Political Awareness
Political Awareness Introduction For this assignment I shall research all the relevant information needed to complete this assignment. I shall research all of the key government figures, functions and it's movements and actions since it has been in power (New Labour 2001). I shall research the key positions in this government and explain their roles and responsibilities e.g. Tony Blair is the representative of the 'New Labour' and one of his responsibilities are to choose who shall be in the cabinet. when I have finished all the tasks I shall give my conclusion and include the relevant references and bibliography. What is the cabinet? The Cabinet is composed of about 20 ministers, although the number can vary. They are chosen by the Prime Minister and may include departmental and non-departmental ministers. The functions of the Cabinet are to initiate and decide on policy, the supreme control of government and the co-ordination of government departments. The exercise of these functions is vitally affected by the fact that the Cabinet is a group of party representatives, depending upon majority support in the House of Commons. Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service-The Rt. Hon. Tony Blair, MP Born in Scotland in May 1953 Tony Blair went to school at Durham and Edinburgh. He read Law at Oxford University and qualified as a barrister
Government & Politics Revision Notes
Unit 1- People and Politics. PRIMARY NOTES Democracy Definition- Democracy is most simply defined as 'rule by the people'. Its core principle is the notion of political equality, an equal distribution of political power and influence. As a political system, democracy is often associated with 'government of the people, by the people, and for the people'. Democracy can either be direct, in which voters express views that will determine specific outcomes, or indirect in that representatives are elected to decide policy on the public's behalf. Democracy is commonly associated with the liberal-democratic model of democracy. As such, its distinctive features are regular, free and fair elections, universal adult suffrage, and party and candidate competition. * There are two types of Democracy, these are Direct and Representative Democracies. DIRECT DEMOCRACY- Direct democracy is based on the direct, unmediated and continuous participation of citizens in the tasks of government. This means that, through whatever mechanisms, the public makes public policy, rather than merely chooses who will make policy on its behalf. Direct democracy thus obliterates the distinction between the government and the governed and thus between the state and civil society. It is a system of popular self-government. In so-called Athenian democracy, it operates through a form of government by mass
What is the main reason for the loss of faith and interest in our Political System?
Independent Research Project 2008 What is the main reason for the loss of faith and interest in our Political System? Title: Sub-title: Page: Acknowledgments - Executive Summary - Introduction Introduction Aim Hypothesis Methods 2 2 2 2-3 Development How do people gain knowledge about politics? Should Government and Politics be a mandatory subject in the Curriculum? The Tabloids The Broadsheets Television Is the negative media justified, and is it doing a good job? What other issues may affect the loss of faith? How do the negative factors mentioned affect politics? 3-4 4-5 5 5-6 6 6-8 8-9 9-11 Primary Data Research - Results Tables of results Representation and evaluation of data Recommendations 1 2 2-14 4-16 6-17 Conclusions and Evaluations Evaluation of primary research Conclusions drawn from the investigation 7-18 8-19 Bibliography and References - 20 Appendices Sample questionnaire 21 Acknowledgments: I want to take this opportunity to thank those who helped me to create this piece of work, and those who gave me the encouragement to carry on when I thought it had me beat. Thanks to those who completed questionnaires which made it possible for me to gain primary data, and gave me a lot of 'food for thought' during the investigation. I'd like to Acknowledge the great support given by the Aylesbury College, not
The Labour Party.
Political Parties 2002 ~ Research Project The Labour Party Brief history of Party: * The Labour Party was founded in 1900 after several generations of preparatory trade unions. * It elected 29 members to parliament in 1906 and in the two elections of 1910 it elected 40 and 42 members. * In 1924 it formed its first government, with Ramsay MacDonald as prime minister, nevertheless the government only lasted a few months but in 1929 they were re-elected. * In 1945 it won an overwhelming electoral victory where Attlee became prime minister for the party's first majority government. * During the time of their opposition in power i.e. the conservatives in 1955 and 1959, the part almost split between right and left during this time. Then when Attlee retired the right-winger, Hugh Gaitskell became the party leader. * Harold Wilson then became party leader after Gaitskell's death in 1963, where he was able to lead the party to victory in 1964. * The party lost power to the Conservatives under Margaret Thatcher in the 1979 elections and remained in the opposition until late 1997. * When Michael Foot became party leader in 1980, the party moved sharply to the left but the party split with the SDP formed and leaving some left-wingers left over, the party faced a crushing defeat in the 1983 election. * Michael Foot then resigned and was succeeded by Neil Kinnock where Kinnock
priministers power
Prime Ministerial Power Notes on the use of this study material Sections 1-3 make important points about the nature of UK government which bestows great power on the executive and there is an outline of the functions of the PM. This is all basic and essential material. Sections 4-7 detail evidence for and against the view that the Prime Minister has become so personally powerful that he has become a Presidential figure. The central arguments should be known with some evidence. Section 8 is a conclusion. . The Nature of Parliamentary Government Party Dominates o The crucial constitutional feature of contemporary Britain -is that there is no separation of powers between the executive and legislature as there is in the U.S.A. In Britain the executive (or government) consists of the leadership of the largest party in the Commons. o The dominant 'fact' of British political life is that party dominates the Commons - the leadership of the majority party is the government; the leadership of the next biggest party - the official Opposition - want to be the government as well as opposing the government in the short term . o The Commons is primarily therefore the 'cockpit' of two-party struggle with the votes of backbenchers on the government side ensuring that the government can effectively govern - i.e. pass its proposals into law - with the backbenchers of the major
Unit 1 - Example of Evaluations
Letter Evaluation The purpose of this document was to send a business letter to potential artists who the record label was interested in signing. The letter followed the standard layout of a business letter. It was important for the letter to include contact information and reference to the record labels website. Document Evaluation What is good about it and what worked well The most pleasing thing about this document is that it follows the standard layout of a business document and therefore looks professional, the alignment of the address's and paragraph layout are identical to those of any other business letter. The professional look makes it easier for the recipient to read and the visible logo and website make the record label company instantly recognisable. What is not so good about it and what did not work Personally I feel that the language I used in the letter was that which a professional business would have used, the simple and concise letter gets all the required information across but it lacks professional and specialist language. Also I made a few grammatical errors within the paragraphs and after the use of names but these where corrected when I produced my final draft. How well does it meet its purpose Despite its simple language, the document still meets it purpose of offering potential artists a record contract quite well, getting all the essential
Evaluate the above statement and consider the extent to which you think it is true.
"Arguments that the British Prime Minister is an elective dictator are arrant nonsense. The Prime Minister is constrained by his or her Cabinet colleagues, the will of Parliament and the decisions of the Judiciary. The British Constitution rests on the separation of power and the operation of the rule of law. The Prime Minister operates firmly within the particular constitutional arrangement in place for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland". Evaluate the above statement and consider the extent to which you think it is true. Although not quite an oxymoron, the phrase "the British Constitution" may be perceived as something of a misnomer. The term "constitution" is generally understood as meaning a document or set of containing a full list of the rules which determine how the state shall be administered, and a comprehensive catalogue of the rights, freedoms and protections enjoyed by its citizens. There is no such document in existence in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland1. The reasons for this lack of codified constitution are many and various. I do not propose to discuss them. A better term for the system in place in the UK is indeed "the constitutional arrangement" since it suggests that the constitutional principle is a fundamental part of the current system of government, implies that there is more involved than clear-cut
Democracy and Voting
Politics is the study of power: * Politics as institutions (government, EU and local council) * Politics as activity (voting, getting involved) * Politics as conflict (Tries to resolve conflicts mostly through non-violence) * Politics as power (dictates social activities): . Coercive (Stalin) 2. Persuasive (Blair/Bush) 3. Absolute (Tsar Nicholas) 4. Legitimate (Western Democracy leaders) Definition of Power: Max Webbers 3 types of authority: . Traditional (Monarchy, hierarchal, conservative) 2. Rational/Legal (Power from rules and legitimate ways into power) 3. Charismatic (Special qualities to exercise authority; eloquence - Blair) Contemporary Version: Stephen Luke's 3 Faces of Power: . Decision-making force (Parliament, council, laws) 2. Non-decision making force (Cabinet, MI5) 3. Manipulative desires/force (Nazi: "Jews are bad") Democracy Comes from the greek (Demos = People and Kratos = Rule, Tule by the People). First form in Athens - (90% couldn't vote, just free white men and the rich). Two principles of democracy: . Equal Access (To run, vote, take part) 2. Equal Freedom and civil liberties For democracy to be effective, it must include checks and balances. The power must not be concentrated (to class, spectrum, etc.), and must have the power separated - devolved, "power corrupts absolutely" Features of Democracy: * Competitive elections
Apart from referendums, explain three ways in which democracy in the UK could be improved.
Sama Al-Saltany . a) Outline the key features of a referendum. A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal, usually a piece of legislation which has been passed into law by the local legislative body and signed by the pertinent executive official. Referendums are usually held when parliament cannot come to an agreement about legislation. b) Apart from referendums, explain three ways in which democracy in the UK could be improved. Quality: Reduce the number of select committees MPs who are part of the government, part of the opposition front bench, or who are whips, are not permitted (for obvious reasons) to sit on select committees. This means that there is roughly one select committee place per eligible MP. Consequently, serving on a select committee is a routine rather than a hard-fought honor, and attendance on committees is often low. If the number of select committees were reduced, this would reduce the number of places and increase the competition for places. The departmental link would have to be broken, but broader remits with competent and fully attended committees would more than make up the difference. Places on committees would once again be competitive and the best people would sit on them. Power: The power to call for real evidence Select committees have the power to call people
How, and with what success, have governments attempted to improve the provision of health care in the UK since 1992?
How, and with what success, have governments attempted to improve the provision of health care in the UK since 1992? The NHS began with the post war Labour government. The objective aim was to provide free health care from cradle to grave provided by the state. It truly was the jewel in the crown for Clement Atlee's welfare state. The question however has arisen of how far have the governments attempted to improve the provision of health care without diminishing the shine of the jewel and without conflicting with Aneurin Bevan's principles. Have the government succeeded at delivering to society's expectations with the occurrence of a widening population, advances in technology, the birth of new treatments and the nature of the NHS changing in comparison to how it originally was. Now at a time, where the general election is near, each political party will want to show the public that they are the right party to manage the NHS, they are the right party to manage the institution that binds our nation together. This essay will explore the attempts placed by the government to improve health care but more importantly how successful have these efforts been. 1992 saw Major's government create the 'Internal Health Market'. Market forces were now introduced in the NHS. This service was divided into 2 groups. They were purchasers who consisted of 'Regional Health Authorities' and fund
