Participation

• One way individuals can participate in politics is by Voting.

  In Scotland you can now vote when you are 16. You must

  register to vote. Once you are registered you can go to

  your local polling station and vote for who you would like to

  represent you in government. By voting you increase the

  chance of your favoured party winning.

  For example In 2021 63.5% of the Scottish Electorate

  turned out to vote in the Scottish Election. The SNP had

  the most MSPs elected so continue to be our government
• One way individuals can participate in politics is by

  standing as a candidate.

  If you feel strongly about politics and you want to

  make a difference in your local area you can stand as

  a candidate for a variety of positions including

  councillor, MSP or MP.

  MSP Michael Matheson stood as a candidate in

  Falkirk West during the 2021 Election, won and was

  re elected.
• One way individuals can participate in politics is by

  campaigning for a political party/candidate.

  They can help by handing out leaflets, balloons, badges

  and posters promoting their candidate and encouraging

  people to vote for them.

  For example during the 2021 Scottish Election a significant amount of people will have been out

  campaigning in Denny for the re-election of SNP candidate

  Michael Matheson.
• Some political parties’ election

  campaigns are successful

  because of their use of social

  media.

  • Most political parties and

  politicians now have Facebook

  and X pages. This allows them to

  reach and engage with a large

  number of voters and tell them

  about their policies.

  • For example, the SNP has over

  320,000 followers on X.
• Some political parties’ election

  campaigns are successful because of the

  amount of funding a party has.

  If a party has a significant amount of

  funding this can help them to raise the

  profile of their political party and their

  promises. It can be spent on

  campaigning material like leaflets and

  and Social Media Ads to persuade

  floating voters to vote for them.

  For example during the 2021 Scottish

  Election the SNP spent just under

  £60,000 on facebook ADs trying to

  convince social media followers to back

  their campaign
• A further role the media has during

  an election campaign is to influence.

  As Print Media can be biased,

  newspapers will try to influence their

  readers to vote for a certain political

  party during elections. They will

  include headlines and print stories

  that make their chosen party look

  good.

  For example the Scottish Sun

  Newspaper, up until the 2021

  Election supported the SNP and

  would include headlines encouraging

  voters to vote for them
• A role of Social Media is to provide

  a platform for voters and political

  parties to engage in election

  discussion.

  Nearly all political parties and

  representatives have social media

  pages. It allows them to interact

  with voters, especially younger

  voters. They can share information

  about what they would do if

  elected. This may attract and

  influence younger floating voters

  to vote for them.

  For example Nicola Sturgeon has a

  twitter account with 1.4 million

  followers.
• MSPs can take part in debates in

  the Scottish Parliament.

  They will go along to the debating chamber on a Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon to

  discuss something that is topical and raise the views of their constituents.

  They might debate potential new laws.

  For example there have been debates

  on tackling drug deaths in Scotland,

  Assisted suicide, NHS waiting times, and early release from prison.
• MSP’s can vote on proposed new laws

  or changes to existing laws.

  The result of these votes will

  determine(decide) whether the law

  is passed or rejected.

  For example MSPs voted to bring in

  restrictions around the ownership of

  XL Bully Dogs
• MSP’s can vote on proposed new laws or

  changes to existing laws.

  The result of these votes will determine

  whether the law is passed or rejected.

  For example MSPs voted to bring in

  restrictions around the ownership of XL Bully

  Dogs in Scotland
• MSPs can take part in debates in the Scottish Parliament.

  They will go along to the debating chamber on a Tuesday and

  Wednesday afternoon to discuss something that is topical

  and raise the views of their constituents.

  They might vote on

  potential laws.

  For example there have been debates on tackling drug deaths

  in Scotland, Assisted Suicide and NHS Waiting Times.
• Some people choose to participate/vote in a

  democracy because they want to change

  who is running the country

  If an individual is not happy with the party who is

  in power they might choose to vote in the next

  election to help bring about change.

  For example If people are not happy with the way

  the SNP are running the country they might vote

  for a different party like Labour in the next

  election.
• Some people choose to vote because they

  believe it is a democratic right and a

  responsibility to participate in elections.

  By voting, individuals ensure that their voices

  are heard and that the government reflects

  the views of the majority. A high voter turnout

  strengthens democracy.

  For example in the 2021 Scottish Election

  63.2% of the population chose to use their

  right to vote.
• Some people may

  be less likely to

  vote/participate

  if they

  experience voter

  apathy

  Many people have lost

  interest in politics and they

  don’t really care who wins or

  loses the election. They may

  see politicians as all the same

  and believe that no real

  change happens regardless of

  who is in power.

  For example 36.8% of the Scottish

  Population chose not to vote in the last

  Scottish Election
• Some people are less

  likely to turnout to

  vote/participate because

  they live in a safe seat.

  In areas where one party always

  wins, supporters of other parties

  may feel there is no point in

  voting because they believe their

  preferred candidate has no

  chance of winning.

  For example Falkirk West is

  considered a Safe Seat for

  the SNP
• Some people do not

  vote/participate

  because they do not

  trust politicians Politicians often make promises

  during campaigns but fail to

  deliver once in power. This leads

  to frustration and the belief that

  voting doesn’t lead to real

  change.

  For example the SNP

  promised to reduce Child

  Poverty but it has recently

  increased to 24%