N5 Democracy Mid-Unit Assessment Revision Grid PDF

Point and Explanation Example Freedom of speech: People and organisations can freely Journalists in newspapers such as the Scottish express their opinions in speech, print, and online, so long as Daily Mail are frequently...

Point and Explanation Example Freedom of speech: People and organisations can freely Journalists in newspapers such as the Scottish express their opinions in speech, print, and online, so long as Daily Mail are frequently very critical of the it is legal. current SNP-led Scottish Government. Freedom of assembly: People can freely join political parties Thousands of Scottish people choose to join and pressure groups. political parties; the SNP had 75,000 members in Right to vote: People can freely vote in local and national 2023. elections, as well as referendums, when they are over the age of 16. There was an 84% turnout in the 2014 Scottish Right to protest: People can freely protest, so long as they independence referendum, with the ‘no’ side do so peacefully, and do not take illegal direct action. winning. At the recent COP 26 climate change conference in Glasgow, thousands of people turned out to protest. Education: The Scottish Government is responsible for In 2016 the Education (Scotland) Bill was passed, developing and implementing the curriculum in Scotland; it which sought to reduce inequalities in education, wants to close the attainment gap between rich and poor and provide more support for pupils with pupils. additional support needs. Health: The NHS in Scotland is overseen by the Scottish To reduce the effects of secondhand smoke, a Government; its current focus is Covid-19 recovery, as well 2016 Bill banned smoking in cars when there is a as tackling obesity, smoking, and drug/alcohol misuse. child present. Law and Order: Scotland has its own legal system (Scots Law); the Scottish Government is responsible for legislation on all aspects of the justice system, from policing to prisons. A 2015 Bill ended the rights of some long-term prisoners, including sex offenders, to be automatically released after serving two-thirds of their sentence.  Responding to correspondence: Responding to Kevin Stewart, SNP MSP for the Aberdeen Central correspondence means writing back to all of the constituency, can be contacted by email, constituents, businesses, charities, pressure groups, telephone, or Facebook. councillors, MSPs, and others who have contacted them about issues of concern. Surgeries: MSPs hold regular surgeries (one-to-one meetings Daniel Johnson, Labour MSP for Edinburgh with constituents) in their constituency offices or other Southern, holds surgeries by appointment at his public buildings, such as libraries. constituency office at 134 Comiston Road on Meeting local groups: MSPs may be asked by many Monday and Friday mornings. different groups to attend a meeting. This could be to see how the MSP can help the group, or to let them know Michael Matheson, SNP MSP for Falkirk West, about the work that is going on in the community. attended a meeting at the Go Youth Trust in Falkirk to find out about the work they do. Debating: Debates are a chance for the different political In 2016, MSPs debated whether or not to ban parties to share their views on the issues, and ensure that all smoking in cars with children. views are heard prior to voting on proposed new laws. Voting: Once debates have been had, and all views have been shared, MSPs are then responsible for voting on In 2019, MSPs voted to ban smacking children, by proposed new laws. They do this by choosing ‘yes’ or ‘no’ 84 votes to 29. on their console in the debating chamber. First Minister’s Questions: FMQs is a weekly questioning In November 2021, Siobhian Brown, SNP MSP for session where MSPs have the opportunity to scrutinise the Ayr, asked the First Minister what the Scottish Government by asking the First Minister questions. Government was doing to ensure proper policing of fireworks laws. This is because… Ruth Davidson, former leader of the Scottish Role in family life: Being an MSP is a demanding job; as Conservatives, has said that one of the reasons women are still the primary caregiver in most Scottish she stood down from Holyrood was the guilt families, the prospect of spending so much time away from about not spending enough time with her new their children can put them off seeking election. baby.  Media treatment: Female politicians are often treated in a The Sun newspaper made up an insulting image sexist manner in the media. They will be depicted as of Nicola Sturgeon in a tartan bikini. unserious, with a focus on their bodies or clothes rather than their policies. Sexist behaviour: There have been complaints raised by In a 2018 survey of Scottish Parliament staff, one MSPs and staff about sexist behaviour, like comments and third of women said they had experienced sexist touching, by men at Holyrood. behaviour while at work. This is because… Before the 2021 Scottish Parliament elections, Lack of role models: Without role models like themselves in there were just 2 ethnic minority MSPs, despite 5% the Scottish Parliament, many people of an ethnic minority of the population of Scotland being ethnic background don’t feel politics includes them. minorities. Racism and prejudice: Being a politician means you have a high-profile, and for ethnic minorities, this can lead to suffering racist abuse online or in person. In 2021, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar was Recent immigration status: Because many ethnic minorities racially abused by a man outside the Scottish are recent arrivals, and still settling in Scotland, they may Parliament while conducting a television not speak English fluently, or be focused on involvement in interview. politics. On average, 22000 people per year migrate to Scotland from all over the world.