Year 12 Summer work
Government and Politics
Task 1: Research
Who is your local Member of Parliament (MP)? What political party does your MP represent in Parliament?
Follow your MP’s political party over the summer holidays and create a poster that follows a major UK political story over the course of a few weeks. Include;
· The name of the leader of this party – include a photograph
· Newspaper clippings of the one major political story you have chosen to follow
· How the story is represented in different media outlets. Follow the story in newspapers, the internet and on television. Do you notice any differences?
· You do not need to write anything necessarily, simply cut and paste the articles/pictures from newspapers and magazines.
The aim is to help you get used to reading broadsheet newspapers. Try not to be over-reliant on the internet!
The best way to follow your party would be look at the following media sources…
· Broadsheet Newspapers:
The Times, The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Financial Times and The Independent.
· Magazines:
Private Eye, The Week, The Spectator, The New Statesman
· Television:
Channel 4 News (with Jon Snow), BBC News, News Night, Question Time (Thursday Nights BBC1 about 10:30)
· The Internet
The Guardian website: http://www.theguardian.com/uk
BBC News website http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
The Telegraph website http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
Task 2: Article and student led interviews
Read the article ‘Enhancing Democracy’
Answer the following questions. A short paragraph is sufficient for each question.
1. List 2 ways that people participate in politics
2. What does the article blame for the drop in political participation?
3. List 2 ways the article suggests political participation could be enhanced.
Extension:
Interview 8-10 people over the age of 18 about their voting habits. Try to interview a broad spectrum of age groups to ensure your answers are representative of a greater section of British society.
NB – People can be very protective of their political views. Do not push people into sharing their views if they do not appear comfortable.
Ask interviewees:
1. Do they vote?
2. If yes, why do they think it’s important to vote?
3. If no, why do they choose not to vote?
4. Do they identify themselves with a political party?
5. If yes, how do they interact with that party?
6. If no, why do they not identify with a party?
Record your findings for lesson 1 in September. Answer the following questions based on your general research
· Based on your research, why do you think there might be a participation crisis in the UK… why are people choosing NOT to vote?
· Based on your research, why do you think people are no longer choosing to join political parties?
Be ready to share your views in September…see you then!