Making Your Mind Up: Key Debates in A-Level Politics
Contents
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 / Additional Member System / Single Transferable Vote / Supplementary Vote 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
- Do manifestos win and lose elections?
- Do demographics (age/class/ethnicity/gender/region) determine political allegiance?
- How important are opinion polls to election results?
- How important are campaigns to election results?
- Does the media determine election results?
Core Political Ideas: Conservatism
- Do conservatives agree on the economy?
- Do conservatives agree on human nature?
- Do conservatives agree on society?
- Do conservatives agree on the state?
- Do conservatives agree with paternalism?
- Do conservatives agree on the pragmatism?
- Is the New Right a conservative ideology?
Core Political Ideas: Liberalism
- Do liberals agree on the economy?
- Do liberals agree on human nature?
- Do liberals agree on society?
- Do liberals agree on the state?
- Do liberals agree on equality?
- Do liberals agree on freedom?
- Is modern liberalism a liberal ideology?
Core Political Ideas: Socialism
- Do socialists agree on the economy?
- Do socialists agree on human nature?
- Do socialists agree on society?
- Do socialists agree on the state?
- Do socialists agree with collectivism?
- Do socialists agree with revolution?
- Is the Third Way a socialist ideology?
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
- What is the most important function of the executive?
- Which power strengthens the executive the most?
- Does individual ministerial responsibility still exist?
- Does collective ministerial responsibility still exist?
- Is the Cabinet still a powerful influence within the executive?
- Are Prime Ministers increasingly presidential in style?
The Relationship between the Branches of the Government
- Is the Supreme Court a powerful body?
- Is the Supreme Court sufficiently independent and neutral?
- Is Parliament an effective check and balance against the executive?
- Has the European Union met its aims?
- Has leaving the European Union restored political sovereignty?
- Where does sovereignty lie in the UK constitutional arrangement?
Non-Core Political Ideas: Feminism
- Do feminists agree on the economy?
- Do feminists agree on human nature?
- Do feminists agree on society?
- Do feminists agree on the state?
- Do feminists agree on gender and sex?
- Do feminists agree with essentialism?
- Do feminists agree that the personal is political?
- Do feminists agree on the importance of patriarchy?
- Is post-modern feminism a feminist ideology?
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?
