Spec Notes - UK Politics

Democracy and Participation:

    1.1 - Representative and Direct Democracy

        Representative - an elected group of individuals represent the general         public

            Pros: Quicker political system - doesn’t require every issue to be             voted on by the general public

            Educated group of individuals are voting

            Minorities represented by a representative, 

            Cons: Able to become corrupt, due to lack of trust from general             public

            Some may feel that their views are not represented

        Direct - the general public vote on political issues

            Pros: Larger proportion of opinions, more representative and             therefore theoretically more legitimate

            Encourages active participation

            Cons: Slower to make decisions as larger amount of voters

            Less educated people are voting

            Tyranny of the majority - minority never able to win referendums

        Similarities - power ultimately lies with people, legitimate, decisions         made through public consent

    1.2 - Wider Franchise and debates over suffrage

        Debates:

            Should prisoners be able to vote?          

Yes, Prisoners should be able to vote

No, Prisoners should not be able to vote

Voting is a civil right, and prisoners are still civilians

Increase civil responsibility

Could lead to disproportionality within society if prisoners aren’t allowed to vote

Punishment includes loss of certain freedoms - such as voting

Giving political power to criminals undermines justice

Logistical challenge

            Should 16 & 17 year olds be able to vote?

Yes, 16 & 17 year olds should be able to vote

No, 16 & 17 year olds should not be able to vote

Increased political awareness due to social media, increases legitimacy of votes

Laws impact 16,17 year olds, particularly as they have to pay taxes if they work

Encourages lifelong participation

Teens are more vulnerable to influence from extremist views on social media

Limited life experience, less aware of how policies may impact them

Could cause education to become politically charged

   

1.3 - Pressure groups and other influences

        Methods of pressure groups:

            Use of supreme courts - in the case that government has done             something illegal (i.e. violates EU laws or against human rights             laws)

            Interventions - document stating information to judges, to have                                more sway over judicial sector of government

            Work with select committees in order to successfully scrutinise                                government

        Influence of pressure groups:

            Influence over access points - access points are the people and             places which pressure groups target in order to change things

            Influence over political parties - long term links (e.g. labour party             and trade union), allows to become closer to the executive

        Think tanks:

            Think tanks can significantly shape government decisions by generating             policy ideas and providing expertise. They employ academics and former             politicians to research policy areas and present innovative solutions that             governments may adopt, particularly when they align with party ideology.

        Example of a think tank: Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) produced reports on         welfare dependency and policy which directly influenced the Universal Credit         System

            Issue with think tanks: Think tanks lack direct influence because they have             no formal power, and governments often only draw on them when their             ideas suit existing agendas

        Example of failure of think tank: Torsten Bell's resolution foundation. Under         labour government was very successful (Due to being labour MP), but when         government changed, was mainly ignored.

        Lobbyists:

            Influence over government policy (often retired politicians or civil             servants), as they connect companies and organisations to politicians,             ensuring their concerns are heard during the policymaking process, often             using financial resources to amplify their voice

        Example of lobbyist: 2 billion is spent on lobbying in the year, so must be         somewhat influential

        Corporations

            

    1.4 - Rights in context

        Civil Rights - Legal protections that ensure individuals receive equal treatment         under the law.

        Civil Liberties - Fundamental freedoms and protections from government         interference

            Positive Rights - RIGHT TO

                    e.g. - education, life, exercise your vote

            Negative Rights - RIGHT FROM

                    e.g. - speech, assembly, the press

              Liberty - action group, focuses on protecting rights in parliament.