Legitimacy; Direct democracy; Representative democracy; Pluralist democracy; Democratic deficit; Participation crisis; Franchise/suffrage; Think tanks; Lobbyists.
1.1 Current systems of representative democracy and direct democracy.
The features of direct democracy and representative democracy.
The similarities and differences between direct democracy and representative democracy.
Advantages and disadvantages of direct democracy and representative democracy and consideration of the case for reform.
1.2 A wider franchise and debates over suffrage.
Key milestones in the widening of the franchise in relation to class, gender, ethnicity and age, including the 1832 Great Reform Act and the 1918, 1928 and 1969 Representation of the People Acts.
The work of the suffragists/suffragettes to extend the franchise.
The work of a current movement to extend the franchise.
1.3 Pressure groups and other influences.
How different pressure groups exert influence and how their methods and influence vary in contemporary politics.
Case studies of two different pressure groups, highlighting examples of how their methods and influence vary.
Other collective organisations and groups including think tanks, lobbyists and corporations, and their influence on government and Parliament.
Major milestones in their development, including the significance of Magna Carta and more recent developments, including the Human Rights Act 1998 and Equality Act 2010.
Debates on the extent, limits and tensions within the UK’s rights-based culture, including consideration of how individual and collective right may conflict, the contributions from civil liberty pressure groups – including the work of two contemporary civil liberty pressure groups.
Old Labour (social democracy); New Labour (Third Way); One Nation; New Right; Classical liberals; Modern liberals; Party systems; Left wing; Right wing.
The functions and features of political parties in the UK’s representative democracy.
How parties are currently funded, debates on the consequences of the current funding system.
2.3 Emerging and minor UK political parties.
The importance of other parties in the UK.
The ideas and policies of two other minor parties.
2.4 UK political parties in context.
The development of a multi-party system and its implications for government.
Various factors that affect party success – explanations of why political parties have succeeded or failed, including debates on the influence of the media.
First-past-the-post (FPTP); Additional Member System (AMS); Single Transferable Vote (STV); Supplementary Vote (SV); Safe seat; Marginal seat; Minority government; Coalition government.
First-past-the-post (FPTP), Additional Member System (AMS), Single Transferable Vote (STV) Supplementary Vote (SV).
The advantages and disadvantages of these different systems.
Comparison of first-past-the-post (FPTP) to a different electoral system in a devolved parliament/assembly.
3.2 Referendums and how they are used.
How referendums have been used in the UK and their impact on UK political life since 1997.
The case for and against referendums in a representative democracy.
Debates on why different electoral systems are used in the UK.
The impact of the electoral system on the government or type of government appointed.
The impact of different systems on party representation and of electoral systems on voter choice.
4.1 Case studies of three key general elections.
Case studies of three elections (one from the period 1945– 92, the 1997 election, and one since 1997), the results and their impact on parties and government.
the reasons for and impact of party policies and manifestos, techniques used in their election campaigns, and the wider political context of the elections class-based voting and other factors influencing voting patterns, such as partisanship and voting attachment gender, age, ethnicity and region as factors in influencing voting behaviour, turnout and trends.
Analysis of the national voting-behaviour patterns for these elections, revealed by national data sources and how and why they vary.
4.2 The influence of the media.
The assessment of the role and impact of the media on politics – both during and between key general elections, including the importance and relevance of opinion polls, media bias and persuasion.
libertarianism (specifically neo-liberalism) – upholds liberty, seeking to maximise autonomy and free choice, mainly in the economy – to cover the moral and economic values associated with this idea.
neo-conservative: principally concerned with the fear of social fragmentation, tough on law and order and public morality.
Order – an ordered society should balance the human need to lead a free life. • Human nature – humans are needy, vulnerable and easily led astray in attempts to understand the world around them.
Change – political change should be undertaken with great caution and organically.
Tradition and empiricism – practices passed down for generations should be respected.
Human imperfection – suggestion that society is unpredictable and humans are imperfect.
Pragmatism – belief that conservatism is about being pragmatic.
Objectivism – this advocates the virtues of rational self interest.
Freedom – this supports a pure, laissez-faire capitalist economy.
Libertarianism – based on Kant’s idea that individuals in society cannot be treated as a thing, or used against their will as a resource.
Self-ownership – individuals own their bodies, talents, abilities and labour.
Liberal thinkers and their ideas.
liberal democracy – a democracy that balances the will of the people, as shown through elections, with limited government (state) and a respect for civil liberties in society – to cover why liberals support it as well as why they are concerned about it.
modern liberalism − emerged as a reaction against free-market capitalism, believing this had led to many individuals not being free. Freedom could no longer simply be defined as ‘being left alone’.
Social contract theory – society, state and government are based on a theoretical voluntary agreement.
Limited government – that government should be limited and based on consent from below.
Reason – women are rational and independent beings capable of reason.
Harm principle – that individuals should be free to do anything except harm other individuals.
Tolerance – belief that the popularity of a view does not necessarily make it correct.
Theory of justice – opinion that society must be just and guarantee each citizen a life worth living.
The veil of ignorance – a hypothetical scenario where individuals, agree on the type of society they want from a position where they lack knowledge of their own position in society.
Legal equality – women are as capable as men and that oppressive laws and social views must be overturned.
Equal opportunity – women are being held back from their potential because of the limited number of jobs that are ‘acceptable’ for women.
Socialism is defined by its opposition to capitalism. It aims to provide a clear alternative that is more humane and based on collectivism not individualism, co-operation not competition and social equality not inequality. There is a wide variety of traditions within socialism, with the goal of abolishing or minimising class division.
Socialist thinkers and their ideas.
workers’ control − to cover the importance and the extent of control over the economy and/or state and how it is to be achieved.
Third Way − a middle-ground alternative route to socialism and free-market capitalism.
Humans as social beings – how nature is socially determined and how true common humanity can be expressed only under communism.
‘The inevitability of gradualness’ – the gradualist parliamentary strategy for achieving evolutionary socialism.
The expansion of the state – that this, and not the overthrow of the state, is critical in delivering socialism.
Evolutionary socialism and revisionism – this is not possible as capitalism is based on an economic relationship of exploitation.
The inherent contradictions in capitalism – does not drive social change and managed capitalism can deliver social justice and equality.
State-managed capitalism – includes the mixed economy, full employment and universal social benefits.
The rejection of state intervention – acceptance of the free market in the economy, emphasis on equality of opportunity over equality, responsibility and community over class conflict.
The role of the state – is social investment in infrastructure and education not economic and social engineering.
the five main sources of the UK constitution: statute law; common law; conventions; authoritative works and treaties (including European Union law).
1.2 How the constitution has changed since 1997.
Under Labour 1997–2010: House of Lords reforms, electoral reform; devolution; the Human Rights Act 1998; and the Supreme Court.
Under the Coalition 2010–15: Fixed Term Parliaments; further devolution to Wales.
Any major reforms undertaken by governments since 2015, including further devolution to Scotland (in the context of the Scottish Referendum).
1.3 The role and powers of devolved bodies in the UK, and the impact of this devolution on the UK.
Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive.
1.4 Debates on further reform.
An overview of the extent to which the individual reforms since 1997 listed in section 1.2 above should be taken further.
The extent to which devolution should be extended in England.
Parliament; House of Commons; House of Lords; Confidence and supply; Salisbury Convention; Parliamentary privilege; Legislative bills; Public bill committees; Backbenchers; Select committees; Opposition.
2.1 The structure and role of the House of Commons and House of Lords.
The selection of members of the House of Commons and House of Lords, including the different types of Peers.
The main functions of the House of Commons and House of Lords and the extent to which these functions are fulfilled.
2.2 The comparative powers of the House of Commons and House of Lords.
The exclusive powers of the House of Commons.
The main powers of the House of Lords.
The different stages a bill must go through to become law.
The interaction between the Commons and the Lords during the legislative process, including the Salisbury Convention.
2.4 The ways in which Parliament interacts with the Executive.
The role and significance of backbenchers in both Houses, including the importance of parliamentary privilege.
The work of select committees.
The role and significance of the opposition.
The purpose and nature of ministerial question time, including Prime Minister’s Questions.
Executive; Cabinet Minister; Government department; Royal prerogative; Secondary legislation; Individual responsibility; Collective responsibility; Presidential government.
3.1 The structure, role, and powers of the Executive.
Its structure, including Prime Minister, the Cabinet, junior ministers and government departments.
Its main roles, including proposing legislation, proposing a budget, and making policy decisions within laws and budget.
The main powers of the Executive, including Royal Prerogative powers, initiation of legislation and secondary legislative power.
3.2 The concept of ministerial responsibility.
The concept of individual ministerial responsibility.
The concept of collective ministerial responsibility.
3.3 The Prime Minister and the Cabinet.
3.3.1 The power of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet.
The factors governing the Prime Minister’s selection of ministers.
The factors that affect the relationship between the Cabinet and the Prime Minister, and the ways they have changed and the balance of power between the Prime Minister and the Cabinet.
3.3.2 The powers of the Prime Minster and the Cabinet to dictate events and determine policy.
Students must study the influence of one Prime Minister from 1945 to 1997 and one post-1997 Prime Minister.
Students may choose any pre-1997 and any post-1997 Prime Minister, provided that they study them in an equivalent level of detail, covering both events and policy, with examples that illustrate both control and a lack of control.
Supreme Court; Judicial neutrality; Judicial independence; Judicial review; Elective dictatorship; European Union (EU); Four freedoms (EU); Legal sovereignty; Political sovereignty; Ultra vires.
4.1 The Supreme Court and its interactions with, and influence over, the legislative and policy-making processes.
The role and composition of the Supreme Court.
The key operating principles of the Supreme Court, including judicial neutrality and judicial independence and their extent.
The degree to which the Supreme Court influences both the Executive and Parliament, including the doctrine of ultra vires and judicial review.
4.2 The relationship between the Executive and Parliament.
The influence and effectiveness of Parliament in holding the Executive to account.
The influence and effectiveness of the Executive in attempting to exercise dominance over Parliament.
The extent to which the balance of power between Parliament and the Executive has changed.
4.3 The aims, role and impact of the European Union (EU) on UK government.
The aims of the EU, including the ‘four freedoms’ of the single market, social policy, and political and economic union and the extent to which these have been achieved.
The role of the EU in policy making.
The impact of the EU, including the main effects of at least two EU policies and their impact on the UK political system and UK policy making.
4.4 The location of sovereignty in the UK political system.
The distinction between legal sovereignty and political sovereignty.
The extent to which sovereignty has moved between different branches of government.
Where sovereignty can now be said to lie in the UK.
Nationalism believes that nations are a timeless phenomenon. It is based on the belief that people have been attached to the practices connected with their heritage and seeks to continue them freely.
internationalism – the world should unite across boundaries to advance their common interests in society – to cover the idea that some forms of nationalism also have an internationalist perspective, whereas other internationalists reject nationalism.
expansionist nationalism – rejects the right of all nations to self-determination, usually linked to chauvinism.
General will – that government should be based on the indivisible collective will of the ‘community’ and that nations have the right to govern themselves.
Civic nationalism – where the state is legitimate because it is based on the active participation of its citizens.
Cultural nationalism – suggested that every nation was different, and that every nation had its own unique cultural character.
Volk – identified the Volk (the people) as the root of national culture and special nature (Volksgeist), which each nation should try to express.
Nationhood – believed that humans could express themselves only via their nation and that human freedom rested on the creation of one’s own nation-state.
Integral nationalism – an intensely emotional form of nationalism where individuals were encouraged to submerge themselves into their nation.
Militarism – integral nationalism encourages nations to have a strong military ethos.
Black pride – encouraged African people to be proud of their race and to see beauty in their own kind.
Pan-Africanism – that African people, in every part of the world, were one people and that they would never progress if they did not put aside their cultural and ethnic differences.
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