A Level Edexcel Politics Unit 1 Democracy and Participation Essay plans.
A* Essay Plans, 3 paired themes and up to date examples. (per essay)
Essay Titles:
Evaluate if citizen's rights are protected in the UK
Evaluate the extent to which pressure groups enhance democracy in the UK
Evaluat...
Evaluate if citizen's rights are protected in
the UK.
Human rights - Human rights are norms or moral principles describing certain standards of human
behaviour, and thus protected as legal rights in national and international law.
Yes No
Human Rights legislature Legislature restricts human rights
HRA 1998 Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act
Freedom of information act 2000 2022 has been proposed.
Equality Act 2010 o Would drastically reduce the right to
peaceful assembly by limiting
protests.
Right to social security - in October 2021 the
government withdrew a £20 per week
increase to social security, which was
estimated to push 500,000 people into
poverty
Supreme Court upholds human rights Parliament remains sovereign
One of the most important roles Parliamentary sovereignty
of the SCOTUK is to uphold the o Principle of the UK constitution that
1998 human Rights act - there is means Parliament is the supreme
an expectation that if legislation legal authority in the UK which can
contradicts the act, parliament create or end any law. Generally, the
will modify it courts cannot overrule its legislation,
Civil Partnerships and no Parliament can pass laws that
o June 2018 the Civil future parliaments cannot change
Partnerships Act 2004 was Can just add a law
ruled incompatible with o In response to the Belmarsh case, the
the HRA, as same sex gov passed the Terrorism Act 2005,
couples could not enter allowing terrorist subjects to be
into one. The government detained for an undefined period
accepted that this was without charge.
discriminatory. Judges can only recommend action - which
can be ignored by the government
o 2006 Hirst vs UK the Supreme Court
declared that the blanket ban on
British prisoners exercising the right
to vote was incompatible with the
European Convention on Human
Rights. However, this did not result in
a change in the legislation regarding
prisoner voting,
Pressure Group Activity Pressure group activity reliant on Parliament to create
Liberty: change.
o Has existed since 1934. o If the government is hostile to the pressure
o They claim many group's aims the pressure group will fail
, successes, including the o The Health and Social Care Act, 2012
Human Rights Act and the was introduced despite
scrapping of ID cards. strong opposition from the BMA.
Internet has increased pg activity o The Conservative-Lib Dem Coalition
o 38 Degrees was did not change its stance on raising
established in 2009 and tuition fees for students, despite
provides a forum for its widespread protests from student
members to quickly organisations, such as the National
choose and launch their Union of Students.
own online campaigns.
o 2.5m members
Evaluate the extent to which pressure
groups enhance democracy in the UK
Pressure group - an organised group of people that aims to influence the policies or actions of
government
Democracy - where power is exercised by the mass of the people
For Against
Can act as a check on executive power: Against: Power remains in the centre -
2017 liberty launched a people vs the government will only listen to
snoopers' legal challenge against govt, groups that they already agree with
to challenge the extreme mass If the government is hostile to
surveillance powers in the the pressure group's aims the
government's new Investigatory Powers pressure group will fail
Act. o The Health and Social
2022 there are over 130 Extinction
Care Act, 2012 was
Rebellion groups in the UK campaigning introduced despite
for the executive to focus on
strong opposition from
environmental change
the BMA.
o The Conservative-Lib
Dem Coalition did not
change its stance on
raising tuition fees
for students, despite
widespread protests
from student
organisations, such as
the National Union of
Students.
For: Opportunity for minority groups to influence politics Against: Minority groups can
o The Countryside Alliance aims to protect wield too much influence:
specific traditions of those living in rural BBA
environments. One of these traditions is o The British Banking
foxhunting. It also claims that it Association is
promotes the interests of those living in funded by retail
rural areas and working in specifically and investment
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller deosi. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £15.49. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
