Back to Scotland Modern Studies
Scotland · SQAQ&A
Modern StudiesQ&A by dot point
A short Q&A bank for every Scotland Modern Studies syllabus dot point. Each question and answer is drawn directly from our worked dot-point page, so you can scan key concepts before opening the long-form answer.
Democracy in Scotland and the United Kingdom
- Devolution and the division of powers: how the Scotland Act transferred devolved powers to Holyrood while reserved powers stayed with Westminster, and why the split matters.3Q&A pairs
- Elections and campaigns: how parties campaign for votes, the tools they use such as manifestos, the media and social media, and the factors that influence how people vote.3Q&A pairs
- Participation and representation: the ways citizens can take part in democracy, from voting to joining parties and campaigns, and how well groups in society are represented.5Q&A pairs
- Pressure groups and trade unions: how organised groups try to influence government decisions through methods such as lobbying, petitions, demonstrations and industrial action, and what makes them effective.4Q&A pairs
- The Scottish Parliament and Scottish Government: MSPs, the First Minister and ministers, committees, and the ways Parliament scrutinises and holds the government to account.6Q&A pairs
- Voting systems: how First Past the Post, the Additional Member System and the Single Transferable Vote work, where each is used, and their strengths and weaknesses.6Q&A pairs
Exam Skills and the Assignment
- Detecting exaggeration and selectivity: judging whether a stated view is fully, partly or not supported by the sources, using evidence that backs the view and evidence that goes against it.5Q&A pairs
- Drawing conclusions from sources: using the bullet headings in the question to draw a conclusion for each, then supporting it with linked evidence from the sources and reaching an overall conclusion.5Q&A pairs
- Selecting and using evidence to support a view: choosing the option a set of sources best supports and giving reasons by linking specific evidence from the sources to the choice.4Q&A pairs
- The Assignment: the 20-mark coursework task in which a candidate researches a Modern Studies issue, gathers and references sources, and writes a structured report under supervised conditions.7Q&A pairs
International Issues
- The international influence of a world power: how the USA uses military, economic, political and cultural power to influence other countries and global affairs.4Q&A pairs
- The political system of the USA: the Constitution, the separation of powers between the President, Congress and Supreme Court, the two main parties, and how citizens participate.5Q&A pairs
- Socio-economic issues in the USA: inequalities in wealth and income, health, education, employment, housing and crime affecting different groups, and government responses to them.6Q&A pairs
- A world issue: the causes and effects of a significant international problem (such as a conflict or a development issue) and the responses of countries, international organisations and NGOs.5Q&A pairs
Social Issues in the United Kingdom
- The causes and effects of crime: how poverty, drugs and alcohol, peer pressure, family and other factors contribute to crime, and how crime affects victims, communities and wider society.4Q&A pairs
- Responses to crime: the roles of individuals, the police, the Scottish legal system and courts, prisons and the government in tackling crime, and how effective these responses are.4Q&A pairs
- The causes of social inequality: how unemployment, low pay, poor health, lack of qualifications, discrimination and family circumstances contribute to social and economic inequality in the UK.4Q&A pairs
- The effects of social inequality: how inequality harms health, education, housing and life chances for affected groups, and the wider costs to society.3Q&A pairs
- Responses to social inequality: how the UK and Scottish governments use the welfare state, benefits, the minimum wage, the NHS and other measures, and the role of charities and voluntary groups, plus how effective these responses are.3Q&A pairs