Key Stage 4 citizenship · Democracy and government

GCSE citizenship: how citizens can influence decisions

Citizens in a democracy can do much more than vote every few years. They can contact decision-makers, sign petitions, join campaigns, take part in consultations, protest peacefully and stand for office themselves. In Key Stage 4 citizenship, students learn about these actions at local, national and international levels, and they experience and evaluate ways in which people act together to solve problems and contribute to society.

Influencing decisions, explained

The starting point is that decisions are made at several levels: a parish or town council, a county or city council, a devolved parliament or the UK Parliament, and international bodies and agreements. Each level has different powers, so part of influencing a decision is working out who makes it. A question about a pedestrian crossing or a local park, for example, usually goes to the council, while national school funding is decided by ministers and Parliament. Students learn to match the issue with the right decision-maker before choosing an action.

The actions fall into groups. Electoral actions include registering to vote, voting, campaigning for a candidate or standing for election. Direct contact includes writing to or meeting an MP or councillor, responding to a public consultation or attending a council meeting. Collective actions include signing and starting petitions (in the UK Parliament’s system, a petition with 10,000 signatures receives a government response and one with 100,000 is considered for debate), joining a pressure group or trade union, and organising a campaign. Peaceful protest is a protected right, subject to limits set by law, for example when police place conditions on a march to prevent serious disruption. Consumer choices, such as boycotts, and use of the media and social media, can add pressure.

Students also learn how groups work. A political party aims to win elections and form or take part in government, while a pressure group tries to influence decisions without trying to govern. Some pressure groups focus on one issue, others on the interests of a group of people. Lobbying means trying to persuade decision-makers, which is a legitimate part of democracy when it is open, though students discuss concerns about unequal access and influence. Many campaigns also work across borders, through charities and campaign groups that operate internationally, which links to the “beyond” in the programme of study.

The most important skill at this stage is evaluation. The curriculum asks students to experience ways of acting together to solve problems, which is why many schools run a campaign, a school council project or a community action. Students then judge which approach works best in a given situation, by looking at factors such as the size of the support, how well it was targeted, how much media attention it gained, and whether it changed the decision. Schools choose which campaigns and organisations to study, and your child may not use the same ones as another school. They aren’t asked to support any cause, only to show they can use evidence and argue a case.

Words your child will hear

Pressure group: An organised group that tries to influence decisions without trying to form a government.
Lobbying: Trying to persuade MPs, ministers or councillors to support a policy or change.
Petition: A formal request, signed by supporters, asking a decision-maker to act.
Consultation: A period when a council or government asks the public for views before making a decision.
Peaceful protest: Gathering or marching to show opposition or support without violence. It is a protected right, with legal limits.
Campaign: A planned series of actions aimed at achieving a specific change.
Boycott: Refusing to buy or use something as a way of putting pressure on a company or government.

What the National Curriculum says

The programme of study for Key Stage 4 says:

Pupils should be taught about the different electoral systems used in and beyond the United Kingdom and actions citizens can take in democratic and electoral processes to influence decisions locally, nationally and beyond
Pupils should experience and evaluate different ways that citizens can act together to solve problems and contribute to society.

Objectives from the National Curriculum in England, © Crown copyright, used under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Try it: planning a local campaign

A council plans to close a local youth club to save money. Plan a campaign to try to change the decision. (This is an invented case.)

Set a clear aim and find the decision-maker. The aim is to keep the club open or find another way to fund it. The decision will be made by the council, so councillors and the council’s consultation process are the targets.
Gather evidence. Count how many young people use the club, what they do there, and what alternatives exist. A fact such as “120 young people use it each week” is more persuasive than “lots of people like it”.
Choose actions that fit. Respond to the consultation, write to local councillors, start a petition, speak at a council meeting and ask the local paper to cover the story. Peaceful protest outside the meeting could add attention.
Build support. Ask parents, local businesses, the school and other community groups to back the campaign, because a wide range of supporters is harder to ignore.
Evaluate. Afterwards, judge what worked: did the decision change, was the council influenced by the evidence, and what would you do differently?

A strong plan has a clear aim, targets the right decision-maker, uses evidence and combines several actions (consultation response, letters, petition and media), with broad community support. Its success depends on how many people take part, how well the evidence is presented and whether councillors fear losing votes. Even if the decision is not reversed, the campaign may change how the closure happens, for example by securing a delay or alternative funding.

Common mistakes and how to help

“Voting is the only thing that counts.”

Voting is the most familiar democratic act, so it seems like the whole of citizenship. Yet people can also influence decisions between elections.

What helps: Ask your child to list five other ways to influence a local decision and say which would suit a particular issue. Voting still matters; it isn’t the whole picture.

Thinking a large petition forces the government to change its mind

News stories about petitions can suggest a big number guarantees action. A petition can lead to a response or a debate, but it doesn’t bind the government.

What helps: Explain that petitions show the strength of feeling. They work best alongside other actions such as media coverage and contact with MPs.

Believing peaceful protest is either always allowed or always illegal

Students see protests on the news that are accepted and others that lead to arrests. The law protects peaceful protest but allows limits to prevent serious disruption or to protect others’ rights.

What helps: Ask your child to separate the right to protest from the way a protest is carried out. Look at what makes the difference between lawful and unlawful behaviour.

Treating pressure groups and political parties as the same

Both campaign and both can be vocal on policy, so they blur together. The main difference is that parties stand candidates to win power and pressure groups do not.

What helps: Ask which one stands in elections, and why a group may prefer not to. Then name a pressure group and a party and compare their aims.

How to help at home

Map who decides. Pick a local issue, such as a road crossing, a park or a library, and work out who makes the decision: a parish or town council, your district, borough, county or unitary council, or national government. Many people don’t know, and finding out is the first step in influencing anything.
Write a short email to a decision-maker. Help your child draft a polite message to a local councillor that states the issue, gives one piece of evidence and makes a specific request. It’s a good exercise whether or not it’s sent.
Look at a live consultation. Councils regularly invite views on local plans. Read one together, discuss what it asks and think about how you would respond, even if you don’t submit anything.
Support a cause in a practical way. Encourage your child to volunteer or take part in a community project that suits their interests, such as an organised litter pick or a school council role. Acting with others is part of the course, and experience gives them real examples to write about.

Builds on

Key Stage 3: How UK democracy developed
Key Stage 3: Citizens, Parliament and the monarch
Key Stage 3: How Parliament works
Key Stage 3: Voting and elections
Key Stage 3: The role of political parties