Exam practice

• Evaluate the view that actions of pressure groups have been more significant than government legislation in defending and promoting rights in the UK

  AGREE

  • Insider groups are well funded with high connections
  • Pressure groups gather much more public attention due to their publicity
  • Pressure groups are able to use the supreme court to defend their perspectives
• Evaluate the extent that the UK is in urgent need of democratic reform?

  AGREE

  • Fall in participation/turnout
  • FPTP limiting to a two party system
  • House of Lords being unrepresentative
• Evaluate the view that pressure groups, think tanks and lobbyists have little impact on government decisions

  AGREE

  • Lobbyists
Limited as government is focused on legislating what is in their manifesto
  • Think tanks
Can only give advice, not produce actual legislation
  • pressure groups can still be ignored by government (Just stop oil,
• Evaluate the view that pressure groups, think tanks and lobbyists have little impact on government decisions

  DISAGREE

  • Lobbyists and the EU lobby group spend around £2 billion a year trying to influence decisions
  • Think tanks are often needed by the government (Law legalising gay marriage in 2012, the government set up a 12-week consultation period including religious organisations and gay think tanks)
  • Insider pressure groups
have a lot of power due to links to officials (ASH smoking pressure group - stop smoking in public spaces and restaurants)
• Evaluate the extent that the UK is in urgent need of democratic reform?

  DISAGREE

  • Parliament is still sovereign and the HOL does not have overarching powers
  • Participation is still increasing through digital democracy (E-petitions, social media)
  • FPTP still creates a plurality rule with a majoritarian government to make decisions at an easier rate
• Evaluate how effectively rights are protected in the UK? / Individual and collective rights

  AGREE

  • Supreme court and judges
  • Pressure groups emphasising the importance of civil liberties
  • Parliament can legislate and scrutinise (HRA)
• Evaluate how effectively rights are protected in the UK? / Individual and collective rights

  DISAGREE

  • Parliament being sovereign means they can ignore the HRA and ECHR
  • Judges in the supreme court can not overturn government legislation, they can only interpret and work around it.
  • Pressure groups are not always successful (Shamima Begum)