Uk Politics 9 markers

Question 1

Explain and analyse 3 methods used by pressure groups

Answer 1

• Direct action (this involves things like protesting and staging public demonstrations, usually used by outsider pressure groups e.g. F4J)
• Working with government (usually used by insider pressure groups as they negotiate and mediate with the party that they work with e.g. BMA influenced the Health and Cafe act 2022
• Lobbying (seek to persuade politicians to implement a certain policy, could be through the use of donations or even dinners) e.g - Best for Britain aimed to persuade MPs to back a referendum on a Brexit deal, Johnson ultimately went ahead with his campaign promise to ‘Get Brexit Done’.

Question 2

Explain and analyse 3 stages in the legislative process

Answer 2

• First reading (the bill is proposed by a member of the commons/lords and initial scrutiny takes place in both chambers)
• Second reading (the bill is debated on the floor of the chambers, more scrutiny takes place at this stage in HoL or HoC)
• Committee stage (Scrutinised by standing committee and experts from the HoL, made up for different political parties)

Question 3

Explain and analyse 3 principles of the British constitution

Answer 3

• Parliamentary sovereignty (the idea that Parliament is the ultimate decision making body and has the most power, is elected)
• Rule of Law (no one including the monarch and parliament is above the law, everyone entitled to a fair trial)
• Democracy (people should vote for what they want, all systems and institutions should bd democratic and free)

Question 4

Explain and analyse 3 functions of the HoC

Answer 4

• Debating (this includes bills that are proposed or debating more general and topical issues, e.g. petitions proposed by public )
• Implementing legislation (this is by the governing party, a vote will tale place on whether a bill/law should be passed)
• Scrutiny (usually the role of select committees and the official opposition, however can come in the form of backbench rebellions)

Question 5

Explain and analyse 3 models of representation

Answer 5

• Mandate (have the right to carry out the policies promised in the manifesto, once in power there is little you can do to stop this)
• leave the EU by cons 2019
• Trustee (you trust your MP to act in your best interests, people may not know what they are but the MP tries to use their superior knowledge to make a decision)
• Delegate (the idea that your MP acts as a mouthpiece and should do exactly what the constituents desire, even if this means not following party lines)
• mps expressed concerns over HS2 link when their constituency was a part of it

Question 6

Explain and analyse 3 functions of political parties

Answer 6

• Representation (represents a certain group of society e.g. workers and Labour, however class and partisan dealignment has stopped this)
• Formulating policy (in the form of a manifesto, give voters a clear direction in what the party stands for, usually accessible on a website)
• Putting candidates up for election (aim is to seek office and carry out policies set forward on the party’s manifesto)

Question 7

Explain and analyse 3 consequences of devolution on UK politics

Answer 7

• Establishment of the Scottish Parliament (1998 Scotland Act, have control over areas such as law and order, education etc)
• Locally elected mayors (West Midlands, Manchester and London, these make decisions on things such as transport)
• Good Friday agreement 1998 (power sharing agreement established between DUP and Sinn Fein, two opposite sides of political spectrum

Question 8

Explain and analyse 3 influences upon individual MPs when voting in the HoC

Answer 8

• Party representation and mandate theory (clear mandate to carry out party policy, will vote in line with the party because that’s what they were elected for)
• Trustee model (representative of constituents wants and needs, will vote with the best interests of their constituents in mind)
• Backbench MPs not bounded by CMR (means they can vote against their party as they are not obligated to follow, backbench rebellions)

Question 9

Explain and analyse 3 ways in which the cabinet can limit the power of the PM

Answer 9

• Theory of cabinet government (all power is vested in cabinet, PM can not make decisions without consulting his/her cabinet before)
• Divisions and opposition within cabinet (opposition such as Claire Short under Blair were able to limit power because Blair could not pass decisions without being criticised)
• Leaks and how CMR has been under strain (collective ministerial responsibility under strain due to increased leaks from within cabinet e.g. ministers under Theresa May)

Question 10

Explain and analyse 3 ways in which minor parties can have an impact upon the political agenda in the UK

Answer 10

• Can represent underrepresented groups (Women’s equality party represents women in parliament, they are usually underrepresented)
• Impact on electoral landscape (SNP pressured 2014 referendum after the rise of Scottish nationalism and UKIP pressured Cameron into calling EU 2016 referendum)
• Minor parties in devolved assemblies (DUP, Sinn Fein and SNP, they lead their local assemblies, not Wales, and implement legislation

Question 11

Explain and analyse 3 constitutional reforms introduced since 2010

Answer 11

• EU withdrawal act 2020 (UK left the EU following Brexit referendum in 2016, gave parliament more sovereignty as EU law is no longer supreme)
• Fixed term parliament act 2011 (this meant that the Prime Minister could no longer call elections when it suited them , they would be every 5 years- this was defied in 2017)
• Scotland Act 2016 (gave the Scottish Parliament income tax varying powers, they could change it by 3% either way, more sovereignty however led to 2014 referendum)

Question 12

Explain and analyse 3 limitations on the power of the Scottish Parliament

Answer 12

• Defence and national security (these powers are still held in Westminster)
• Nuclear energy (Scotland does not have control over when/where nuclear energy is used)
• Fiscal economic and monetary policy (don’t have control over government spending+tax powers to an extent, interest rates still set by BofE)

Question 13

Explain and analyse 3 limitations on the power of the HoL

Answer 13

• Salisbury convention (Lords cannot block and reject any bills that have been proposed in the governing party’s manifesto)
• Cannot delay or amend money bills (HoL Act 1949, HoL Act 1911, due to the fact that they are an unelected chamber)
• Commons has supreme legislative power (avoids ping pong politics, when a bill bounces from one chamber to the other)

Question 14

Explain and analyse 3 considerations made when appointing cabinet ministers

Answer 14

• Expertise (e.g. Rishi Sunak has lots of experience in the financial sector, Boris Johnson appointed him due to this, he trusted him to make correct decisions)
• Support the Prime Minister (support for the PM is crucial as the PM is head of the executive and expects the ministers to follow his decisions)
• If they are in a safe seat (if seat the minister holds is marginal, this may affect their position as the PM will want the seat to be as secure is possible, so that in the next term the cabinet can stay similar)

Question 15

Explain and analyse 3 features of cabinet government

Answer 15

• Executive power is vested in cabinet (executive is the whole of the cabinet, they work together to formulate policy and implement legislation, Primus inter pares)
• CMR (collective ministerial responsibility, the idea that if a cabinet minister does not agree with policy they should resign from government)
• Cabinet is accountable to Parliament and the people (ministers and executive are drawn from Parliament and therefore the executive and legislature branch is fused)

Question 16

Explain and analyse 3 ways in which judicial independence is maintained

Answer 16

Open ended terms (security of tenure, cannot be threatened with sacking if they rule against a government official)

• Guaranteed high salaries (reduces bribery, judges are less likely to accept sums of money when they get paid high salaries)
• Physical separation of Supreme Court and Houses of Parliament- after Constitution reform Act 2005, got rid of Law Lords)

Question 17

Explain and analyse 3 ways in which parliament holds the executive to account

Answer 17

• Official opposition (currently Labour led by Keir Starmer, have become more effective in recent years),
• PMQs (held every Wednesday afternoon for half an hour, PM and leader of opposition get asked questions from MP’s and public -‘Punch and Judy politics’ )
• Select committees (scrutinise the work of a particular government department, made up of MPs from different parties)

Question 18

Explain and analyse 3 criticisms of the Supreme Court

Answer 18

• Becoming more politicised (ruling on more political cases e.g. Boris Johnson prorogation of Parliament 2019)
• Not diverse (currently only one woman- lady Rose, np ethnic minorities and most are privately and Oxbridge educated)
• Unelected (therefore shouldn’t be ruling on cases that affect everyone’s rights- cannot be held accountable by the people)

Question 19

Explain and analyse 3 of the freedoms of the EU single market

Answer 19

• Free movement of goods (cant impose duties or taxes, easy to sell),
• Free movement of services (people can establish their services across EU- qualifications are recognised)
• Free movement of people (easy to emigrate, can seek employment in other eu states, same rights as nationals)

Question 20

Explain and analyse 3 treaties that have altered the work of the EU since 1985

Answer 20

• Maastricht treaty 1992 (this prepared for the European Monetary Union and introduced elements of the political Union such as internal affairs policy- essentially founded the EU we know today)
• Nice treaty (institutional reforms, wanted the EU to function efficiently after it had reached a membership of 25 member states, redefined voting system and made the Commission representative)
• Lisbon treaty (EU charter of fundamental rights became legally binding, aimed to make the EU more democratic and better able to address problems collectively such as climate change)

Question 21

Explain and analyse 3 ways in which rights are protected in UK politics

Answer 21

• Supreme Court (established in 2009- judicial review, ECHR)
• HRA 1998 (incorporated the ECHR to British law, sets out rights that everyone in the UK is entitled to)
• Equality Act 2010 (anti discrimination in the workplace and in wider society)

Question 22

Explain and analyse 3 arguments against the greater use of direct democracy in the UK

Answer 22

• Not practical (in a large population this is very time consuming)
• Undermines elected representatives (why vote for MPs when you make decisions yourself, could have lack of experience)
• Low turnout (in general elections anyway, so cannot trust the whole population to turn out)

Question 23

Explain and analyse 3 arguments in favour of retaining the FPTP electoral system in UK general elections

Answer 23

• Simple to use (easy to understand, accessible to the wider population)
• Tends to produce a strong and stable government, (winning party usually receives a majority)
• Clear link between MPs and constituents (they are single member and they hold regular surgeries in the area)

Question 24

Explain and analyse 3 arguments against retaining the FPTP electoral system in UK general elections

Answer 24

• Not representative (no proportional representation and MPs could only win by 1 vote, also produces disproportionate outcomes)
• Safe seats exist (e.g. Andrew Mitchell has been the MP in Sutton for 22 years- people feel discouraged to vote as they already know the outcome)
• Disadvantages minor parties (their support is usually wide spread- UKIP received lots of votes in 2015 but as support is thin, they only got one seat, Green Party received over 1 million votes in 2019, have 1 seat)

Question 25

Explain and analyse 3 reasons for holding referendums in the UK

Answer 25

• Constitutional change (Devolution 1997/8, needed wide support)
• Political pressure (2016 EU- fear of losing seats to UKIP at local level)
• Part of a political deal (2011 AV- Lib Dem and Conservative coalition 67.9% voted no)

Question 26

Explain and analyse 3 theories for explaining how people cast their votes

Answer 26

• Rational choice theory (assumes that voters will make a decision based off what is in their own best interests- outcome will reflect whats best for society as a whole) (voting on the NHS)
• Issue voting (voters place on issue above all other issues and vote based off that- all other policies they could not agree with)
• Economic/valence issues (voting for a particular party based off ‘prosperous economy’- no one will vote against a party who doesn’t want that)(winter of discontent = labour was voted out

Question 27

Explain and analyse 3 ways in which the media has affected the outcome of UK general elections

Answer 27

• Opinion polls 2015 (showed a close contest between Labour and Conservative, people did not like the idea of another coalition or Labour winning, prompted more Conservative voters)
• ‘Sun backs Blair’ (Sun was notorious for supporting Conservatives, this switch prompted more voters to follow and vote Blair)
• Televised debates (May’s refusal to participate contributed to electoral defeat in 2017 resulting in a hung Parliament)

Question 28

Explain and analyse 3 ways in which parties elect their leaders

Answer 28

• Labour Party (role of the PLP, local parties and trade union affiliative members, OMOV and AV voting systems used, any member of the Labour Party can vote)
• Conservative party (no formal mechanism until 1965, Conservative MPs vote until 2 candidates remain and party members then vote on a OMOV basis)
• Liberal Democrats (have relied on postal ballots, AV electoral system is used, candidates must be MPs and have the support of at least 10% of MPs, 20 local parties and 200 members)

Question 29

Explain and analyse 3 Thatcherite policies

Answer 29

• Privatisation of publicly owned businesses (British Gas- helped save money and businesses could move goods more efficiently)
• Limit on the power of trade unions (would stop disruptive strikes e.g. miners)
• Limited state (believed that too much state intervention causes overbalance and a dependency culture)

Question 30

Explain and analyse 3 features of One-Nation Conservatism

Answer 30

• Slow gradual change (not a fan of radical change like Margaret Thatcher, prefer slow change - conservatism ideology)
• Support for a universal welfare state (increasing welfare benefits, universal credit and more support for working class)
• Increasing European integration (staying in the EU, becoming a more involved partner and having more of a special relationship)

Question 31

Explain and analyse 3 features of New Labour

Answer 31

assemblies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland but also locally elected mayors)

• Modernisation (HoL reform, removed all but 92 hereditary peers, aimed to take this further in the future but failed)
• Rights (Human Rights Act 1998, codified ECHR into UK law, allowed for better protection of rights for UK citizens)

Question 32

Explain and analyse 3 factions of the modern Labour Party

Answer 32

• Momentum (grassroots campaign set up in the wake of Corbyn’s election,Seeks the election of a progressive-left Labour Party transform Labour into a more open, member-led party, with socialist policies)
• Progress (An independent group of Labour Party members founded as a Blairite pressure group, Committed to the New Labour agenda, aims to promote radical and progressive policies think that the centre of the party has moved)
• Saving Labour (spearheaded the challenge to Corbyn’s leadership of the Labour Party, replace Corbyn as leader of the Labour Party, Argues that new fresh leadership is required ‘to hold the Tory government to account and be ready to form a radical alternative government’)

Question 33

Explain and analyse 3 sources of the UK constitution

Answer 33

• Statute law (law made by parliament, most important type, includes acts of Parliament such as Fixed Term Parliament Act 2011)
• Royal prerogative (powers that the monarch previously held that have now been transferred to the Prime Minister e.g. declaring war)
• Works of authority (books by people such as Walter Badgehot- ‘The English Constitution’, not legally binding but provide reference when times of political uncertainly arise)

Question 34

Explain and analyse 3 circumstances under which referendums have been held in the UK

Answer 34

• 2011 AV (in order to change the electoral system from FPTP to a more proportional system- rejected by 67.9% of people)
• 2014 Scottish independence (Scotland to leave the UK, high turnout but people voted no, led to devomax- Scotland Act 2016, after Brexit there are more calls for another referendum)
• 2016 EU (promised by David Cameron after rise of eurosceptism, resulted in 51% voting for Brexit, officially carried out in January 2020 with the EU withdrawal act under BJ)

Question 35

Explain and analyse 3 factors that can lead to some UK pressure groups being more successful than others

Answer 35

• Membership size (larger the membership size, the more support the pressure group will get, the more money they’ll get and more able to make more change)(National Union of Students (NUS) = 6.2M in 2023)
• Insider/outsider status (insider pressure groups are much more likely to be successful, e.g. the CBI and BMA as they can influence government policy- BMA in 2022 influenced the Health and Care Act
• Celebrity endorsement (Joanna Lumley Gurkha Justice campaign, needs were listened to by the government after this, Marcus Rashford and Fareshare)

Question 36

Explain and analyse the significance of 3 sources of the British Constitution

Answer 36

• Statute law (significant as this is law created by parliament and parliament is sovereign, includes things like the Fixed term Parliament Act 2011, most important type)
• Works of Authority (e.g. Walter Badgehot ‘The English Constitution, provide a reference when in times of political uncertainty e.g. the coalition in 2020, but not legally binding)
• EU Law (first came into light after the 1972 EEC Act, it established a precedent over UK law e.g. the Factortame Case, however after EU withdrawal Act has been incorporated into UK law

Question 37

Explain and analyse 3 ways in which pressure groups seek to influence government policy

Answer 37

• Through direct action (such as protesting, strikes and direct action- only effective if an outsider group as if you are an insider you have to use more peaceful methods such as lobbying)
• Working closely with decision makers (this involves having an insider status and working with political parties e.g. NFU, CBI and BMA- health and care bill 2022)
• Legal challenges (this could be through the use of the high court, example being Countryside Alliance contesting a ban on fox hunting)

Question 38

Explain and analyse 3 factors that can influence voting behaviour

Answer 38

• Class (upper class tend to vote conservative, lower class tend to vote Labour- however due to partisan dealignment these have decreased in importance)
• Gender (women tended to vote conservative due to their focus on the family and values, men tended to vote Labour, however this issue is also declining)
• Age (younger people tend to vote Labour due to more socialist ideas, focus more on topical issues, switch comes at age of 47- conservative, voter turnout is low in young people)

Question 39

Explain and analyse 3 ways in which membership of the EU has had an impact upon UK politics

Answer 39

• Changes to parliamentary sovereignty (EU law established a precedent over UK law e.g. Factortame case and Supreme Court)
• Divisions between political parties (especially during the referendum, Conservatives were split, Cameron resigned after result)
• Creation of new parties (e.g. Brexit Party, Change UK, all pushed for UK to leave the EU, rise of eurosceptism in the UK)

Question 40

Explain and analyse 3 ways in which collective responsibility has come under pressure since 1979

Answer 40

• Increased number of cabinet ministers staying (continue to criticise from the inside rather than resigning, the most notable example being Claire Short in 2003)
• Can be formally set aside (2016 EU referendum, ministers were allowed to campaign on either side of the referendum, Cameron himself was a remainer)
• Prime Ministers ignore their cabinet (happened under Thatcher and members of her cabinet spoke out about feeling forced to agree with policy, also under Blair in 1997 with his sofa cabinet)

Question 41

Explain and analyse 3 long-term factors, other than class, that can influence voting behaviour

Answer 41

• Gender (traditionally women are more likely to vote conservative due to their emphasis on family, and men more likely to vote Labour, however New Labour closed this gap and equalled support out)
• Age (younger voters are more likely to vote Labour and as one becomes older their views tend to become more Conservative, due to economic issues, switch comes at age 47)
• Region (Labour tended to win the support of the North as it was full of working class areas, and the further down South you went, the more Conservative, however red wall has been destroyed and Conservatives won support there)

Question 42

explain and analyse the roles of 3 EU institutions

Answer 42

• European Commission (this is supranational and made up of officials nominated by member states and approved by the EU parliament, proposes and enforces EU laws and prepares the EU budget)
• the European Council (intergovernmental and consists of the heads of the EU member states, takes strategic decisions such as deciding whether to admit new members to the EU0
• The European Court of Justice (this is supranational and enforced EU law, as well as resolving disputed between EU member states, consists of judges from all member states)

Question 43

explain and analyse 3 successes of the EU

Answer 43

• The single market has made the EU one of the world’s most powerful economies and has promoted trade and prosperity without any restrictions)
• The EU has promoted increasing political union (greater co-operation, and has arguably contributed to the longest period of peace in the continent’s history)
• The EU continues to grow and expand (many countries wish to join, which could be said to be a testament to its success as it is increasingly popular, however the UK left)

Question 44

explain and analyse 3 factions in the Conservative party

Answer 44

• COVID recovery group (led by the former chief whip Mark Harper and the former Brexit minister Steve Baker, opposition to new Covid rules, has organised and disciplined messaging, employing an external PR consultant. Support estimated at 80 to 100 MPs)
• Net Zero Scrutiny group (Set up in the lead-up to the Cop26 climate summit, believe policies such as emissions targets and the phasing out of conventional cars have not been fully thought out and will affect poorer Britons, has 18 MPs as public supporters )
• Blue Collar conservatism (Originally launched by Esther McVey, policies include redirecting foreign aid to domestic priorities, 159 MPs as official supporters including several cabinet ministers- however, it is less active in terms of openly advocating for policy change)

Question 45

explain and analyse 3 functions of parliament

Answer 45

• Law making (propose and debate legislation, including private and public members bills, legislative process takes place here)
• representation (filled with 650 MPs who represent constituencies in the HoC, represent their needs and vote on behalf of them)
• scrutiny (methods such as PMQs, backbenchers, debate and the Official Opposition pose as effective scrutiny methods to hold the executive to account)

Question 46

explain and analyse 3 important functions of backbenchers

Answer 46

• backbench rebellions (January 2023 40 tory MPs voted against the online safety bill, Boris Johnson faced a large one in 2021 over COVID measures)
• asking questions in PMQs (can ask the PM and other cabinet ministers questions which can be topical e.g. council elections in the most recent PMQs)
• backbench business committee (formed in 2010 and gives backbenchers the chance to debate topics of their choice, can do this one day a week)

Question 47

3 important types of select committees

Answer 47

Select Committees - specific issue, suggest, 40% accepted,
2016 BHS Philip Green

Public Accounts Committees - expenditure
- investigation into HS2 as it was getting too expensive
(important - financial privilege), 88% accepted 2010-15

Liaison Committees - chair of SC, analyses
SC effectiveness, 2002 Tony Blair bilateral in these

Question 48

Explain and analyse three powers of the prime ministers (9)?

Answer 48

1. Power over the cabinet - appoint Cabinet ministers who hold similar ideology to them e.g. Blair- New Labour politicians dominated his cabinet, Theresa May- many remainers but also Boris, Davis and Fox given positions to deal with Brexit, May got rid of Gove and Osborne - authority in Cabinet, Agenda setting - keeping difficult papers off the agenda and saving for a bilateral meeting, decide the chair, membership and remit of cabinet committees. May established a New Economy and Industrial Strategy Scheme.
2. Policy making input - the Prime ministers policy-making role is not confined to a specific field - they have license to get involved in issues across the political spectrum (economic and foreign policy) e.g. Thatcher played an active role in many policy fields - 1982 Falklands War, Blair was involved in beginning the Iraq war and also became frustrated that increased public spending in health and education only delivered gradual improvement, Cameron Libya 2011- Represent the UK in international affairs.
3. Party leadership - party leaders are elected by their MPs and party members which legitimises their position, this is particularly prominent for leaders who have large majorities as they are better able to execute the government’s programme e.g. Boris 80 majority. Thatcher and Blair represented England nationally and had close relationships with the POTUS. Thatcher polarised opinion but was widely regarded as a strong leader, Blair popular until Iraq, Cameron more popular than his party, good commander in chief and leadership in times of crises.

Question 49

Explain and Analyse three features of cabinet government (9)?

Answer 49

1. Cabinet ministers - senior ministers of the government, max is 22 ministers, most are heads of government departments e.g. the treasury: Rishi Sunak. Foreign Office: Dominic Raab. Home office: Priti Patel. they must be MP’s, some can come from House of Lords e.g. Lord Mandelson.
2. Cabinet committees - most decisions are made in cabinet committees including: ministerial standing committees (have considerable autonomy), ministerial sub committees, ad hoc committees, implementation task forces e.g. those used by Cameron and May to track progress on policies that cross departmental boundaries. Blair and May prioritised committees.
3. Cabinet office - created in 1916, supports the cabinet system/prime minister and managing the civil servants, cabinet secretariat regulates and coordinates cabinet business/organises agenda e.g. The head of the civil service Simon Case attends cabinet meetings as their secretary.

Question 50

Explain and analyse three arguments that suggest prime ministers have become more presidential (9)?

Answer 50

1. Personalised leadership - the PM is expected to be a dominant political personality who stamps their imprint on the government and imposes a personal vision e.g. Thatchers ideology set the political agenda, Blair and Cameron modernised their parties, election victory is treated as a personal mandate, TV debates emphasise leaders.
2. Public outreach - Political leaders have become public commodities, the media spotlight falls on the prime minister to a greater extent than any other minister. PM represents the public interest and takes their message directly to the public through the popular media (soft form chat shows) e.g. Blair and Cameron were especially effective communicators, Boris- “Get Brexit done”.
3. Spatial leadership - a sense of distance has been created between the prime minister and his or her government and party, the PM relies more on their inner circle of advisors than on the Cabinet system, as in Blair’s sofa government and the Quad (Cameron, Clegg, Osborne and Alexander), Boris purge of the party in October 2019.

Question 51

Explain and Analyse three aspects of cabinet committees (9)?

Answer 51

1. Considerable autonomy to determine the direction and detail of policy - most decisions are taken within cabinet committees, only where a final verdict has not been reached will the cabinet concern itself with the deliberations of a cabinet committee. Ad hoc commitees temporary to deal with a particular issue.
2. They are appointed by the Prime Minister - prime minister is responsible for the creation, membership, chairmanship and terms of reference of cabinet committees. They can establish cabinet committees to examine issues they wish to priorities or which are pressing concerns e.g. Implementation task forces used by Cameron and May to track progress on policies that cross departmental bodies.
3. Greater priority - cabinet committees were given greater priority following criticism of Blair’s preference for informal meetings. They were revived as important forums for discussion and resolution of differences in the Conservative-Liberal Dem coalition. May further streamlined the system making it more effective, she had just 5 committees and ten sub-committees. Long standing cabinet committees such as home, economic and European affairs became sub-committees in the 2016 reorganisation.