Edexcel Government and Politics-Paper 1

• Reasons for joining pressure groups:

  • Members join pressure groups because they believe in a cause or have something to gain
  • Membership is often funded by those who benefit from the group's activities
• Reasons for joining pressure groups:

  • Members join pressure groups because they believe in a cause or have something to gain
  • Membership is often funded by those who benefit from the group's activities
• Key information about rights in context:

  • Rights are legally protected freedoms, also known as civil liberties, that are absolute, universal, and fundamental
  • Traditionally in the UK, rights were unwritten and negative, but since the 1998 Human Rights Act, they are now positive rights and entitlements
  • Rights may have to be limited in times of war or national emergencies
• Rights in the UK include:

  • Fair and equal treatment under the law
  • Freedom of expression and conscience
  • Right to vote and belong to associations like trade unions
  • Freedom of movement
  • Contentious social rights such as education, employment, healthcare, and welfare support
• Civil responsibilities and obligations:

  • Legal obligations include obeying the law, paying taxes, and performing jury service
  • Moral responsibilities include voting in elections and protecting the environment
• Before the Human Rights Act:

  • Rights in the UK were negative, meaning you had the right to do something if it wasn't prohibited by law
  • Some rights were protected by acts of parliament, while others derived from custom or common law
• Human Rights Act (HRA) 1998:

  • Codified the European Convention of Human Rights into UK law
  • Judges can declare acts of parliament incompatible with the HRA, prompting potential changes by Parliament
  • Defenders argue it has developed a rights-based culture and ensures compliance with human rights in new legislation
• Key milestones in the development of rights in the UK:

  • 1215: Magna Carta established limits on royal power and the right to trial by jury
  • 1689: Bill of Rights further restricted monarch's power and increased parliamentary power
  • Post-WWII: European Convention of Human Rights established, leading to the Human Rights Act 1998
• Civil liberties pressure groups:

  • Stonewall: Campaigns for LGBT rights, challenged discriminatory laws, and played a role in policy development
  • Care for Calais: Delivers aid to refugees, campaigns for refugee rights, and fights legal challenges on behalf of migrants
• Key successes in protecting rights in the UK:

  • On the 14th of June, a planned deportation flight to Rwanda was successfully emptied due to human rights challenges
  • Legal challenge in the European Court of Human Rights argued that transferring asylum seekers to Rwanda would deny fair refugee status determination
• Liberty pressure group:

  • Campaigns to protect civil liberties and human rights in the UK
  • Focused on challenging the Investigatory Powers Act of 2016
  • Successfully challenged key provisions of the Act in 2018, forcing the government to amend the legislation
• Howard League for Penal Reform:

  • Advocates for the rights of prisoners in the UK
  • Less successful due to lack of public support for prisoner rights
  • Successful in minor issues like the 2014 High Court ruling on prisoners' access to books
• Judicial review:

  • Type of court proceeding where a judge reviews the lawfulness of decisions made by public bodies
  • Can declare actions as Ultra Vires (beyond the law)
  • Arguments for judicial review emphasize its role in defending citizens' rights and scrutinizing government actions
  • Critics argue it gives too much power to unelected judges
• Parliament and government in protecting rights:

  • Introduce legislation to protect and further citizens' rights
  • Examples include the Equality Act and the legalization of same-sex marriage
  • Parliament can prevent government encroachment on human rights by voting down bills, especially in the House of Lords
• Threats to human rights in the UK:

  • Police, Crime, Sentencing, and Courts Act of 2022 limits the right to protest
  • Proposed changes to the Human Rights Act by the conservative government aim to remove certain rights
  • Concerns about erosion of individual rights during the COVID-19 pandemic and counterterrorism measures
• Key debates over rights in the UK:

  • Conflict between collective and individual rights, especially in cases of public safety and security
  • Examples include counterterrorism measures and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Arguments for and against the protection of rights in the UK, including the role of different groups and the effectiveness of legislation
• A Level Politics exam.
• Pressure groups seek to influence politics to achieve specific goals without seeking political office
• Pressure groups aim to change policy by influencing public opinion, Parliament, and the government
• Pressure groups are crucial in a pluralist democracy where various groups and sections of the population can influence politics
• People join pressure groups because they believe in a cause or have something to gain from membership such as legal representation or job protection
• Pressure groups can be categorized into causal, sectional, and social movements, which can also be Insider or Outsider groups
• Causal groups focus on achieving a particular goal or drawing attention to an issue, such as Greenpeace for environmental concerns
• Sectional interest groups promote the interests of a specific group in society, like trade unions negotiating for members' wages and working conditions
• Social movements are loosely structured groups with a single objective, often politically radical, and facilitated by social media for quick organization
• Insider groups have close contacts with ministers and civil servants, aligning with government views, while Outsider groups are not consulted by the government and have objectives far from the political mainstream
• Pressure groups can switch between Insider and Outsider status based on changing political circumstances and government leanings
• Insider groups lobby discreetly, negotiate behind the scenes, and may draft legislation, while Outsider groups use less discrete methods like social media campaigns, protests, and legal challenges
• Pressure groups may use both Insider and Outsider methods depending on the issue and government response
• Key case studies for debates on the impact of pressure groups:

  • Human Rights pressure groups: Stonewall, Care for Calais, Howard League for Penal Reform, Liberty
  • British Medical Association (BMA)
  • National Farmers Union
  • Marcus Rashford's campaign for free school meals
  • Just Stop Oil
  • Recent RMT strikes
• Insider vs. outsider pressure groups:

  • Insider groups have close contacts and lobbying success with government departments
  • Outsider groups can still be successful through public support and social movements
• Reasons for pressure group success:

  • Resources: large membership and financial support
  • Strategy and Leadership: effective leadership and tactics
  • Public support: representing a large portion of public opinion
  • Government attitudes: having contacts and finding common ground with the government
• Think tanks are alternative sources of ideas to the Civil Service with more time and expertise than parties to carry out research and come up with policy solutions
• Think tanks must be in line with government thinking to have a real impact on policy
• Think tanks have been criticized for being filled with young people seeking a political career rather than focusing on developing effective policy
• Examples of think tanks influencing policy include the Universal Credit benefit system proposed by the Center for Social Justice and the shift in Conservative party policy in the 1970s influenced by right-wing think tanks
• Lobbyists are members of professional organizations paid by clients seeking access to and influence over government officials
• Lobbyists aim to gain influence on behalf of their clients and prevent or promote legislation that affects their interests
• There is unease about lobbying in the UK due to concerns over corruption and the influence of wealthy individuals and corporations
• Examples of lobbying include the "cash for questions" scandal in the 1990s and David Cameron's involvement with Greensill Capital