1.1 Democracy and Participation.....................................................................................2
Evaluate the view there should be more direct democracy rather than representative democracy.................... 3
Evaluate the view that Representative Democracy no longer gives the people any real power...........................4
Evaluate the view that the UK has sufficient rights protection.............................................................................5
Evaluate the view that the UK is facing a “participation crisis”............................................................................6
Evaluate the view that pressure group leadership is the most important factor in pressure group success....... 7
Evaluate the view that pressure groups enhance democracy................................................................................7
Evaluate the view that pressure groups widen the distribution of political power rather than concentrate it... 9
Evaluate the view that pressure groups are less influential than corporations in influencing government
policy.................................................................................................................................................................... 10
1.2 Political Parties........................................................................................................ 11
Evaluate the view that political parties should be funded by the state............................................................... 12
Evaluate the view that the Labour party remains committed to its traditional values and beliefs....................13
Evaluate the view that Labour is internally divided............................................................................................ 13
Evaluate the view that the modern Conservative party has moved away from the Traditional Ideas of the
party. (One Nation vs. Thatcherism)................................................................................................................... 15
Evaluate the view that Labour and Conservative Parties are more similar than they are dissimilar................ 16
Evaluate the view that leadership is the main factor when explaining the success of political parties.............17
Evaluate the view that party policies and manifestos have little impact on the outcome of elections...............17
Evaluate the view that the UK is a two-party system.......................................................................................... 19
Evaluate the view that minor parties have a major impact on British politics................................................... 19
1.3 Electoral Systems.....................................................................................................21
Evaluate the view that the FPTP voting system should no longer be used........................................................ 22
Evaluate the view that proportional representation would improve elections in the House of Commons.......23
Evaluate the view that STV should be used in the House of Commons............................................................. 24
Evaluate the view that AMS should be used in the House of Commons............................................................ 25
Evaluate the view that referendums enhance democracy in the UK.................................................................. 26
1.4 Voting Behaviour and the Media..............................................................................27
Evaluate the view that social factors are not the most important determining factor in election results........28
Evaluate the view that opinion polling should be banned before an election.................................................... 29
Evaluate the view that opinion polls undermine the legitimacy of elections.....................................................30
Evaluate the view that the media is influential in deciding election outcomes.................................................. 31
Evaluate the view that the influence of the media is exaggerated, not heavily biassed and has little power of
persuasion.............................................................................................................................................................31
Evaluate the view that General Elections in the UK are lost by the Government rather than won by the
opposition.............................................................................................................................................................33
Evaluate how far the behaviour of the electorate has changed since the 1950s.................................................34
Evaluate the view that short term considerations now dominate people’s voting behaviour............................35
Liberalism.................................................................................................................... 36
Conservatism................................................................................................................38
Socialism......................................................................................................................40
1
, UK Politics Essay Plans
1.1 Democracy and
Participation
2
, UK Politics Essay Plans
Evaluate the view there should be more direct democracy rather than
representative democracy.
Agree Disagree
Point 1
Direct encourages participation in the political Participation is irrelevant if bad decisions are being
process. made.
E.g. Although youth engagement is usually low, in Puts too much power in the hands of the people who
the Scottish Referendum 16-17 year olds had a 75% are not politically well informed.
turnout.
Swayed by populism and self interest.
Increased participation is good as it makes any
decision that is taken more legitimate. E.g. Most searched term the day after the EU
referendum was “What is the EU?”
Politically active tend to vote in referendums, more
politically extreme views.
Point 2
Ensures everyone has a say, notably through the use Can lead to Tyranny of the Majority
of e-petitions.
Winner and Loser
E.g. petition of 6 million calling for Brexit to be
abandoned. Lots of voters underrepresented or protected.
No scrutiny from opposition
Gives direct say to voices that might be diluted or
ignored due to FPTP (safe seats) E.g. Number of anti-immigrant attacks increased
after the Brexit referendum.
E.g. 1 million in post EU protests.
Point 3
In representative democracy representatives don't Such voices of the public are not accountable, in
keep promises / serve interests. representative democracy there is more
accountability.
E.g. Lib Dems said in the 2010 election campaign
they would oppose an increase in tuition fees, but E.g. Ed Balls losing seat → Failure as Shadow
went back on this in coalition. Chancellor.
E.g. 2009 Expense Scandal.
Direct democracy would promote honesty, and
transparency. Promotes accountability.
3
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 ALevelPoliticsPlans. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £14.99. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
