Theme D Flashcards
Oppurtunities for participation
- Politics
- The local community
- The wider community
- Serving in society
Barriers to participation
- Busy lives
- A lack of interest in politics
- A lack of awareness
- Worry about process
Direct action
When people try to achieve political goals themselves. e.g. through protests
Indirect action
When people try to influence politicians to act for them. e.g. using petitions
Examples of Direct citizenship action
- Join or start a campaign, march, demonstration, protest.
- Boycott companies or countries in protest of their actions, or policies, or go on strike.
Examples of Indirect citizenship action
- Join a political party, vote in elections and referndums, stand for election as a councillor or MP.
- Lobby politicians and join pressure groups that try to influence policy on a particular cause.
Peoples reasons for getting involved in communities, scoiety and politics include…
- Influence from: culture, religion, personal experience or peers.
- Concern about making a difference
- The desire to improve the community by completing work that otherwise is not done
Why some people don’t vote or participate in politics
- Difficulty getting to a polling station
- Not interested in politics
- Do not understand enough about politics
- Feel their vote won’t make a difference
Improving Voter engagement
- Make voting compulsory
- Increase face-to-face meetings between candidates and voters
- Improve citizenship education for young people
- Change the FPTP system so every vote counts
- Allow voting across the weekend
- Place voting polls in more convenient places
Advantages of improving political participation through social media
- Messages can be targeted to particular voters
- Getting likes and shares helps spread message
- Allows parties to pick up on issues that are important to voters
Disadvantages of improving political participation through social media
- In 2014, Labour MP Emily Thornberry resigned from the shadow cabinet after tweeting a picture of a house covered in England flags, some felt as though she was mocking working-class voters
- Concerns about sites putting out ‘fake news’ that confuses voters, which turns off politics
Democratic Features
- Fair and free elections
- Govermental checks and balances
- Citizen inclusion in politics
- Citizen support for the government
- Freedom of expression for citizens
Public Institutions
Schools and universities, libraries, hospitals, and the courts
Public Services
Police, fire and ambulance services.
Public Services and Institutions
- Funded by the state through people’s income tax and National Insurance
- Government offers them to support citizens in their everyday lives e.g. NHS
Charities and voluntary groups
- Work to support causes or groups in society and are non-profit making
- Aim to raise awareness and funds for their cause in order to improve conditions, eliminate disease or create social change.
Interest groups
- Share a common interest that may be political or not, and can promote their ideas in many ways.
Pressure groups
Interest groups that put pressure on government to adapt policies that help issues they care about.
Examples of Interest and Pressure groups
- Age UK
- Oxfam
- Amnesty International
- Greenpeace
Trade Unions
Act on behalf of workers and represent their employers in the democratic process.
Trade Union actions:
- Help to protect workers’ rights and campaign for better pay and conditions
- Use collective bargaining to negotiate with employers
- Can represent a worker at a tribunal
Open Britain - National Campaign
- Set up to challenge the UK’s departure from the EU, connecting UK grassroots supporters to adress policy.
Hands off HRI - Local Campaign
Set up to stop the closure of Huddersfield Royal Infirmary.
Origins of trade unions
- 1824 The Combination Acts were repealed and unions began to grow
Rights in the workplace
- A contract of employement
- At least national minimum wage
- Protection from discrimination
- Higher national living wage
- Health and safety
Staff Associations uphold rights in three ways:
- Negotiation
- Representation
-Support
Article 19 of the Universal Decleration of Human Rights
Freedom of Expression
Media have a key role to:
- To investigate issues and expose problems that are in the public interest
- To scrutinise the gov and those in power, holding them accountable
An example of why free press is important
The media investigation and exposure of MP’s expenses claims scandal 2009.
Accuracy and respect in reporting
- A newspaper can be sued for civil offence or libel if they write untrue things about people
- People can sue the media for civil offence of slander if the media says untrue things about them.
Role of the press regulator
- The BBC is governed by the Royal Charter. It has a responsibilty to be impartial.
Reasons why censorship may occur:
- To protect national security
- To protect people from harmful and offensive content
- Protect children
- Respect court case decisions
- prevent promotion or glorification of terrorism
- protect peoples rights, including celebs
The EU
- To encourage cooperation on issues such as peace, security, trade, environment and social issues.
- 28 member countries
- EU law must be put in place in member countries
- The UK paid 13 billion bounds in contributions in 2017
The Council of Europe
To promote human rights, democracy and the rule of law
- Set up in 1949
- The UK is a founding member
- Cannot make binding laws but can enforce laws
- Developed the European Convention of Human Rights
- The UK contributed 32 million in 2018
Benefits of the EU
- Free Trade
- Large Single Market of around 500 million people
- Financial support for infrastructure
- Compliance with legislation and policies
Obligations of the EU
- Members of the single market obliges members to give preferential treatment to other EU members
- Member states have to pay into the EU to fund all of its operations
- EU law has primacy.
Setting standards for consumer rights in the EU
- Traders must provide clear information for consumers
- Consumers are protected by the product liability directive
- The Court of Justice of the EU can act to protect consumers.
Free movement of citizens in the EU
UK and EU citizens can work, study, live and retire in any EU nation.
The United Nations
- Set up in 1945
- Includes 193 member countries
- The UK is one of five permanent members of the Security Council of the UN.
The UN General Assembly and agencies
- The Human Rights Council - works to uphold human rights around the world
- The World Food Programme - helps get urgent humanitarian aid to people in disaster areas
- UNICEF - works to help children all over the world
Functions of the UN
To maintain international peace and scurity, protect human rights, deliver humanitarian aid, promote sustainable development and uphold international law.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)
- Set up in 1949
- 32 members
- aims to gurantee freedom and security of members by military and political means and solve problems through negotiation, with military back-up if force is needed.
- Has been active in Afghanistan and Iraq
The Commonwealth
- 53 member states
- KIng Charles is the head
- Aims to promote economic, social and sustainable development, support democracy and peace, and protect the environment.
World Trade Organisation (WTO)
- Set up in 1995, has 164 members
- Puts place rules that govern how countries do business with eachother
- Tries to sort out disputes
Benefits of The United Nations
- Permanent member so we can veto anything
- Can count on assistance in the event of a disaster
- Access to financial help from the World Bank
- Protection of Human Rights
Commitments of The United Nations
- Has to pay for a membership fee - UK is the fifth largest funder
- The UK has to contribute troops for peacekeeping
- The UK has a key role in maintaining peace.
Benefits of NATO
- Share expert military knowledge which makes success more likely
- Improves security as the UK can rely whenever they need
Commitments of NATO
- Article 5
- 2% of budget on NATO
Benefits of The Commonwealth
- Strong relationships with other countries
- Could rely on the support of other members
Commitments of The Commonwealth
- The Commonwealth Charter
- Payment for the benefit of ther nations like £500m to tackle Malaria in 2018.
Benefits of World Trade Organisation (WTO)
- Larger markets for UK goods
- Trade is smoother
- Helps resolve trade disputes
- No favouritism
Commitment of World Trade Organisation (WTO)
- Commitment to avoid barriers to trade and to abide by WTO resolution of disputes
Conflict situations
- Civil wars - Syria
- Minority that is being persecuted - Rohinga people in MYanmar because they are Muslims
Humanitarian Intervention
- When one country or a group of countries act to tackle abuses of human rights in another country
- E.G. Between 1998 and 2008, the UK and NATO intervened in Kosovo, part of the former Yugoslavia.
The Geneva Conventions
Sets out the rules for the treatment of people in war.
- Includes prisoners of war, the wounded or sick, civilians
- The use of biological and chemical weapons is forbidden, not permitted to kill an enemy who surrenders, civilians must not be attacked.
International Criminal Court
- Tribunal set up in 2002
- 123 members - USA, China and Russia are not signed up
- Hears cases of serious crimes such as genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity
International Court of Justice
- UN organisation based in the Netherlands
- 15 judges that serve for 9 years
- Only states can bring in cases
- Permanent members can avoid it.
NGOs
Bodies that are not run by governments. Independent from govs and from international organisations such as the UN and EU.
NGOs have:
- Can be charities
- Have experience
- Have clear humanitarian aims
- are non-profit making
- can work with govs
- do not take sides in conflict
What NGOs do:
- Provide aid during natural disasters, disease, refugees, where human rights need protecting and improving conditions.
- Examples: Ebola outbreak in 2015 (Save the Children), Water Aid, Red Cross
Mediation
- A neutral third party helps the sides discuss the issues.
- E.G. Tony Blair was a Middle East peace envoy
Sanctions
- Penalties for breaking rules in international situations.
- E.G. The UK imposed sanctions on Russia after its occupation of Crimea and fighting in Ukraine.
Force
Considered to be last resort - could include:
- Direct intervention using military
- Supporting other fighters in the conflict zone
- Setting up and enforcing a no-fly zone
E.G. the UK interviened in Iraq in 2003as a part of operations with coalition forces in Libya
Quantitative Data
Data that can be counted or measured in numerical values.
Qualitative Data
Data representing information and concepts that are not represented by numbers.
Research led by City Department of Journalism in 2013
Figures showed 4 men to every woman interviewed across leading UK news.
