Evaluate the extent to which general elections in the UK are lost by the government rather than won by the opposition (30) (Edexcel Sample Assessment Materials)

This question encourages you to think about the two sides of the argument as to why changes of government happen - i.e. is it the government's fault, or the skill of the opposition. You must come to a judgement in the conclusion for this question, but heavy emphasis in the mark-scheme is placed upon presenting a balanced argument for both sides to fully evaluate this. As this is a long-form question, this would benefit from a clear structure: introduction and conclusion, and 3 to 4 paragraphs laying out themes or arguing for/against. The three assessment objectives used are all equally weighted, and therefore the content you would likely use would be as follows:AO1 (Knowledge and Understanding) - points arguing in favour of this would suggest that governments 'lose' elections due to how internal structures can work against them e.g. through division in cabinet, through assessment of leader credibility and personality, or through scrutiny of policy. Points arguing that they are 'won' by the opposition would perhaps explore the fact that the opposition can bring new ideas, run effective campaigns against the government mechanism, and can win over the media. Examples would include the success of the Labour Party coming into office in 1997 due to an effective media campaign, or exploring how Conservative division in the 1990s lost the election. AO2 (Analysis) - analysis would build on the examples and ideas discussed above and consider how this might not always apply e.g. the opposition may have 'new ideas', but the electorate often prefer the safety of an incumbent, favouring the government mechanismA03 (Evaluation) - a clear conclusion would weigh up both sides of this, and would perhaps point out that elections can sometimes be 'lost' by the government and 'won' by the opposition, suggesting a degree of complexity - however the conclusion would come down on one side or the other and would demonstrate consistent weighing up of the material throughout the answer