the UK.
~ Societal expectations and gender roles can influence health behaviours and outcomes. Women may be more likely to seek healthcare and engage in preventive measures, but they may also face specific pressures related to body image and societal expectations.
~ This can create health problems as women may develop mental health issues, such as depression and low self-esteem, as a result of not meeting societal expectations of how they should look or act, and may be less likely to ask for support with these issues which will only exacerbate them.
~ For example, this may explain why women between the ages of 16 and 24 are almost three times as likely (26%) to experience a common mental health issue as males of the same age (9%).
Influence of Voting Behaviour:
How does social class influence voting behaviour?
It could be argued that social class is incredibly influential in explaining voting behaviour.
A social class is generally taken to be a set of individuals who share certain economic/social characteristics, which collectively give them a similar attitude to life in general and to politics in particular. Traditionally Conservatives appeal more to the ABC1 classes and Labour to the C2/D/E.
There is clearly a link between social class and voting behaviour. Those from less well off backgrounds are more likely to identify with the Labour Party due to their policies on welfare and education whilst more affluent voters associate with the Conservatives thanks to a continued focus on lower taxation and freedom for big businesses.
For example, in the 2017 General Election, Labour won the majority of the vote for social classes D and E with 47% of the vote, while the Conservatives won the majority of the vote for social classes A and B with 47% of the vote. This shows that social class still does have an impact on voting behaviour.
Many critics have argued that the link between social class and
voting behaviour has become weaker in recent years.
This is known as dealignment. Politicians know that the nature of social class in the UK has changed. The ‘traditional working class’ has shrunk. It has been replaced by a ‘new’ working class which does not have the same automatic party loyalty (to Labour) thanks to changes in the labour market and a rise in the number of C1/C2/D voters obtaining higher education. Furthermore, the middle classes have grown in size but they are not loyal to any single party either, in part, because of the rise of so called “third parties” such the Liberal Democrats and the SNP.
It is now clear that social class is no longer as influential in dictating voting behaviour. Indeed, it has recently become less significant as a result of dealignment and the rise of short-term factors (such as the influence of leadership and the media) in persuading modern voters.
For example, in the 2019 Election, the Conservatives did much better than expected with lower income C2 and DE voters - 48% of C2, D and E voters chose the Conservative party.
Citizen Influence 3
Protesting -
Citizens can protest about an issue they feel strongly about. The purpose is to raise awareness an issue and try to get enough support to influence policy makers. They may do, rallies, sit-ins, utilising the media, letter and leaflet campaigns, marches. Protesting is effective in helping citizens to influence Government decision making because citizens can force the government to reconsider policy decisions or even motivate other government bodies to take further action.
Ineffectiveness -
may not directly reach the policymakers who have the authority to make decisions. Elected officials and government agencies might not feel compelled to respond to protests unless they perceive a broader public mandate or threat. Some governments may be resistant to public pressure and are unwilling to change their policies in response to protests.
Protesting is ineffective in helping citizens to influence Government decision making because Governments can simply choose to ignore protestors if they feel their wishes are not aligned with the values of their core voters or their manifesto.
