POLITICS PAPER 1 ESSAY PLANS - Participation and democracy

Intro - define, outline arguments and direction - NOT IN CRISIS

Point 1 - UK not in CRISIS

Increased clickocracy

Point 2 - UK in CRISIS

Low election turnouts 

Mini conclusion - NOT IN CRISIS - Turnout has recently increased slightly even if not as high

Point 3 - UK not in CRISIS

Pressure Group membership is high

Point 4 - UK in CRISIS

decreased party membership

Mini Conclusion - NOT IN CRISIS - membership has risen even if not as high

CONCLUSION - NOT IN CRISIS - participation exists highly in different forms

Intro - Used to solve contraversial issues DIRECTION - BAD

POINT 1 - GOOD

People are better educated now than ever before - 1991 citizenship in 

POINT 2 - BAD

Some issues are too complex to be reduced to yes or no and there is misinformation

Mini-conclusion - BAD is stronger

POINT 3 - GOOD

purest form of democracy

POINT 4 - BAD

Tyranny of majority - social rifts (except good friday agreement)

Mini-conclusion - BAD - Low turnout and causing social rifts

CONCLUSION - BAD - usually low turnout, causes rifts, undermines representative democracy

Intro - Define, Arguments, DIRECTION - PROTECTED

Point 1 - PROTECTED

UKSC - examples of key cases, PJS v Newspaper group 2015, Belmarsh Case 2004, R v MET

Point 2 - NOT PROTECTED

Parliament is sovereign - Freesing of Terrorist Assets 2010

Mini-conclusion - PROTECTED - parliament wouldn't be likely to overturn - poltiical suicide

Point 3 - PROTECTED

Recent creation of rights legislation - semi-entrenched - e.g. HRA, Equality Act, Freedom of Information

Point 4 - NOT PROTECTED

Increasing pressure for gov to curtail rights to protect against terror and pandemic

Mini-conclusion - PROTECTED - rights are only curtailed for the safety of citizens

CONCLUSION - PROTECTED - parliament obey UKSC, only curtailed if other rights at threat

Intro - lots of views represented in society - DIRECTION - NOT PLURALIST

Point 1 - PLURALIST

Third parties can gain power and influence in gov

Point 2 - NOT PLURALIST

Mostly Two Party system 

Mini-conlusion - NOT PLURALIST Labour or Tory always in Gov, only third parties twice

Point 3 - PLURALIST

Increased pressure groups

Point 4 - NOT PLURALIST

Some pressure groups have disproportionate power - e.g. Insiders v outsiders

Mini-conclusion - only some PGs have enough power to influence

CONCLUSION - NOT PLURALIST

Intro - Define, Discuss arguments DIRECTION - REPRESENTATIVE = SUPERIOR

Point 1 - DIRECT IS STRONGER

People are now more educated on politics

Point 2 - REPRESENTATIVE IS STRONGER

Politicians have superior judgement and knowledge

Mini-conclusion - REPRESENTATIVE - this their career, undermined by direct

Point 3 - DIRECT IS STRONGER

purest form or democracy, can solve rifts and contraversial issues - more legitimate

Point 4 - REPRESENTATIVE IS STRONGER

Can protect minorities and consider impacts on all

Mini-conclusion - REPRESENTATIVE - consider views of many constituents

CONCLUSION - REPRESENTATIVE - protect minorities, avoid social divides, more informed

Intro - Define, Discuss arguments, DIRECTION = NO

Point 1 - YES

Force voters to be better informed

Point 2 - NO

Favours larger parties

Mini-conclusion - NO - some are less educated and uninterested so vote larger party

Point 3 - YES

Many more people involved so policies must be tailored to all, increase turnout

Point 4 - NO

Violation of human right not to vote

Mini-conclusion - NO - some countries enforce and is expensive, not 100% vote

CONCLUSION - NO - in some countries is ineffective, goes against rights

Introduction - what is good democracy, discuss arguments, DIRECTION - REPRESENTATIVE

Point 1 - DIRECT IS BETTER

Direct wishes of the people - extremely legit (although often low turnout or close result)

Point 2 - REPRESENTATIVE IS BETTER

Protects minorities - no tyranny of the majority, even though not pluralist, passes fair legislation

Mini-conclusion - REPRESENTATIVE

Point 3 - DIRECT IS BETTER

Prevents deadlock in the system - not very effectively though Brexit is still not done

Point 4 - REPRESENTATIVE IS BETTER

some issues are too complex for the people - compromise can be reached

Mini-conclusion - REPRESENTATIVE

CONCLUSION - REPRESENTATIVE - enhanced by some direct - petitions and recall elections