Essentials of UK Politics and Government

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Brief Contents
Contents
List of Key Topic Debates
About the Authors
Tour of the Book
Digital Resources
How to Use the Book
1 DEMOCRACY AND PARTICIPATION: SUFFRAGE
	Chapter Preview
		Key Questions and Debates
	Democracy
		What is democracy?
		Legitimacy
		Types of democracy
			Direct democracy
			Representative democracy
			Advantages of direct democracy/disadvantages of representative democracy
			Advantages of representative democracy/disadvantages of direct democracy
		Key Debate Summary: Is direct democracy superior to representative democracy?
		Voting and non-voting
		Party membership
		Group politics
		Social movements and direct action
		Individual politics
		Key Debate Summary: Is the UK suffering from a participation crisis?
	Enhancing democracy in the UK
		Key Debate Summary: Will reforms enhance democracy in the UK?
	A wider franchise and debates over suffrage
		Universal suffrage
			CASE STUDY 1.1: THE WORK OF THE SUFFRAGISTS/SUFFRAGETTES TO EXTEND THE FRANCHISE
	The right to vote in the twenty-first century
	Should the franchise be extended to 16and 17-year-olds?
	Should voting be compulsory?
		CASE STUDY 1.2: VOTES FOR PRISONERS: A MODERN CAMPAIGN TO
	Chapter Summary
		Exam Style Questions
	Source Question
	Further Resources
2 DEMOCRACY AND PARTICIPATION: PRESSURE GROUPS AND OTHER INFLUENCES AND RIGHTS IN CONTEXT
	Chapter Preview
		Key Questions and Debates
		Specification Checklist
	What are pressure groups?
		Types of groups
			Pressure groups
			Interest and cause groups
			Insider and outsider groups
			Think tanks
				CASE STUDY 2.1: EXTINCTION REBELLION
			Corporations
				CASE STUDY 2.2: THE CENTRE FOR POLICY STUDIES
			Lobbyists
	Methods used by pressure participants to exert influence on both government and parliament
		KEY TOPIC DEBATE: HOW EFFECTIVE ARE INSIDER METHODS?
		Working with ministers and civil servants
		Working with Parliament
		Working with political parties
		Wider access points
		Key Debate Summary: How effective are insider methods?
			KEY TOPIC DEBATE: HOW EFFECTIVE ARE OUTSIDER METHODS?
				Engaging the public
				The courts
		Key Debate Summary: How effective are outsider methods?
			KEY TOPIC DEBATE: ARE SOME GROUPS MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN OTHERS?
		Wealth
		Organisation and leadership
		Compatibility with the government
		Popular support
		Key Debate Summary: Are some groups more successful than others?
			KEY TOPIC DEBATE: DOES GROUP POLITICS PROMOTE DEMOCRACY IN THE UK?
		Key Debate Summary: Does group politics promote democracy in the UK?
	What are rights?
		How are rights protected in the UK?
			Human Rights Act
			Freedom of Information Act 2001
				CASE STUDY 2.3: LIBERTY
			Equality Act 2010
		The limits and tensions of rights protection in the UK
			Rights and responsibilities
				KEY TOPIC DEBATE: HOW EFFECTIVELY DOES THE UK’S DEMOCRACY PROTECT HUMAN RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES?
				CASE STUDY 2.4: THE HOWARD LEAGUE FOR PENAL REFORM
		Key Debate Summary: How effectively does the UK’s democracy protect human rights and civil liberties?
	Chapter Summary
	Exam Style Questions
	Source Question
	Further Resources
3 POLITICAL PARTIES
	Chapter Preview
	Key Questions and Debates
	Specification Checklist
	What is a political party?
		KEY TOPIC DEBATE: HOW EFFECTIVELY DO POLITICAL PARTIES SUPPORT DEMOCRACY IN THE UK?
		Policy formulation
		Recruitment of leaders
		Organisation of government
		Participation and mobilisation
		Representation
		Key Debate Summary: How effectively do political parties support democracy in the UK?
	Party funding
		How are parties funded in the UK?
		The rules
			CASE STUDY 3.1: PARTY FUNDING AND THE 2019 ELECTION
			KEY TOPIC DEBATE: SHOULD UK PARTIES BE STATE FUNDED?
		Key Debate Summary: Should UK parties be state funded?
	Established political parties
		Left and Right
		The Conservative Party
			The origins of conservatism
			Ideology
		Key Debate Summary: Is One Nation conservatism the main ideological influence on the current party?
		The Labour Party
			Origins of the Labour Party
			Ideology
		Key Debate Summary: Is the modern Labour Party more influenced by Old Labour than New Labour?
		The Liberal Democrats
			Origins
			Ideology
		How ideologically similar are the main political parties?
			How ideologically similar are the main political parties?
	Emerging and minor UK political parties
		What is an emerging or ‘minor’ party?
		The Scottish National Party (SNP)
			CASE STUDY 3.2: UK INDEPENDENCE PARTY AND THE BREXIT PARTY
	Party systems in the UK
		Two-party system
		Two-and-a-half-party system
		Multi-party systems
			KEY TOPIC DEBATE: IS THE UK A TWO-PARTY SYSTEM?
			KEY TOPIC DEBATE: WHAT ARE THE MAIN FACTORS THAT DRIVE PARTY SUCCESS?
		Leaders
		Key Debate Summary: Is the UK a two-party system?
		Campaigns
		Media
		Policy
		Party unity
		Opposition
		Wider political context
		Key Debate Summary: What are the main factors that drive party success?
	Chapter Summary
	Source Question
	Exam Style Questions
	Further Resources
4 ELECTIONS AND REFERENDUMS
	Chapter Preview
	Key Questions and Debates
	Specification Checklist
	Elections in the UK
		KEY TOPIC DEBATE: DO ELECTIONS ENHANCE OR HINDER UK DEMOCRACY?
			Forming governments
			Representation
			Participation and legitimacy
			Education
		Key Debate Summary: Do elections enhance or hinder UK democracy?
	Electoral systems in the UK
		Plurality systems
		First-past-the-post
			FIRST-PAST-THE-POST
				Features:
				Example:
			Safe and marginal constituencies/seats
			Vote concentration and FPTP
			KEY TOPIC DEBATE: IS FIRST-PAST-THE-POST FIT FOR PURPOSE?
		Key Debate Summary: Is first-past-the-post fit for purpose?
		Majority systems
			Supplementary vote (SV)
			SUPPLEMENTARY VOTE
				Features:
			Advantages:
			Disadvantages:
		Proportional systems
		Additional Member System (AMS)
			ADDITIONAL MEMBER SYSTEM (AMS)
				Features:
			Advantages:
			Disadvantages:
			SINGLE TRANSFERABLE VOTE (STV)
		Single Transferable Vote (STV)
			Advantages:
			Disadvantages:
		STV – a worked example
			KEY TOPIC DEBATE: HAS THE IMPACT OF THE NEW ELECTORAL SYSTEMS MADE THE CASE FOR REFORM?
		Party representation
		Voter choice
		Type of government
		Key Debate Summary: Has the impact of the new electoral systems made the case for reform?
	Referendums in the UK
		What is a referendum?
		How referendums have been used in the UK
			KEY TOPIC DEBATE: SHOULD REFERENDUMS BE USED IN THE UK’S REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY?
			UK’S REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY?
			CASE STUDY 4.1: EU ‘IN/OUT’ REFERENDUM 2016
			CASE STUDY 4.2: SCOTTISH INDEPENDENCE REFERENDUM 2014
		Key Debate Summary: Should referendums be used in the UK’s representative democracy?
	Chapter Summary
	Exam Style Questions
	Source Question
	Further Resources
5 VOTING BEHAVIOUR
	Chapter Preview
	Key Questions and Debates
	Specification Checklist
	Voting behaviour in the UK
		What is voting behaviour?
		Long-term factors in voting behaviour (social factors)
			Social class
				PARTISAN DEALIGNMENT
				CLASS DEALIGNMENT
			Gender
			Age
			Ethnicity
			Region
		Short-term factors in voting behaviour
			Issue voting/Rational choice theory
			Valence
			Governing competence
			Leaders
				CASE STUDY 5.1: THE 1983 GENERAL ELECTION
				CASE STUDY 5.2: THE 1997 GENERAL ELECTION
			Party image
				CASE STUDY 5.3: THE 2010 GENERAL ELECTION
			Campaigns
				CASE STUDY 5.4: THE 2017 GENERAL ELECTION
			Turnout
				CASE STUDY 5.5: THE 2019 GENERAL ELECTION
				KEY TOPIC DEBATE: ARE SOCIAL FACTORS THE MOST IMPORTANT IN DETERMINING THE OUTCOME OF GENERAL ELECTIONS?
			Key Debate Summary: Are social factors the most important in determining the outcome of general elections?
	Chapter Summary
	Source Question
	Exam Style Questions
	Further Resources
6 THE MEDIA
	Chapter Preview
	Key Questions and Debates
	Specification Checklist
	The changing nature of the media
		What is the media?
		How has the nature of the media evolved?
			KEY TOPIC DEBATE: ARE TRADITIONAL MEDIA SOURCES NOW
BECOMING INCREASINGLY IRRELEVANT?
		The print media
			Issues facing the print media
		Broadcast media
			Broadcast media and election campaigns
		Social media
			Problems associated with social media
				Key Debate Summary: Are traditional media sources now becoming increasingly irrelevant?
	Opinion polls
		What are opinion polls?
		How do opinion polls work?
			KEY TOPIC DEBATE: DO OPINION POLLS HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON UK DEMOCRACY?
		The drawbacks of opinion polls in democracy
			Key Debate Summary: Do opinion polls have a positive impact on UK democracy?
	The media and elections
		The influence of the media
		Media bias
			What is bias?
			Print media and bias
			Broadcast media and bias
			Social media and bias
				CASE STUDY 6.1: THE SUN AND ITS IMPACT ON PUBLIC OPINION
				KEY TOPIC DEBATE: DOES THE UK MEDIA HAVE REAL INFLUENCE
OVER PUBLIC OPINION AND VOTING BEHAVIOUR?
			Broadcast media and influence
			Print media and influence
			Social media and influence
				Key Debate Summary: Does the media have real influence over public opinion and voting behaviour?
	The media and democracy
		KEY TOPIC DEBATE: DOES THE MEDIA ENHANCE DEMOCRACY?
		Print media and democracy
		Broadcast media and democracy
		Social media and democracy
			Key Debate Summary: Does the media enhance democracy?
	Chapter Summary
		Exam Style Questions
	Source Question
		Source One
		Source Two
	Further Resources
7 THE CONSTITUTION
	Chapter Preview
	Key Questions and Debates
	Specification Checklist
	What is a constitution?
	Types of constitution
		Codified constitutions
		Uncodified constitutions
		Unitary and federal constitutions
		Entrenched and unentrenched constitutions
	The UK’s constitution
		Sources of the UK constitution
			1. Statute law
				MILESTONES...
			2. Common law
			3. Conventions
			4. Works of constitutional authority
		Relationship between the sources
		Principles of the constitution
			Parliamentary sovereignty
			Constitutional monarchy
			The rule of law
			Parliamentary government
				KEY TOPIC DEBATE: IS THE UK CONSTITUTION FIT FOR PURPOSE?
				Key Debate Summary: Is the UK constitution fit for purpose?
				KEY TOPIC DEBATE: HAVE CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS IN THE UK IMPROVED THE UK POLITICAL SYSTEM?
		Constitutional reform under Blair and Brown
			1. Devolution (see pages 204–14 for details)
			2. Electoral reform (see Chapter 4 for details)
			3. Referendums (see Chapter 4 for details)
			4. Human Rights Act of 1998 (see Chapter 2 for details)
			5. The Freedom of Information Act (FoI) (see page 50)
			6. House of Lords reform
			7. Judicial reform – The Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (see page 282)
			Constitutional reform under the Coalition 2010–15
				1. Fixed-term Parliaments
				2. Wright Reforms to the House of Commons
				3. Further Welsh and Scottish devolution
				4. Police and Crime Commissioners
				5. Recall of MPs
		Constitutional reforms passed by the Conservative Government 2015–2017
			1. English Votes for English Laws (EVEL)
			2. Metro mayors
		Constitutional reforms passed by the Conservative Government 2019 onwards
			1. Brexit
				Key Debate Summary: Have constitutional reforms in the UK improved the UK political system?
		Further constitutional reforms
			KEY TOPIC DEBATE: SHOULD THE UK CONSTITUTION BE CODIFIED?
			Key Debate Summary: Should the UK constitution be codified?
	Devolution
		Devolution in the UK
		Devolution in Scotland
			CASE STUDY 7.1: THE SCOTTISH INDEPENDENCE REFERENDUM
		Devolution in Wales
		Devolution in Northern Ireland
		Policy differences in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
		Devolution in England
			CASE STUDY 7.2: DEVOLUTION AND COVID-19
			KEY TOPIC DEBATE: HAS DEVOLUTION BEEN A SUCCESS?
			Key Debate Summary: Has devolution been a success?
	Chapter Summary
		Exam Style Questions
	Source Question
	Further Resources
8 PARLIAMENT
	Chapter Preview
	Key Questions and Debates
	Specification Checklist
	What is Parliament and how is it different from government?
	Parliamentary government
	The House of Commons
		Key roles in the House of Commons
			The role of MPs
			The role of backbenchers
			The role of the Official Opposition
			The role of the whips
			The role of the Speaker
	The House of Lords
		CASE STUDY 8.1: CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING RECENT SPEAKERS
	The monarchy
	The comparative powers of the House of Commons and House of Lords
		The powers of the House of Commons
		The powers of the House of Lords
	The legislative process
		HOW LAWS ARE PASSED:
		KEY TOPIC DEBATE: IS PARLIAMENT EFFECTIVE IN FULFILLING ITS FUNCTIONS?
		1. Legislative function
			The effectiveness of Parliament’s legislative function
		2. Representative function
			Is Parliament democratically representative?
			Does Parliament reflect the people it represents?
			Who should MPs represent?
				CASE STUDY 8.2: BREXIT AND REPRESENTATION
		3. The function of recruiting and maintaining the government
		4. Legitimacy function
			Key Debate Summary: Is Parliament effective in fulfilling its functions?
			KEY TOPIC DEBATE: IS PARLIAMENT EFFECTIVE IN SCRUTINISING THE EXECUTIVE?
				Questioning
				Committees
				Debating
			The official opposition
				Key Debate Summary: Is Parliament effective in scrutinising the executive?
				KEY TOPIC DEBATE: IS THE HOUSE OF LORDS AS EFFECTIVE AS THE COMMONS IN FULFILLING ITS FUNCTIONS?
			Legislative function
			Scrutiny
			Representation
				Key Debate Summary: Is the House of Lords as effective as the Commons in fulfilling its functions?
	Chapter Summary
		Exam Style Questions
	Source Question
	Further Resources
9 THE PRIME MINISTER AND EXECUTIVE
	Chapter Preview
	Key Questions and Debates
	Specification Checklist
	What is the executive?
		The structure of the executive
			The Prime Minister
			The Cabinet
			Government ministers and their advisers
		Who has power in the executive?
			Cabinet government
			Prime Ministerial government
			Presidentialism
			KEY TOPIC DEBATE: HOW IMPORTANT IS THE CABINET?
			Key Debate Summary: How important is the Cabinet?
			KEY TOPIC DEBATE: ARE PRIME MINISTERS STILL AS POWERFUL AS THEY ONCE WERE?
		The powers of the Prime Minister and their limits
			Patronage and other prerogative powers
			CASE STUDY 9.1: THATCHER AS PRIME MINISTER
			Limits to the Prime Minister’s power of patronage
			The ability to manage their cabinet
			Limits to the Prime Minister’s power over their Cabinet
			Leadership over the party
			Limits to the PM’s power over their party
			CASE STUDY 9.2: BLAIR AS PRIME MINISTER
			Institutional support
			Limits to the Prime Minister’s power of institutional support
		Elastic band theory: Variable factors that determine the power of the Prime Minister
			Prime Ministerial style and personality
			The Cabinet
			The party
			Size of majority
			Popularity of the Prime Minister
			The media
			The pressure of events
			Key Debate Summary: Are Prime Ministers still as powerful as they once were?
			CASE STUDY 9.3: CAMERON AS PRIME MINISTER
	The significance of ministerial responsibility
		Individual ministerial responsibility
			Collective ministerial responsibility
				KEY TOPIC DEBATE: ARE THE CONVENTIONS OF MINISTERIAL RESPONSIBILITY STILL IMPORTANT?
				Key Debate Summary: Are the conventions of ministerial responsibility still important?
				CASE STUDY 9.4: MAY AS PRIME MINISTER
	Chapter Summary
		Exam Style Questions
	Source Question
	Further Resources
10 THE SUPREME COURT, THE EU AND SOVEREIGNTY
	Chapter Preview
	Key Questions and Debates
	Specification Checklist
	The Supreme Court
		Constitutional Reform Act 2005
		The role of the Court
		How Supreme Court Justices are appointed
		The powers of the Supreme Court
			Judicial Review
				CASE STUDY 10.1: R (ON THE APPLICATION OF MILLER AND ANOTHER) (RESPONDENTS) V SECRETARY OF STATE FOR EXITING THE EUROPEAN UNION (APPELLANT)
			Judicial review and the Human Rights Act
				1. Actions of a public authority
				2. Declarations of incompatibility
			Judicial independence and neutrality
				KEY TOPIC DEBATE: IS THE SUPREME COURT INDEPENDENT AND NEUTRAL?
				CASE STUDY 10.2: R (ON THE APPLICATION OF MILLER) (APPELLANT) V THE PRIME MINISTER (RESPONDENT) CHERRY AND OTHERS (RESPONDENTS) V ADVOCATE GENERAL FOR SCOTLAND (APPELLANT)
(SCOTLAND) [2019] UKSC 41
				Judicial neutrality
				Key Debate Summary: Is the Supreme Court independent and neutral?
				KEY TOPIC DEBATE: DOES THE SUPREME COURT HAVE TOO MUCH POWER?
				Key Debate Summary: Does the Supreme Court have too much power?
	The aims, role and impact of the European Union on UK government
		The aims of the EU
		The single market
		Political and economic union
			Economic union
			Political union
		The ‘four freedoms’
			1. Free movement of goods
			2. Free movement of people
			3. Free movement of capital
			4. Free movement of services
		Social Policy
			KEY TOPIC DEBATE: HOW INFLUENTIAL HAS EU MEMBERSHIP BEEN ON UK POLITICS?
		Policy
		Political parties
		Public opinion
		Sovereignty and the constitution
			Key Debate Summary: How influential has EU membership been on UK politics?
	Sovereignty
		What is sovereignty?
		Parliamentary sovereignty
		Key Debate Summary: Is Parliament sovereign?
	Chapter Summary
		Exam Style Questions
	Source Question
	Further Resources
11 EXAM FOCUS
	Introduction
		The Exam
			The types of questions
			UK source questions
			UK essay questions
		Introduction to the Assessment Objectives (AOs)
			AO1
			AO2
			AO3
		Synopticity in the two UK papers
			STUDENT EXTRACT ‘Evaluate the view that Parliament is able to sufficiently limit the power of the Prime Minister’– looking at Synopticity
		Breadth of questions
		Caps on the UK papers
		‘Consideration of both views’ and balance
			STUDENT EXTRACT ‘Evaluate the view that the only parties that matter are Labour and Conservatives’ – looking at balance
			STUDENT EXTRACT ‘Evaluate the view that Parliament is able to sufficiently limit the power of the Prime Minister’ – looking at balance
	Assessment Objectives in detail
		AO1 in detail
			STUDENT EXTRACT ‘Evaluate the view that the only parties that matter are Labour and Conservative’ – looking at AO1
			STUDENT EXTRACT ‘Evaluate the view that the only parties that matter are Labour and Conservative’ – looking at AO1
		AO2 in detail
			STUDENT EXTRACT ‘Evaluate the view that devolution has been successful in the UK.’ – looking at AO2
			STUDENT EXTRACT ‘Evaluate the view that social factorsdetermine voting behaviour.’ – looking at AO2
			STUDENT EXTRACT ‘Evaluate the view that wealth is the key factor in pressure group success.’ – looking at how to
develop examples
			STUDENT EXTRACT ‘Evaluate the view that devolution has been successful in the UK.’ – looking at AO2
			STUDENT EXTRACT ‘Evaluate the view that social factors determine voting behaviour.’ – looking at AO2
			STUDENT EXTRACT ‘Evaluate the view that the differences between the political parties are greater than the similarities.’ – looking at comparative analysis AO2
			This is comparative analysis AO2.
			STUDENT EXTRACT ‘Evaluate the view that the differences between the political parties are greater than the similarities.’ – looking at comparative analysis AO2
			STUDENT EXTRACT ‘Using the source, evaluate the view that the use of proportional representation would not improve elections to the Commons.’ – looking at comparative analysis AO2
			STUDENT EXTRACT ‘Evaluate the view that Parliament is able to sufficiently limit the power of the Prime Minister.’ –
looking at comparative analysis AO2
		AO3 in detail
			STUDENT EXTRACT ‘Evaluate the view that the only parties that matter are Labour and Conservative.’ – looking
at AO3 in introductions
			STUDENT EXTRACT ‘Using the source, evaluate the parties that matter are Labour and Conservative.’ – looking
at AO3 in introductions
			STUDENT EXTRACT ‘Using the source, evaluate the view that the use of proportional representation would not improve elections to the Commons.’ – looking at AO3 in introductions.
			STUDENT EXTRACT ‘Evaluate the view that the only parties that matter are Labour and Conservative.’ – looking at AO3 via interim judgements
			STUDENT EXTRACT ‘Evaluate the view that devolution has been successful in the UK.’ – looking at AO3 in conclusions.
			STUDENT EXTRACT ‘Evaluate the view that Parliament is able to sufficiently limit the power of the Prime Minister.’ – looking at AO3 judgements incorporated into
paragraphs.
			STUDENT EXTRACT ‘Evaluate the view that the only parties that matter are Labour and Conservatives.’ – looking at AO3 in conclusions.
			STUDENT EXTRACT ‘Evaluate the view that Parliament Parliament has become more effective.’ – looking at AO3 in conclusions.
		Level Based Mark Schemes
	Source questions
		Instructions on the exam paper
		Provenance
		Preparing to answer the source
		‘Using the source’
		Interpreting AO1 for source answers
		Debating not describing
	Structuring source and essay answers
		Introductions and conclusions
		How to organise paragraphs
			STUDENT EXTRACT ‘Evaluate the view that theUK is experiencing a participation crisis.’ – looking at structure
			STUDENT EXTRACT ‘Evaluate the view that the UK is experiencing a participation crisis.’ – looking at structure
	Putting it all together
		Sample Essay #1
		Sample Essay #2
	Final thought
Index