Democracy Higher Homeworks 2016

CFE Higher Modern Studies

Democracy in Scotland and the UK

Homework Booklet 2016

Introductory Homework

‘The UK should have a constitution laid down in a single, codified document’

Discuss (20 marks)

Essays should include:

Knowledge

Up to 8 marks are awarded, based on the level of detail and description of issues you include (up to 4 of the 8 marks) and the extent to which you explain the issues and use examples to illustrate your points (another 4 marks)

Analysis

Comments that identify relationships/ implications, explore different views or establish consequences/ implications (up to 6 marks awarded)

Structure

2 marks for a coherent argument with clearly laid out evidence making the issue/s clear

Conclusion

Up to 4 marks showing a judgement based on the evidence and arguments laid out. One or two main conclusions can be drawn. Good advice is to include a further piece of evidence or argument not previously included in your answer

Themes for consideration in this essay:

  • Flexibility of British System
  • Parliamentary Sovereignty
  • Whether individual rights are properly protected
  • Success of British Constitution
  • Fact it is written, just not in one document
  • Advantages and disadvantages of a single document (less flexible, reduces parliamentary power, might better protect rights depending on how it is written, increases role of judiciary, possibly would force a change in the power of Executive , etc)

Excellent essay on whether UK should have a written constitution

very good issues raise, especially Suprem Court and links with EU

where would we be without Wikipedia? Good links for all the terms you do not understand

A good essay on this topic which also highlights good essay practice can be accessed through this link

Homework 1

‘Backbench MPs have little influence on decision making in central government’

Discuss (20 marks)

Remember notes above on how 20 mark essays are marked

Consider the following in your answer:

  • Questioning
  • Debating
  • Passing legislation
  • Rebellion and Party Whips
  • Committees
  • A central theme I would recommend is that the extent to which backbenchers have influence very much depends on the issue and the size of a government majority
  • Consider comparing the Labour Governments between 1997 and 2010 with the Coalition government of 2010-2015 and the 2015 Conservative government since 2015

Homework 2

To what extent can Parliament control the powers of the Prime Minister?

(12 marks)

In your answer you should think about:

  • Size of government majority and how this affects ability to control PM as well as particular issues
  • Legislation and how Commons and Lords can force amendments or stop Bills
  • Select Committees, debates and questioning (scrutiny) by both Houses and its effectiveness
  • Prerogative powers

12 mark Essays should include:

Knowledge

Up to 8 marks are awarded, based on the level of detail and description of issues you include (up to 4 of the 8 marks) and the extent to which you explain the issues and use examples to illustrate your points (another 4 marks)

Analysis

Comments that identify relationships/ implications, explore different views or establish consequences/ implications (up to 4 marks awarded)

There is no requirement for a conclusion, but where it is added it can count towards analysis marks

USEFUL LINKS on EXECUTIVE POWER

Is the PM and his office to powerful?

2009 newspaper opinion on Executive Power

excellent blog on powers of PM

Homework 3 (Source Question)

Source A

The 2010 General Election televised Debates

The 2010 General Election witnessed the first live television debates between leaders from each of the three main UK parties — Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats. Cameron, Brown and Clegg all hoped to visually connect with voters during a tightly fought campaign nicknamed the ‘digital election’.

Before the first-ever debate of its kind, an Ipsos MORI poll revealed 60% of those voters surveyed felt the TV debates would be important to them in helping decide the way they would vote. The performance of the candidates during the debates could also have the potential to alter the way the media would handle coverage of each of the leaders and their parties. Following the debates, a range of polls suggested Nick Clegg had won convincingly, with many voters indicating they would switch to the Liberal Democrats. The success of Nick Clegg led to claims of ‘Cleggmania’ and a prediction of a historic increase in the number of seats for the Liberal Democrats.

A second survey conducted after the election by an independent polling organisation found the leaders’ TV debates changed the voting intentions of more than a million voters. Put another way, the results indicated that the debates altered the voting behaviour of more than 4% of the electorate. Also, it could be argued that TV coverage of the leaders’ debate motivated thousands of voters to use their vote when otherwise they may not have done. In some parts of the country there was a rise of 17% in younger voters indicating that they would turn out to vote. On the other hand, it could be argued that the TV debates only reinforced the existing views most people had.

A third survey from the British Election Study 2010 found 9.4m people watched the first live debate on ITV, 4.5m watched the second debate on Sky and 8.5m the final debate on the BBC. After the second debate, polling figures suggested Cameron and Clegg were joint winners. After the third debate, polling figures suggested Cameron was the winner. Overall, the results from this study appeared to suggest 12% of voters changed their mind about which party to vote for as a consequence of watching the TV election debates.

After the polling stations closed and the votes were counted, it was found that no one party had an overall majority in the House of Commons. The Conservatives obtained the largest share of the overall vote polling 36% (up 3.7% from 2005), Labour attracted 29% of the vote (down 6.2% from 2005) and the Liberal Democrats 23% (up 1% from 2005).

(Adapted from various sources)

Attempt the following question, using only the information in Sources A and B opposite and above.

To what extent is it accurate to state that the televised debates had a significant impact on voting intentions? 8 marks

In tackling these questions:

Up to a maximum of 6 marks are awarded for successfully identifying and evaluating evidence in sources that determine that the view is accurate or not

Up to 2 marks for stating how objective the evidence is or how reliable or otherwise the sources are

Up to 2 marks for a conclusion as to the extent that he statement is accurate (were the debates significant in their impact on voting intentions or not?)

Homework 4

Analyse the ways in which an electoral system you have studied allows the views of the electorate to be represented.

You should refer to an electoral system used in Scotland or the UK or both in your answer.

(12 marks) SQA, Higher, 2016

In your answer you should consider:

  • At least one electoral system. Although it is probably useful to compare it to another to show how proportional the result is
  • Focus on issues such as over and under representation of voters and political parties
  • Choice offered between candidates by system/s
  • Constituency links
  • Outcome of election- coalition or majority
  • Likelihood of tactical voting

Homework 5

Most citizens participate effectively in the political process

Discuss (20 marks) SQA, Higher, 2015

In your answer you should consider:

  • Various methods and their effectiveness in participating
  • Voting and the result
  • Turnout at election/ referendums
  • Party membership and involvement in campaigns
  • Pressure group involvement and activism
  • Use of social media
  • Standing for election

Homework 6

SQA, 2016

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