modern - democracy

• features of the UKs democracy

  • elected by the people (over 31m people voted in the 2019 parliamentary election)
  • free speech supported (people were critical on how Boris Johnson handled the covid pandemic and put their views online)
  • many political rights (many people protest on issues like Scottish independence and climate change)
• reserved powers of the UKs parliament

  • benefits & welfare
  • constitution
  • defence
  • drug laws
• benefits & welfare (reserved power)

  the responsibility for controlling the support and income provided to individuals and families in the UK remains at Westminster. for example, the decision to combine many income support benefits into one payment called 'universal credit' was made by the conservative government at Westminster
• constitution (reserved power)


  the UK parliament makes laws regarding where power and decision making in the UK takes place. for example, the decision to leave the EU was made by voters in the 2016 referendum but the details of the process and the future relationship with the EU will be made by the UK government
• defence (reserved power)

  decisions regarding how much money the UK spends on its military and defence of the whole UK from other countries are made by the UK government. for example, the UK government decided to renew the UKs Trident nuclear deterrent - costing the government over £40billion
• drug laws (reserved power)

  decisions about the regulation of drugs is determined by the UK government. for example, the Scottish government has proposed the introduction of safe consumption rooms (aka overdose prevention centres) in which drug users will be able to consume drugs without the risk of being arrested. nurses are available in these rooms in case of any medical emergencies however, the UK government have refused to support these rooms
• powers of the prime minister

  • appoint, dismiss, reshuffle cabinet members
  • chair the cabinet
  • leader of the largest party
• appoint, dismiss, reshuffle cabinet members (power of PM)

  this is an important power because the PM has the power to promote ordinary MPs which means they are more likely to be loyal to the PM and support their decisions. for example, Rishi Sunak appointed Jeremy Hunt as chancellor in 2022
• chair the cabinet (power of PM)

  at cabinet meetings the PM decides what will be discussed and prioritised. for example, Rishi Sunak settles on some priorities for his cabinet which include inflation, growth, debt, NHS waiting lists
• leader of the largest party (power of PM)

  the whip system is used by the PM to ensure that MPs vote how he wants them to on important issues. if MPs dont support the PM their party privileges are taken away.
• the roles of the PM

  • answering PMQ
  • leading the county
  • the UKs leader internationally
• leading the country (PM role)

  the prime minister must provide leadership to everyone and look after the interests and safety of all the citizens of the UK. this may be by defending the UK or declaring war however the PM must be able to provide assurance that they are acting to keep everyone safe. for example, in march 2020 PM Boris Johnson announced a national lockdown to deal with the covid pandemic
• the UKs leader internationally (PM role)

  it is the PMs responsibility to represent the UK internationally. this means that the PM travels to other countries to meet their leaders and build or repair relationships between the UK and other countries. for example, in may 2023 Rishi Sunak visited japan to begin a partnership with japan.
• rights of a democracy

  • right to vote
  • right to join a party
  • right to free speech
• the right to vote

  individuals are able to vote for a person, party or issue in an election as a way of expressing their voice. for example 31m people voted in the 2019 parliamentary election
• the right to join a party

  people are able to sign up and belong to any one of the many parties in the UK but they should support it by paying memberships, fees or helping in campaigns. for example, there are just under 500,00 members of the labour party.
• the right to free speech

  people in the UK are able to express their opinion and even criticise the government without fear of being arrested however they must not use hate speech. for example, certain songs cannot be sung at football games because they are classed as sectarian.
• ways to participate in politics

  • by standing as a candidate
  • by voting
  • by joining a party
• standing as a candidate (participation)

  individuals can put themselves forward in an election . for example, Neale Hanvey put himself forward as a candidate in the 2019 election to represent kirkcaldy and cowdenbeath.
• voting (participation)

  individuals are able to vote for a person, party or issue in an election as a way of expressing their voice. for example, 31m people voted in the 2019 parliamentary election
• joining a party (participation)

  people are able to sign up and belong to any one of the many parties in the UK who want to be elected into office. for example, there are nearly 500,000 members of the labour party.
• reasons why people participate in politics

  • they know how important it is
  • they know they can make a difference
• they know how important it is (voting)

  the UK parliament has a lot of responsibility for making the UK a good place to live so many people get involved in politics to make sure the UK parliament does a good job. for example, benefits and welfare decisions are made in the UK parliament along with many other policies
• they can make a difference (voting)

  people in the UK have joined parties, pressure groups, stood in elections and voted because they can see the difference all these things have to the people of scotland and the UK as a whole. for example, some election results can be very close in votes and every vote counts.
• reasons why people dont participate in politics

  • they dont think their participation will matter
  • they dont know how
• they dont think their participation matters (voting)

  individuals may feel a single vote wont make a difference so they dont do it. for example, a few people have been protesting against the nuclear weapons in scotland for decades but the UK government are not changing their mind on this issue.
• they dont know how to (voting)

  not every student in scotland studies modern studies so they may not learn how a democracy works. for example, only around half of people who are eligible to vote, do vote in election
• methods of campaigning

  • leaflets
  • canvassing
  • social media
• leaflets (campaigning)

  parties will post / hand leaflets to voters which contain information about the party and their plans. for example, members of the SNP posted thousands of leaflets through doors across towns with the policies of the SNP.
• canvassing (campaigning)

  candidates and members of parties knock on the doors of potential voters to explain their policies and convince them to vote for their party. for example, members of the scottish labour party knocked on doors across kirkcaldy and cowdenbeath to discuss their candidate lesley laird and her policies with voters.
• social media (campaigning)

  candidates and parties post information about policies, and criticism of other parties on social media in order to attract attention and persuade voters to vote for them. for example, approximately 42m british people are on facebook alone which makes it easy for parties to reach millions of voters.
• methods used by the media to influence voters

  • targeted ads
  • front page headlines
• targeted ads (influencing)

  when media companies use data they learn about you to target you with adverts to make you think a certain way. for example, younger voters are more likely to see videos of youngest SNP MP mhari black while older voters are more likely to see videos of boris johnson who is liked more by older people
• front page headlines (influencing)

  the print media (newspapers) are allowed to be biased so they usually use front page headlines and covers to express an opinion in the hopes that the readers will join their point of view. for example, in the run up to the 2021 scottish election the daily mail ran headlines warning readers of the SNP and supported the conservatives while the national ran headlines making fun of the conservatives and boris johnson
• how is the media influential?

  • by running debates
  • by running their own campaigns
• by running debates (media influence)

  they allow voters to see how their leaders do under pressure by running leadership debates and also help voters make up their mind and decide who they want to vote for. for example, studies show that voters think TV debates are the most influential in helping them decide who they want to vote for
• running their own campaigns (media influence)

  when media like newspapers support an issue they find important and use their power to question politicians and influence public opinion. for example, the daily record has been running a campaign to decriminalise drugs which the SNP later supported
• work of an MP in the constituency

  • visit local schools
  • hold a local surgery
  • attend important events
• visit local schools (work of MP)

  MPs often visit local schools to talk to pupils about issues important to them as well as helping students learn more about the UK parliament. for example, in 2022 kirkcaldy and cowdenbeath MP neale hanvey visited kirkcaldy west to host a mock parliament.
• hold a local surgery (work of MP)

  a dedicated time of the week where the local people can go speak to their MP about local issues that are important to them. for example, neale hanvey can be contacted by phone, email, video call or a face to face appointment in his office on kirkcaldy high street.