Modern studies (democracy

• Devolved powers


  Powers transferred from the UK Parliament to the Scottish Parliament
• Scottish Parliament

  • Makes decisions on education
  • Makes decisions on housing
  • Makes decisions on environment and protecting nature
• Education


  • Agreed to use own curriculum system and qualification system, different from GCSEs and A-Levels in the rest of the UK
• Housing


  • Makes decisions on providing affordable housing and regulating property sales, different from the rest of the UK
• Environment


  • Conserves and protects nature and wildlife in Scotland
• Health and Social Services

  • Scottish Parliament can legislate in all areas of policy regarding health, including free prescriptions, free dental care, and free sanitary products
• Political party campaigning in Scottish Parliament elections

  1. Door-to-door canvassing

  2. Distributing leaflets
• Political parties use media during election campaigns

  • To gain support
  • To attack opponents
• Reasons some people are less likely to participate in Scottish politics

  • Voter apathy
  • Voter fatigue
  • Living in a safe seat
• Reasons for successful election campaigns

  • Effective use of social media
• Advantages of the Additional Member System (AMS)

  • More proportional representation
  • Voters get more choice
  • Voters have multiple representatives
• Ways MSPs represent constituents

  1. Raising constituents' concerns

  2. Voting in the best interests of the constituency
• Methods used by pressure groups and trade unions to gain influence

  1. Organising petitions

  2. Organising demonstrations
• Key features of democracy

  • Freedom of media
  • Regular and uncorrupt elections
• Roles of the First Minister

  • Leader of the largest party in the Scottish Parliament
  • Has more influence to get policies passed
• Reasons for women's underrepresentation in the Scottish Parliament

  • Traditional caring roles
  • List system favouring male candidates