NCTJ PUBLIC AFFAIRS UPDATED EXAM SCRIPT
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔Election cycles - county councils and unitary authorities - ✔✔• County councils and
unitary authorities have whole elections every 4 years.
• District councils have elections by thirds.
e.g. Harlow District Council has 33 councillors, this means atleast 11 councillors are up
for election each year.
Exemplar timeline:
• 2017: 11 district councillors are up for re-election.
• 2018: 11 different district councillors are up for re-election
• 2019: Another different 11 district councillors are up for re-election
• 2020: County council and unitary authorities have their whole elections
• 2021: The 11 district councillors from the 2017 district council elections are up for re-
election again.
✔✔First-past-the-post - ✔✔• An electoral system used in UK general elections.
• Also known as the plurality system.
• The candidate who gets the most votes in their consituency is elected.
✔✔Proportional representation - ✔✔• An electoral system used in European countries.
• The number of seats a party receives is in proportion to the percentage of votes they
receive.
For example:
In a parliament of 100, if the Blue party were to receive 25% of the vote they'd receive
25 seats in government.
✔✔List system - ✔✔• A form of proportional representation used in European
Parliament elections.
For example:
,If the Blue party put up a list of 100 candidates then receive 25 seats in government, the
first 25 names on their list of candidates receive the seats.
✔✔Additional member system - ✔✔• A form of proportional representation used in
Scotland.
✔✔Single transferrable vote - ✔✔• A form of proportional representation used in
Northern Ireland.
✔✔Advantages of proportional representation - ✔✔• More democratic.
• Votes are not wasted.
• Smaller parties are represented.
✔✔Disadvantages of proportional representation - ✔✔• Extremist parties are more likely
to be elected.
• Leads to unstable governments because there are permanent coalitions.
✔✔The budget - ✔✔• Chancellor of the Exchequer (currently Phillip Hammond) sets out
the budget and sets out certain taxes (e.g. duty on cigarettes).
• The main role of the budget is to set out what the government is going to spend
(expenditure) and how they are going to raise the money (income).
• Reviews economic policy.
• Reveals what taxation will be.
• Also sets out forecasts, e.g. growth and employment.
• The Prime Minister is First Lord of the Treasury.
• Seeks to control inflation.
✔✔Direct tax - ✔✔• Based upon what you earn - e.g. the more you earn the more you
pay.
• Regarded as progressive.
• Income tax is an example of direct tax.
✔✔Indirect tax - ✔✔• Taxes on spending.
, • Deemed to be regressive.
• Excise duties and VAT are examples of indirect tax.
✔✔Office for budget responsibility - ✔✔• They give an independent analysis of the
economy.
• They scrutinise government economic policy.
For example, they give opinion on whether the government are going to meet or exceed
targets (that the Chancellor sets out in the budget).
✔✔Sources for a feature on the budget - ✔✔• Local MP
• Academic - e.g. Professor of Economics at local university.
• Local councillor
• Local Chamber of Commerce - as they represent local businesses.
• Trade union representative.
• NHS worker
• Vox pops
✔✔Two-tier system in local government - ✔✔• A two-tier system is when you have a
county council and a number of district councils under it.
The county and district councils:
* Are separately elected.
* Deal with various policies.
* Have to co-operate on some of those policies.
For example, Essex County Council and Harlow District Council.
✔✔Unitary authorities - ✔✔• A single-tier self-governing elected authority that provides
most local government services itself.
e.g. Southend-on-Sea in Essex.
✔✔Advantages of unitary authorities - ✔✔• Cuts down bureaucracy.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔Election cycles - county councils and unitary authorities - ✔✔• County councils and
unitary authorities have whole elections every 4 years.
• District councils have elections by thirds.
e.g. Harlow District Council has 33 councillors, this means atleast 11 councillors are up
for election each year.
Exemplar timeline:
• 2017: 11 district councillors are up for re-election.
• 2018: 11 different district councillors are up for re-election
• 2019: Another different 11 district councillors are up for re-election
• 2020: County council and unitary authorities have their whole elections
• 2021: The 11 district councillors from the 2017 district council elections are up for re-
election again.
✔✔First-past-the-post - ✔✔• An electoral system used in UK general elections.
• Also known as the plurality system.
• The candidate who gets the most votes in their consituency is elected.
✔✔Proportional representation - ✔✔• An electoral system used in European countries.
• The number of seats a party receives is in proportion to the percentage of votes they
receive.
For example:
In a parliament of 100, if the Blue party were to receive 25% of the vote they'd receive
25 seats in government.
✔✔List system - ✔✔• A form of proportional representation used in European
Parliament elections.
For example:
,If the Blue party put up a list of 100 candidates then receive 25 seats in government, the
first 25 names on their list of candidates receive the seats.
✔✔Additional member system - ✔✔• A form of proportional representation used in
Scotland.
✔✔Single transferrable vote - ✔✔• A form of proportional representation used in
Northern Ireland.
✔✔Advantages of proportional representation - ✔✔• More democratic.
• Votes are not wasted.
• Smaller parties are represented.
✔✔Disadvantages of proportional representation - ✔✔• Extremist parties are more likely
to be elected.
• Leads to unstable governments because there are permanent coalitions.
✔✔The budget - ✔✔• Chancellor of the Exchequer (currently Phillip Hammond) sets out
the budget and sets out certain taxes (e.g. duty on cigarettes).
• The main role of the budget is to set out what the government is going to spend
(expenditure) and how they are going to raise the money (income).
• Reviews economic policy.
• Reveals what taxation will be.
• Also sets out forecasts, e.g. growth and employment.
• The Prime Minister is First Lord of the Treasury.
• Seeks to control inflation.
✔✔Direct tax - ✔✔• Based upon what you earn - e.g. the more you earn the more you
pay.
• Regarded as progressive.
• Income tax is an example of direct tax.
✔✔Indirect tax - ✔✔• Taxes on spending.
, • Deemed to be regressive.
• Excise duties and VAT are examples of indirect tax.
✔✔Office for budget responsibility - ✔✔• They give an independent analysis of the
economy.
• They scrutinise government economic policy.
For example, they give opinion on whether the government are going to meet or exceed
targets (that the Chancellor sets out in the budget).
✔✔Sources for a feature on the budget - ✔✔• Local MP
• Academic - e.g. Professor of Economics at local university.
• Local councillor
• Local Chamber of Commerce - as they represent local businesses.
• Trade union representative.
• NHS worker
• Vox pops
✔✔Two-tier system in local government - ✔✔• A two-tier system is when you have a
county council and a number of district councils under it.
The county and district councils:
* Are separately elected.
* Deal with various policies.
* Have to co-operate on some of those policies.
For example, Essex County Council and Harlow District Council.
✔✔Unitary authorities - ✔✔• A single-tier self-governing elected authority that provides
most local government services itself.
e.g. Southend-on-Sea in Essex.
✔✔Advantages of unitary authorities - ✔✔• Cuts down bureaucracy.
