PAPER 1

• Democracy


  Government of the people, by the people, for the people
• Types of democracy


  • Participatory democracy
  • Direct democracy
  • Representative democracy
• Why democracy is important

  • Establishes and protects freedom
  • Protects minorities
  • Controls government power
  • Encourages political participation
  • Disperses power more widely
• Direct democracy


  Political system where the people themselves make key decisions
• Advantages of direct democracy

  • If the public consents, the government is more likely to accept the decision
  • Entrenched constitutional changes and protect them from attacks by future governments
  • Disadvantages: the government and parties are likely to fail to resolve an issue effectively
  • Many issues are too complex for the majority of people to understand and make a judgement on
  • Expensive and time consuming may use it to express their dissatisfaction with the government and ignore the issue in question all together
• Representative democracy


  Citizens elect representatives to take designs on their behalf
• Representative bodies should broadly be in line with the characteristics of the population eg. half women, some ethnic, range of ages & classes
• Representatives must represent the national interest
• Constituency representation


  The representative listens to the view of constituents when deciding about a national issue
• Suffrage


  The ability or right to vote in public elections
• Suffrage movements

  • Suffragists (middle class women, used nonviolent methods)
  • Suffragettes (aim to attract publicity and put pressure on Parliament and attack well known, male dominated institutions)
• Key milestones in suffrage

  • Great Reform Act of 1832- granting vote to people in countries, tenant farmers
  • 1897 National Union of women's Suffrage societies
  • 1918 Representation of the people act- all men over 21 & women over 30 enfranchised & 75% of adult pop can vote
  • 1928- men and women equalised
  • 1948 end of plural voting
  • 1969 voting age reduced to 18
• Rights in the UK

  • Fair and equal treatment under the law, including right to a free trial and to peaceful possession of one's property
  • Freedom of expression in speech and writing
  • Freedom of conscience, including worshipping as one wishes
  • Vote, stand for an election and join a party
  • Belonging to an association such as trade union
  • Freedom of movement
• The Equality Act 2010 and 1970 Equal Pay Act protect rights in the UK
• Pressure groups

  Organisations that may be informal or formal whose purpose is to further the interests of a specific section of society and enhance pluralism
• Key features of pressure groups

  • Organisation
  • Influence
  • Issues/sections in society
  • Levels of government
  • Use of courts
• Functions of pressure groups

  • Educate the public
  • Hold government to account
  • Help adapt policies being introduced
  • Tension release for public to express their feelings
• Methods used by pressure groups

  • Access points and lobbying
  • Public campaigning
  • Parliamentary representation
  • Media campaigns
• Factors affecting pressure group effectiveness

  • Leadership
  • Tactics
  • Public support
  • Organisation
  • Methods of campaigning and protests
  • Short term issues
  • Size of group
  • Political support
  • Government attitude
  • Demand for the cause
  • Resources and funding
• Pressure group examples


  • BMA
  • Greenpeace
  • RSPCA
• Think tanks


  Groups of experts from different backgrounds who are brought together to investigate particular topics and offer solutions to complicated economic,social or political issues
• Think tanks have more time and expertise than political parties to carry out research
• Think tank examples


  • The Institute for economic affairs
  • The Adam smith institute
  • The Centre for Policy Studies
• Lobbyists


  Members of professional organisations who are paid by clients seeking access to government, or to MPs and members of the House of Lords
• The 2000 Political parties, Elections and Referendums Act set up an independent electoral commission to supervise party spending on election campaigns
• Arguments for state funding of political parties

  • Parties play an important role in representative democracy so need public funding
  • Curb possibility of corrupt influence of private backers on policy
  • If the state matched donations by party members, it might encourage participation by the public and recruitment to parties
• Arguments against state funding of political parties

  • Taxpayers would resent compulsory contributions to parties of which they disapprove
  • Public funding could isolate parties from the wishes of the voters
  • Abuses in funding examples
• Abuses in political party funding

  • 'cash for peerages' scandal
  • MP expenses scandal
• Conservative party


  Traditional conservatives, One nation conservatism, new right and Margaret Thatcher
• Key features of Conservative party

  • Pragmatism
  • Paternalism, welfare state
  • Reduce state intervention while ensuring social order
  • Increased police powers, privatised industries under state ownership, control public spending with tax cuts to stimulate incentives for business and stimulate economic growth
  • Individualism and making people responsible for themselves
• Conservative party leaders

  • David Cameron: 'detoxify' conservative brand more liberal
  • Theresa May: focused on social attitudes and political priorities
  • Boris Johnson: made use of state intervention to help the disadvantaged
• Labour party


  Stands for nationalism, establishment of NHS, foreign policy, wider welfare state
• Old Labour

  • Clause 4: committed to campaign for common ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange
  • State to nationalise key industries and services run them in the interests of the community not for profit
  • Trade unions granted wide powers to take industrial action
  • Nationalisation
  • Higher taxes on higher income earners to fund welfare
• New Labour


  • Emphasis on wealth creation rather than redistribution
  • People need to be more aware of their responsibilities to the community as well as their rights
  • Responsibility in handling the national finances and investing more into public services
  • Enlisting the public sector to deliver public services
• Third Way

  • Remove unjust elements from capitalism
  • Public to private 'partnership'
  • Competition/ inequality, greater redistribution
  • Egalitarianism by increasing skills + capitalism
• Labour party leaders


  • Gordon Brown: pumped money into banks to boost economic growth, nationalised most vulnerable banks, raised income tax
  • Ed Miliband: called for restoration of 50% top rate of income tax, 'Bedroom tax'
• Plaid Cymru


  Further devolution to Welsh assembly, replace FPTP with a STV proportional system, extended vote to 16 & 17 yr olds
• DUP


  5 point plan to grow the economy, fix the NHS, keep schools world class, remove Northern Ireland protocol and Assembly Election Manifesto and procedures
• UKIP


  Single issue party against the departure of the EU, support free speech, scrap most foreign aid, abolish the BBC licence fee and abolish HOL
• Electoral systems


  • FPTP
  • STV
  • AMS
  • SV