12 A* EDEXCEL A-LEVEL POLITICS UK PAPER 1 ESSAY PLANS!
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Course
UK Politics Paper 1
Institution
PEARSON (PEARSON)
This document contains 12 A* standard A-Level Edexcel Government & Politics Essay Plans for UK Paper 1 (ideologies essay plans are in a different document). Every essay plan contains contemporary examples and evidence which examiners love! I sat my A-Levels in 2022 and these essay plans prepared me...
EDEXCEL GOVERNMENT & POLITICS UK PAPER 1 ESSAY PLANS
TOPIC: Democracy + Political Participation
To what extent do pressure groups undermine democracy?
FOR: REPRESENTATION
- The representation of these pressure groups is highly dependent on how the government views the
group.
- Bringing access points to the government
- Or the government believes in them.
- Banks in the UK don’t have as much regulation on their loans going out to individuals.
o This is because some of these rich groups are funding the conservative party.
o British Banters Association, lobbying, donations, no punishment post 2008
COUNTER
- Hyper pluralism has led to widespread representation of everyone across the country, amnesty
international LGBTQ
- If anything, this could be perceived to enhance democracy.
INTERMEDIATE CONCLUSION
- All of the pressure groups cancel out each other and just create white noise.
AGAINST: PARTICIPATION
- Membership of Pressure groups increasing
- Green peace has risen to 2.9 Million members since 1971
- Impact of this participation
- All major parties in the VIC are on board worth net zero CO2 emissions
COUNTER
- Slacktivism
- Participation by clicking a button
FOR: GOVERNMENT SCRUTINY
- Holding the government to account
- Liberty pressure group like people often government to court
- Welsh identity with facial recognition was delivered in court
COUNTER
- Hyper pluralism, white noise
- Is anyone holding government to account
- Goes against Parliament sovereignty
- Courts uphold the law , parliaments uphold the law
, EDEXCEL GOVERNMENT & POLITICS UK PAPER 1 ESSAY PLANS
TOPIC: Democracy + political participation
Evaluate the view that the UK democracy is suffering from a participation crisis.
FOR:
- Low turnout at elections undermines the legitimacy of the result.
- At the 2015 general election, turnout was at 66.,1% following hugely from the 1970’s where in 1974,
turnout was at 78.8%
- Of the 66.1% in the electorate, only 39.9% voted conservative meaning only 24.4% of total electorates
voted Tory
- Representative democracy requires a high turnout for a legislative mandate.
COUNTER
- Low turnout is yet to produce an actual “crisis”.
- Although lower than 1940’s it’s slowly rising. 61.4 in 2005, 65.1 in 2010,66.1 in 2015 and 7.5 higher in
2018. People living in “safe seats” may be participating in other ways.
AGAINST:
- Referendums have attracted higher turnout with more being requested.
- 84.5% in 2014 Scottish independence, boosted by 75% of 16+17-year-olds voting. Perhaps the
problem lies in not extending suffrage to enough people or the electoral system.
COUNTER:
- Referendum turn points was poor in recent history, 34% in 1998 London assembly plus mayor
referendum, 50.1% for 1997 Welsh assembly Referendum
FOR:
- Membership of parties has dropped drastically as people are less involved.
- In 2015 only 1% o0f electorates were a member of one of the big 3, a drop from 3.8% in 1983.
Conservatives had almost 3 million in 1950’s, 150,000 in 2010. Increased reliance on non-democratic
donors.
COUNTER:
- SNP’s membership has risen from 22 000 (before 2014 referendum) to 120 000 by 2017.Labour has
552000 members maybe Tory’s are more disconnected from their supporters, we can see
participation here
SUMMARY:
- I think the UK’s democracy is suffering from a participation crises although participation looks to be
increasing, it is much lower than where it was, similar to referendums, Referendums are definitely in
crisis across the UK as Scotland has highlighted. They are able to get 84% turnout, why aren't others?
, EDEXCEL GOVERNMENT & POLITICS UK PAPER 1 ESSAY PLANS
TOPIC: Democracy + Political Participation
To what extent has the power and influence of pressure groups increased?
FOR: SIZE
- The growth of pressure groups has enabled them to have greater influence
- Greenpeace founded in 1971 now has 2.9 million members worldwide. They advocated for more
subsistence tuna fishing
- They succeeded, resulting in UK supermarkets labelling other sustainable Tuna providers so that
unsustainable isn't bought
COUNTER:
- Strong and determined government can easily ignore pressure groups that realign with the
competitors (Green party + Green peace)
- Stop the war campaign filed against Blair
AGAINST: HYPERPLURALISM
- (Consensus is the only way things happen in politics, pressure groups are bad at listening and
compromising)
- Hyper pluralism has seen many pressure groups fail I.e they are lacking a popular Opinion.
- Forest, a pro-smoking industry has failed to prevent smoking restrictions up against THE Anti-smoking
lobby.
- Voice is drowned out even though they have financial support
COUNTER:
- They were still able to attract UCIP leader forage to join their campaign after they lost, along with one
MP from each big three
FOR: SOCIAL MEDIA TO SENSITIZE
- Use of social media has allowed for greater pressure on gov’s
- RMT union secretary of union-Bob Crow- used Social media to raise profile of transport worker
- Bonus demands during 2012 Olympics. Succeeded by earning €1000 bonus for every public transport
worker
COUNTER:
- Social media could lead to Slacktivism where people might still be using but fail to fully engage or
commit.
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