Paper 1 Questions 2019 -2024
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PAPER 1: UK POLITICS
▪ Democracy and Participation
▪ Parties
▪ Electoral Systems
▪ Voting Behaviour and the Media
2024 Edexcel Paper 1
1a) Using the source, evaluate the view that the policies and ideas of the established political parties have now radically changed from their historical origins.
1b) Using the source, evaluate the view that referendums since 1997 have not supported democracy but have been used for other political purposes.
PRESSURE GROUPS: Evaluate the view that think tanks, lobbyists and corporations have greater influence than pressure groups.
ELECTIONS: Evaluate the view that the outcomes of general elections are mostly decided by election campaigns and manifestos.
3a) To what extent is liberalism divided over its approach to the economy?
3b) To what extent is there more agreement than disagreement within conservatism?
2023 Edexcel Paper 1
1a) Using the source, evaluate the view that the UK has a democratic deficit
1b) Using the source, evaluate the view that the 1997 general election was lost by the governing Conservatives rather than won by the Labour Opposition.
DEMOCRACY: Evaluate the view that Referendums held since 1997 have brought more disadvantages than advantages?
PARTIES: Evaluate the view that the current funding of UK political parties requires reform.
3a) To what extent does liberalism have a fear of the state?
3b) To what extent does Third Way effectively abandon socialist principles?
2022 Edexcel Paper 1
1a) Using the source, evaluate the view that ‘pick-and-mix’ politics is replacing ‘Left-Right’ politics and political parties are becoming more internally divided than ever.
1b) Using the source, evaluate the view – with specific reference to at least one devolved region using an alternative electoral system – that the case for PR to replace the Westminster FPTP voting system has now been established.
PRESSURE GROUPS: Evaluate the view that it is the media not pressure groups that has the greater influence on governments.
RIGHTS: Evaluate the view that neither individual rights nor collective rights in the UK are adequately protected and guaranteed.
3a) To what extent are conservatives united in their attitude towards the state?
3b) To what extent is socialism more disunited than united?
2021 Edexcel Paper 1
1a) Using the source, evaluate the view that opinion polls bring more advantages than disadvantages to elections and referendums.
1b) Using the source, evaluate the view that in a democracy MPs are free to ignore referendum results and their own political party’s manifesto.
ELECTORAL SYSTEMS: Evaluate the view that the emergence of multiple parties in the UK means that the Westminster electoral system must be changed.
ELECTIONS: Evaluate the view that the influence of the media in politics is exaggerated; it is not heavily biased and has little power of persuasion.
3a) To what extent is liberalism more concerned with society than with the economy?
3b) To what extent is there more to unite rather than divide the New Right from One-Nation conservatives?
2020:
ELECTIONS: Using the source, evaluate the view that a person’s age and the media have now replaced social class and region as clear indicators of voting behaviour.
PARTIES: Using the source, evaluate the view that state funding of political parties would be preferable to a situation in which a party can win a general election because it has more members and income than other parties.
RIGHTS: Evaluate the view that the actions of pressure groups have been more significant than government legislation in defending and promoting rights in the UK.
ELECTORAL SYSTEMS: Evaluate the view that the various electoral systems in use in the UK make significant differences to party representation.
3a) To what extent do modern liberals accept the ideas of classical liberals?
3b) To what extent does socialism depend on a view of society based only on class?
2019:
ELECTIONS: Using the source, evaluate the view that the outcomes of general elections are stable and predictable.
ELECTORAL SYSTEMS: Using the source, evaluate the view that proportional representation would improve elections to the House of Commons.
PRESSURE GROUPS: Evaluate the view that think-tanks, lobbyists and pressure groups have little impact on government decisions.
PARTIES: Evaluate the view that the only political parties that matter in our political system are the Labour and Conservative parties.
3a) To what extent do socialists have conflicting views over how the economy should operate?
3b) To what extent are conservatives united in their view of society?
2021 Edexcel Sources
1a) Using the source, evaluate the view that opinion polls bring more advantages than disadvantages to elections and referendums.
Source 1 concerns the use of opinion polls in UK politics. The first part of the extract comes from a House of Lords report into the recent impact of the use of polls. The second part of the extract is a more positive view of polling from Peter Kellner in The Evening Standard.
Source 1: Opinion polls influence voters and parties. They can deflate turnout if they show one party way ahead. Opinion polls cause voters to vote tactically. Opinion polls can influence the demand to call a general election and for parties to abandon principles in order to gain popularity. In the Scottish independence referendum, a poll showing that ‘leave’ was in the lead made all the parties work harder to change the outcome. The core issue is that they mislead and do not give an accurate reflection of the voting preferences across the UK and as such they damage democracy.
Kellner: “The 2017 polls were not all wrong. They successfully reflected changing opinions during the campaign. Theresa May’s rating tumbled, while Jeremy Corbyn’s rose. Social care was the issue that caused Conservative support to fall. They correctly showed the Liberal Democrats had stalled, with UKIP support collapsing, and a significant switch from the SNP to the Conservatives in Scotland. They showed how Labour’s manifesto gained them support while the Conservative manifesto put voters off. In a close contest, opinion polls can improve turnout. Opinion polls are part of a free media and integral to a healthy representative democracy.”
✔ Opinion polls are often inaccurate and can give false information to the electorate as they cast their vote in elections and referendums. This may mean that voters may change their minds based on incorrect facts - thus they are misleading. We can reach the verdict that this is very damaging as opinion polls are shaping rather than reflecting the political landscape.
✔ Opinion polls may lead to parties changing their policy and stances on certain topics. This may arise from outside interests attempting to influence choice in elections and referendums and may make political parties’ hostages to incorrect opinion polls. We can conclude that opinion polls undermine the democratic process of elections and referendums.
✔ Opinion polls can cause voters to vote tactically. This means that opinion polls thwart a voter’s primary goal and for them to abandon their first voting preference. Tactical voting undermines democratic representation and highlights a failure of the democratic process
✔ Opinion polls can have an adverse impact on turnout. This can arise on two fronts. If a person feels that their party is far ahead they may not bother to vote – equally if a person feels that their party, according to opinion polls, has no chance of victory they do not vote. We can conclude that opinion polls damage or limit turnout by reducing turnout.
✔ Own Knowledge for AO1: The media likes to sensationalise the results of opinion polls; often members of the public do not provide their real voting intention to pollsters (the shy Tory effect); polls could cause leaders to take wrong courses of action based on faulty samples.
DISAGREEMENT:
⮚ Opinion polls can show a clear trend in the fortunes of political parties as shown in 2017 and 2019. Some opinion polls were accurate in identifying the fortunes of political parties in the ’17 and ’19 elections. We can conclude that opinion polls give an accurate picture of how the public feel about opinion polls.
⮚ They can show the public’s views on parties’ policies with accuracy. Opinion polls become sounding boards for differing policy options and can show a ‘policy path to victory’ if a party is becoming unpopular for discernible reasons. We can come to the judgment that opinion polls help parties formulate policy which has potential public approval.
⮚ Opinion polls are a key part of the free media and of the process of election and referendum campaigns. We are not presented with just one ‘official’ opinion polls – there are very many and each has an element of variance. We can conclude that all ‘opinion’ polls are useful indicators and have become an integral part of the UK democratic process.
⮚ Opinion polls can have a positive impact on turnout. When results are close, opinion polls can motivate people to vote. We can conclude that opinion polls enhance democracy by increasing turnout in certain regions.
⮚ Own Knowledge for AO1: Polls are an essential element of modern politics; parties rely on them – they commission their own polls to inform them; No political party has ever blamed their defeat on the polls – and are aware of their limits.
1b) Using the source, evaluate the view that in a democracy MPs are free to ignore referendum results and their own political party’s manifesto.
This source depicts two letters with differing opinions printed in a newspaper concerning the importance and scope of the manifestos of political parties.
Dear Editor,
In the 2017 General Election both Conservative and Labour parties made explicit manifesto commitments. MPs should always obey the policies in their party’s manifesto, and not vote against them. They are trustees of political parties and should follow the policies on which they stood. MPs should faithfully represent the constituents who elected them. Our democracy relies on clear manifestos, one of which is converted by the winning party into a legitimate mandate for government. MPs are also expected to implement the outcomes of referendums.
Dear Editor,
Manifesto promises and referendum decisions should be subject to change when facts or public opinion change. Democracy is bigger than any mandate, manifesto or referendum. Edmund Burke in 1774 told his electors in Bristol: ‘Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays, instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion.’ Democracy must mean that MPs are free to change their minds. MPs can or do swap parties or change allegiances. On certain issues they have a right to vote according to their conscience. Political parties have had too much power for too long and democracy should allow greater freedom.
✔ When facts and circumstances change MPs should be free to change their minds. New information and circumstances may mean that earlier promises were wrong and the right thing to do is to alter tack. We can conclude that MP can be flexible and react to events and can change their minds.
✔ MP’s have the right to vote according to their conscience. Some issues go above party politics. They remain accountable to their constituents at the next election. We can conclude that elected representatives must be free to vote with their conscience but will still be held to account by the electorate.
✔ According to Burke, MPs are chosen for their overall ability and have licence to act freely. MPs are seen to be professional politicians and should think long term and for the good of the wider community they represent. We can conclude that MPs are specialists in whom the electorate surrender their views to once elected.
✔ MPs should be free of the confines and restrictions of political parties. It could be argued that political parties quash free and open debate within their ranks and are run by narrow elite. For democracy to serve the interests of the whole we can conclude that the narrow views of parties can be ignored.
✔ Own Knowledge for AO1: Political parties are broad churches and all members cannot be in a political straightjacket • Manifesto promises can be interpreted differently by individual MPS • Manifestos are chosen by the elite in political parties and have no grassroots origin and cannot command universal loyalty
DISAGREEMENT:
⮚ MPs gain their positions via political party affiliation. As candidates, they stand as representatives of a political party – upholding the views set out in their manifesto. The party organises their campaign both physically and financially. If MPs switch parties or become independent, they should seek re-election. We can conclude that it is an abandonment of trust and honour if they deviate from the official party line.
⮚ MPs have a duty to follow the wishes of the electorate who voted for them. The electorate put their faith in the MP they chose – and the views on key topics that were expressed before the election. They have a duty to abide by those wishes. Democracy and legitimacy, we may conclude, would be clouded and uncertain if MPs did not abide by the preferences their electorate had made.
⮚ It is undemocratic to make decisions which go against previous promises which were made by a party. We can view that MPs who are elected by their constituents standing on a party manifesto are not free to make individual decisions. Their position is instead one of a party representative. We reach the verdict that those elected by their constituents have a type of binding contract to uphold and keep in line with their previous platform.
⮚ A mandate is linked to the manifesto as an endorsed plan which will be enacted if elected. The system of democracy works on a commitment to election manifestos and party unity within Parliament. MP’s who go against this undermine their own legitimacy. We can reach the verdict that the legitimacy of the political system relies on MP’s being faithful to the electorate.
⮚ Own Knowledge for AO1: We would not have organised and accountable government if the mandate and manifesto were ignored • How can the public have trust in politicians if they do not declare their support of the party platform • MPs can use their individual conscience only on free votes only when there is no officially declared party policy.
2022 Edexcel Sources
1a) (30 marks) Using the source, evaluate the view that ‘pick-and-mix’ politics is replacing ‘Left-Right’ politics and political parties are becoming more internally divided than ever.
Allister Heath discusses the view that parties have now abandoned their traditional Left-wing or Right-wing policies in response to changing voter demands; as voters behave more like consumers, parties become more like shops, adopting a ‘pick and mix’ approach to policy choices and this leads to political party divisions.
“The choice facing the electorate remains simple: you support the ‘Left’ or the ‘Right’: each offering a distinct, consistent view of society with debates surrounding equality remaining central. On many issues there is a ‘Left-Right’ divide, although a few like the EU and the environment cloud the issue. But now voters feel empowered as consumers demanding a pick-and-mix approach to politics that they are used to as purchasers. Voters want to simultaneously back rail nationalisation and cut the top rate of income tax – or perhaps slash welfare but spend more on the NHS. The old, Left-Right Westminster world is dead. As Mayor of Tees Valley Ben Houchen says, ‘Left and right have no meaning in politics any more, it’s simply a matter of getting things done.’ This policy fragmentation makes the established parties unstable and internally split: Labour is split between hard-left and liberal-left, having lost some working-class support while new parties try to replace it. However, many feel that Left-Right ideology is still relevant, with most policy fitting the ‘Left-Right’ model. The established parties remain united in opposing each other and still dominate Westminster. Although internal party factions quarrel, they still play by the ‘Left-Right’ rules.”
✔ There is now a break down in supporting the package of a political party and voters want bespoke choices. Taken to their extreme these ‘bespoke choices’ have no consistency and are riddled with inherent divisions making the terms left and right a problem. The impact of fluid voter choice means that the parameters of left and right politics breaks down and has no meaning. It emerges that political parties are abandoning their traditional core values and pursuing policies which attract voters at all costs. Survival is about being popular.
✔ The Labour Party is divided on policy and the views of its supporters are contradictory and inconsistent with some core Labour policies. In recent years the Labour Party has lost its traditional demographic support and is divided across a range of issues and cohorts of the public. We can reach a verdict that success for an established political party requires a bedrock of core support and once this evaporates success can become illusive.
✔ Politics is no longer about dogma and a left/right view of issues but a more pragmatic approach and this is based on delivery – making things happen. Ideological matters do not matter, policy is being produced which satisfies the public in a popular approach. We can conclude that if the goal of ‘delivery’ is all important politicians and political parties abandon set ideas to simply get the task done.
✔ All this policy variance leads to the breakdown of the traditional party structure in Westminster. Factions become more important than the political party itself. Parties which used to be ‘broad churches’ become fixated on certain issues and in the process lose their wider appeal. Labour was divided over the course and policies of Corbyn and the Conservatives became fixated with the EU. Policy and preferences no longer resembles a battle between parties but instead within them and in the process the dichotomy between left and right is abandoned.
✔ Own Knowledge for AO1: • Political parties move to cover all ground as they are terms ‘catch all parties’ widening their appeal and stifling minor parties and taking their ideas • Political parties also fear the growth of single interest groups and are flexible to accommodate them if they can use them to their advantage • It is the media which sets the left v right agenda and the political parties respond to that pressure.
DISAGREEMENT:
⮚ Parties can still be gauged by the traditional left right spectrum in their policies and stances on most issues. The Labour Party still stands for a vast range of left wing issues and drive for equality. The Conservatives remain pro-business and support private enterprise, hesitating about providing equality believing that is down to individual endeavour. We can reach the verdict that the left/right axis is just as important as it ever has been. Political parties still stand for core central values which are ultimately defined in a left/right basis, and no other process of categorisation is possible.
⮚ There always has been and always will be topics which do not fit neatly into a left right spectrum. Life is complex and there have always been topics which defy a left right division. These cover moral issues such as abortion, euthanasia and the environment. The EU is an excellent example. We can conclude that political parties will alienate sections of society if they adopt stances on moral issues on which there is no clear consensus and agreement in society and thus they remain neutral and avoid adapting a particular stance and framing it in a left/right package. Or they will be pragmatic and follow and adopt which is popular and secures them office.
⮚ Factions have always existed in political parties and this is nothing new. Political parties have always been comprised of factions and groupings however these factions still adhere to an appreciation of policy in terms of left and right. In this sense we had Thatcherism in the Conservatives and the dominance of the Blairites for a period in Labour. Different factions of each political party come to the fore and for a time dominate. However we can conclude that the rise of any faction is driven by forces on a left/right axis. We class Thatcherism as ‘right wing’ and the policies of Blair were defined in terms of left and right.
⮚ Westminster remains dominated by the Conservatives and Labour. The wide success of Labour and Conservatives is a testament to the continued appeal of ideas which are pitched in terms of left and right. Other parties may have success in lower tier elections but in Westminster the continued loyalty and adherence to the left/right in policies ensures that policy is still broken down into left/right terms.
⮚ Own Knowledge for AO1: • Politics and political parties are all about change or conservation, with those on the left arguing for change and the right aiming to preserve the status quo • It is the electoral system FPTP which perpetuates the left/right split • There is simply a scramble for the Centre ground and the left/right axis is lost.
1b (30 marks) Using the source, evaluate the view – with specific reference to at least one devolved region using an alternative electoral system – that the case for PR to replace the Westminster FPTP voting system has now been established.
The source depicts the weaknesses and strengths of first-past-the-post (FPTP) and considers that systems of proportional representation in use in the devolved bodies are a much better alternative.
First-past-the-post (FPTP) has weathered the test of time and proved it works. It has produced governments with working majorities in 18 of the 20 elections since 1945. It keeps extremism at bay and secures close and productive links between MPs and their constituencies. It is simple and quick in operation and allows the voters to rid themselves of governments which have failed, and enables the political system to break into new political ground as in 1979 and 1997. It delivers accountability and provides the basis for a clear mandate to govern. Twice (1951 and February 1974) FPTP has made the loser the winner. It remains in use at Westminster because it benefits the Labour and Conservative parties. It is the distorting mirror of British politics. In the devolved bodies, methods of proportional representation (PR) such as the additional-member system (AMS) more faithfully reflect how people vote. PR systems allow the voice of other parties into political debate and government. For example, the single-transferable-vote (STV), as used in Northern Ireland, takes power away from political parties and delivers choice to the voters. The devolved bodies would have failed if FPTP had been used; their success depended on PR being used instead.
✔ FPTP has and continues to fail. A core requirement of an electoral system is to fairly represent how people voted and that all votes are of equal worth wherever they are cast. We have to conclude that if a system of election fails to accurately reflect how the public voted then it should be abandoned for a system which can do that.
✔ AMS has worked in Scotland & Wales, provided both with majority governments – as in Scotland and stable coalition governments again in Scotland and Wales. It is perfectly possible to have a seamless introduction of AMS with a constituency and list system working together.
✔ STV has worked in Northern Ireland, provided legitimately accepted administration at Stormont. At its outset the end product was a power sharing executive to heal wounds in NI society. The same process could operate for the Westminster where turnout levels have fallen and voters feel alienated.
✔ Other parties have entered the political framework. Outside of Westminster elections we see a wide range of political parties (SNP, Plaid, Green) and this reflects the way people have voted and the spectrum of political values in society. The occupiers of power are not just the Labour and Conservative parties. The more proportional systems used in the devolved regions are good at reflecting the party choice and voter preference. Confidence in a political system is increased if people can see a reflective elected assembly which represents and voices their views. FPTP cannot accommodate the spectrum of ideas in the devolved areas nor indeed in the wider UK elections.
✔ Own Knowledge for AO1: • PR works around the world well with no issues and in virtually all our European neighbours. • PR increases voter turnout • The regions have seen a revived civic pride and trust in the newly devolved bodies.
DISAGREEMENT:
⮚ FPTP delivers majorities 18/20. It works for the whole of the UK not a region of it. A majority government with an ability to deliver its manifesto is a crucial component of a functioning democracy. The wider state must have stability. We can conclude that a stable government able to pass and produce legislation and act decisively ranks very high in the requirements of any political system. The systems in use in the devolved areas are fine for devolved areas as they have an element of ‘locality’ infused in them but only FPTP works for the entire UK.
⮚ FPTP keeps a constituency link. In many other systems of PR representatives are returned who have no local accountability and regions are left without a voice to speak and address their localised needs. This arises from list members in Scotland and Wales. It is a feature of STV in NI. Westminster MPs act as champions for their local constituency and can bring things to national attention from a local perspective. It also acts to hold representatives’ accountant in a local context. Under FPTP we have named people who can be identified – whereas a list simply benefits those favoured by the political party.
⮚ Simple, easy and swift unambiguous system. Many votes are spoiled and/or lost under systems of PR where it is felt the system is too complicated for the voter to understand. FPTP is a swift system which has an impressive turnaround time. Often in the devolved nations a coalition is required. Systems of PR can be slow to produce an outcome and it may mean deals are struck with political rivals after the election and thus the mandate of the new government may not be seen as legitimate. A coalition can be considered to have less legitimacy.
⮚ ‘Kick the rascals out’ - decisively removes unwanted governments. It may often be the case that in systems of PR a radical re-alignment is never possible. It may be the case that one party stays perpetually in power and all that the election does is to possibly change its partner in office. As has been the case in Wales. In a similar vein the SNP were the dominant force in Scotland 2007-24. In 1979 and then again in 1997 the public had tired of one particular party and one fixed set of ideas and needed new direction and values. This ability to deliver change in a decisive manner is a huge benefit given by FPTP.
Own Knowledge for AO1: • In Scotland the use of PR has furthered the likelihood of independence • Only Labour and the Conservative parties with an established UK wide base can really form government in Westminster. • PR has been rejected in the 2011 referendum, there is no public demand.