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Politics for Beginners

Date post: 12-Mar-2016
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An introduction to politics.
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politics is it really that boring? To be able to identify, discuss, and analyse political issues in the media
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Page 1: Politics for Beginners

politicsis it really that boring?

To be able to identify, discuss, and analyse political issues in the media

Page 2: Politics for Beginners

politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions & laws

Page 3: Politics for Beginners

these decisions affect our lives every single day

Page 4: Politics for Beginners

for example, on January 4th 2011, the VAT rate rose to 20% – putting lots of prices up!

20%

Page 5: Politics for Beginners

how has politics affected your day?waking upbreakfastjourneyschoolbreakmore school

Page 6: Politics for Beginners

because we live in a CAPITALIST economy, the cost of living is central to our lives

Page 7: Politics for Beginners

What is Capitalism?

Page 8: Politics for Beginners

CapitalismA social & economic system which protects individual property rights and supports free market economics.

Page 9: Politics for Beginners

in a true free market, business is

unregulated

Page 10: Politics for Beginners

is it?

Page 11: Politics for Beginners

our economy is not a true free marketwe have consumer protection laws

we have taxeswe have free education

we have a health servicewe have environmental laws

Page 12: Politics for Beginners

our economy is managed & regulated

this is a form of SOCIALISM

Page 13: Politics for Beginners

all of these laws and others are debated in the media

Page 14: Politics for Beginners

Under capitalism, the means for

producing & distributing goods

are owned by a relatively small

group

Page 15: Politics for Beginners

wage slavesThe majority of people sell their labour in return for a wage or salary.

Page 16: Politics for Beginners

wages

If labour costs are kept low, goods can be sold at competitive prices and a bigger profit can be made.

Page 17: Politics for Beginners

In a completely free market, businesses are free to set the prices and wages that the market will bear.

Page 18: Politics for Beginners

Wages can be controlled by keeping unemployment high – or by using cheaper overseas or immigrant workers

Page 19: Politics for Beginners

immigration is a “hot-button” political issue in British newspapers

Page 20: Politics for Beginners

but a lot of the pressure FOR immigration comes from employers who pay low wages

Page 21: Politics for Beginners

or from universities who collect large fees from overseas students

Page 22: Politics for Beginners

TAX is another “hot button” issue

Page 23: Politics for Beginners

Tax Freedom DayThe (imaginary) day at which point an individual stops “working for the government” and starts earning for him- or herself.In 2011, Tax Freedom Day is 30 May.

Page 24: Politics for Beginners

for a mediaeval peasant, it was 20 February!

Page 25: Politics for Beginners

Tax  Freedom  Days• 1965,  TFD  =  27  April  -­‐  

Labour

• 1969,  =  29  May  -­‐  Lab

• 1973,  11  May  -­‐  Conservatives

• 1979,  29  May  -­‐  Lab

• 1983,  14  June  -­‐  Con

• 1987,  5  June  -­‐  Con

• 1992,  29  May  -­‐  Con

• 1998,  28  May  -­‐  Lab

• 2001,  4  June  -­‐  Lab

• 2007,  4  June  -­‐  Lab

• 2010,  27  May  -­‐  Lab

• 2011,  30  May  -­‐  Con/Lib

The  lesson?  No  matter  what  the  government,  taxes  have  remained  more  or  less  constant  since  the  late  1960s

Page 26: Politics for Beginners

Public  Spending• Education

• Health  Care  (NHS)

• Roads,  street  lighting

• Defence  &  Security

• Waste  collection,  recycling

• Police,  Courts,  Prisons

• Flood  &  Sea  Defences

• Disaster  relief

• International  Aid

• Administration

Which  would  you  do  without  in  order  to  save  public  money?

Page 27: Politics for Beginners

British Politics in a Nutshell

Page 28: Politics for Beginners

British Politics in a Nutshell

Page 29: Politics for Beginners

British Politics in a Nutshell

Labour (left-wing)

Liberal Democrats (centrist)

Conservative(right-wing)

Radical, community values

Radical, progressive values

Conservative, traditional values

Social safety net Free market with safety net

Free market, low taxation

Equality of result Equality of opportunity

Individual freedom

Page 30: Politics for Beginners

British Politics in a Nutshell

Labour (left-wing)

Liberal Democrats (centrist)

Conservative(right-wing)

Radical, community values

Radical, progressive values

Conservative, traditional values

Social safety net Free market with safety net

Free market, low taxation

Equality of result Equality of opportunity

Individual freedom

Page 31: Politics for Beginners

British Politics in a Nutshell

Labour (left-wing)

Liberal Democrats (centrist)

Conservative(right-wing)

Radical, community values

Radical, progressive values

Conservative, traditional values

Social safety net Free market with safety net

Free market, low taxation

Equality of result Equality of opportunity

Individual freedom

Page 32: Politics for Beginners

Newspaper Obsessions

Page 33: Politics for Beginners

Newspaper Obsessions

Page 34: Politics for Beginners

Newspaper Obsessionsthe  guardian The

TelegraphThe Daily Mail

Education Taxation Society  +  Family

Health Crime Immigration

Society Politics Freedom  issues  (oh,  and  tax)

Page 35: Politics for Beginners

Newspaper Obsessionsthe  guardian The

TelegraphThe Daily Mail

Education Taxation Society  +  Family

Health Crime Immigration

Society Politics Freedom  issues  (oh,  and  tax)

Page 36: Politics for Beginners

Newspaper Obsessionsthe  guardian The

TelegraphThe Daily Mail

Education Taxation Society  +  Family

Health Crime Immigration

Society Politics Freedom  issues  (oh,  and  tax)

Page 37: Politics for Beginners

Newspaper Mastheads

Traditional, conservative, impatient, often angry!

Down-to-earth, solid, straightforward

Wealthy, traditional, sophisticated.

Match the description to the paper

Page 38: Politics for Beginners

Newspaper Mastheads

Traditional, conservative, impatient, often angry!

Down-to-earth, solid, straightforward

Wealthy, traditional, sophisticated.

Match the description to the paper

Page 39: Politics for Beginners

Newspaper Mastheads

Traditional, conservative, impatient, often angry!

Down-to-earth, solid, straightforward

Wealthy, traditional, sophisticated.

Match the description to the paper

Page 40: Politics for Beginners

Newspaper Mastheads

Traditional, conservative, impatient, often angry!

Down-to-earth, solid, straightforward

Wealthy, traditional, sophisticated.

Match the description to the paper

Page 41: Politics for Beginners

More Mastheads

Modern, confident, innovative, in-touch

Trendy, design-conscious, liberal & arty

Self-important, price-conscious, defensive

Match the description to the paper

Page 42: Politics for Beginners

More Mastheads

Modern, confident, innovative, in-touch

Trendy, design-conscious, liberal & arty

Self-important, price-conscious, defensive

Match the description to the paper

Page 43: Politics for Beginners

More Mastheads

Modern, confident, innovative, in-touch

Trendy, design-conscious, liberal & arty

Self-important, price-conscious, defensive

Match the description to the paper

Page 44: Politics for Beginners

More Mastheads

Modern, confident, innovative, in-touch

Trendy, design-conscious, liberal & arty

Self-important, price-conscious, defensive

Match the description to the paper

Page 45: Politics for Beginners

53of Daily Mail readers in

tended to

vote Conservative before the last

general election

%

Page 46: Politics for Beginners

61of Daily Telegraph readers

intended to vote Conservative

before the last general election

%

Page 47: Politics for Beginners

53of Daily Mirror readers intended to vote Labour before the last general election

%

Page 48: Politics for Beginners

Mainstream British political parties occupy more or less the same centre ground: they argue over details.

British Politics Today

Page 49: Politics for Beginners

The closer the parties are to each other, the fiercer the argument over peripheral issues.


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