Consolidated essay plans based around the 9PL0 Government and Politics specification. Designed to be brief enough to memorise but broad enough to adapt to more specific questions. Plans contain points and an abundance of recent evidence, enabling essay-writing to an A* standard.
Politics Essay Plans (UK Politics)
(1) Democracy and participation (5 plans)
ETE to which representative democracy is superior to direct
democracy in UK politics
Criterion: superior = more conducive to the betterment of liberal democracy
in the UK
Conclusion: overall representative democracy is superior to direct
democracy, as whilst direct democracy produces a strong mandate it is
impractical and can tyrannise minority groups
P1- majority mandate
DIRECT DEMOCRACY REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY
-> Decisions made directly by the -> Elected representatives better
people have more authority than a protect minority interests in quid pro
vicarious mandate, and it is unlikely quo fashion
government will override them -> Brexit referendum 2016 tyranny of
-> People are more likely to accept majority: mass protest and tensions
decisions when they have contributed, between devolved nations (Scotland
even if disliked voted 62% Remain)
DIRECT DEMOCRACY = STRONGER TYRANNY OF MAJORITY PREVENTED
MANDATE W/ REPS
P2- democratic participation
DIRECT DEMOCRACY REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY
-> People are encouraged to be -> Decisions made by elected experts
politically active and engaged more more legitimate, as rational and better
regularly = legitimacy informed
-> Current democracy has a -> 2011 AV referendum only had 42%
participation crisis (2012 PCC election turnout as many did not understand
15%) but referendums have high the concepts involved; complex issues
turnout (Scottish indie ref 2014 was deter voter engagement
85%) BOTH EQUALLY BAD PARTICIPATION
DIRECT DEM ENCOURAGES
PARTICIPATION
P3- practicality and corruption
DIRECT DEMOCRACY REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY
-> No problems with social -> Counting votes from nationwide
representation in Parliament (eg referendums can be extremely costly
Commons 34% female in 2019) and time-consuming
-> No debates over FPTP electoral -> Social representation is improving
system as no votes wasted (71% (Commons had a record 65 ethnic
wasted 2019 under FPTP) minority MPs in 2019)
-> Difficult for an elite to rig the -> Parties held accountable against
system as they must convince a large manifesto mandate to ensure
amount of people accurate representation
FEWER CORRUPTIONS AND SOCIAL MORE PRACTICAL AND LESS COSTLY
ISSUES
ETE to which the franchise should be extended in the UK
Criterion: should = if it would enhance democratic participation, rights, and
,legitimacy
Conclusion: extending the franchise seems to further the aims of liberal
democracy but would ultimately destabilise Parliamentary sovereignty,
participation rates, and the right not to vote
P1- participation (16-year-olds)
SHOULD BE EXTENDED SHOULD REMAIN THE SAME
-> Enfranchising young people in -> Turnout among the 18-24 age
politics would mitigate the current group is abysmally low and would
participation crisis likely be worse among 16-17s,
-> Scotland allows 16/17-year-olds to threatening democratic legitimacy
vote in regional elections, and youth -> Turnout among the 18-24 age
turnout for the independence group was 43% in 2015 and 47% in
referendum reached 80% 2019, well below average
WOULD ENHANCE PARTICIPATION WOULD LIKELY EXACERBATE CRISIS
P2- rights (prisoners)
SHOULD BE EXTENDED SHOULD REMAIN THE SAME
-> European Court of Human Rights -> Prisoners have voided their
ruled in 2004 that the UK ban on suffrage rights by committing crimes
prisoners voting was incompatible against the social contract
with suffrage rights in the ECHR -> Parliament is ultimately the
-> Extending the franchise to sovereign arbiter of rights in the UK
prisoners would recognise their and has democratically voted to
democratic right to vote restrict the vote (by citizens who this
WOULD ENHANCE DEMOCRATIC affects)
RIGHTS WOULD UNDERMINE SOVEREIGNTY
P3- legitimacy (compulsory voting)
SHOULD BE EXTENDED SHOULD REMAIN THE SAME
-> Compulsory voting would eliminate -> Enforced voting undermines
problems with the legitimacy of democratic mandate since citizens are
elected government given 100% forced to consent and is a violation of
turnout provides a certain mandate the right to not vote
-> 2019 election turnout was 67% -> Elections Act 2022 voting ID
(down from 2017, which is well below requirement complicates execution of
1974 peak of 79%) compulsory voting
WOULD ENHANCE GOVT LEGITIMACY WOULD BE AT THE EXPENSE OF
LIBERTY
ETE to which UK democracy is facing a participation crisis
Criterion: participation crisis = lack of engagement that threatens the
legitimacy of elected govt
Conclusion: though election turnout and party membership have decreased
in the past few decades, they are not illegitimately low and supplemented by
pressure groups and social media
P1- election turnout
PARTICIPATION CRISIS NO CRISIS
-> General election turnout is not -> Recently improving turnout (2001
optimal: turnout in 2019 was 67% 59% to 2017 69%) ignoring minor
, (down from 2017, which is well below drops over the years
1974 peak of 79%) -> General election turnout remains
-> 2012 PCC election turnout was only high enough to justify mandate; vote
15% share comparable to European liberal
-> Low turnout cannot ensure a democracies
majority mandate for govt, -> Only problem with rare minority
threatening its legitimacy govt
RECENT LOW PARTICIPATION = CRISIS PARTICIPATION NOT EXTREMELY LOW
P2- party membership
PARTICIPATION CRISIS NO CRISIS
-> Political party membership down to -> Political party membership
1.7% (was 3.8% in 1983) due to increasing (Labour grew from 200,000
partisan dealignment as less to 400,000 under Corbyn)
identification with parties -> Following 2014 independence
-> Important for liberal democracy as referendum, SNP had 100,000
active members canvass and inform members in 5m population
prospective voters -> Most mass-members are passive
FALLING MEMBERSHIP = anyway
PARTICIPATION CRISIS CORE MEMBERSHIP REMAINED
STABLE
P3- pressure groups and media
PARTICIPATION CRISIS NO CRISIS
-> Passive participation common in -> Over 7000 PGs in the UK, most not
PGs, would not conventionally be existing before 1960s, increasing
considered participation as not political education thus legitimising
translated into legitimising votes voting decisions
-> E-petitions must be viewed by -> Social media used to publicise e-
BBComs but are rarely put into action: petitions; 546 have been responded to
6.1m signatures for second be government; 96 moving onto being
referendum e-petition but no action debated in the Commons
PASSIVE PARTICIPATION = PARTICIPATION MEANS SIMPLY
EXACERBATES CRISIS CHANGING
ETE to which pressure groups undermine UK democracy
Criterion: undermines democracy = threatens liberal democratic values and
rule by people
Conclusion: whilst PGs may have some undemocratic influence over
government decisions, they increasingly often enhance democracy by
encouraging participation and minority engagement
P1- lobbying and scrutiny
PGS ARE UNDEMOCRATIC PGS ARE DEMOCRATIC
-> PGs can concentrate power and -> PGs present a more pluralistic form
many powerful PGs are elitist as of politics so can widen the power
insider pressure groups are regularly base in society
consulted by government -> Prison Reform Trust scrutinises
departments (eg CBI, NFU, BMA) prisons
-> Could amplify minority viewpoints, -> Conversion therapy ban; over 100
undermining democratic rule of the groups quit government LGBT
people conference causing govt U-turn: these
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