Democracy

• Democracy

  • Government is elected by the people
  • Free speech is supported
• 2021 Scottish Parliament elections

  • SNP were to run the country
• Devolved matters the Scottish Government is responsible for

  • Education
  • Law and Order
• Devolved matters the Scottish Parliament is responsible for

  • Health
  • Education
• Role/power of the First Minister

  • Represent Scotland at home and abroad
  • Appoint cabinet secretaries and government ministers to the Scottish Government
• Why the First Minister is powerful

  • Leads the country
  • Appoints ministers to the Scottish Gov
  • Represents Scotland
• Why the First Minister is not powerful

  • Only responsible for devolved matters
  • Must agree deals to pass bills
  • Must answer to parliament
• Rights of citizens in Scotland

  • Free speech
  • Right to protest
• Ways citizens can participate

  • Voting
  • Joining a pressure group
• Why some people chose to participate

  • Know how important it is
  • Can make a difference / influence politics
  • Protect their rights
• Scotland

  • University is free and so are prescriptions which is not the case for people in England
• Why some people chose not to participate


  • Feel excluded from politics
  • Don't think their participation will matter
  • Don't know how
• Scotland


  • There has only ever been 1 woman in charge of Scotland democracy and 2 women in charge of the UKs democracy
• Faslane in Scotland


  • A few people have been protesting and voting against the nuclear weapons for decades but they are still there
• Scottish elections

  • Most people are not members of a political party and only about half of those who can vote, do vote
• Stages of an election

  • Campaign
  • Election day
• 2021

  • Jackson Carlaw won the constituency vote in Eastwood making him winner of the Eastwood Seat
• Ways political parties' campaign

  • Canvassing
  • Taking part in debates
• Why some election campaigns are more successful

  • Party has more members to help them campaign
  • Party has more money to spend on the campaign
• SNP

  • Have over 100,000 members who often volunteer their time to promote the party
• Leader's debate

  1. Leader of a party takes part in a public debate against people from another party

  2. They do this in the hope they will convince people to vote for them
• Last televised leader's debate

  • Took place in 2021 before the Scottish Parliament Election with the leaders of the different parties
• Successful election campaigns

  1. Party has more members to help them campaign

  2. Party has the right leader

  3. Party uses social media effectively
• SNP


  • Over 100,000 members who often volunteer their time to promote the party
  • Able to fill the Hydro for party events because they have so many members
• Conservatives

  • Promoted their ex-leader Ruth Davidson in the 2021 election as she was more popular than the actual leader Douglas Ross even though she was not standing
• SNP

  • Almost 300,000 twitter followers compared the next closest party who have 55,000 followers
• Role of individuals in an election

  1. Get informed during the campaign

  2. Vote
• 2021 Scottish Parliament elections

  • Millions of people voted, which the SNP won
• Role of political parties in an election

  1. Produce a manifesto

  2. Go out and campaign
• SNP manifesto 2021

  • All students should have a laptop or tablet in school
  • All primary students should get a free school meal
• John Scott

  • Went around Ayr & Prestwick asking people to vote for him in 2016 and in 2021 he walked around putting out leaflets but the SNPs Siobhian Brown beat him by just under 200 votes
• Role of the media in an election

  1. Scrutinise the political parties

  2. Provide a platform for parties
• Reasons parties use the media in election campaigns

  1. Reach the most voters through Broadcast media

  2. Reach younger people through New Media

  3. Reach older people through Print Media
• Work of MSPs in the constituency

  1. Hold surgeries

  2. Visit schools
• Work of MSPs in parliament

  1. Take part in debates

  2. Take part in First Ministers Questions
• Composition of the committees in parliament

  1. Government are not members

  2. Made up of members from all parties
• Purpose of Committees in the Scottish Parliament

  1. Hold the government to account

  2. Scrutinize legislation (laws)
• Women make up the majority of the Scottish population but less than half of elected representatives
• Until the most recent election, ethnic minorities have been left out of the decision making process as there were not enough MSPs to reflect the population
• Before the 2021 election, ethnic minorities made up just 2% of parliament, it is now 6%