Difference between revisions of "Making Your Mind Up: Key Debates in A-Level Politics"

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===Democracy & Participation===
 
===Democracy & Participation===
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*Is the Presidential Election Process in need of reform?
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*How likely is an incumbent President to be re-elected?
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*Is there any significant differences within and between the Democratic and Republican parties?
 +
*Has campaign finance reform gone far enough?
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*Are special interest groups too powerful?
  
 
==Return to "Politics"==
 
==Return to "Politics"==
 
*[[Politics|Politics]]
 
*[[Politics|Politics]]

Revision as of 22:57, 7 December 2020

Instructions

  • Decide what your opinion is, have your reasons to justify your point of view, and do so well before the exam. Also, pick a side: no fence-sitting!

Key Debates in Paper 1

Democracy & Participation

  • Is direct democracy better than representative democracy or vice versa?
  • Is our representative democracy in need of reform?
  • Has the franchise been extended far enough?
  • Do pressure groups or collective organisations (including think tanks, lobbyists and corporations) succeed in their attempts to influence policy makers?
  • Are our rights sufficiently protected in the United Kingdom?

Political Parties

  • Are political parties still fit for purpose?
  • Does the party funding system need reform?
  • What is needed for a political party to succeed?
  • Is there a one-, two-, or multi-party system at play in the United Kingdom?
  • Is there any difference between the political parties in the United Kingdom?

Electoral Systems

  • Do the advantages of First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) / Additional Member System (AMS) / Single Transferable Vote (STV) / Supplementary Vote (SV) outweigh the disadvantages?
  • Is the electoral system used by the devolved body in Scotland / Wales / Northern Ireland better than that deployed for Westminster elections?
  • Do referenda have a place in a representative democracy?
  • Should the United Kingdom use just one electoral system?

Voting Behaviour & the Media

Core Political Ideas: Conservatism

Core Political Ideas: Liberalism

Core Political Ideas: Socialism

Key Debates in Paper 2

The Constitution

  • Has the reforms to Parliament gone far enough?
  • Should the UK Constitution be codified?
  • Does there need to be further devolution to Northern Ireland, Scotland, or Wales?
  • Is there any need for an English Parliament or English regional assemblies?
  • Would the UK be better off as a federal rather than a unitary state?

Parliament

  • Does Parliament fulfil its functions?
  • Is the House of Lords becoming more assertive?
  • Is the legislative process in need of reform?
  • Do backbenchers play a significant role in the 21st Century?
  • Are Select Committees as effective scrutineers as they could be?
  • Has Questions to the Prime Minister become a performance?
  • How significant is Her Majesty's Official Opposition and the other opposition parties?

The Prime Minister & the Executive

The Relationship between the Branches of the Government

Non-Core Political Ideas: Anarchism

Key Debates in Paper 3

The Constitution

  • How democratic are the provisions in the Constitution?
  • Do the strengths of the Constitution outweigh the weaknesses?
  • Are the checks and balances in the Constitution sufficient?
  • Is the amendment process advantageous?
  • Is the Federal Government a dominant influence over the States?

Congress

  • How powerful is Congress?
  • Does Congress resemble the American people?
  • Do congressional elections lead to real change?
  • Do Members of Congress vote according to party more than any other factor?
  • Is the legislative process in need of reform?
  • Has Congress achieved anything substantial in recent times?
  • Has Congress managed to check and balance the power of the executive and judicial branches?
  • Is partisanship in Congress increasing or decreasing?

The Presidency

  • Are the formal or informal sources of presidential power more important?
  • Are the limitations on presidential power impactful?
  • Does the President or Congress have the upper hand?
  • Is there presently an Imperial Presidency?
  • Can the President act with impunity when it comes to foreign policy?
  • Did your two chosen Presidents succeed in achieving their aims?

The Supreme Court & Civil Rights

  • Is the appointments process in need of reform?
  • Is the Supreme Court a political or judicial body?
  • Should the Supreme Court practice judicial activism or restraint?
  • How impactful has the Supreme Court been on public policy since 2005?
  • How well-protected are civil liberties in the United States?
  • Has the Supreme Court done enough to promote equality in recent times?
  • Is the present state of race relations in the United States better or worse than it has been?

Democracy & Participation

  • Is the Presidential Election Process in need of reform?
  • How likely is an incumbent President to be re-elected?
  • Is there any significant differences within and between the Democratic and Republican parties?
  • Has campaign finance reform gone far enough?
  • Are special interest groups too powerful?

Return to "Politics"

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