Question: ‘Backbench MPs have few ways to influence the government.’ Analyse and evaluate this statement.
| Agree - Limited power/influence | Disagree - Significant power/influence |
|---|---|
| Shut out of decision making - Don’t have the right to formulate policy in the same way | Select Committees - Composed of backbenchers - Elected by the House of Commons - legitimacy - Must respond |
| Whip - Influences backbench MPs | Media - Can leak meetings |
| PMBs (evaluative) - Don’t often become law - Limited law | PMBs (evaluative) - Can become law - Used to promote an idea |
| PMQs (evaluative) - Lacks substance and ability to change | PMQs (evaluative) - Highlights an idea (however, primarily constituency-specific) |
| Voting against/rebellion - Breaking the whip - Effective only in collective, seen under Theresa May and her Brexit deals |
Influence: Changing ideas, influencing policy, persuasion ✅
- Analyse - Students should demonstrate an understanding of the significance, causes, and effect of political ideas, events and concepts, as well as the relationship between them.
- Evaluate - Students should make a reasoned judgement about the strengths and weaknesses of an argument, concept, or theory in a statement or extract.
AO1 - Knowledge and understanding AO2 - Explanation and examples AO3 - Evaluation and judgement
Feedback
- Explanation and evaluation - I did not go into sufficient detail whilst explaining and did not evaluate where needed to the extent needed
Explanation: I did not always/sufficiently explain stuff after mentioning Evaluation: I did not correctly evaluate - I mostly provided knowledge and did not to sufficient detail reason