...How strong is the case for increasing the use of referendums in the UK? A referendum is a vote put to the public by a ballot by the government. Given as a simple “yes/no” question, they are on a single issue in the country or something the government needs the public’s opinion on. The UK rarely uses referendums, with only 2 put to the UK and 9 otherwise. Here I will discuss whether or not their use should be increased. Referendums can help to decide on issues like education, healthcare, social issues and more for example in Switzerland where they are used to decide on social issues like abortion and gay marriage. However, in most cases, the action/ outcome would have already been decided by the government in control, using the referendum as a way to legitimise what they want. Due to this issue, they can be used to legitimise clearly non-democratic laws, for example Hitler used them to pass what he wanted to happen. Referendums also gain the public’s view on what the government wants- whether they want it or not- yet this makes tyranny of the majority as minorities don’t get expressed and only certain areas are get to vote. The question would have been carefully manicured in favour of the best outcome for the government, as people can only answer yes or no- no justification or adding more even if neither appeals. A tool for modern democracy, outside of the UK they solve a wide range of issues and work well. The voter has a direct choice and say in what the government do, for...
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...direct democracy be more widely used in the UK?’ Direct democracy is a form of government in which all laws are created by a general vote of society. This means that political decisions are put forward to the people as they are the ones who are going to be directly affected by the outcome of the decision. An example of direct democracy used occasionally in society is referendums. A referendum is a general vote by the electorate on a single political question which has been referred to them for a direct decision. Within this essay I am going to be arguing whether direct democracy should be used more widely by weighing up the benefits and the disadvantages of direct democracy and the result on the general public. One argument for direct democracy being used more extensively in the UK is that it gives a more advanced and more accurate representation of the public’s attitude on an issue raised in parliament. Many local citizens do not often communicate with their MP; occasionally it can be difficult for Parliament to come to a decision that accurately reflects public opinion. MPs have to make choices bases what they personally feel is right and is not always entirely what the public want. Referendums give a distinct result that reflects the public’s demands. This is better as the public are satisfied and there is little need for ‘guess-work’ by the government. An example is this year’s Scottish Referendum. The culmination of the referendum exhibited that the slight majority of the...
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...sovereignty in the UK changed in the recent years? Sovereignty is essential and there is nothing you can do to challenge it or take it away. In the UK sovereignty lies within parliament; Sovereignty was placed formally to parliament after the Bill of Rights Act in 1688 when the monarch’s powers were removed. Ultimate power lies in parliament due to the fact that the electorate vote for the members of Parliament in free, fair and regular elections. There are two types of sovereignty that exist, legal and political. Legal sovereignty is the principle that one body has the authority and right to change any law in anyway it wants to, legal sovereignty in the UK has been said to lie in Westminster Parliament. Political sovereignty is where power effectively and actively is used and implemented, in other words who holds political power and who has can influence it. For example, political sovereignty lies with the electorate at election time, but at other times lies with Parliament when debating legislation and constitutional statues. People argue that the EU undermines Parliament sovereignty because national sovereignty of the British ts citizens is the ability of the UK to decide matters for itself. Membership of the EU has meant there has been a loss of national sovereignty. There are now a lot of EU institutions which are also in power with the UK political institutions and sometimes a number of areas which the EU has had an impact on the independent decision making of UK Parliament...
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...“How can UK democracy be enhanced?” Democracy is a political system where decisions are made in the interests of the people by decision-makers who are elected, accountable and can be got rid of peacefully. There 2 types of democracy: direct and representative ones. In the UK there is a direct democracy which gives every citizen the right to participate, the opportunity to express their views, thoughts and where voters determine specific policy outcomes. There is a constant debate whether the UK is a truly democratic country or not and to what extent. It is believed that nowadays Britain has a massive issues: the electoral system is totally unfair, there are unelected political members and the lack of parties, Civil Rights are in danger, citizens no longer have a wish to participate in elections, the media is prejudged and, finally, the UK is not representative. This essay will evaluate how to make the Great Britain more democratized. The major point is that there is a low rate of political participation in the UK that might lead to an arbitrary and autocratic government. It is significant element because it makes the government more accountable. There are some ways which can prevent this undemocratic style. Firstly, the UK government can introduce the compulsory voting which is nowadays enhanced in Australia. This method would force citizens to affect the outcomes of elections and make them more politically aware of issues. The second way is to increase the use of referendums...
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...The Fiscal Compact: A Pillar of Understanding: In this project we will look at the Fiscal Compact Treaty which came into effect on the 1st of January 2013. Firstly, we will briefly outline the various factors that led to the signing of the Treaty. Following this we will assess the rules established under the Treaty and how the Treaty will impact future fiscal policy. Furthermore, we will compare and contrast which method of ratification, public referendum or a vote in parliament is more suitable for Ireland when it comes to deciding on EU matters, such as the Fiscal Compact. In addition to that we will interview a person who has strong convictions regarding the Fiscal Compact. To conclude, we will present our opinions and recommendations based upon our research and findings. We will seek to predict whether the Treaty will solve the Eurozone Crisis or plunge the EMU into greater financial instability. Background and Contributing Factors A number of factors contributed to the signing of the Fiscal Compact Treaty on 2 March 2012 (European Council, 2013). Although the Eurozone crisis was the main driving force behind the signing of the Fiscal Compact, a number of flaws existed before the collapse of the Eurozone (McArdle, 2012). McArdle (2012) notes that a major drawback was the fact that the Eurozone didn’t have a common fiscal policy. A “Stability and Growth Pact” (SGP) was passed and came into effect on the 1st January 1999 and made a number of key structural changes (McArdle...
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...Democracy in the United Kingdom has changed a lot over the years however the definition has never changed. The right for people to choose and decide how a country is run. This essay will help decide whether the United Kingdom still follows that definition of being a true democracy and analysing how this has affected the people of the UK. The first thing to look at is the various types of democracy used in the UK. There are many examples of the various types of democracies with the first being direct democracy. A recent example of what a direct democracy can do is the Scottish Referendum taking place throughout Scotland. This allows the people of Scotland to take the decision of independence in to their own hands. This is a great example of how a democracy should work with millions of peoples voices being heard to make a decision that affects them all. While being one of the most direct ways to involve people it is also one of more timely efforts with the voting taking a long while before being put into effect. This can be seen with the Scottish Referendum taking two years to fully set up and then another year and a half before the final decision being implemented. The other type of democracy is the representative democracy which is what is used mainly in the United Kingdom. In this case citizens will vote for a representative of their constituency who will then represent their views in Parliament. The system used for these elections is known as the First Past The Post system...
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...Essay : To what extent does democracy in the UK suffer from a ‘participation crisis’? Political participation is defined as opportunities for and tendencies of the people to become involved in the political process. At a minimum level this will involve voting, but may also involve active work in political parties and pressure groups. At the higher/highest level it implies standing for public office. However with regards to the United Kingdom suffering from a participation crisis, I would like to agree. Simply because, there has been a low turnout at general elections, which undermines the mandate of the government and threatens the idea that the UK is a representative democracy. Between 1922 and 1997 turnout remained above 71%. At the 2001 general election the turnout was59.4%; in 2005 it was 61.4%; in 2010 it was 65.1%; and in 2015 it was66.1%. Various people may consider the minor increase in percentage but overall there has not been a significant increase. Key forms of participation, such as voting and party membership have declined significantly over time, but other newer, faster forms have arisen and are slowly becoming more popular to the newer generations such as Referendums, particularly in Scotland. Popular engagement with the formal processes and institutions of democracy has been in long – term decline since the 1960’s. The turnout in 2001 was the lowest; this is compared to how between 1945 and 1992 it was always about 75 percent. Through this, it can be seen that...
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...In the latter committee, there are two departments – governmental and non-governmental. They examine government departments’ expeditures , policies and policies. There are between 16 to 50 members in the PBC who are selected by Committee of Selection whose 7 out 9 members are ships. On the other hand, there are 11 members in the SCs and to eliminate “the conflict of interest, all the members are backbench members who are elected using the Alternative vote system. 2a What are the main functions of Parliament and how well does it perform them? [5] < This question is a 20-mark question > 3a What are the differences between direct and representative democracy? [5] In direct democracy, people are directly involved in decision-making processes, whereas in representative democracy, people elect MPs who will represent and form a government in Parliament. For instance, some qualified members of Athenian society were involved in decision-making and a referendum is a limited form of direct democracy. Also general elections are kind of parliamentary democracy, they are held every five years to election a representative and a government. There is potential danger that decision-making mechanisms can be affected by an organised faction and demagogue in direct democracy. 4a What is the role of the opposition in British politics? [5] The main role of the opposition is adversarial. The Opposition is not...
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...on the tourism industry and given their contrasting portrayals of the Scots, does one hinder tourism more than the other? Can we say whether or not there is a distinct notion of ‘Scottish national identity’ and if such a concept exists to what level is it illustrated in Scottish film? Has the Scottish film industry had an impact on the political landscape in Scotland since it was devolved in 1998? Finally given the effects of Scottish film in Scotland, what has the government put in place in order to develop the industry further? Scotland has produced many world renowned films over the last two decades and has had a large impact on the creative industries in Scotland. It has long retained a certain romance which frequently appeals to both UK and global audiences, no film more so than Hollywood release Braveheart. Released in 1995 the film tells the story of Scottish hero William Wallace, a 13th century warrior who revolts against his tyrannical English overload. It has since been credited for rousing deep patriotism amongst the Scottish diaspora and those still remaining within the country. So popular was the film...
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...authoritative, highest law of the land. Binds all political institutions – leads to 2 tier legal system ▪ Provisions of it are entrenched, difficult to amend or abolish ▪ It is judiciable, all political bodies are subject to authority of the courts, in particular a supreme court. o Uncodified – increasingly rare, UK one of few ▪ Not authoritative, constitutional laws treated same as ordinary laws ▪ Not entrenched, constitution can be changed through the normal process for enacting statute law. ▪ Not judiciable, judges do not have legal standard to declare that actions of other bodies are constitutional/not constitutional. o However: ▪ No constitution is entirely written, written documents do not encompass all aspects of constitutional practice ▪ No constitution is entirely unwritten, no constitution consisting only of rules of conduct or behaviour. • Unitary and federal o Unitary – establish constitutional supremacy of central government over provincial and local bodies. Reflected in UK via Parliament o Federal – divide sovereignty between 2 levels of government, both central and regional posses a range of powers that the other...
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...LEGAL RESEARCH AND WRITING Entrenchment: 2010 Kenya Constitution LEGAL RESEARCH AND WRITING Entrenchment: 2010 Kenya Constitution INTRODUCTION The Kenya constitution is a codified constitution, as all laws are clearly spelt out in an enclosed document. Entrenchment deals with the legal procedures for modification of a constitution. An entrenched constitution recognizes the constitution and its process of modification as different from other laws .Key features of a codified constitution, entrenched – The provisions laid out in a codified constitution are entrenched, which means that they are difficult to amend or abolish. Some constitutions contain certain clauses which prevent them being changed at all. A good example would be the German ‘eternity clause’. Others prevent the changing or amending of parts of the constitution during times of conflict, or before a certain time period. An un-entrenched constitution does not recognize the constitutional law as different or supreme and thus constitutions can be modified as easily as statutory laws. The procedure for modifying a constitution is often called amending. Amending an entrenched constitution needs numerous procedures than modification of a statue. Sometimes, this is because the constitution is considered supreme law. Article 2(1) of the Kenyan Constitution of 2010, states that the Constitution is the supreme law of the republic and binds all persons and all state organs at both levels of...
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...between UK and the EU and this dissatisfaction was undeniable and irrevocable as it came from multiple parties. Therefor there had been calls for a referendum to be held about participating in the EU or not, which led to the necessity of the speech, given to attain focus on UK’s future and what they would have to do to achieve the visions of the 21st century. It was also necessary to mention to the people that he has visions for the UK as well as Europe and also address the important choice the people has in front of them as it would be put in their hands to decide whether they should continue the cooperation with the EU or not. When a country is in despair it has been proven at several occasions how powerful a motivating and collected speech can be and with the uncertainty of UK’s position in the EU as it is now as well in the future, David Cameron’s was much needed to assert that they will take action and the outcome will be profitable for UK as a whole. The speech consists of 5 main parts where the first one revolves around the past to identify the previous goals of the EU, such as securing peace, which have been reached. To claim that these goals have been reached naturally leads to the purpose of the speech which is to determine new goals and a new role for the UK to play to have the future that they wish for. The second part is about the changes that the EU must make to deliver prosperity and retain the support of its peoples which is most requisite in order for UK to keep...
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...Examination and Exam Technique Choosing your questions In this unit you are presented with four questions. They are of equal value and each question covers one of the four sections of the specification. These are: Democracy and political participation Party policies and ideas Elections Pressure groups There is no significance to the order in which questions appear. Each question is divided into three sections (a), (b) and (c). When choosing which questions to do, the following principles are recommended: It is almost certain that you will be better off choosing your strongest question to do first. You should choose questions on the basis of how well you can answer the section (c) part. The (c) part carries 25 of the 40 marks available for the whole answer. Do not choose a question simply because you can do part (a) especially well. The (a) question is only worth 5 marks. It would be illogical to choose your strongest (a) part if you cannot do well on section (c). If you cannot decide between several (c) parts, i.e. you can do more than one equally well, make your choice on the basis of part (b) which carries 10 marks. But remember, it is the (c) parts that will determine most what your overall mark will be. So, when you first look at the exam paper, look at the (c) sections first. Assessment Objectives Each question is divided into three sections, as follows: carries 5 marks carries 10 marks carries 25 marks The way you answer questions should be determined by the way assessment...
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...independence Arguments for the independence ----------------------------------------------- 6 Arguments against the independence ----------------------------------------- 7 Conclusion --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 Bibliography ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 Introduction The subject I have analyzed in this research paper is the possible independence of Scotland. I chose this topic because the Scottish independence is a problem of great importance not only for the UK and Scotland, but also for the whole Europe. While doing my research I found very strong and opposing opinions about this recent topic. Scottish independence is a relevant and important matter that has been debated for many years but is now at the pinnacle of debate. Both public and politicians and opposing opinions about independence and throughout this work I will evaluate the most current and most emotive arguments for and against independence. First, I will speak about the historical background of this issue and about the parties “fighting” for independence. Next, I will represent for and against arguments, which will help to understand this complicated issue. Chapter I General information Scotland was an independent country from 843, with the unification of the Scots and Picts. In medieval times, Scotland fought for freedom from England, which Mel Gibson dramatically depicted in his Academy Award-winning...
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...them and their country. Democracy isn’t always the best form of government but when you have it, it usually seems to work best as it provides freedom in every state and country for the people rather than autocratic states or country. Having more freedom allows people to choose and criticize their own government if they are doing a good thing for the people or not doing the right thing for example not taking into account the peoples opinion on whether or not say 16 year olds should be allowed to vote. Also even though the people of the country have the right to vote for their government they also have the extension of thinking what should their nation be like and what the policy of their nation would be. Despite this, even though they are allowed to choose their government there should be no reason to why the people cannot be as free under an autocratic government as in a democratic government. In comparison to that democracy is the best form of democracy as it represents the people of its country, making it the government by the people and with the people and for the people. The government represents the people as it was them who elected that candidate into the parliament due to their manifesto making them legit and not a slave of the people but to represent them in the world, doing the best for their country. Them now having the power doesn’t mean they can do whatever it is they want, they have a sole responsibility to represent the people and if they abuse their power then...
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