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Edexcel Politics A-Level: UK Politics

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There are four content areas in UK Politics:
1. Democracy and participation
2. Political parties
3. Electoral systems
4. Voting behaviour and the media.

Edexcel Politics A-Level: UK Politics

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25 Questions

1. Pressure groups - 3 factors for success w examples

This period is often described as one of 'prime ministerial government' - PMs were expected to dominate the government, there had to be a cabinet to legitimise decisions but it was not expected of them that the cabinet would collectively support the PM - Individual ministers may be powerful but the cabinet as a whole was not so much 3 prominant styles of prime ministerial dominanation: - Harold Wilson (1964-70/1974-76) manipulated cabinet by controlling the agenda and discussions, and by reaching agreements with ministers outside the meetings - Margeret Thatcher (1979-1990) dominated the cabinet by the force of her will and by ruthlessly removing her opponents - Tony Blair (1997-2007) marginalised cabinet, he adopted a style known as 'sofa politics' whereby he would develop ideas with a few advisers and senior ministers outside the cabinet in informal discussions and present the cabinet with a fait accompliThe Labour government of 1997 were enthusiastic in reforming local government - Cities, towns and districts were given the choice to have a referendum on an elected mayor - Few chose to and only 11 voted in favour - Also given the opportunity to change to a cabinet system where a central cabinet of councillors from the dominant party take control of the councils work and make key decisions - Most rejected such a proposal 3 problems associated with local government: - lack of autonomy from central government - lack of accoutability to local electorate - lack of public interest in local government and politicsLeader gets an increased salary, some control over the agenda and the opportunity to ask the most questions in PMQT -> to force the government to explain and justify their policies and decisions -> to highlight the shortcomings of the way the government is running the country -> to present alternative proposals to those of the government -> to make itself ready to be an alternative government if the current government is defeated in a general election -> opposition parties often seek to defend the interests of sections of society which they feel are marginalised - The opposition becomes far more important when there is a coalition or a flimsy majority within Parliament1. Size - The more supporters a group has the more pressure it can exert on decision makers - Politicians are unlikely to oppose public opinion due to the desire to be re-elected - Eg Age UK (campaigns for elderly) has had a number of successes, not only as it represents a large proportion of the population but because older people tend to vote in large numbers 2. Finance - Wealthy groups can afford expensive campaigns, employ lobbyists, sponsor political parties and hire more staff - Wealthy groups like from the banking industry have seen favourable legislation but trade unions have made considerable donations to labour and are yet to see much legislation in return 3. Attitude of the government itself - Both promotional groups and sectional groups are bound to be more successful if they combine with a sympathetic government - During the 2010-15 coalition for example the influence of the Liberal Democrats in government helped to ensure that those groups campaigning for the poor such as the Child Poverty Action Group were successful in reducing the tax burdens on the poor

2. Elected mayors Who passed reform What did the reform allow for What is the additional change proposed 3 problems associated with local gov

Leader gets an increased salary, some control over the agenda and the opportunity to ask the most questions in PMQT -> to force the government to explain and justify their policies and decisions -> to highlight the shortcomings of the way the government is running the country -> to present alternative proposals to those of the government -> to make itself ready to be an alternative government if the current government is defeated in a general election -> opposition parties often seek to defend the interests of sections of society which they feel are marginalised - The opposition becomes far more important when there is a coalition or a flimsy majority within Parliament1. Size - The more supporters a group has the more pressure it can exert on decision makers - Politicians are unlikely to oppose public opinion due to the desire to be re-elected - Eg Age UK (campaigns for elderly) has had a number of successes, not only as it represents a large proportion of the population but because older people tend to vote in large numbers 2. Finance - Wealthy groups can afford expensive campaigns, employ lobbyists, sponsor political parties and hire more staff - Wealthy groups like from the banking industry have seen favourable legislation but trade unions have made considerable donations to labour and are yet to see much legislation in return 3. Attitude of the government itself - Both promotional groups and sectional groups are bound to be more successful if they combine with a sympathetic government - During the 2010-15 coalition for example the influence of the Liberal Democrats in government helped to ensure that those groups campaigning for the poor such as the Child Poverty Action Group were successful in reducing the tax burdens on the poorThe Labour government of 1997 were enthusiastic in reforming local government - Cities, towns and districts were given the choice to have a referendum on an elected mayor - Few chose to and only 11 voted in favour - Also given the opportunity to change to a cabinet system where a central cabinet of councillors from the dominant party take control of the councils work and make key decisions - Most rejected such a proposal 3 problems associated with local government: - lack of autonomy from central government - lack of accoutability to local electorate - lack of public interest in local government and politicsThis period is often described as one of 'prime ministerial government' - PMs were expected to dominate the government, there had to be a cabinet to legitimise decisions but it was not expected of them that the cabinet would collectively support the PM - Individual ministers may be powerful but the cabinet as a whole was not so much 3 prominant styles of prime ministerial dominanation: - Harold Wilson (1964-70/1974-76) manipulated cabinet by controlling the agenda and discussions, and by reaching agreements with ministers outside the meetings - Margeret Thatcher (1979-1990) dominated the cabinet by the force of her will and by ruthlessly removing her opponents - Tony Blair (1997-2007) marginalised cabinet, he adopted a style known as 'sofa politics' whereby he would develop ideas with a few advisers and senior ministers outside the cabinet in informal discussions and present the cabinet with a fait accompli

3. PM and the cabinet - 1960s to 2010 What is this period desribed as? 3 prominent styles in this period

4. The role of opposition parties (5)

1. Size - The more supporters a group has the more pressure it can exert on decision makers - Politicians are unlikely to oppose public opinion due to the desire to be re-elected - Eg Age UK (campaigns for elderly) has had a number of successes, not only as it represents a large proportion of the population but because older people tend to vote in large numbers 2. Finance - Wealthy groups can afford expensive campaigns, employ lobbyists, sponsor political parties and hire more staff - Wealthy groups like from the banking industry have seen favourable legislation but trade unions have made considerable donations to labour and are yet to see much legislation in return 3. Attitude of the government itself - Both promotional groups and sectional groups are bound to be more successful if they combine with a sympathetic government - During the 2010-15 coalition for example the influence of the Liberal Democrats in government helped to ensure that those groups campaigning for the poor such as the Child Poverty Action Group were successful in reducing the tax burdens on the poorThe Labour government of 1997 were enthusiastic in reforming local government - Cities, towns and districts were given the choice to have a referendum on an elected mayor - Few chose to and only 11 voted in favour - Also given the opportunity to change to a cabinet system where a central cabinet of councillors from the dominant party take control of the councils work and make key decisions - Most rejected such a proposal 3 problems associated with local government: - lack of autonomy from central government - lack of accoutability to local electorate - lack of public interest in local government and politicsLeader gets an increased salary, some control over the agenda and the opportunity to ask the most questions in PMQT -> to force the government to explain and justify their policies and decisions -> to highlight the shortcomings of the way the government is running the country -> to present alternative proposals to those of the government -> to make itself ready to be an alternative government if the current government is defeated in a general election -> opposition parties often seek to defend the interests of sections of society which they feel are marginalised - The opposition becomes far more important when there is a coalition or a flimsy majority within ParliamentThis period is often described as one of 'prime ministerial government' - PMs were expected to dominate the government, there had to be a cabinet to legitimise decisions but it was not expected of them that the cabinet would collectively support the PM - Individual ministers may be powerful but the cabinet as a whole was not so much 3 prominant styles of prime ministerial dominanation: - Harold Wilson (1964-70/1974-76) manipulated cabinet by controlling the agenda and discussions, and by reaching agreements with ministers outside the meetings - Margeret Thatcher (1979-1990) dominated the cabinet by the force of her will and by ruthlessly removing her opponents - Tony Blair (1997-2007) marginalised cabinet, he adopted a style known as 'sofa politics' whereby he would develop ideas with a few advisers and senior ministers outside the cabinet in informal discussions and present the cabinet with a fait accompli

5. CS Margeret Thatcher, Conservative, 1979-90 Parliamentary majorities State of the party Examples of key policiesStyle of leadership Prominent events Circumstances leading to loss of power

The Labour government of 1997 were enthusiastic in reforming local government - Cities, towns and districts were given the choice to have a referendum on an elected mayor - Few chose to and only 11 voted in favour - Also given the opportunity to change to a cabinet system where a central cabinet of councillors from the dominant party take control of the councils work and make key decisions - Most rejected such a proposal 3 problems associated with local government: - lack of autonomy from central government - lack of accoutability to local electorate - lack of public interest in local government and politicsParliamentary majorities - 1979: 43 - 1983: 144 - 1987: 102 State of the party - The party was fundamentally split around the election time until 1982, one section were described as one-nation or traditional conservatives who beleived in more centrist policy known as the wets - The other side were neo-liberals who were known as the dries, they supported a market economy with reduced benefits and trade union power - Thatcher purged the leadership of the party of wets and dismissed her oppentents from the government with her allies, this left her with a party showing a united front Examples of key policies - Privitisation - Tight control of government finance and avoiding debt - Curbing trade union powers - Reducing taxation - Emphasis on national defence and maintaining an active foreign policy Style of leadership - Thatcher was an extremely dominant personality who refused to compromise with oppenents - Those who were not with her were against her Prominent events - Thatcher was unpopular until she liberated the Falklands in 1982 - At the same time, the economy began to pick up again -> these events greatly increased her popularity and authority Circumstances leading to loss of power - In 1988 Thatcher and her advisers introduced the idea of a 'poll tax' to replace local property taxes - The idea of a flat poll tax was hugely unpopular as it took no account of people's incomes - Despite opposition she seemed determined to implement the tax ultimatley leading to a loss of key allies - She resigned in 1990 after a leadership challenge leaving John Major replaced herThis period is often described as one of 'prime ministerial government' - PMs were expected to dominate the government, there had to be a cabinet to legitimise decisions but it was not expected of them that the cabinet would collectively support the PM - Individual ministers may be powerful but the cabinet as a whole was not so much 3 prominant styles of prime ministerial dominanation: - Harold Wilson (1964-70/1974-76) manipulated cabinet by controlling the agenda and discussions, and by reaching agreements with ministers outside the meetings - Margeret Thatcher (1979-1990) dominated the cabinet by the force of her will and by ruthlessly removing her opponents - Tony Blair (1997-2007) marginalised cabinet, he adopted a style known as 'sofa politics' whereby he would develop ideas with a few advisers and senior ministers outside the cabinet in informal discussions and present the cabinet with a fait accompli1. Size - The more supporters a group has the more pressure it can exert on decision makers - Politicians are unlikely to oppose public opinion due to the desire to be re-elected - Eg Age UK (campaigns for elderly) has had a number of successes, not only as it represents a large proportion of the population but because older people tend to vote in large numbers 2. Finance - Wealthy groups can afford expensive campaigns, employ lobbyists, sponsor political parties and hire more staff - Wealthy groups like from the banking industry have seen favourable legislation but trade unions have made considerable donations to labour and are yet to see much legislation in return 3. Attitude of the government itself - Both promotional groups and sectional groups are bound to be more successful if they combine with a sympathetic government - During the 2010-15 coalition for example the influence of the Liberal Democrats in government helped to ensure that those groups campaigning for the poor such as the Child Poverty Action Group were successful in reducing the tax burdens on the poor

6. Should the UK introduce a codified constitution? (4 - 4)

The Labour government of 1997 were enthusiastic in reforming local government - Cities, towns and districts were given the choice to have a referendum on an elected mayor - Few chose to and only 11 voted in favour - Also given the opportunity to change to a cabinet system where a central cabinet of councillors from the dominant party take control of the councils work and make key decisions - Most rejected such a proposal 3 problems associated with local government: - lack of autonomy from central government - lack of accoutability to local electorate - lack of public interest in local government and politics1. Size - The more supporters a group has the more pressure it can exert on decision makers - Politicians are unlikely to oppose public opinion due to the desire to be re-elected - Eg Age UK (campaigns for elderly) has had a number of successes, not only as it represents a large proportion of the population but because older people tend to vote in large numbers 2. Finance - Wealthy groups can afford expensive campaigns, employ lobbyists, sponsor political parties and hire more staff - Wealthy groups like from the banking industry have seen favourable legislation but trade unions have made considerable donations to labour and are yet to see much legislation in return 3. Attitude of the government itself - Both promotional groups and sectional groups are bound to be more successful if they combine with a sympathetic government - During the 2010-15 coalition for example the influence of the Liberal Democrats in government helped to ensure that those groups campaigning for the poor such as the Child Poverty Action Group were successful in reducing the tax burdens on the poorArguments for: - It would clarify the nature of the political system for citizens - The process of judicial review would be more precise and transparent - Liberals argue that it would have the effect of better safeguarding citizens' rights - May prevent a drift towards excessive executive power Arguments against: - Uncodified constitution is flexible and can easily adapt to changing circumstances - Conservatives argue that it is simply not necessary, the UK has enjoyed a stable political system for centuries - The lack of constitutional constrainsts allows executive government to be strong and decisive - A codified constituion would bring unelected judges into the political arenaThis period is often described as one of 'prime ministerial government' - PMs were expected to dominate the government, there had to be a cabinet to legitimise decisions but it was not expected of them that the cabinet would collectively support the PM - Individual ministers may be powerful but the cabinet as a whole was not so much 3 prominant styles of prime ministerial dominanation: - Harold Wilson (1964-70/1974-76) manipulated cabinet by controlling the agenda and discussions, and by reaching agreements with ministers outside the meetings - Margeret Thatcher (1979-1990) dominated the cabinet by the force of her will and by ruthlessly removing her opponents - Tony Blair (1997-2007) marginalised cabinet, he adopted a style known as 'sofa politics' whereby he would develop ideas with a few advisers and senior ministers outside the cabinet in informal discussions and present the cabinet with a fait accompli

7. Assessment of the supplementary vote (3 - 2)

This period is often described as one of 'prime ministerial government' - PMs were expected to dominate the government, there had to be a cabinet to legitimise decisions but it was not expected of them that the cabinet would collectively support the PM - Individual ministers may be powerful but the cabinet as a whole was not so much 3 prominant styles of prime ministerial dominanation: - Harold Wilson (1964-70/1974-76) manipulated cabinet by controlling the agenda and discussions, and by reaching agreements with ministers outside the meetings - Margeret Thatcher (1979-1990) dominated the cabinet by the force of her will and by ruthlessly removing her opponents - Tony Blair (1997-2007) marginalised cabinet, he adopted a style known as 'sofa politics' whereby he would develop ideas with a few advisers and senior ministers outside the cabinet in informal discussions and present the cabinet with a fait accompliThe Labour government of 1997 were enthusiastic in reforming local government - Cities, towns and districts were given the choice to have a referendum on an elected mayor - Few chose to and only 11 voted in favour - Also given the opportunity to change to a cabinet system where a central cabinet of councillors from the dominant party take control of the councils work and make key decisions - Most rejected such a proposal 3 problems associated with local government: - lack of autonomy from central government - lack of accoutability to local electorate - lack of public interest in local government and politics1. Size - The more supporters a group has the more pressure it can exert on decision makers - Politicians are unlikely to oppose public opinion due to the desire to be re-elected - Eg Age UK (campaigns for elderly) has had a number of successes, not only as it represents a large proportion of the population but because older people tend to vote in large numbers 2. Finance - Wealthy groups can afford expensive campaigns, employ lobbyists, sponsor political parties and hire more staff - Wealthy groups like from the banking industry have seen favourable legislation but trade unions have made considerable donations to labour and are yet to see much legislation in return 3. Attitude of the government itself - Both promotional groups and sectional groups are bound to be more successful if they combine with a sympathetic government - During the 2010-15 coalition for example the influence of the Liberal Democrats in government helped to ensure that those groups campaigning for the poor such as the Child Poverty Action Group were successful in reducing the tax burdens on the poorAdvantages: 1. The winning candidate can claim an overall majority of support 2. It is relatively simple to understand 3. Voters first and second choices are relevant Disadvantages: 1. A winning candidate may not enjoy the first-choice support of an overall majority 2. The winning candidate may win on second choice votes

8. How parties are funded Main sources of finance (6) What this means for the parties

1. Size - The more supporters a group has the more pressure it can exert on decision makers - Politicians are unlikely to oppose public opinion due to the desire to be re-elected - Eg Age UK (campaigns for elderly) has had a number of successes, not only as it represents a large proportion of the population but because older people tend to vote in large numbers 2. Finance - Wealthy groups can afford expensive campaigns, employ lobbyists, sponsor political parties and hire more staff - Wealthy groups like from the banking industry have seen favourable legislation but trade unions have made considerable donations to labour and are yet to see much legislation in return 3. Attitude of the government itself - Both promotional groups and sectional groups are bound to be more successful if they combine with a sympathetic government - During the 2010-15 coalition for example the influence of the Liberal Democrats in government helped to ensure that those groups campaigning for the poor such as the Child Poverty Action Group were successful in reducing the tax burdens on the poorThe Labour government of 1997 were enthusiastic in reforming local government - Cities, towns and districts were given the choice to have a referendum on an elected mayor - Few chose to and only 11 voted in favour - Also given the opportunity to change to a cabinet system where a central cabinet of councillors from the dominant party take control of the councils work and make key decisions - Most rejected such a proposal 3 problems associated with local government: - lack of autonomy from central government - lack of accoutability to local electorate - lack of public interest in local government and politicsThis period is often described as one of 'prime ministerial government' - PMs were expected to dominate the government, there had to be a cabinet to legitimise decisions but it was not expected of them that the cabinet would collectively support the PM - Individual ministers may be powerful but the cabinet as a whole was not so much 3 prominant styles of prime ministerial dominanation: - Harold Wilson (1964-70/1974-76) manipulated cabinet by controlling the agenda and discussions, and by reaching agreements with ministers outside the meetings - Margeret Thatcher (1979-1990) dominated the cabinet by the force of her will and by ruthlessly removing her opponents - Tony Blair (1997-2007) marginalised cabinet, he adopted a style known as 'sofa politics' whereby he would develop ideas with a few advisers and senior ministers outside the cabinet in informal discussions and present the cabinet with a fait accompliMain sources of finance: - Collecting membership subscriptions - Holding fundraiser events - Recieving donations from supporters - Raising loans from wealthy individuals and banks - The self-financing of candidates for office - Up to £2 million available in grants from the Electoral Commission - Immediately apparent that larger parties have better access to funds - Labour recieved around 60% of their income from trade unions in 2015 whilst Conservative Party tends to recieve large donations from businesses - Smaller parties have almost no sources of income, this puts them at a major disadvantage

9. Why did the cabinet gain significance during the coalition

1. Size - The more supporters a group has the more pressure it can exert on decision makers - Politicians are unlikely to oppose public opinion due to the desire to be re-elected - Eg Age UK (campaigns for elderly) has had a number of successes, not only as it represents a large proportion of the population but because older people tend to vote in large numbers 2. Finance - Wealthy groups can afford expensive campaigns, employ lobbyists, sponsor political parties and hire more staff - Wealthy groups like from the banking industry have seen favourable legislation but trade unions have made considerable donations to labour and are yet to see much legislation in return 3. Attitude of the government itself - Both promotional groups and sectional groups are bound to be more successful if they combine with a sympathetic government - During the 2010-15 coalition for example the influence of the Liberal Democrats in government helped to ensure that those groups campaigning for the poor such as the Child Poverty Action Group were successful in reducing the tax burdens on the poorThe Labour government of 1997 were enthusiastic in reforming local government - Cities, towns and districts were given the choice to have a referendum on an elected mayor - Few chose to and only 11 voted in favour - Also given the opportunity to change to a cabinet system where a central cabinet of councillors from the dominant party take control of the councils work and make key decisions - Most rejected such a proposal 3 problems associated with local government: - lack of autonomy from central government - lack of accoutability to local electorate - lack of public interest in local government and politicsDisputes were inevitable, the cabinet was one of the key places these disputes could be resolved - Presentation of policy became difficult, so the cabinet had to develop ways in which agreements between parties could be explained - Cameron did work with a kind of 'inner cabinet' consisting of Chacellor George Osborne, Nick Clegg and Danny Alexander -> became known as the quad - It seemed that for 5 years the coalition pushed forth and made it work, largely due to the cabinetThis period is often described as one of 'prime ministerial government' - PMs were expected to dominate the government, there had to be a cabinet to legitimise decisions but it was not expected of them that the cabinet would collectively support the PM - Individual ministers may be powerful but the cabinet as a whole was not so much 3 prominant styles of prime ministerial dominanation: - Harold Wilson (1964-70/1974-76) manipulated cabinet by controlling the agenda and discussions, and by reaching agreements with ministers outside the meetings - Margeret Thatcher (1979-1990) dominated the cabinet by the force of her will and by ruthlessly removing her opponents - Tony Blair (1997-2007) marginalised cabinet, he adopted a style known as 'sofa politics' whereby he would develop ideas with a few advisers and senior ministers outside the cabinet in informal discussions and present the cabinet with a fait accompli

10. Rights in the UK: strengths and weaknesses (3)

The Labour government of 1997 were enthusiastic in reforming local government - Cities, towns and districts were given the choice to have a referendum on an elected mayor - Few chose to and only 11 voted in favour - Also given the opportunity to change to a cabinet system where a central cabinet of councillors from the dominant party take control of the councils work and make key decisions - Most rejected such a proposal 3 problems associated with local government: - lack of autonomy from central government - lack of accoutability to local electorate - lack of public interest in local government and politicsThis period is often described as one of 'prime ministerial government' - PMs were expected to dominate the government, there had to be a cabinet to legitimise decisions but it was not expected of them that the cabinet would collectively support the PM - Individual ministers may be powerful but the cabinet as a whole was not so much 3 prominant styles of prime ministerial dominanation: - Harold Wilson (1964-70/1974-76) manipulated cabinet by controlling the agenda and discussions, and by reaching agreements with ministers outside the meetings - Margeret Thatcher (1979-1990) dominated the cabinet by the force of her will and by ruthlessly removing her opponents - Tony Blair (1997-2007) marginalised cabinet, he adopted a style known as 'sofa politics' whereby he would develop ideas with a few advisers and senior ministers outside the cabinet in informal discussions and present the cabinet with a fait accompliStrengths: - There is a strong common law tradition - UK is subject to the ECHR - The judiciary has a reputation for being independent and upholding the rule of law even against the wishes of government and Parliament Weaknesses: - Common law can be vague and disputed, it can also be set aside by a parliamentary statute - Parliament remains sovereign and so can ignore the ECHR, as it has done before, and even repeal the Human Rights Act - There is increasing pressure on government, as a result of international and domestic terrorism, to curtail rights in the interests of national security. The right to privacy and expression as well as freedom from imprisonment without a trail are all threatened1. Size - The more supporters a group has the more pressure it can exert on decision makers - Politicians are unlikely to oppose public opinion due to the desire to be re-elected - Eg Age UK (campaigns for elderly) has had a number of successes, not only as it represents a large proportion of the population but because older people tend to vote in large numbers 2. Finance - Wealthy groups can afford expensive campaigns, employ lobbyists, sponsor political parties and hire more staff - Wealthy groups like from the banking industry have seen favourable legislation but trade unions have made considerable donations to labour and are yet to see much legislation in return 3. Attitude of the government itself - Both promotional groups and sectional groups are bound to be more successful if they combine with a sympathetic government - During the 2010-15 coalition for example the influence of the Liberal Democrats in government helped to ensure that those groups campaigning for the poor such as the Child Poverty Action Group were successful in reducing the tax burdens on the poor

11. Sources of the constitution - Constitutional conventions What is a convention Name 4 conventions Name the developing convention

1. Size - The more supporters a group has the more pressure it can exert on decision makers - Politicians are unlikely to oppose public opinion due to the desire to be re-elected - Eg Age UK (campaigns for elderly) has had a number of successes, not only as it represents a large proportion of the population but because older people tend to vote in large numbers 2. Finance - Wealthy groups can afford expensive campaigns, employ lobbyists, sponsor political parties and hire more staff - Wealthy groups like from the banking industry have seen favourable legislation but trade unions have made considerable donations to labour and are yet to see much legislation in return 3. Attitude of the government itself - Both promotional groups and sectional groups are bound to be more successful if they combine with a sympathetic government - During the 2010-15 coalition for example the influence of the Liberal Democrats in government helped to ensure that those groups campaigning for the poor such as the Child Poverty Action Group were successful in reducing the tax burdens on the poorThe Labour government of 1997 were enthusiastic in reforming local government - Cities, towns and districts were given the choice to have a referendum on an elected mayor - Few chose to and only 11 voted in favour - Also given the opportunity to change to a cabinet system where a central cabinet of councillors from the dominant party take control of the councils work and make key decisions - Most rejected such a proposal 3 problems associated with local government: - lack of autonomy from central government - lack of accoutability to local electorate - lack of public interest in local government and politicsThis period is often described as one of 'prime ministerial government' - PMs were expected to dominate the government, there had to be a cabinet to legitimise decisions but it was not expected of them that the cabinet would collectively support the PM - Individual ministers may be powerful but the cabinet as a whole was not so much 3 prominant styles of prime ministerial dominanation: - Harold Wilson (1964-70/1974-76) manipulated cabinet by controlling the agenda and discussions, and by reaching agreements with ministers outside the meetings - Margeret Thatcher (1979-1990) dominated the cabinet by the force of her will and by ruthlessly removing her opponents - Tony Blair (1997-2007) marginalised cabinet, he adopted a style known as 'sofa politics' whereby he would develop ideas with a few advisers and senior ministers outside the cabinet in informal discussions and present the cabinet with a fait accompliA convention is an unwritten rule that is considered binding on all members of the political community, rarely and unlikely to be challenged - Many of the PM's powers are governed by such conventions - It is merely a convention that the PM exercises the Queen's power to dismiss and appoint ministers, to conduct foreign policy and to grant various honours - Also convention, the Salisbury Convention, that the HOL does not block any legislation contained in the governments election manifesto - Developing convention appears to be the idea that a PM must gain the consent of Parliament before committing armed forces - Collective responsibility

12. Why is collective responsibility important? for the government (4) What is the main criticism?

1. Size - The more supporters a group has the more pressure it can exert on decision makers - Politicians are unlikely to oppose public opinion due to the desire to be re-elected - Eg Age UK (campaigns for elderly) has had a number of successes, not only as it represents a large proportion of the population but because older people tend to vote in large numbers 2. Finance - Wealthy groups can afford expensive campaigns, employ lobbyists, sponsor political parties and hire more staff - Wealthy groups like from the banking industry have seen favourable legislation but trade unions have made considerable donations to labour and are yet to see much legislation in return 3. Attitude of the government itself - Both promotional groups and sectional groups are bound to be more successful if they combine with a sympathetic government - During the 2010-15 coalition for example the influence of the Liberal Democrats in government helped to ensure that those groups campaigning for the poor such as the Child Poverty Action Group were successful in reducing the tax burdens on the poorThe Labour government of 1997 were enthusiastic in reforming local government - Cities, towns and districts were given the choice to have a referendum on an elected mayor - Few chose to and only 11 voted in favour - Also given the opportunity to change to a cabinet system where a central cabinet of councillors from the dominant party take control of the councils work and make key decisions - Most rejected such a proposal 3 problems associated with local government: - lack of autonomy from central government - lack of accoutability to local electorate - lack of public interest in local government and politicsCollective responsibility is a great support for the PM's power and this is perhaps its main significance - A PM's authority is enhanced due to the fact they will not experience any ministerial dissent - Also important that the government portray a united view to the outside world, including Parliament and the media - The government knows it can rely on ministerial votes in close divisions within the commons, known as the payroll vote - Critics would argue it 'gags' ministers and prevents them from expressing their own opinions, with the counter argument being that cabinet members express their views when in cabinet meetingsThis period is often described as one of 'prime ministerial government' - PMs were expected to dominate the government, there had to be a cabinet to legitimise decisions but it was not expected of them that the cabinet would collectively support the PM - Individual ministers may be powerful but the cabinet as a whole was not so much 3 prominant styles of prime ministerial dominanation: - Harold Wilson (1964-70/1974-76) manipulated cabinet by controlling the agenda and discussions, and by reaching agreements with ministers outside the meetings - Margeret Thatcher (1979-1990) dominated the cabinet by the force of her will and by ruthlessly removing her opponents - Tony Blair (1997-2007) marginalised cabinet, he adopted a style known as 'sofa politics' whereby he would develop ideas with a few advisers and senior ministers outside the cabinet in informal discussions and present the cabinet with a fait accompli

13. 3 other electoral systems

The Labour government of 1997 were enthusiastic in reforming local government - Cities, towns and districts were given the choice to have a referendum on an elected mayor - Few chose to and only 11 voted in favour - Also given the opportunity to change to a cabinet system where a central cabinet of councillors from the dominant party take control of the councils work and make key decisions - Most rejected such a proposal 3 problems associated with local government: - lack of autonomy from central government - lack of accoutability to local electorate - lack of public interest in local government and politicsThis period is often described as one of 'prime ministerial government' - PMs were expected to dominate the government, there had to be a cabinet to legitimise decisions but it was not expected of them that the cabinet would collectively support the PM - Individual ministers may be powerful but the cabinet as a whole was not so much 3 prominant styles of prime ministerial dominanation: - Harold Wilson (1964-70/1974-76) manipulated cabinet by controlling the agenda and discussions, and by reaching agreements with ministers outside the meetings - Margeret Thatcher (1979-1990) dominated the cabinet by the force of her will and by ruthlessly removing her opponents - Tony Blair (1997-2007) marginalised cabinet, he adopted a style known as 'sofa politics' whereby he would develop ideas with a few advisers and senior ministers outside the cabinet in informal discussions and present the cabinet with a fait accompliProportional systems - Systems which produce an outcome whereby the competing parties are awarded seats in the legislature based on the proportion of the votes cast for them - 40% of the vote = 40% of the available seats Majority systems - Used to elect a single candidate, eg a President or Mayor - Desinged to ensure that the winner can claim the support of an overall majority of voters Hybrid systems - These are a mixture of the 2 - Main example is the additional member system, a hybrid of FPTP and a proportional system1. Size - The more supporters a group has the more pressure it can exert on decision makers - Politicians are unlikely to oppose public opinion due to the desire to be re-elected - Eg Age UK (campaigns for elderly) has had a number of successes, not only as it represents a large proportion of the population but because older people tend to vote in large numbers 2. Finance - Wealthy groups can afford expensive campaigns, employ lobbyists, sponsor political parties and hire more staff - Wealthy groups like from the banking industry have seen favourable legislation but trade unions have made considerable donations to labour and are yet to see much legislation in return 3. Attitude of the government itself - Both promotional groups and sectional groups are bound to be more successful if they combine with a sympathetic government - During the 2010-15 coalition for example the influence of the Liberal Democrats in government helped to ensure that those groups campaigning for the poor such as the Child Poverty Action Group were successful in reducing the tax burdens on the poor

14. Reasons for the erosion of parliamentary sovereignty (5)

The Labour government of 1997 were enthusiastic in reforming local government - Cities, towns and districts were given the choice to have a referendum on an elected mayor - Few chose to and only 11 voted in favour - Also given the opportunity to change to a cabinet system where a central cabinet of councillors from the dominant party take control of the councils work and make key decisions - Most rejected such a proposal 3 problems associated with local government: - lack of autonomy from central government - lack of accoutability to local electorate - lack of public interest in local government and politics1. EU - A great deal of legislative power has moved to the EU after 1973 - European law is superior to British law - Parliament is expected not to pass any law which conflicts with EU law - EU has control over trade, the enviroment, employment rights and consumer protection 2. Executive - Executive power has grown considerably in recent decades, this involves a transfer of political but not legal sovereignty to the government 3. Referendums - It is increasinly the practice to hold referendums when important constitutional changes are being proposed, such as devolution, EU membership, the electoral system and city mayors - Although the results are not legally binding for Parliament, they may aswell be as Parliament is not going to go against its people - Sovereignty therefore returns to the people 4. ECHR - The ECHR is not legally binding on the UK Parliament, so Parliament retains its sovereignty - However, it is also clear that Parliament treats the ECHR largely as if it was supreme - In other words, it would be only under extraordinary circumstances that Parliament would exercise its sovereignty over the ECHR 5. Devolution - Especially to Scotland - Parliament can technically restore the powers it has delegated, but it is difficult to image circumstances which would cause them to - Sovereignty has been transferred in reality, rather than in law1. Size - The more supporters a group has the more pressure it can exert on decision makers - Politicians are unlikely to oppose public opinion due to the desire to be re-elected - Eg Age UK (campaigns for elderly) has had a number of successes, not only as it represents a large proportion of the population but because older people tend to vote in large numbers 2. Finance - Wealthy groups can afford expensive campaigns, employ lobbyists, sponsor political parties and hire more staff - Wealthy groups like from the banking industry have seen favourable legislation but trade unions have made considerable donations to labour and are yet to see much legislation in return 3. Attitude of the government itself - Both promotional groups and sectional groups are bound to be more successful if they combine with a sympathetic government - During the 2010-15 coalition for example the influence of the Liberal Democrats in government helped to ensure that those groups campaigning for the poor such as the Child Poverty Action Group were successful in reducing the tax burdens on the poorThis period is often described as one of 'prime ministerial government' - PMs were expected to dominate the government, there had to be a cabinet to legitimise decisions but it was not expected of them that the cabinet would collectively support the PM - Individual ministers may be powerful but the cabinet as a whole was not so much 3 prominant styles of prime ministerial dominanation: - Harold Wilson (1964-70/1974-76) manipulated cabinet by controlling the agenda and discussions, and by reaching agreements with ministers outside the meetings - Margeret Thatcher (1979-1990) dominated the cabinet by the force of her will and by ruthlessly removing her opponents - Tony Blair (1997-2007) marginalised cabinet, he adopted a style known as 'sofa politics' whereby he would develop ideas with a few advisers and senior ministers outside the cabinet in informal discussions and present the cabinet with a fait accompli

15. City government in London - Reform (1997-2010) When was the government in london introduced? What can the mayor do? What are their limitations?

This period is often described as one of 'prime ministerial government' - PMs were expected to dominate the government, there had to be a cabinet to legitimise decisions but it was not expected of them that the cabinet would collectively support the PM - Individual ministers may be powerful but the cabinet as a whole was not so much 3 prominant styles of prime ministerial dominanation: - Harold Wilson (1964-70/1974-76) manipulated cabinet by controlling the agenda and discussions, and by reaching agreements with ministers outside the meetings - Margeret Thatcher (1979-1990) dominated the cabinet by the force of her will and by ruthlessly removing her opponents - Tony Blair (1997-2007) marginalised cabinet, he adopted a style known as 'sofa politics' whereby he would develop ideas with a few advisers and senior ministers outside the cabinet in informal discussions and present the cabinet with a fait accompliThe Labour government of 1997 were enthusiastic in reforming local government - Cities, towns and districts were given the choice to have a referendum on an elected mayor - Few chose to and only 11 voted in favour - Also given the opportunity to change to a cabinet system where a central cabinet of councillors from the dominant party take control of the councils work and make key decisions - Most rejected such a proposal 3 problems associated with local government: - lack of autonomy from central government - lack of accoutability to local electorate - lack of public interest in local government and politicsThatcher removed the Greater London Council in 1985 claining it to be a socialist enclave in the centre of a Conservative Britain - Labour restored it upon return to power in 1997 and introduced the election of a mayor who had considerable executive power - In 2000, following a decisive referendum, the people of London had an elected mayor and assembly - The legislation arguably doesn't provide the mayor with alot of political power - The mayor is able to allocate funds to different uses in London, with ratification by the elected assembly - Also has patronage powers over a number of positions, also subject to ratification - Checks and balances system, furthermore as the assembly is voted using AMS, there is no possibility of a single party holding a majority1. Size - The more supporters a group has the more pressure it can exert on decision makers - Politicians are unlikely to oppose public opinion due to the desire to be re-elected - Eg Age UK (campaigns for elderly) has had a number of successes, not only as it represents a large proportion of the population but because older people tend to vote in large numbers 2. Finance - Wealthy groups can afford expensive campaigns, employ lobbyists, sponsor political parties and hire more staff - Wealthy groups like from the banking industry have seen favourable legislation but trade unions have made considerable donations to labour and are yet to see much legislation in return 3. Attitude of the government itself - Both promotional groups and sectional groups are bound to be more successful if they combine with a sympathetic government - During the 2010-15 coalition for example the influence of the Liberal Democrats in government helped to ensure that those groups campaigning for the poor such as the Child Poverty Action Group were successful in reducing the tax burdens on the poor

16. Decline in 2 party dominance Describe the 2 party dominance with some figures Reasons for the decline of 2 party dominance up until 2017 (3) 1970 2010

Between 1970 and 2001 we could say that the UK was dominated by 2 parties, although that dominance was in gradual decline - In the early 2000s this dominanced reduced significantly, falling to a low point in 2010 at 65% (votes cast to L or C) down from 89% in 1970 Reasons for the decline of 2 party dominance up until 2017: - Voters often reported that they could see very little difference between the main parties as they were all trying to gain votes in the centre ground -> loosening attachment to a party - The emergence of several alternative, smaller parties attracted the support of former core voters including UKIP, LDs and SNP - There was the long term process known as partisan dealignmentThe Labour government of 1997 were enthusiastic in reforming local government - Cities, towns and districts were given the choice to have a referendum on an elected mayor - Few chose to and only 11 voted in favour - Also given the opportunity to change to a cabinet system where a central cabinet of councillors from the dominant party take control of the councils work and make key decisions - Most rejected such a proposal 3 problems associated with local government: - lack of autonomy from central government - lack of accoutability to local electorate - lack of public interest in local government and politics1. Size - The more supporters a group has the more pressure it can exert on decision makers - Politicians are unlikely to oppose public opinion due to the desire to be re-elected - Eg Age UK (campaigns for elderly) has had a number of successes, not only as it represents a large proportion of the population but because older people tend to vote in large numbers 2. Finance - Wealthy groups can afford expensive campaigns, employ lobbyists, sponsor political parties and hire more staff - Wealthy groups like from the banking industry have seen favourable legislation but trade unions have made considerable donations to labour and are yet to see much legislation in return 3. Attitude of the government itself - Both promotional groups and sectional groups are bound to be more successful if they combine with a sympathetic government - During the 2010-15 coalition for example the influence of the Liberal Democrats in government helped to ensure that those groups campaigning for the poor such as the Child Poverty Action Group were successful in reducing the tax burdens on the poorThis period is often described as one of 'prime ministerial government' - PMs were expected to dominate the government, there had to be a cabinet to legitimise decisions but it was not expected of them that the cabinet would collectively support the PM - Individual ministers may be powerful but the cabinet as a whole was not so much 3 prominant styles of prime ministerial dominanation: - Harold Wilson (1964-70/1974-76) manipulated cabinet by controlling the agenda and discussions, and by reaching agreements with ministers outside the meetings - Margeret Thatcher (1979-1990) dominated the cabinet by the force of her will and by ruthlessly removing her opponents - Tony Blair (1997-2007) marginalised cabinet, he adopted a style known as 'sofa politics' whereby he would develop ideas with a few advisers and senior ministers outside the cabinet in informal discussions and present the cabinet with a fait accompli

17. The doctrine of the mandate Definition of mandate What is the doctrine Significance of the doctrine Issues with the doctrine

Major aspect of the UK political system - Term mandate can be described as consent in that an individual consents to a representative making decisions to better their welfare - In politics a mandate represents the consent of the people, providing government the authority to make decisions on behalf of the people -> The doctrine of the mandate: when a party wins an election and forms the government of the UK, or any governing body, it has a mandate to carry out any policies outlined in its election manifesto Significance of the doctrine of the mandate: - Electorate can feel confident in which policies they are consenting to - The mandate strengthens government, in that the winning party gains legitimacy for its policies - Governing party can be held accountable for not fufilling policy commitments, provides an indicator to success Issues with the doctrine of the mandate: - It depends upon a single party winning, a coalition can complicate matters - It is unlikely and unclear whether voters who have opted for one party agree with all manifesto commitments - Circumstances change relative to election day - Some manifesto commitments may be rather vague and implicit which could lead to the government stretching the supposed 'will of the people'The Labour government of 1997 were enthusiastic in reforming local government - Cities, towns and districts were given the choice to have a referendum on an elected mayor - Few chose to and only 11 voted in favour - Also given the opportunity to change to a cabinet system where a central cabinet of councillors from the dominant party take control of the councils work and make key decisions - Most rejected such a proposal 3 problems associated with local government: - lack of autonomy from central government - lack of accoutability to local electorate - lack of public interest in local government and politicsThis period is often described as one of 'prime ministerial government' - PMs were expected to dominate the government, there had to be a cabinet to legitimise decisions but it was not expected of them that the cabinet would collectively support the PM - Individual ministers may be powerful but the cabinet as a whole was not so much 3 prominant styles of prime ministerial dominanation: - Harold Wilson (1964-70/1974-76) manipulated cabinet by controlling the agenda and discussions, and by reaching agreements with ministers outside the meetings - Margeret Thatcher (1979-1990) dominated the cabinet by the force of her will and by ruthlessly removing her opponents - Tony Blair (1997-2007) marginalised cabinet, he adopted a style known as 'sofa politics' whereby he would develop ideas with a few advisers and senior ministers outside the cabinet in informal discussions and present the cabinet with a fait accompli1. Size - The more supporters a group has the more pressure it can exert on decision makers - Politicians are unlikely to oppose public opinion due to the desire to be re-elected - Eg Age UK (campaigns for elderly) has had a number of successes, not only as it represents a large proportion of the population but because older people tend to vote in large numbers 2. Finance - Wealthy groups can afford expensive campaigns, employ lobbyists, sponsor political parties and hire more staff - Wealthy groups like from the banking industry have seen favourable legislation but trade unions have made considerable donations to labour and are yet to see much legislation in return 3. Attitude of the government itself - Both promotional groups and sectional groups are bound to be more successful if they combine with a sympathetic government - During the 2010-15 coalition for example the influence of the Liberal Democrats in government helped to ensure that those groups campaigning for the poor such as the Child Poverty Action Group were successful in reducing the tax burdens on the poor

18. Types of representation in the UK (4)

1. Constituencies - Every elected representative is responsible for a constituency - Constituencies may be small - town councils, or very large - areas represented by MEPs - Same principle applies to all -> individuals should have their grievances considered and the interests of the whole constituency should be represented - The representative should be made accountable to their constituents on a regular basis 2. Parties - In UK parties play a more central role in representation than in other democracies for 2 reasons 1. representatives within parties tend to have relatively homogeneous views meaning they are more united bodies 2. it is ususally the case that only 1 party governs in the UK at any given time 3. Mandate and manifesto -> each party produces a manifesto before a general election, this statement of policy is then followed by the party's candidates -> if that party wins power then they have a mandate and the democratic authority to carry out those policies 4. Pressure groups - Representative bodies in 2 main ways: 1. they may behave rather like political parties in the way that they have formal memberships and push policy that will benefit those members 2. some groups are not membership based and instead represent a section of society they perceive as underrepresented or socially disadvantaged - There are numerous pressure groups repesenting numerous sections of society and occupationsThis period is often described as one of 'prime ministerial government' - PMs were expected to dominate the government, there had to be a cabinet to legitimise decisions but it was not expected of them that the cabinet would collectively support the PM - Individual ministers may be powerful but the cabinet as a whole was not so much 3 prominant styles of prime ministerial dominanation: - Harold Wilson (1964-70/1974-76) manipulated cabinet by controlling the agenda and discussions, and by reaching agreements with ministers outside the meetings - Margeret Thatcher (1979-1990) dominated the cabinet by the force of her will and by ruthlessly removing her opponents - Tony Blair (1997-2007) marginalised cabinet, he adopted a style known as 'sofa politics' whereby he would develop ideas with a few advisers and senior ministers outside the cabinet in informal discussions and present the cabinet with a fait accompliThe Labour government of 1997 were enthusiastic in reforming local government - Cities, towns and districts were given the choice to have a referendum on an elected mayor - Few chose to and only 11 voted in favour - Also given the opportunity to change to a cabinet system where a central cabinet of councillors from the dominant party take control of the councils work and make key decisions - Most rejected such a proposal 3 problems associated with local government: - lack of autonomy from central government - lack of accoutability to local electorate - lack of public interest in local government and politics1. Size - The more supporters a group has the more pressure it can exert on decision makers - Politicians are unlikely to oppose public opinion due to the desire to be re-elected - Eg Age UK (campaigns for elderly) has had a number of successes, not only as it represents a large proportion of the population but because older people tend to vote in large numbers 2. Finance - Wealthy groups can afford expensive campaigns, employ lobbyists, sponsor political parties and hire more staff - Wealthy groups like from the banking industry have seen favourable legislation but trade unions have made considerable donations to labour and are yet to see much legislation in return 3. Attitude of the government itself - Both promotional groups and sectional groups are bound to be more successful if they combine with a sympathetic government - During the 2010-15 coalition for example the influence of the Liberal Democrats in government helped to ensure that those groups campaigning for the poor such as the Child Poverty Action Group were successful in reducing the tax burdens on the poor

19. Main functions and importance of elections (5)

1. Democracy demands that the people have choice over who represents their interests, elections are the platform 2. Elections are the most important way citizens can get involved in politics 3. Elections are a time where representatives and the government can be held to account 4. Elections have an educative function, an informed citizenry is essential to a healthy democracy 5. Elections provide that critical mandate to the winners who gain democratic legitimacyThis period is often described as one of 'prime ministerial government' - PMs were expected to dominate the government, there had to be a cabinet to legitimise decisions but it was not expected of them that the cabinet would collectively support the PM - Individual ministers may be powerful but the cabinet as a whole was not so much 3 prominant styles of prime ministerial dominanation: - Harold Wilson (1964-70/1974-76) manipulated cabinet by controlling the agenda and discussions, and by reaching agreements with ministers outside the meetings - Margeret Thatcher (1979-1990) dominated the cabinet by the force of her will and by ruthlessly removing her opponents - Tony Blair (1997-2007) marginalised cabinet, he adopted a style known as 'sofa politics' whereby he would develop ideas with a few advisers and senior ministers outside the cabinet in informal discussions and present the cabinet with a fait accompli1. Size - The more supporters a group has the more pressure it can exert on decision makers - Politicians are unlikely to oppose public opinion due to the desire to be re-elected - Eg Age UK (campaigns for elderly) has had a number of successes, not only as it represents a large proportion of the population but because older people tend to vote in large numbers 2. Finance - Wealthy groups can afford expensive campaigns, employ lobbyists, sponsor political parties and hire more staff - Wealthy groups like from the banking industry have seen favourable legislation but trade unions have made considerable donations to labour and are yet to see much legislation in return 3. Attitude of the government itself - Both promotional groups and sectional groups are bound to be more successful if they combine with a sympathetic government - During the 2010-15 coalition for example the influence of the Liberal Democrats in government helped to ensure that those groups campaigning for the poor such as the Child Poverty Action Group were successful in reducing the tax burdens on the poorThe Labour government of 1997 were enthusiastic in reforming local government - Cities, towns and districts were given the choice to have a referendum on an elected mayor - Few chose to and only 11 voted in favour - Also given the opportunity to change to a cabinet system where a central cabinet of councillors from the dominant party take control of the councils work and make key decisions - Most rejected such a proposal 3 problems associated with local government: - lack of autonomy from central government - lack of accoutability to local electorate - lack of public interest in local government and politics

20. Should 16 / 17 year olds be given the right to vote 5 arguments in favour and 4 against

The Labour government of 1997 were enthusiastic in reforming local government - Cities, towns and districts were given the choice to have a referendum on an elected mayor - Few chose to and only 11 voted in favour - Also given the opportunity to change to a cabinet system where a central cabinet of councillors from the dominant party take control of the councils work and make key decisions - Most rejected such a proposal 3 problems associated with local government: - lack of autonomy from central government - lack of accoutability to local electorate - lack of public interest in local government and politics1. Size - The more supporters a group has the more pressure it can exert on decision makers - Politicians are unlikely to oppose public opinion due to the desire to be re-elected - Eg Age UK (campaigns for elderly) has had a number of successes, not only as it represents a large proportion of the population but because older people tend to vote in large numbers 2. Finance - Wealthy groups can afford expensive campaigns, employ lobbyists, sponsor political parties and hire more staff - Wealthy groups like from the banking industry have seen favourable legislation but trade unions have made considerable donations to labour and are yet to see much legislation in return 3. Attitude of the government itself - Both promotional groups and sectional groups are bound to be more successful if they combine with a sympathetic government - During the 2010-15 coalition for example the influence of the Liberal Democrats in government helped to ensure that those groups campaigning for the poor such as the Child Poverty Action Group were successful in reducing the tax burdens on the poorArguments in favour: 1. with the spread of citizenship education, young people are now more politically informed than ever before 2. voting turnout among the 18-24 age group is very low, this may encourage more to vote and engage in politics 3. the internet and social media allow young people to remain informed about politics 4. if one is old enough to marry and pay tax then they are old enough to vote 5. political decisions will arguably have the longest effect on those young Arguments against: 1. people of 16 and 17 years old are too young to be able to make rational judgements about politics 2. many issues are arguably too complex for young voters to understand 3. few people in this age group pay tax so they have a lower stake in society 4. it is argued that the very young tend to be excessively radical as they have not had enough experiences to consider issues carefullyThis period is often described as one of 'prime ministerial government' - PMs were expected to dominate the government, there had to be a cabinet to legitimise decisions but it was not expected of them that the cabinet would collectively support the PM - Individual ministers may be powerful but the cabinet as a whole was not so much 3 prominant styles of prime ministerial dominanation: - Harold Wilson (1964-70/1974-76) manipulated cabinet by controlling the agenda and discussions, and by reaching agreements with ministers outside the meetings - Margeret Thatcher (1979-1990) dominated the cabinet by the force of her will and by ruthlessly removing her opponents - Tony Blair (1997-2007) marginalised cabinet, he adopted a style known as 'sofa politics' whereby he would develop ideas with a few advisers and senior ministers outside the cabinet in informal discussions and present the cabinet with a fait accompli

21. Which parts of the UK constitution are arguably codified? Why? (4)

1. Size - The more supporters a group has the more pressure it can exert on decision makers - Politicians are unlikely to oppose public opinion due to the desire to be re-elected - Eg Age UK (campaigns for elderly) has had a number of successes, not only as it represents a large proportion of the population but because older people tend to vote in large numbers 2. Finance - Wealthy groups can afford expensive campaigns, employ lobbyists, sponsor political parties and hire more staff - Wealthy groups like from the banking industry have seen favourable legislation but trade unions have made considerable donations to labour and are yet to see much legislation in return 3. Attitude of the government itself - Both promotional groups and sectional groups are bound to be more successful if they combine with a sympathetic government - During the 2010-15 coalition for example the influence of the Liberal Democrats in government helped to ensure that those groups campaigning for the poor such as the Child Poverty Action Group were successful in reducing the tax burdens on the poorThis period is often described as one of 'prime ministerial government' - PMs were expected to dominate the government, there had to be a cabinet to legitimise decisions but it was not expected of them that the cabinet would collectively support the PM - Individual ministers may be powerful but the cabinet as a whole was not so much 3 prominant styles of prime ministerial dominanation: - Harold Wilson (1964-70/1974-76) manipulated cabinet by controlling the agenda and discussions, and by reaching agreements with ministers outside the meetings - Margeret Thatcher (1979-1990) dominated the cabinet by the force of her will and by ruthlessly removing her opponents - Tony Blair (1997-2007) marginalised cabinet, he adopted a style known as 'sofa politics' whereby he would develop ideas with a few advisers and senior ministers outside the cabinet in informal discussions and present the cabinet with a fait accompliArgubaly, the UK has been codifying small bits of its constitution since 1997, it may never be contained in a single document buy increasingly large parts are now written and effectively entrenched: - The ECHR, brought into law by the Human Rights Act 1998, is effectively a bill of rights and is unlikely to be removed in the very near future - The Devolution Acts 1998 codify the powers of Scotland, Wales, Greater London Assembly and N Ireland - The public's right to see information is codified in the Freedom of Information Act 2000 - The status and conduct of political parties is now codified in the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 - Important constitutional changes are effectively entrenched by the fact that they have been approved by a referendum and can therefore only be repealed by a referendumThe Labour government of 1997 were enthusiastic in reforming local government - Cities, towns and districts were given the choice to have a referendum on an elected mayor - Few chose to and only 11 voted in favour - Also given the opportunity to change to a cabinet system where a central cabinet of councillors from the dominant party take control of the councils work and make key decisions - Most rejected such a proposal 3 problems associated with local government: - lack of autonomy from central government - lack of accoutability to local electorate - lack of public interest in local government and politics

22. Should referendums be used to settle political issues? (5 - 6)

The Labour government of 1997 were enthusiastic in reforming local government - Cities, towns and districts were given the choice to have a referendum on an elected mayor - Few chose to and only 11 voted in favour - Also given the opportunity to change to a cabinet system where a central cabinet of councillors from the dominant party take control of the councils work and make key decisions - Most rejected such a proposal 3 problems associated with local government: - lack of autonomy from central government - lack of accoutability to local electorate - lack of public interest in local government and politicsThis period is often described as one of 'prime ministerial government' - PMs were expected to dominate the government, there had to be a cabinet to legitimise decisions but it was not expected of them that the cabinet would collectively support the PM - Individual ministers may be powerful but the cabinet as a whole was not so much 3 prominant styles of prime ministerial dominanation: - Harold Wilson (1964-70/1974-76) manipulated cabinet by controlling the agenda and discussions, and by reaching agreements with ministers outside the meetings - Margeret Thatcher (1979-1990) dominated the cabinet by the force of her will and by ruthlessly removing her opponents - Tony Blair (1997-2007) marginalised cabinet, he adopted a style known as 'sofa politics' whereby he would develop ideas with a few advisers and senior ministers outside the cabinet in informal discussions and present the cabinet with a fait accompliArguments for: 1. Referendums are the purest form of democracy, uncorrupted by the filter of representative democracy -> they demonstrate the will of the people 2. Can mend rifts in society, as occured in the 1998 vote on the Belfast Agreement 3. Can solve conflicts within the political system 4. Important to use when the consent of the peole is needed 5. Arguably people are more informed now than ever before Arguments against: 1. People may not be able to understand the complexities of an issue such as the consequences of leaving the EU 2. Referendums can cause social rifts 3. Danger that excessive use of referendums may undermine the authority of representative democracy 4. Referendums can lead to tyranny of the majority 5. Some questions should not be reduced to a simple yes / no answer 6. Individuals are often mislead by charismatic individuals1. Size - The more supporters a group has the more pressure it can exert on decision makers - Politicians are unlikely to oppose public opinion due to the desire to be re-elected - Eg Age UK (campaigns for elderly) has had a number of successes, not only as it represents a large proportion of the population but because older people tend to vote in large numbers 2. Finance - Wealthy groups can afford expensive campaigns, employ lobbyists, sponsor political parties and hire more staff - Wealthy groups like from the banking industry have seen favourable legislation but trade unions have made considerable donations to labour and are yet to see much legislation in return 3. Attitude of the government itself - Both promotional groups and sectional groups are bound to be more successful if they combine with a sympathetic government - During the 2010-15 coalition for example the influence of the Liberal Democrats in government helped to ensure that those groups campaigning for the poor such as the Child Poverty Action Group were successful in reducing the tax burdens on the poor

23. 3 differences between pressure groups and parties

This period is often described as one of 'prime ministerial government' - PMs were expected to dominate the government, there had to be a cabinet to legitimise decisions but it was not expected of them that the cabinet would collectively support the PM - Individual ministers may be powerful but the cabinet as a whole was not so much 3 prominant styles of prime ministerial dominanation: - Harold Wilson (1964-70/1974-76) manipulated cabinet by controlling the agenda and discussions, and by reaching agreements with ministers outside the meetings - Margeret Thatcher (1979-1990) dominated the cabinet by the force of her will and by ruthlessly removing her opponents - Tony Blair (1997-2007) marginalised cabinet, he adopted a style known as 'sofa politics' whereby he would develop ideas with a few advisers and senior ministers outside the cabinet in informal discussions and present the cabinet with a fait accompliThe Labour government of 1997 were enthusiastic in reforming local government - Cities, towns and districts were given the choice to have a referendum on an elected mayor - Few chose to and only 11 voted in favour - Also given the opportunity to change to a cabinet system where a central cabinet of councillors from the dominant party take control of the councils work and make key decisions - Most rejected such a proposal 3 problems associated with local government: - lack of autonomy from central government - lack of accoutability to local electorate - lack of public interest in local government and politics1. Size - The more supporters a group has the more pressure it can exert on decision makers - Politicians are unlikely to oppose public opinion due to the desire to be re-elected - Eg Age UK (campaigns for elderly) has had a number of successes, not only as it represents a large proportion of the population but because older people tend to vote in large numbers 2. Finance - Wealthy groups can afford expensive campaigns, employ lobbyists, sponsor political parties and hire more staff - Wealthy groups like from the banking industry have seen favourable legislation but trade unions have made considerable donations to labour and are yet to see much legislation in return 3. Attitude of the government itself - Both promotional groups and sectional groups are bound to be more successful if they combine with a sympathetic government - During the 2010-15 coalition for example the influence of the Liberal Democrats in government helped to ensure that those groups campaigning for the poor such as the Child Poverty Action Group were successful in reducing the tax burdens on the poor1. Parties seek to gain power at various levels, whereas pressure groups do not, some pressure groups put candidates up for election but they do not desire to govern 2. For that reason, parties are willing to make themselves accountable for their policies whereas pressure groups do not 3. While parties develop policies across the whole range of government responsibilities, the concerns of pressure groups are narrow It is for these reasons that pressure groups can never be as central to democracy as parties, the lack of accountability of pressure groups mean they lack legitimacy.

24. Voting behaviour - age 2 clear statistical trends: Clear tendencies among young voters: (5)

This period is often described as one of 'prime ministerial government' - PMs were expected to dominate the government, there had to be a cabinet to legitimise decisions but it was not expected of them that the cabinet would collectively support the PM - Individual ministers may be powerful but the cabinet as a whole was not so much 3 prominant styles of prime ministerial dominanation: - Harold Wilson (1964-70/1974-76) manipulated cabinet by controlling the agenda and discussions, and by reaching agreements with ministers outside the meetings - Margeret Thatcher (1979-1990) dominated the cabinet by the force of her will and by ruthlessly removing her opponents - Tony Blair (1997-2007) marginalised cabinet, he adopted a style known as 'sofa politics' whereby he would develop ideas with a few advisers and senior ministers outside the cabinet in informal discussions and present the cabinet with a fait accompliThere is a strong correlation between party support and age 2 clear statistical trends: 1. the younger a voter is, the more likely they are to vote labour and the less likely they are to vote conservative 2. younger age groups are more likely to vote for the 3rd party, normally LD Clear tendencies among young voters: - younger people do not wish to be seen as 'conservative', in the more general sense of the word - there is a tendency for the young to hold more left-wing views, this may be the result of a heightened interest in ideas such as equality, justice and freedom -> ideas more associated with labour - it is alleged that Wiston Churchill said 'if a man is not a socialist by the time he is 20, he has no heart. If he is not a conservative by the time he is 40, he has no brain' - arguable that younger people have fewer responsibilities and therefore indulge in more outward looking ideas whereas later on in life when they own a property, a career and a family they are more catious - to reinforce the link between radicalism and the young, it has been noted that a large proportion of new members of the labour party joined to support Jeremy Corbyn, were young votersThe Labour government of 1997 were enthusiastic in reforming local government - Cities, towns and districts were given the choice to have a referendum on an elected mayor - Few chose to and only 11 voted in favour - Also given the opportunity to change to a cabinet system where a central cabinet of councillors from the dominant party take control of the councils work and make key decisions - Most rejected such a proposal 3 problems associated with local government: - lack of autonomy from central government - lack of accoutability to local electorate - lack of public interest in local government and politics1. Size - The more supporters a group has the more pressure it can exert on decision makers - Politicians are unlikely to oppose public opinion due to the desire to be re-elected - Eg Age UK (campaigns for elderly) has had a number of successes, not only as it represents a large proportion of the population but because older people tend to vote in large numbers 2. Finance - Wealthy groups can afford expensive campaigns, employ lobbyists, sponsor political parties and hire more staff - Wealthy groups like from the banking industry have seen favourable legislation but trade unions have made considerable donations to labour and are yet to see much legislation in return 3. Attitude of the government itself - Both promotional groups and sectional groups are bound to be more successful if they combine with a sympathetic government - During the 2010-15 coalition for example the influence of the Liberal Democrats in government helped to ensure that those groups campaigning for the poor such as the Child Poverty Action Group were successful in reducing the tax burdens on the poor

25. Process of holding a referendum (5)

The Labour government of 1997 were enthusiastic in reforming local government - Cities, towns and districts were given the choice to have a referendum on an elected mayor - Few chose to and only 11 voted in favour - Also given the opportunity to change to a cabinet system where a central cabinet of councillors from the dominant party take control of the councils work and make key decisions - Most rejected such a proposal 3 problems associated with local government: - lack of autonomy from central government - lack of accoutability to local electorate - lack of public interest in local government and politicsThis period is often described as one of 'prime ministerial government' - PMs were expected to dominate the government, there had to be a cabinet to legitimise decisions but it was not expected of them that the cabinet would collectively support the PM - Individual ministers may be powerful but the cabinet as a whole was not so much 3 prominant styles of prime ministerial dominanation: - Harold Wilson (1964-70/1974-76) manipulated cabinet by controlling the agenda and discussions, and by reaching agreements with ministers outside the meetings - Margeret Thatcher (1979-1990) dominated the cabinet by the force of her will and by ruthlessly removing her opponents - Tony Blair (1997-2007) marginalised cabinet, he adopted a style known as 'sofa politics' whereby he would develop ideas with a few advisers and senior ministers outside the cabinet in informal discussions and present the cabinet with a fait accompli1. Size - The more supporters a group has the more pressure it can exert on decision makers - Politicians are unlikely to oppose public opinion due to the desire to be re-elected - Eg Age UK (campaigns for elderly) has had a number of successes, not only as it represents a large proportion of the population but because older people tend to vote in large numbers 2. Finance - Wealthy groups can afford expensive campaigns, employ lobbyists, sponsor political parties and hire more staff - Wealthy groups like from the banking industry have seen favourable legislation but trade unions have made considerable donations to labour and are yet to see much legislation in return 3. Attitude of the government itself - Both promotional groups and sectional groups are bound to be more successful if they combine with a sympathetic government - During the 2010-15 coalition for example the influence of the Liberal Democrats in government helped to ensure that those groups campaigning for the poor such as the Child Poverty Action Group were successful in reducing the tax burdens on the poor1. The governing party adopts a policy that a referendum should be held on an issue 2. The precise wording of the referendum question is established 3. Legislation is passed in Parliament, setting up the arrangements and date 4. The referendum is held and the result announced 5. Referendums are not legally binding, but it is virtually unthinkable that a representative body would not respect the outcome -> legal and political arragements for the change are therefore made

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Without work one finishes nothing. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
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