What are pressure groups?
Check out our latest video explaining pressure groups!
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Here is our first video! It describes the First Past The Post electoral system… Please like, share and comment!
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Why are there protests?
The citizens are greatly concerned about the direction their country (Ukraine) is heading. It is not yet known whether Ukraine will be a country that will adhere to the rule of law or will be a country that is run like Russia in a very closed fashion.
The original trigger for the protests was the result of the President, Viktor Yanukovych, rejecting the possibility of a stronger relationship with the European Union in favour of closer links with Russia, last year. A majority of the country’s population wants to integrate with Europe (as Ukraine is currently not a member state), so this was a major upset.
2014
This week violence is at an all time high in Ukraine, however it is uncertain whether it started as a result of the government’s actions or the action of the people. Things were believed to be going well, especially as a deal had been made between the protesters and government that their parliament would discuss plans to alter the constitution to limit the president’s power. However, the speaker of the Ukrainian parliament rejected this, which subsequently lead to the protesters becoming increasingly violent.
Who is protesting?
Most protests have occurred in Western Ukraine and Kiev as these areas have people who most want to be part of the EU. Although there has been protests in the East many citizens are Russian speaking and not concerned. Although the opposition parties have been trying to direct the protesters, they do not seem to be very successful in gaining the trust of those protesting.
What is in it?
Russia wants to be a country that can challenge the large global economic powers, such as China, the USA and the EU, so seeks to create a close tie with Ukraine so the country can work towards that goal. However, alternatively, if Ukraine were to be part of the EU it is believed that their economy would rapidly grow.
Will Ukraine be divided?
Some say it will, due to the clear divide in those speaking Russian and those who do not. And as a result of the clear voting divide – where those in the East are voting for the current president who wishes to tie with Russia and those in the west who vote for the opposition.
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The UK has been hit be the wettest beginning to a year since records began in the 18th century. Here are some pictures of what has happened so far:
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We would love to hear from those affected by flooding or any adverse weather both from within and outside of the UK!
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This September, the people of Scotland will be able to exercise their votes to determine whether or not Scotland should become an independent country
When?
Thursday 18th September 2014.
This date was chosen as to avoid any potential events that may disrupt the voting e.g. bad weather. This year Scotland is already set to hold the Ryder Cup (golf tournament) and the Commonwealth Games. It is also the 700th Anniversary of the famous battle of Bannockburn, where Scotland was then fighting for independence.
Who?
Unlike in many countries where only those over 18 are able to vote, Scotland is allowing all people over the age of 16 to vote.
The chart below (Source: BBC) is interesting as it shows how 800,000 Scots will be unable to vote, despite being born in Scotland. Whilst, 400,000 non-Scottish people will be eligible to vote
What?
The question: “Should Scotland be an independent country?”
The Electoral Commission rejected previous drafts of the question, as it was believed that the way the question was worded was biased in favour of a yes vote. One example was “do you agree that Scotland should be an independent country?” because it was believed this would make people vote ‘yes’.
Who’s campaigning?
The campaign FOR Scottish independence is called ‘Yes Scotland’, whilst the campaign AGAINST Scottish independence is called ‘Better Together’.
The political parties have also been choosing their sides. The SNP and the Scottish Greens back independence, whilst Labour, the Conservatives, and the Liberal Democrats all oppose independence.
Scottish Independence
The 1707 Act of Union led to Scotland losing its independence resulting in its unification with England. Almost ever since this date Scotland has been fighting for independence.
However, in 2011 it was announced (after the Nationalists gained power for the first time) that there would be a referendum on whether Scotland should be independent or not.
Devolution
When the Scottish Parliament was created in 1999, the Scottish Nationalist Party knew they had an opportunity to push for Scottish independence. Although the potential for a party pushing for independence it was believed no party would do so unless the nationalists gained power. However, one commentator said that devolution would “kill nationalism stone dead”. Yet, in 2011 the nationalists did get power and they began their campaign for independence from the off.
What do the people of Scotland want?
It is difficult to be certain. Although, in one poll last year it was found only 23% of the 1229 people surveyed wanted Scotland to be independent.
The outcome of a yes or no vote
Yes vote = Scotland would be officially independent in March 2016. Before this date many complicated constitutional issues must be resolved. After this date, issues of the EU and NATO must be dealt with.
No vote = the SNP will struggle to get into power again and Scotland will remain part of the UK. One situation the no-voters want to avoid is the one that has occurred in Quebec (Canada) where a series of independent referendums has occurred over the past few years. As a result, some people have called Quebec’s referendums ‘neverendums’.
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The world economy has been in a state of crises since 2008, but the World Bank has said that it is now at a ‘turning point’ and much stronger growth is expected in 2014.
Richer countries will feel the effects of economic growth, more than poorer countries, to begin with. However, there are warnings that the economy is still vulnerable “to the impact of the withdrawal of economic stimulus measures in the US”. The USA has already started to decrease the amount of bonds bought per month by $85bn/£52bn. (A bond is a form of debt. The government has been buying bonds in a sort of IOU loan).
The concern is that global interest rates would increase, which has the negative consequence of making the world economy more fragile and prevent money from entering poorer countries. The world bank warns of “crisis risks” in poor countries if global interest rates do rise. “Growth appears to be strengthening in both high-income and developing countries”, says the president of the World Bank (Jim Yong Kim), but the issues lies in the lack of growth in the developing world.
It has been forecasted that global GDP is expected to increase by 3.2% this year, an increase from 2.4% in 2013. Despite the risk of lack of growth in the developing world global GDP growth in these countries is expected to increase by 5.3% this year, up from 4.8% in 2013.
What are your global economy forecasts? What is the economy like in your country?
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Tomorrow Bangladesh holds its 5th national election. The main two parties are the Awami League (Leader Sheikh Hasina) and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP Leader Khaleda Zia). These elections have come under the media spotlight after the BNP and its allies have decided to boycott the election.
What is the risk?
– The Awami League is expected to win by a huge majority as a result of the opposition’s boycott. This will certainly undermine the credibility of the election. Violence is also expected to be an issue tomorrow as political workers from the parties clash.
Why has the Bangladesh Nationalist Party decided not to take part?
– The country has previously held elections with a neutral caretaker government to ensure that the election process is fair. But, in this election, the Awami League have refused to create a neutral caretaker government. This is believed to undermine the fairness of the election.
Impact of the boycott
– 154 out of the 300 seats are uncontested, which means the Awami League would win without trying. However, it is believed that continued protest and violent clashes will result from the election.
The main people
– The leader of both the Awami league and the BNP have been rivals for the past two decades as power shifted between the two parties. This election is likely to increase this tension dramatically. The third party’s (JP) leader H M Ershad has declared that the JP will also not be participating in the election furthering the complications.
What other issues are there?
– Violence, unemployment and poverty is high and afety and wage levels are low, which is not being helped by political instability. It is reported by The Asia Foundation that 75% of voters would like a neutral caretaker government during the election, so it will be interesting to see whether voter turnout will be on the same level as previous elections.
World Political implications
– Countries including the USA and the UK have refused to send observers to Bangladesh. This has weakened relations geopolitical and dented Bangladesh’s global image.
The election
– In the previous election there was a 70% voter turnout, but this is expected to be much less tomorrow. Although in 2008 the results were announced within 24 hours, the announcement of tomorrow’s results will depend on how peacefully the election is carried out.
What are your views on the elections? Should the Awami League set up a neutral caretaker government to maintain the peace?
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How long a sentence should a murder get in prison?
In the UK life sentences rarely actually mean life, whilst in the USA this is fairly common. Currently in the UK only about 50 people are subject to a whole-life sentence, most recently Dale Cregan for murdering 4 people. In the USA, however, approximately 40,000 people are imprisoned without much hope of release. Furthermore, this figure does not include those American prisoners who have been given extremely long fixed term sentences. For example, one Alabama man was sentenced to 200 years for kidnapping and armed robbery.
America’s ‘sentencing inflation’ began in the 1980s when the Democrats and the Republicans wanted to show how tough they could be on crime. The increased sentences also saw a rise in states like Michigan where the death penalty does not exist, so the increased sentence was an alternative punishment.
However, there have been recent calls to have US-style, lengthy fixed life sentences in the UK. This is being considered after the European court ruled in 2013 that whole-life sentences were breaching the European Court of Human Rights. These proposals would allow the court to give sentences of hundreds of years. But, unlike whole-life sentences, these sentences can be reviewed and reduced (an aspect of sentencing less available in America).
Although many people say this move will “restore Human Rights” by enabling sentences to be reviewed along the way many others still argue that the sentence changes is dangerous and unnecessary, especially as the UK has seen increased sentences being given out year on year for the past decade.
How should a murderer be sentenced? How does it differ in your country? What sentencing proposals do you want to see?
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Today, 1st January 2014, Latvia joins the Eurozone, becoming the 18th country which uses the Euro as its currency. The small country struggled financially during the economic crises, however it is now one of the fastest growing economies in Europe.
Being a former Soviet republic, Latvia has relied greatly on Russia, but the incorporation of the Euro is expected to reduce this dependency and gain greater financial independence – credit ratings (an estimate of the ability of a country to fulfil their financial commitments, based on previous dealings) should increase and more foreign investors are expected to be attracted. Olli Rehn, the EU Commissioner, said joining the eurozone marked “the completion of Latvia’s journey back to the political and economic heart of our continent, and that is something for all of us to celebrate”.
Despite this, opinion polls have suggested approximately 60% of Latvians do not want the Euro. One Latvian, Zaneta Smirnova, said she is “against the euro” and that they should have kept the Lat. But, the governor of the Latvian central bank, Ilmars Rimsevics, said the “euro brings stability and certainty, definitely attracting investment, so new jobs, new taxes and so on. So being in the second largest currency union I think will definitely mean more popularity.”
What do you think about Latvia joining the Euro?
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The People’s Republic of China implemented the one child policy to control the booming population of China. This meant that all families could only have one child unless they lived rurally, where they could have a second child if there first child was a girl or disabled (men were needed for labour).
It was introduced in 1979 to fix the societal problems arising from the booming population and has been estimated to have stopped approximately 200 million births in the last 35 years. However, there have been issues of forced abortions, female infanticide and something known as ‘Little Emperor Syndrome’ (where the only child gets spoilt!).
Today, China has just implemented a resolution which eases the one child policy. The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress has now allowed couples to have a second child if both parents are an only child, but it needs legislative approval before gaining effect.
Experts argue the lack of youth in China is leading to a reduced number of people who are working and increased care for the elderly (China is expected to have 25% of its population over the age of 65 by 2050). There is also a massive gender imbalance in the country.
The new resolution hopes to deal with the new issues facing society as a result of the one child policy, whilst maintaining the fairly low birth rate in the country.
What do you think about China’s planned change to the One Child Policy?
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