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Edexcel Politics AS Friday 23rd May

Reply 60

AwesomelyPsycho

Vesta

I just finished revising unit 1, I have wednesday to learn ALL of unit 2 ( :bawling:

) and thursday to learn ALL of unit 3 ( :bawling:

) and recap on unit 1. CRAP.

How about just pick two from each unit to go through in detail, and then do all the others on face value?

Reply 61

westhamrock

OP

'Free press' ??

Reply 62

Sophie_10

3

my problem? there's so much to revise!

and the fact i have two, 1 hour each, law exams on the same day!

Reply 63

AwesomelyPsycho

Sophie_10

my problem? there's so much to revise!

and the fact i have two, 1 hour each, law exams on the same day!

Oooh, a guy in my class has Law and Politics on the same day.
Good luck to you and your hand!

Reply 64

Absinth

15

westhamrock

'Free press' ??

No censorship of the press (to an extent).

Reply 65

icouldbedreaming

6

I'm doing AQA and I'm struggling with questions on things about where power lies within parties - are there questions like that in Edexcel? Can anyone help?

Reply 66

Noémie

17

icouldbedreaming

I'm doing AQA and I'm struggling with questions on things about where power lies within parties - are there questions like that in Edexcel? Can anyone help?

there's not a real focus on it but from parliament in unit two i suppose you could argue that:
power lies with backbenchers (rebellions)
power lies with leadership (obviously)
power lies with the party committees (1922 committee has a lot of influence for example)

i couldn't give much detail but i suppose that's what you mean?

Reply 67

Vesta

18

AwesomelyPsycho

How about just pick two from each unit to go through in detail, and then do all the others on face value?

you could do :smile:

i was told to learn 3, but the two easier ones (varies per person) to know more thoroughly. the third one to cover bases.

Reply 68

westhamrock

OP

Pressure groups that have influenced.... and Government acted? examples anyone?

Reply 69

Vesta

18

ASH (action on smoking and health) influenced the government to ban smoking in public places

Anti-hunting campaigns possibly prompted the Gvt to introduce a fox-hunting ban

The NSPCC, being a quasi-autonomous NGO, has always influenced the government

Reply 70

SarahhhD

8

Absinth

No censorship of the press (to an extent).

but they have things like Gatekeeping, Prince Harry in Afganistan was gatekept.

Reply 71

Absinth

15

SarahhhD

but they have things like Gatekeeping, Prince Harry in Afganistan was gatekept.

That's the "to an extent" part.

Reply 72

westhamrock

OP

Originally Posted by pinkpenguin
Pressure group = organised group that tries to exert influence on govt without trying to form govt themselves

By definition, it probably is. But I think its a tad risky, but hey maybe im paranoid!!

BTW, can anyone help me on what would be the arguments claiming that the UK system is democratic?

I have :

x Free fair frequent elections
x Checks and balances/Accountability mechanisms in place
x Referendums
x Pressure group participation.

However, the last two arguments seem a little soft... we spend so much time slagging the british system off I forget what the good points are!!

Can we say 'checks and balances e.g parliament scrutinises etc..' for a unit 1question. Because i have question here under elections. MAin advantages of the way democracy operates in the UK? that the same thing?
Also, 3 ways democracy has been criticised in the UK, i no one is FPTP, whats the rest?

Reply 73

westhamrock

OP

Main criticisims of democracy in Uk
FPTP
PM can conduct decisions alone
HRA doesn't protect civil liberties
House of lords not elected

Main advantages of democracy in UK
FPTP
Pressure groups
REferendums frequently
Backking reform treay
PM allows Britain to run smoothly

Is this all right?? or am i getting mixed up with something else......

Reply 74

pinkpenguin

1

westhamrock

Main criticisims of democracy in Uk
FPTP
PM can conduct decisions alone
HRA doesn't protect civil liberties
House of lords not elected

Main advantages of democracy in UK
FPTP
Pressure groups
REferendums frequently
Backking reform treay
PM allows Britain to run smoothly

Is this all right?? or am i getting mixed up with something else......

That sounds alright to me.

Others...

Advantages
x Free, fair frequent elections
x Ensures some level of popular participation? (ie if it were a direct democracy then voter apathy on issues would be higher. One vote every 4-5 years isnt too much)
x Devolution brings decision making closer to the people to cater for the needs of certain areas of the UK

Disadvantages
x Indirect and irregular participation (ie long terms and relatively infrequent referendums. only been 9 in 35 years)
x Declining turnout
x No means of forcing governments to keep their mandates - govt majorities too big so elective dictatorship??

I have been looking at past questions and for referendums, (C) questions on their link with democracy keep coming up.

I dont think I have any arguments that they enhance or undermine democracy in my notes...

Enhance
x Constitutional issues resolved by people
x Binding referendums - power ultimately in hands of people

Undermine
x Advisory referendums - govt does not have to take the people's decision
x turnout not enough to make huge decisions (ie Wales devolution 1997, only 50% turned out)
x Undermines Parliamentary Sovereignty???

Any help? :redface:

Reply 75

westhamrock

OP

Is it some kind of joke, i just read on Edexcel website that Unit 3 in Jabnuary people that received 27 marks out of 100 received an A??? Am i missing something?

Reply 76

worthers

westhamrock

Is it some kind of joke, i just read on Edexcel website that Unit 3 in Jabnuary people that received 27 marks out of 100 received an A??? Am i missing something?

It's out of 50 and the boundary is usually below 30.

Reply 77

mackemforever

17

wrong topic, ignore :P

Reply 78

narc

Trying to revise stuff on the Cabinet at the moment, but i'm struggling to come up with more points for the limitations and strengths of it...

For the limitations i've got:
PM's manipulation of the power of patronage so they can fill Cabinet with allies and sideline rivals and so on
The increased used of bilateral meetings meaning that Cabinet ministers aren't consulted on key policies whilst some non-elected advisors such as Alistair Campell have been very poweful in the past
Collective ministerial responsibility- ministers are bound by this convention that states that if a minister diagrees with a policy they cannot criticise it or face the sack/resignation, therefore controversial policies such as the Iraq War cannot be openly condemned by ministers.
For the strengths:
The PM needs the support of their Cabinet when they are percieved as weak by the public and media and the Cabinet can bring down the PM such as Thatcher and Major.
The Cabinet can make it difficult for the PM to pass legislation such as Major and his policies concerning the EU

Any suggestions would be really helpful!
Thanks!

Reply 79

c|2iMiNaL

1

Has anyone's teachers suggested what is likely to come up in the AS exams?

I have just been trying to do past papers, but there are quite a lot of different questions every year so its hard to memorise how to answer each one. I think its tooo late to be re-writing notes, just doing papers is probably the best. Just hope the questions aren't too different.

Edexcel Politics AS Friday 23rd May

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