Overview of political participation in Scotland

There are three parts to the Participation section of National 5 Modern Studies:

rights and responsibilities of individuals
opportunities for individuals
elections and campaigning (role of individuals, political parties and the media)

Look through this article for a quick guide to these areas, or to revise what you have already learned.

Click on the links to get more detailed information on each section.

What are the rights and responsibilities of people in Scotland?

The UK has signed up to the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

this affects both reserved and devolved matters
Scottish institutions have to consider international human rights when making decisions on devolved matters

In Scotland (and the UK) our human rights are protected by the Human Rights Act 1998.

individuals who feel their rights have been breached can take a case to Scots and UK courts
public bodies must work to uphold individuals' rights
new laws passed by the Scottish Parliament must comply with the act

The rights people in Scotland have are balanced by responsibilities to ensure that other people's rights are upheld.

Rights	Responsibilities
right to vote	accept the result of democratic elections
right to freedom of speech	refrain from using hateful or derogatory language about an individual or group in society
right to protest	keep within the law, avoid violence or intimidation and protest using peaceful methods
freedom of association	pay membership fees and do not damage the group's name through poor language or behaviour

Individuals have many ways to participate in democratic political life. All have benefits and limits.

method	benefit	limit
vote	direct say in who represents you	you may be outnumbered by other voters
express opinion	easy to give views in person/on social media	may reach limited audience
petition	all petitions on Scottish Parliament's petition site considered	can only affect devolved matters
protest	may have influence through numbers involved	can only influence decision makers, not make direct change
join political group	can work with others towards common goals	individual power could be limited and may have to accept overall party/group position
stand as a candidate	if elected can be directly involved in decision making	need to win enough votes for election

Individuals can participate in elections by:

voting - anyone aged 16 or over can vote in elections to the Scottish Parliament and local councils in Scotland
staying informed - being aware of issues helps people decide who to vote for
supporting a candidate - displaying posters, delivering leaflets and canvassing door-to-door
standing as a candidate - people can stand as a party candidate or independent candidate

Political parties can participate in elections by:

producing a manifesto - a manifesto outlines policies and plans for government, letting people know what they are voting for
campaigning - canvassing, leafleting and holding public meetings and events help a party spread its message
engaging with the media - coverage on TV, radio, social media and newspapers help parties reach the wider public

Media can participate in elections by:

informing - telling voters about parties and issues, and covering events of the election and campaigns themselves
holding to account - questioning candidates and parties on their policies and ability to deliver
influence
- TV and radio must remain neutral
- newspapers and social media can take political sides and attempt to sway how people vote