paper 1 top 2 essays EVIDENCE

HEALTH INEQUALITY CAUSE intro

Poorest society have less than 50 years of healthy life expectancy

HEALTH INEQUALITY CAUSE Conclusion

Body clock ticks faster in deprevation

Death of despair =symptoms of poverty

Tax vs poverty = Covid

HEALTH INEQUALITY CAUSE Geography POINT

Glasgow= worst life expectancy for males + females in Scotland

East Dunbartonshire live 7 years longer than Glasgow

Scotland lowest life expectancy of UK

Rural live 4 years longer than cities

HEALTH INEQUALITY CAUSE Geography REBUTTAL

Drop in life expectancy areas = most deprived areas

Deprivation= deaths of despair, multi morbidities, limit aspiration

Malignant fog from river of Clyde kills residents

HEALTH INEQUALITY CAUSE Lifestyle POINT

1/20 alcohol related deaths in Scotland

1/5 smoking deaths in Scotland

HEALTH INEQUALITY CAUSE Lifestyle REBUTTAL

Most deprived Scot’s 8x more likely to be hospitalised for alcohol related reasons

Minimum alcohol pricing: government wanted to affect poor

HEALTH INEQUALITY CAUSE Gender POINT

½ men die before 75 ¼ women die before 75 = 100000 equivalent to entire British army being killed every year

Males 2x more likely to suffer heart attacks and strokes than women

Men out drink women 2:1

HEALTH INEQUALITY CAUSE Gender REBUTTAL

Cultural toxic masculine macho man = prone to risky behaviour

Poor 2x more likely go to doctors for anxiety and stress

VOTING BEHAVIOUR MASS MEDIA intro

Voters 2019 liked Boris’ charisma BUT voters 2024 didn’t like Sunak being out of touch = narratives

2024 polls: economy was biggest issue for voters

VOTING BEHAVIOUR MASS MEDIA Conclusion

SOCIAL CLASS? Working class liked torys during brexit

Tory downfall 2021-2024

Boris narrative of incompetence

Ofcom must empower properly by government to check claims

VOTING BEHAVIOUR MASS MEDIA Age POINT

18-24 ×2 more likely to vote labour than 65+

65+ x5 more likely to vote tory than 18-24 = as you get older

VOTING BEHAVIOUR MASS MEDIA age REBUTTAL

82% 16-24 access political news online in 2024

labour is the most liked uk party

Older voters = legacy media

VOTING BEHAVIOUR MASS MEDIA Personality/leadership POINT

SUNAKS MISSTEPS: campaign downpour, leaving d-day commemorations early for media

Corbyn = anti business Starmer= dull

VOTING BEHAVIOUR MASS MEDIA Personality/leadership REBUTTAL

2019 SUN = England: tories Scotland: SNP

2024: labour in both

The sun no loner posts circulation figures

VOTING BEHAVIOUR MASS MEDIA Policies POINT

Cost of living crisis 2022 onwards

Truss blew up economy on top of 10% inflation and risen interest rates

VOTING BEHAVIOUR MASS MEDIA Policies REBUTTAL

2024 tory vote historic LOW- 24%

Tories = out of touch

PRESIDENTIAL POWER intro

2022 ukraines invasion constant warnings + threats and pressure from president — little effect

PRESIDENTIAL POWER Conclusion

Most power foreign affairs= 2024 package military to Ukraine— flawed bipartisan support unusual

Consequence: term limits just as president has 22nd amendment

PRESIDENTIAL POWER Domestic issues POINT

Trump nominated:

Elon Musk- department of government efficiency— claims to be able to cute $2tn easily

Robert F Kennedy- in charge of health— conspiracy theorist especially w/ vaccines

PRESIDENTIAL POWER domestic issues REBUTTAL

Republicans 53/100 in cabinet 2025 grants trump more power

PRESIDENTIAL POWER EOs POINT

Trump had 220 in first term - Muslim ban redrafted

Functions as law

PRESIDENTIAL POWER EOs REBUTTAL

Trump to Obama and biden to trump and trump to Biden

Trump issued dozens in first term 2025– withdrew from WHO again

PRESIDENTIAL POWER Immigration POINT

Trump deported a large number of suspected immigrants when a judge ruled one removal unlawful + should be returned

PRESIDENTIAL POWER Immigration REBUTTAL

Trump ignored returning immigrant + judge threatened to hold government in contempt of court which trump ignored

6-3 split of judicial branch to republicans— trump is not constrained BUT Biden is

GOVERNANCE OF SCOTLAND intro

2014 independence referendum— 55% NO

GOVERNANCE OF SCOTLAND Conclusion

2024 GERS figures— public spending of £22B

Many developed countries run off deficits borrowing from responsibly on international money markets

Scottish government set up= Scottish solutions for Scottish problems

Consequence: uk gov must devolve power to hold a section 30 referendum to allow democratic wishes of Scottish people— currently a reserved law

GOVERNANCE OF SCOTLAND expansion of power POINT

Scotland= worst drug death rate in Europe

2025= DCR opened

Lord advocate: DCRS not in public interest + no prosecution plan

GOVERNANCE OF SCOTLAND Expansion of power REBUTTAL

2023- legalising drugs in Scotland rejected by uk parliament

Drug laws are reserved

GOVERNANCE OF SCOTLAND Economy POINT

Scottish pound short term damage to economy

British pound ran by Bank of England= sets interest rates + prints money

GOVERNANCE OF SCOTLAND Economy REBUTTAL

Scottish pound- Scottish solution to Scottish problems

Euro= protection from inflation + banking crisis (2008) + easier to rejoin EU

GOVERNANCE OF SCOTLAND European Union POINT

2021- Scotland forced to leave EU single market

Brexit cost Scotland $3B in revenue

Damaged Scotland’s wealth + increased difficult in trading

GOVERNANCE OF SCOTLAND European Union POINT X2

Scots knew consequences of brexit before 2016

2/3 Scots voted stay

Independence = rejoin- easy due to legislation existing being EU orientated

DONALD TUSK European COUNCIL: ‘you will witness only I think sympathy’

GOV MEASURES TACKLING INEQUALITY intro

Poorest society have less than 50 years of healthy life expectancy

GOV MEASURES TACKLING INEQUALITY Conclusion

Body clock ticks faster in deprevation

Death of despair =symptoms of poverty

Tax vs poverty = Covid

GOV MEASURES TACKLING INEQUALITY Alcohol POINT

Safe drinking guidelines = 14 units per week falling to 25%

GOV MEASURES TACKLING INEQUALITY Alcohol REBUTTAL

The poor: 8x more likely to die/be hospitalised due to alcohol= 20 deaths a week

Amplify cancer

Change focus from health to poverty

GOV MEASURES TACKLING INEQUALITY Smoking POINT

DECREACED smoking gov figures= 15%

GOV MEASURES TACKLING INEQUALITY Smoking REBUTTAL

2024: 1/5 deaths Scotland smoking- disproportionate number coming from poor

Smoking links to life shortening diseases

U18 smoking ban doesn’t tackle poverty

GOV MEASURES TACKLING INEQUALITY Health POINT

2/3 Scottish people are obese/overweight estimated

¼ clinically obese

Choices?

GOV MEASURES TACKLING INEQUALITY Health REBUTTAL

More likely to suffer high blood pressure or diabetes if in high poverty

Poor 50% more likely to be obese than riches - link to AB + DE suffering above

Sugar tax only half’s sugar in sugary drinks not fatty/sugary foods which arguably contributes to more health issues

INTERNATIONAL INFLUENCE USA intro

Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 despite USA threats of consequences

INTERNATIONAL INFLUENCE USA Conclusion

USA dwarfs spending military aid= power projection

Weak: USA embracing isolationism and not wanting to play role of world police— 2023-2024 choking of Ukraine funding

Defeat in Afghanistan = 4 presidents $2trillion and dead soldiers to not replace taliban

USA must increase military deployment to NATO European countries to challenge russia

INTERNATIONAL INFLUENCE USA International agreements POINT

Joined AUKUS 2021 w/ UK and Australia = nuclear weapons

INTERNATIONAL INFLUENCE USA International agreements REBUTTAL

2017 trump announced ceasing all participation to 2015 paris climate change agreement on climate change mitigation= Biden EO rejoin this

Weakens IR

INTERNATIONAL INFLUENCE USA Military aid POINT

USA aided surreal since 1948- billions since WW2

USA provisionally agreed via memorandum of understanding to provide Isreal with $3.8B a year till 2028

INTERNATIONAL INFLUENCE USA Military aid REBUTTAL

Rafah + Gaza invasion 2024

Leahy Law= no funding to govs violating human rights —usa has not applied this to Isreal

International court charged Netanyahu w war crimes against Palestine

7th October aid- catalyst for attack against Palestine

Lancet- may 2024 37000 Palestinians killed

INTERNATIONAL INFLUENCE USA Economic policies POINT

April 2025- 10% baseline tarif w/ trading partners

Canada + Mexico= 25% China= 104% = economic turbulence

INTERNATIONAL INFLUENCE USA economic policies REBUTTAL

Mexico + Canada tarifs due to fentanyl crisis

Retaliated tarifs for USA goods

USA moving away from multilateralism