Higher Modern Studies Essays

AH2004

I've got a test this Wednesday. It includes 3 essays, 2 20-mark essay and the other one is a 12-mark. I have to study 7 topic in total in order to be ready, but I'm too anxious. I feel I'll not do well or even fail! Please help or give me some tips! Thank you in advance! :smile:

Reply 1

mary388

16

I did RMPS at both national 5 and higher and obviously it’s a different subject but the essay nature seems similar. My only advice is to put the information for different aspects on flashcards and learn them, and then you will be much more prepared when writing an essay because you’ll be able to recall many different views (or for modern studies whatever it is you need to write your essays on) hope this helps (it probably doesn’t)

Reply 2

cchloepx

16

What I did last year to study my essays was break down every essay into 8 points per paragraph, then 2 or 3 for the intro and 2 or 3 for the conclusion.

I thought I'd paste an example, so here's one for a 20 mark FPTP essay.
Intro

Used in British General Elections
Winner takes all
More negative because of proportionality and wasted votes

Voter Choice
Easy to use and understand
Clearly identify why representatives have been elected
Simplicity leads to higher voter turnout
Scottish turnout in BGEs higher (71% to 50%)

Wasted votes
Only 1 MP voted per constituency
In 2015 19mil cast ineffective vote (70%)
Encourages people not to vote

Stable Government
Usually provides a decisive result
Few exceptions like in 2010
Strong single party majority – no need to rely on other parties
2015 conservatives had a majority were able to pass legislation

Can result in coalition governments and hung parliament
No one votes for a coalition – creates unhappy publoc
In 2010 Tories had to negotiate with Lib Dems to create a coalition
Made the government look weak and indeciside

Constituency Link VS Proportionality
Strong link between voters and representative
Makes MP more accountable
If MP familiar, more likely to visit
Philippa Whitford high profile SNP candidate for Central Ayrshire

Delivers unfair result
Proportionality between seats and votes poor
Concentration of votes results in more seats
In 2015 UKIP won 12/6% of votes, third highest but only 1 MP

Conclusion
Negatives more impactful
Majority can be formed with minimal support
2010 Tory majority off 12 MPs, only won 36.9% of votes

I hope this makes sense. This essay was in my prelim and I think I got 19 or 20.

Reply 3

sask1

6

I know this is 5 months later, but if you happen to see this and feel comfortable sending me some more of these for other mods essays I'd be so grateful :smile:

(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 4

cchloepx

16

Original post by sask1

I know this is 5 months later, but if you happen to see this and feel comfortable sending me some more of these for other mods essays I'd be so grateful :smile:

hey ! I don't have all of my essays anymore as some of them were hand-written and my teacher took our essays as evidence last year, but if there are any particular essays you would like to see the plan for I'll see if I have them (:

Reply 5

sask1

6

Original post by cchloepx

hey ! I don't have all of my essays anymore as some of them were hand-written and my teacher took our essays as evidence last year, but if there are any particular essays you would like to see the plan for I'll see if I have them (:

Wow ur so nice , Thankyou! If you have any on First past the post or pressure groups that would be so helpful x

Reply 6

cchloepx

16

Original post by sask1

Wow ur so nice , Thankyou! If you have any on First past the post or pressure groups that would be so helpful x

I unfortunately don't have my essay on pressure groups because we never moved onto that before lockdown. I have an advanced higher essay on pressure groups but I don't know how well that lines up with the higher mods teaching of pressure groups.

Here's the 12 mark essay plan on FPTP which is fairly similar to the 20 mark, just knocked off one of the peeareeals.

Essay Plan – FPTP

Intro
Used in British General Elections
Winner takes all
More negative because of proportionality and wasted votes

Voter Choice
Easy to use and understand
Clearly identify why representatives have been elected
Simplicity leads to higher voter turnout
Scottish turnout in BGEs higher (71% to 50%)

Wasted votes
Only 1 MP voted per constituency
In 2015 19mil cast ineffective vote (70%)
Encourages people not to vote

Constituency Link VS Proportionality
Strong link between voters and representative
Makes MP more accountable
If MP familiar, more likely to visit
Philippa Whitford high profile SNP candidate for Central Ayrshire

Delivers unfair result
Proportionality between seats and votes poor
Concentration of votes results in more seats
In 2015 UKIP won 12/6% of votes, third highest but only 1 MP

Conclusion
Negatives more impactful
Majority can be formed with minimal support
2010 Tory majority off 12 MPs, only won 36.9% of votes

Reply 7

sask1

6

Original post by cchloepx

I unfortunately don't have my essay on pressure groups because we never moved onto that before lockdown. I have an advanced higher essay on pressure groups but I don't know how well that lines up with the higher mods teaching of pressure groups.

Here's the 12 mark essay plan on FPTP which is fairly similar to the 20 mark, just knocked off one of the peeareeals.

Essay Plan – FPTP

Intro
Used in British General Elections
Winner takes all
More negative because of proportionality and wasted votes

Voter Choice
Easy to use and understand
Clearly identify why representatives have been elected
Simplicity leads to higher voter turnout
Scottish turnout in BGEs higher (71% to 50%)

Wasted votes
Only 1 MP voted per constituency
In 2015 19mil cast ineffective vote (70%)
Encourages people not to vote

Constituency Link VS Proportionality
Strong link between voters and representative
Makes MP more accountable
If MP familiar, more likely to visit
Philippa Whitford high profile SNP candidate for Central Ayrshire

Delivers unfair result
Proportionality between seats and votes poor
Concentration of votes results in more seats
In 2015 UKIP won 12/6% of votes, third highest but only 1 MP

Conclusion
Negatives more impactful
Majority can be formed with minimal support
2010 Tory majority off 12 MPs, only won 36.9% of votes

thankyou so much! sorry to be a pain but did you study social inequalities or crime? if you had any social inequalities plans they wold be super helpful too. xx

Reply 8

cchloepx

16

Original post by sask1

thankyou so much! sorry to be a pain but did you study social inequalities or crime? if you had any social inequalities plans they wold be super helpful too. xx

I studied social inequalities. I only have one essays on my laptop that I wrote a plan for unfortunately. however, I linked two 20 mark essays I wrote but never did plans for (probably because they weren't in my prelim)

Essay Plan – Wealth Inequality

Intro
Richest 10% hold 44% wealth
Education cause over benefits and low pay and geography

Paragraph 1
UC must accept work
Benefits sanctions last 30 days DP Work&Pensions
0 hour contracts cause poverty
Monthly payments prepare for budgeting

NMW is a pay threshold for under 25s (£7.71 for 21-24)
Doesn’t ensure good standard of living
Should be £11.41 if enjoyed same pay rises as top bosses (GMB Union)
UK 9th highest in OECD compared to other developed nations

Paragraph 2
North-South divide
Wealth concentrated in south-east
15% more likely to have wealth of £1m or over, only 8% in north
Far too simplistic- wealth in areas like Aberdeen or Edinburgh.

Deprivation in Glasgow
Deprivation concentrated in one area in Scotland (Glasgow)
Inequality attributed to social factors, de-industrialisation, etc.
Overly simplistic

Paragraph 3
Attainment gap
Affluent backgrounds perform better than less affluent backgrounds
Poorly resourced schools, no access to tutors and learning sources, no role models, etc.
Strong connection between background and attainment
Most affluent pupils 7x more likely to go to uni
In 4 LAs, no pupils from the poorest 20% got benchmark grades
Not closing, getting wider
Education most important factor of inequality

Conclusion
Eligible for school meals meaning less likely to go onto HE
Education path out of poverty and into prosperity