SECTION 1—Democracy in Scotland and the United Kingdom STUDY THEME A: Democracy IN SCOTLAND 1_Revision

Practise Questions 1.Groups which influence the Scottish Government; Pressure Groups, Trade Unions and the Media. Describe, in detail, two ways in which the group you have chosen tries to influence the Scottish Government. 4 2.Explain, in detail, the advantages and disadvantages of the Additional Members System which is used to elect the Scottish Parliament. 8 3.Describe, in detail, the devolved powers of the Scottish Parliament. 6 4.Explain, in detail, why many people in Scotland choose to vote in elections. 6 5.Explain, in detail, at least two ways in which local councils in Scotland can raise money. 6 6.Describe, in detail, at least two powers of the First Minister in the Scottish Government. 6 7.Explain, in detail, why some people believe majority government works well AND explain, in detail, why some people believe majority government does not work well. 6

1. Groups which influence the Scottish Government; Pressure Groups, Trade Unions and the Media. Describe, in detail, two ways in which the group you have chosen tries to influence the Scottish Government. 4 One group that can influence the Scottish Government is Pressure Groups. A pressure group can be a cause group, which is seeking to change government thinking on a particular issue. For example, the Megrahi Justice Committee wanted to re-open an investigation into the Lockerbie bombing tragedy. Another type of pressure group is an interest group, which tries to change government planning with regards to a specific group of people within society. For example, Help the Aged tries to improve living conditions for the elderly by raising awareness of issues affecting the elderly.

2. Explain, in detail, the advantages and disadvantages of the Additional Members System which is used to elect the Scottish Parliament. 8 One advantage of AMS is that the number of representatives each party gains is more in line with the percentage of votes cast for the party. This means it better reflects the wishes of the people and is more democratic. Another advantage of AMS is that it gives greater incentive to vote as fewer votes are wasted. People know their vote will count, so they are more likely to use it. For example in the 2011 election for Alex Salmond. One disadvantage of AMS is that there are two different types of MSP, regional and constituency. You could argue this leads to inequality because people might take the Constituency MSP more seriously, because they were elected by a particular constituency and may have a good relationship with the voters there, whereas the regional MSP is elected from a list and will not have that relationship. Another disadvantage is that there is less likelihood for majority government. With a minority government or coalition government it can be more difficult to get things done. For example in 2010 the minority SNP government failed to get a bill passed on minimum pricing for alcohol.

3. Describe, in detail, the devolved powers of the Scottish Parliament. 6 The Scottish Parliament has a range of devolved powers. One of the main ones is education. Scottish pupils sit Nationals and Highers whereas English students sit GCSEs. Another devolved area is health care. The Scottish government has been able to create different laws in Scotland for example the Smoking Ban in 2006 and the minimum pricing for alcohol. Another devolved area is law and order. The Scottish government has created laws for Scotland that decide how criminals are punished. For example, short term prison sentences of under 3 months have been abolished.

Explain, in detail, why many people in Scotland choose to vote in elections. 6 One reason why many people in Scotland choose to vote in elections is that the number of representatives each party gains is more in line with the percentage of votes cast for the party. This means it better reflects the wishes of the people and is more democratic. Another reason is that it gives greater incentive to vote as fewer votes are wasted. People know their vote will count, so they are more likely to use it. For example in the 2011 election for Alex Salmond. The final reason is that because of devolved powers decisions are made in the Scottish Parliament which affect Scottish people. For example education is a devolved power, which affects the future of Scotland therefore people will want to pick the people who make these decisions.

Explain, in detail, at least two ways in which local councils in Scotland can raise money. 6 Local councils in Scotland can raise money from several places. The most significant amount of money comes from the RSG grant supplied by the Scottish Parliament, this makes up around 80% of Local council budget. The money is given to councils to enable them to provide council services, such as schools. They can also raise money from council tax. There has been controversy in recent years because council tax has been frozen meaning that local councils have been unable to increase their revenue. Councils are now saying there is not enough money to provide effectively for services such as public parks. They can also raise money from council rents. Rents from council houses used to make up a significant proportion