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A-Level Politics Paper 2 Essay Plans (UK Government + Feminism)
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30+ A* Essay plans for A-Level Politics Paper 2 Government and Feminism (4 themes) to be used for Exam Preparation. ...
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Paper 2UK Government + Feminism
2.1 The Constitution............................................................................................2
Evaluate the view that the UK constitution needs further reform.......................................................3
Evaluate the extent to which constitutional reforms have been successful since 1997?.....................4
Evaluate the view that Devolution in the UK has not gone far enough............................................... 5
Evaluate the view that Devolution is in danger of undermining the unity of the UK......................... 6
Evaluate the view that the need for further English devolution is now overdue.................................7
Evaluate the view that rights are effectively protected by the UK’s constitutional arrangements..... 8
Evaluate the view that the UK constitution should be codified...........................................................9
2.2 Parliament.................................................................................................. 10
Evaluate the view that the House of Lords requires reform............................................................... 11
Evaluate the view that the House of Commons requires reform....................................................... 12
Evaluate the view that Parliament is ineffective in fulfilling its various functions........................... 13
Evaluate the view that Parliament is ineffective in shaping government legislation........................ 14
Evaluate the effectiveness of backbench MPs.....................................................................................15
Evaluate the effectiveness of Select Committees................................................................................16
Evaluate the view that the House of Lords has more influence on Government decisions than the
House of Commons............................................................................................................................. 17
Evaluate the view that the House of Lords doesn’t play a meaningful role in the passage of
legislation..............................................................................................................................18
Evaluate the view that the UK government’s control over Parliament has reduced in recent years....
19
2.3 The Prime Minister and the Executive.........................................................20
Evaluate the view that the Prime Ministers dominate the cabinet.................................................... 21
Evaluate the view that the executive fulfils its functions effectively..................................................22
Evaluate the view that the concepts of individual ministerial responsibility and collective
ministerial responsibility are both still important............................................................................. 23
Evaluate the view that the Executive have dominated Parliament (Since 2010)..............................24
Evaluate the view that the Prime Minister has too much power....................................................... 25
2.4 Relations between the Branches................................................................. 26
Evaluate the view that the Supreme Court has too much influence over the executive / effective
check on the government.................................................................................................................... 27
Evaluate the view that the Supreme Court operates with judicial independence and neutrality.....28
Evaluate the view that the location of sovereignty has moved in recent years / not in one fixed
point.................................................................................................................................................... 29
Evaluate the view that EU membership undermined parliamentary sovereignty............................30
Evaluate the view that leaving the EU has moved sovereignty back to Parliament.......................... 31
Evaluate the view that the EU has achieved its aims......................................................................... 32
Evaluate the view that UK parliament isn’t sovereign....................................................................... 33
Feminism..........................................................................................................34
, UK Government Essay Plans
2.1 The Constitution
2
, UK Government Essay Plans
Evaluate the view that the UK constitution needs further reform.
Agree Disagree
Point 1
The House of Lords has too much power as an Has been sufficient legislation to reform HOL
unelected body. already and any further will be pointless.
● Has the power to undermine established ● The 1999 HoL Reform Act reduced the
conventions number of hereditary peers to 92.
● Salisbury Convention - Restricts voting down ● Any further reform would not receive support
manifesto laws. or would remove the benefits of the HoL.
● HOL have contested this ● So has gone far enough.
E.g.
2017 Hung Parliament → HOL challenged Salisbury
Convention.
Point 2
HRA/Rights not sufficiently protected/entrenched HRA is sufficient and not undermined, just adapted
under law. for ‘National Security’
● HRA placed ECHR into UK Statute law. ● In theory, it has gone far enough.
● However, Article 6 (Fair Trial) is not upheld. ● All aspects have been protected.
● 2013 Security Act - Introduced ‘Secret ● E.g. 2010 Equal Rights Act.
Courts’ that restricted proper legal
representation As a whole, rights are defended just some clauses
● Advisors not lawyers. have been adapted in certain circumstances for
greater good.
Reform needs to go further to fully entrench and
protect rights and liberties.
Point 3
Devolution has gone far enough. Given more powers Devolution unsuccessful and needs further reform/
to the rest of the Home Nations, reducing the risk of England has less power.
broken union/independence. ● Under the Barnett Formula England receives
● Powers of devolved bodies increases the least money PP
● Scotland Act 1998 gave power to Scotland ● West Lothian Question
● E.g. Coronavirus Act 2020 gave all nations
more power on Health and Education
E.g. 2021 England received £11k pp and NI £15k PP
Anymore would undermine PS.
Not fair, unsuccessful.
3
, UK Government Essay Plans
Evaluate the extent to which constitutional reforms have been successful since
1997?
Agree Disagree
Point 1
Have greatly enhanced rights. Although may have increased individual rights,
● The HRA 1998 incorporated the ECHR into when focusing on group democracy reduced.
UK statute law, and made EU law supreme
in the UK. ● E.g. Right to fair trial, Article 6 is being
undermined.
E.g. Article 10 protects freedom of expression, Lee v ● The 2013 Justice and Security Act expanded
Askers Baking Company. the use of secret courts which means cases
which aim to sue the govt for rendition have
regulations which restrict the right to free
trial.
● Defendants are given special advisors rather
than lawyers.
Point 2
The Supreme Court has been successful in holding SC is unsuccessful as it can be overturned by
actions to account and rights protection. Parliamentary sovereignty.
● Constitutional Reform Act 2005 ● Parliament can technically ignore SC ruling
○ Establishment of SC
● Use to judicial review to scrutinise executive E.g.
power
Dominic Rabb planned to introduce a mechanism
E.g. Miller v Johnson 2019 → Suspension of where HOC legislation will correct ‘incorrect’ SC
Parliament Brexit. decisions..
Point 3
Devolution has been successful in giving more Devolution unsuccessful England has less power.
powers to the rest of the Home Nations, reducing ● Under the Barnett Formula England receives
the risk of broken union/independence. the least money PP
● Powers of devolved bodies increases ● West Lothian Question
● Scotland Act 1998 gave power to Scotland
● E.g. Coronavirus Act 2020 gave all nations
more power on Health and Education E.g. 2021 England received £11k pp and NI £15k PP
Not fair, unsuccessful.
4
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