3.1.1.2 the structure and role of parliament

Question 1

in 2015 what was the vote in favour of military action in syria

Answer 1

397 to 223

Question 2

House of Commons

Answer 2

The lower chamber, and the primary chamber, of the UK legislature. It is directly elected by voters.

Question 3

House of Lords

Answer 3

The upper chamber of the UK legislature. It is not directly elected by voters

Question 4

Bicameralism

Answer 4

this term describes a politcal system in which there are two chambers in the UK legislature

Question 5

Advantages of Bicameralism

Answer 5

-the upper house provides checks and balances
-provides gretaer scruntiny and revision of legislature
-represents different interests

Question 6

Disadvantages of Bicameralism

Answer 6

-institutional conflict between the two houses which produces legislative gridlock
-indirectly elected upper house may frustrate the will of the democratically elected lower house

Question 7

legislature

Answer 7

the branch of government responsible for passing laws

Question 8

parliament

Answer 8

an assembly that has the power to debate and make laws.

Question 9

how many MPs are there in the HoC?

Answer 9

650

Question 10

how is each member elected?

Answer 10

FPTP

Question 11

Is the number of MPs fixed?

Answer 11

No. In 2016, the Conservative government confirmed its commitment to cut the number of MPs to 600 and equalise constituency size by 2020

Question 12

what are ministers and shadow ministers known as

Answer 12

front benchers

Question 13

what are MPs that have no ministerial or shadow ministerial posts also known as

Answer 13

backbenchers

Question 14

majority of MPs that come from a party, what is the exception

Answer 14

Sylvia Hermon, once a Ulster Unionist MPs, was re-elected as an independent in north down in 2010 and 2015.

Question 15

parliamentary privilege

Answer 15

The legal immunity enjoyed by MPs, particularly their right to free speech in parliament

Question 16

What was the average MP salary in 2016

Answer 16

£75,000

Question 17

two elements of parlaimentary privilege

Answer 17

-freedom of speech
-exclusive cognisance

Question 18

freedom of speech

Answer 18

Members of both houses are free to raise any issue in parliament without fear of prosecution

Question 19

exclusive cognisance

Answer 19

this is the right of each houses to regulate its own internal affairs without interference from outside bodies

Question 20

divisons

Answer 20

a vote in parliament

Question 21

whip

Answer 21

a party offical responsible for ensuring that MPs turn up to parliamentary votes and follow party instructions on how to vote

Question 22

what are the three main roles of whips

Answer 22

-ensuring that MPs attend parliamentary divisions and approving the absence of MPs when their vote isn’t required
-issuing instructions on how MPs should vote
-enforcing discipline within the parlaimentary party

Question 23

what is the role of the speaker?

Answer 23

Presides over debate in the chain by selecting MPs to speak and maintaining order. They may temporarily suspend MPs who break Parliamentary rules.

Question 24

how is the speaker elected

Answer 24

by MPs through secret ballot

Question 25

hereditary peers

Answer 25

a member of the house of lords who, since 1999, has been selected from those who inherited their title

Question 26

life peer

Answer 26

a member of the house of lords who has been appointed to the chamber for their lifetime

Question 27

peer

Answer 27

a member of the house of lords

Question 28

different categories of members in house of commons

Answer 28

-hereditary peers
-life peers
-lords spiritual

Question 29

what did the house of lords 1999 act do to hereditary peers

Answer 29

ended the right but all of 92 hereditary peers to sit and vote in the lords

Question 30

how many hereditary peers were there before the 1999 act

Answer 30

750

Question 31

peerages act 1963

Answer 31

-allowed hereditary peers to renouce their titles and membership of the lords.
-allowed douglas-home to leave the lords and win by by-election to the house of commons when he became Conservative party leader and prime minister in 1963
-also allowed for women hereditary peers to sit

Question 32

the life peerages act 1958

Answer 32

gave the prime minister the right to appoint members to the upper house for life

Question 33

what was significant about the 1958 and 1999 act together

Answer 33

they brought about signifcant changes to the composition and working of the house of lords. the creation of the life peers increased the diveristy and professionalism.

Question 34

in november 2016 how many female peers were there

Answer 34

211 (26% of the lords compared to 9% in 1999)

Question 35

proposals of reform to the house of lords

Answer 35

-Free vote 2003 - MPs had a free vote on seven options proposed by a parlaimentary joint committee
-White Paper 2007 - hybrid house, 50% elected 50% appointed
-House of Lords bill 2012 - proposed a chamber of 360 elected members 90 appointed members 12 bishops and 8 ministerial members

Question 36

Exclusive powers of the house of commons

Answer 36

-the right to insist on legislation - in cases of conflict over legislation the lords should ultimately give way to the commons
-financial privilege - the lords cannot delay or amend money bills
-the power to dismiss the executive - if the government is defeated on a motion of no confidence, it must resign

Question 37

what legislation underpins the commons primacy

Answer 37

parliament act of 1911 and 1949

Question 38

conventions covering the relationship

Answer 38

-the sailsbury doctrine - bills implementing manifesto commitments should not be opposed by the lords
-reasonable time - the lords should consider government business with a reasonable time
-secondary legislation - the lords does not usually object to secondary legislation

Question 39

The parliament act

Answer 39

The House of Lords does not have a veto over legislation approved by the House of Commons. It can onlt delay bills fro up to one year, Prior to 1911, it could block bills passed by the commons indefinitely. The parliament act 1911 restricted this veto power to two parliamentary sessions, which was reduced to one by the parliament act 1949.

Question 40

what bills have been passed without consent of the laws

Answer 40

-war crimes act 1911
-European parliamentary election act 1999
-sexual offences (amendments) act 2000
-hunting act 2004

Question 41

financial privilege

Answer 41

-The house of lords cannot delay or amend money bills. the parliament act 1911 states that any bill certified by the speaker as a money bill which is not passed by the lords unamended within a month can recieve royal assent without the agreement of the lords.
-The commons can also claim finacial privilege when the lords passes an amendment to legislation that has finacial implications, such as creating new spending.

Question 42

examples of times finacial privilege was used

Answer 42

welfare reform bill 2012
counter terrorism 2008
identity cards 2010
support for child refugees 2016

Question 43

confidence and supply

Answer 43

-the commons can remove the government by defeating it in a motion of no confidence. the lords does not vote on confidence motions.
-before 2011, defeat in the commons on such a motion or on the queens speech would trigger the resignation of the government

Question 44

how many confidence votes have there been since 1945

Answer 44

23 votes of no confidence and 3 of confidence

Question 45

examples of no confidence votes

Answer 45

James Callaghan 1979 - lost by one vote
Theresa May 2019 - won 325 to 306
Boris Johnson 2022 - won 211 to 148

Question 46

fixed term parliament act 2011

Answer 46

clarified and limited what is treated as a confidence motion. Only a commons motion stating ‘that this house has no confidence in His majesty’s government’ is now treated as a motion of no confidence. if passed, and no alternative government is approved by the commons within 14 days, parliament is dissolved and a general election is called

Question 47

the sailsbury convention

Answer 47

The Sailsbury Convention states that the House of Lords should not vote against a bill that seeks to an act manifesto commitment of the governing party on second or third reading no should it agree wrecking amendments

Question 48

times the sailsbury convention has come under strain

Answer 48

-in 2006 pairs voted against an identity card bill despite it featuring in labour is 2005 manifesto. They argue that leave I have not won sufficient support of the election to claim a democratic mandate and that the convention was outdated as it relates to a time when the other house has the inbuilt conservative majority.
-lib dem conservative 2010 coalition

Question 49

reasonable time convention

Answer 49

-The government needs to get its legislative proposals through parliament in a reasonable time. Whereas the government has significant control of the parliamentary timetable in the commons, it does not have this in the lords.
-the convention thus emerged that laws should consider all government business within a reasonable time

Question 50

secondary legislation and the lords

Answer 50

-Parliament delegates to ministers the authority to issue secondary legislation which brings into force or amends part of an act. The parliament act do not cover legislation but it is a convention that the lords does not usually reject it.
-the review recommended that the commons should be able to override any lords vote to rejct secondary legislation.
-May’s government announced that it had no plans to curb the power of the lords

Question 51

a more assertive house of lords

Answer 51

since the removal of hereditary peers the house of lords has become more assertive in the legislative process
-blair and brown were defeated 7 times in the commons but over 400 in the lords. moat of these happened on judicial and constitutional matters as they are of a particular interest of the peers
-many key provisions in bills are dropped liek the public bodies bill 2010-12, including plans to privatise the forestry committee

Question 52

4 factors that have increased effectiveness of the house of lords

Answer 52

-party balance
-enhanced legitimacy
-government mandate
-support from MPs

Question 53

party balance

Answer 53

-No party has a majority in the house of lords, so governments must win cross-party support for their legislation.
-The votes of Lib dem proved crucial - if they vote with the opposition, the government faces defeat
-the government is most likely to give ground when it’s own peers rebel or abstain

Question 54

enhanced legitimacy

Answer 54

the reformed lords is more confident of its legitimacy and more willing to show its strength on legal and constitutional issues

Question 55

government mandate

Answer 55

peers have questioned whether the sailsbury convention should apply in periods of coalition or when the governing party wins the support of less than a third of the electorate

Question 56

support from MPs

Answer 56

the lords has been most effective in forcing the government to amend its proposals when MPs, particularly backbenchers from the governing party, support from amendments

Question 57

debates about relative powers

Answer 57

the relative powers of the two chambers reflect their different functions and legitimacy. The commons has primacy because it has the democratic legitimacy which the lords lacks.

Question 58

Input legitimacy

Answer 58

the composition of an institution and its responsiveness to citizens’ concerns as a result of participation by, and representation of, the people.

Question 59

Output legitimacy

Answer 59

the quality and effectiveness of an institution’s performance and outcomes for people.

Question 60

input vs output in parliament

Answer 60

the commons has input legitimacy because of its composition (it is directly elected and accountable to voters), whereas the lords has output legitimacy becuase of what it delivers (its scruntiny and revision produces better quality legislation)

Question 61

reform of the house of lords

Answer 61

-the house of lords reform act 1999, focused primarily on the composition of the lords rather than its relationship with the commons but changes to its membership affect the legitimacy and power of the lords.

Question 62

should the house of lords be wholly elected? YES

Answer 62

-A fully elected House of Lords would have the legitimacy
that can only be derived from democratic elections.
- It would be more confident in its work of scrutinising
and amending government bills, thus improving the
quality of legislation.
- If no party has a majority, as would be likely under
proportional representation, it would challenge the
dominance of the executive.
- If elected by proportional representation, it would be
more representative of the electorate.

Question 63

should the house of lords be wholly elected? NO

Answer 63

-It would come into conflict with the House of
Commons, as both Houses would claim democratic
legitimacy.
- Institutional conflict between two elected chambers
with similar powers would produce legislative gridlock.
- An appointed house would retain the expertise and
independence of crossbench peers.
- The problems associated with party control in the
House of Commons would be duplicated in an elected
upper house.

Question 64

functions of parliament

Answer 64

-legislation
-scrutiny and legislation
-debate
-recruitment of ministers
-representation

Question 65

legislation (FOP)

Answer 65

Parliament is the legislative branch of the political system. This indicates that parliament’s main function is making law

Question 66

Bill vs Act

Answer 66

a bill is a draft legislative proposal that is debated in parlaiment. When a bill has completed the legislative process and enters into law it is an act of parliament.

Question 67

what bills can a government produce

Answer 67

they can produce either a green paper or a white paper

Question 68

green paper

Answer 68

a government document setting out various options for legislation and inviting comment

Question 69

white paper

Answer 69

a government document setting out a detailed proposal for legislation

Question 70

the legislative process

Answer 70

1) first reading
2) second reading
3) committee stage
4) report stage
5) Third reading
6) house of lords stage

Question 71

first reading

Answer 71

The formal presentation of the title of the bill on the floor of the house by a minister from the resposible department. There is no debate or vote at this stage.

Question 72

second reading

Answer 72

The main debate on the principle of the bill. The government minister explains and justifies the objectives of the bill, the shadow ministers responds and backbenchers contribute to the debate.

Question 73

what happens if a bill is contested?

Answer 73

A vote is taken. Government defeats at second reading stage are extremely rare, occuring twice since 1945. The most recent in 1986 when the sunday trading bill was defeated by 14 votes, despite a government majority of 140

Question 74

Committee stage

Answer 74

Bills are sent to a piblic bill committee, where detailed scruntiny of each clauses takes place and amendments can be made. Amendments are often tabled by the government as it seeks to clarify and improve the bill.

Question 75

public bill committees

Answer 75

a committee responsible for the detailed consideration of a bill

Question 76

What happens when a new bill is introduced

Answer 76

a new public bill committee is introduced and is named after the bill. once the bill has completed the committee is dissolved. In 2015-16, there were 22 public bill commitees

Question 77

report stage

Answer 77

Amendments made in a committee are considered by the full house of commons. It may accept, reject or alter them. MPs not on public bill committee now have an oppourtunity to table Amendments. John major’s gov lost a report stage vote on the Maastrichts treaty in 1993, but made the issue a matter of confidence and won by 40 votes. In 2015, due to EVEL new procedures were introduced.

Question 78

Third reading

Answer 78

A debate on the amended bill on the floor of the house. No further amendements are permitted.

Question 79

House of lords stage

Answer 79

The bill is sent to the house of lords, where these stages are repeated. If I meant to the bitter made in the Lord is common to migrate the reject them or amend them further. Bill may go back north between the two houses in the process known as Parliamentary ping-pong.

Question 80

examples of parliamentary ping pong

Answer 80

2010-2012, when the commons overturned a series of Lords’ amendments on legal aid and welfare reform. If an agreement cannot be reached, the government must decide whether to accept chnages made by the lords, drop a bill or invoke a parliament act.

Question 81

three types a private member bill can take

Answer 81

-Ballot
-ten minute rule bill
-presentation

Question 82

Ballot bill

Answer 82

Early in each parliamentary session and 20 names of MPs who wish to introduce a bill a drone in a ballot. Valet bullshit a timer on 13 Fridays in the session but simple victim to filibustering where MPs talk into the bill runs out of time. Tom MPGCalc from lobbyists are entering. Others take a pill handed out by the government. These are the negative proposals which the government supports does not wish to pursue in its Parliamentary time.

Question 83

Ten minute bill

Answer 83

MPs have this make a speech to introduce a bill or to talk about an aspect on existing piece of legislation. If you know but get beyond this first hurdle so many MPs use this route is a means of drawing attention to a particular issue.

Question 84

Presentation

Answer 84

An MP presents a bill on the floor of the house by introducing the name of a bill. There is no debate at this point.

Question 85

examples of private members bills

Answer 85

Murder act 1965 and the abortion act 1967

Question 86

secondary legislation

Answer 86

a law made by minsters, who have been grnated this authority by an act of parlaiment rather than made by parliament.

Question 87

how many pieces of secondary legislation are passed every year

Answer 87

3500

Question 88

three classifications of legislature

Answer 88

-policy-making legislatures
-policy influencing legislatures
-legislatures with little or no policy influence

Question 89

policy making legislatures

Answer 89

these amend or reject legislative proposals made by the executive, and can put forward alternative bills

Question 90

policy influencing legislatures

Answer 90

these can modify or reject legislative proposals from the executive but are unable to develop extensive legislative proposals of their own

Question 91

legislatures with little or no policy influence

Answer 91

these are unable to modify or veto legislative proposals from the executive and cannot formulate meaningfull alternative policy proposals of their own.

Question 92

accountability

Answer 92

The principle that an office holder or institution must account for their actions.

Question 93

parliamentary scruntiny

Answer 93

The role of parliament in examing the policies and work of the executive, and holding it to account

Question 94

why is parliamentary scruntiny and accountability an important function?

Answer 94

It means that the governments legislative process can be scruntinised, parliament also exercises a general scrutiny and oversight role. It scrutinises the actions of the executive and ensures government accountability by requiring ministers to explain and justify their actions.

Question 95

parliamentary questions

Answer 95

government ministers face questions from MPs on the floor of the house. In addition to questions tabled in advance, ministers answer topical questions on issues relating to their department. Speaker Bercow has required ministers to answer urgent questions more frequently.

Question 96

What does the parliamentary timetbale include?

Answer 96

question time sessions from each government department.

Question 97

what is the most high profile event on the parliamentary timetable

Answer 97

prime ministers question (PMQ’s) which takes place each wednesday at noon for half an hour.

Question 98

PMQ’s

Answer 98

Provides an oppourtunity for the leader of the opposition, the leaderr of the third largest party and backbenchers to question the prime minister.

Question 99

What style of questioning did Corbyn use in the 2015-2016 session?

Answer 99

He tried to change the gladitorial style by asking questions sent in by the public.

Question 100

evaluation of PMQ’s

Answer 100

provides parliamentary theatre rather than effective scruntiny

Question 101

oral questions

Answer 101

make an important part of the business of the house but most parliamentary questions take the form of written questions to ministers requesting information on issues of written questions to ministers requesting information on issues of public policy.

Question 102

in 2015-16 how many written questions were there compared to oral question

Answer 102

35000 written questions compared to 3600

Question 103

time spent on business in house of commons (hours)

Answer 103

Government bills - 289
Private member bills - 61
Government motions - 47
Opposition days - 125
Backbench business - 130
Debates - 98
Questions - 332
Other - 133

Question 104

The role of the opposition

Answer 104

The leader of the opposition has special privileges additional salary right response first prime minister made a statement and the right to ask six questions at the PMQ’s.

Question 105

how much short money did the labour government recieve in 2015-16

Answer 105

£6.8 million but the government proposed reductions in this cost

Question 106

what does the opposition rely on to survive?

Answer 106

short money

Question 107

the work of select committees

Answer 107

Select Committees have extended and enhancxed parliamentary scruntiny of the executive. The overall aim is to hold the governemnt accountable for policy and decision making, and support parliament in scrutinising legislation and government spending

Question 108

when were departmental select committees created?

Answer 108

1979

Question 109

how many select committees are there?

Answer 109

20

Question 110

how many members do select committees have

Answer 110

11

Question 111

how are MPs elected to select committees

Answer 111

secret ballot

Question 112

high profile cases of select committees

Answer 112

-Business, Energy and Industrial strategy committee (2016) - working practices at retailer Sports Direct concluded that Mike Ashley must be help accountable for extremely disturbing working practices at company
-Business, Energy and Industrial strategy committee (2016) - the sale and acquisition of high-street department store chain BHS was highly critical of Sir Phillip Green and concluded that he had a moral duty to resolve problems with the BHS pension scheme.
-Foreign Affairs Committee (2016) - UK’s intervention in Libya concluded that the UK’s 2011 actions in Libya were ill-concieved and that the other political options should have been attempted. It stated that David Cameron was ultimately responsible for the failure to develop a coherent strategy

Question 113

how many signatures does a e-petition need to be discussed?

Answer 113

100,000

Question 114

Has the backbench business committee been successful? YES

Answer 114

• It has given backbench MPs greater say over the
  parliamentary timetable.
• It has enabled debate on, and raised the profile of,
  issues that would otherwise not have been discussed
  in depth in parliament, including an EU referendum.
• Debates initiated by the BBBC have influenced
  government policy, including those on reducing fuel
  and beer duty.
• It was a successful vehicle for public engagement
  with parliament, allocating time for debate for topics
  receiving 100,000 signatures in an -petition - an
  innovation that led to the creation of the Petitions
  Committee.

Question 115

Has the backbench business committee been successful? NO

Answer 115

-The government does not have to respond to, or
accept, motions passed after debates scheduled by the
BBBC.
- The government allocates time for BBC debates at
short notice and in an ad hoc way.
- The government ignored criticism from the BBBC
and forced through changes which give party groups
greater say in the election of BBC members.
- Smaller parties are under-represented: 7 BBBC
members are Conservative or Labour MPs, the other
being from the SNP.

Question 116

why has the effectiveness in the recruitment and development of future government ministers has become questionable?

Answer 116

-Communication skills - television over parliament is where communication is displayed
-Experience - due to high turnover of MPs - 227 new in 2010, 182 in 2015 and 98 in 2017, so lack of MPs for senior positions
-Conformity - local MP have better prospects of ministerial office then rebels have. Some MPs may not aspire to Minister office and the strengthening select committees offers an alternative career route.

Question 117

5 types of representation

Answer 117

-delegate model
-trustee model
-constituency representation
-party representation
-descriptive or functional representation

Question 118

Delegate model

Answer 118

A delegate model is an individual selected to act on behalf of others on the basis of clear instructions. They should not depart from these instructions in order to follow their own judgement. However, MPs are not expected to act as delegates, slavishly bound by the instructions of
voters. There is unlikely to be a consensus among voters in a constituency on complex issues and ascertaining the views of the majority on every issue would be difficult. Instead MPs are representatives who are free to exercise their own judgement on issues.

Question 119

Trustee model

Answer 119

Edmund Burke (1729-97) proposed the trustee model of representation. MPs are responsible for representing the interests of their constituents in parliament. Once elected, they are free to decide how to vote based on their own independent judgement of the merits of an issue. Burkes
perspective had a strong elitist undercurrent: it assumed that MPs knew best because they had a greater understanding of affairs of state.

Question 120

Delegate

Answer 120

An individual authorised to act on behalf of others but who is bounds by clear instructions

Question 121

Representation

Answer 121

The process by which an individual/s act on behalf of a larger group

Question 122

Representative

Answer 122

An individual who acts on behalf of a larger group but is free to exercise their own judgement

Question 123

Trustee

Answer 123

An individual who has formal responsibility for the interests of another

Question 124

difference between delegates and trustee

Answer 124

-DELEGATES:
- Delegates are given clear instructions on how they
are to act on behalf of the people they represent.
- They must follow these instructions in full
and must not adapt them based on their own
judgement of the issues.
- They must not vote on the basis of their personal
views.
-TRUSTEES:
- Trustees should take account of the interests and
values of the group they represent but are not
bound by strict instructions from them.
- They are free to exercise their own judgement on
issues and to vote accordingly.
- They may vote according to their conscience.

Question 125

Constituency representation

Answer 125

• MPs are expected to protect and advance the collective interests of the constituency they represent, and to represent the interests of individual constituents. Constituency work takes up around half of an MP’s time.
• MPs hold regular surgeries in which constituents can discuss problems or concerns. They may then take up grievances that individual constituents have against a public authority: for example, by contacting the relevant
  body, writing to a minister or raising the issue in the Commons.
  -MPs also champion the interests of their constituency as a whole - for example, by seeking investment and defending public services or key employers.

Question 126

Party representation

Answer 126

• Political parties dominate elections. Almost all successful general election candidates are elected not for their personal beliefs and qualities, but because they represent a political party. Striking the right balance between representing the views of the local party members who selected them and of the voters who elected them can be tricky for MPs.

Question 127

Descriptive representation

Answer 127

Descriptive representation occurs when a legislature mirrors the society it represents. In this perspective, parliament should be a microcosm of society with all major social groups included in numbers proportional
to their size in the electorate. In the UK, attention has focused on the under-representation of women in the House of Commons. The number of women MPs has risen in recent decades, reaching 208 in 2017, but women make up only 32% of the Commons compared to 51% of the UK
population.

Question 128

Which party tends to have higher female candidates?

Answer 128

Labour

Question 129

Increasing the number of women candidates

Answer 129

• All-women shortlists : Used by Labour in every general election since 1997 (except 2001), these gender quotas require some constituency parties to select their parliamentary candidate from a list consisting of only women - significantly boosted Labour MPs.
  -Priority lists : Cameron introduced a priority list (A-list) in 2005 for the top 100 Conservative target seats. Constituency associations were required to draw up shortlists on which at least half the aspirant candidates were women.

Question 130

Increasing the number of women candidates

Answer 130

• All-women shortlists : Used by Labour in every general election since 1997 (except 2001), these gender quotas require some constituency parties to select their parliamentary candidate from a list consisting of only women - significantly boosted Labour MPs.
  -Priority lists : Cameron introduced a priority list (A-list) in 2005 for the top 100 Conservative target seats. Constituency associations were required to draw up shortlists on which at least half the aspirant candidates were women.

Question 131

Was the priority lists successful?

Answer 131

Only 19 of the 49 female candidates were elected in the 2010 election

Question 132

Under-representation in ethnic backgrounds

Answer 132

The number of black and minority ethnic MPs rose from 41 to 52 at the 2017 general election, but this is only 11% of the house, comapred to 14% of the population.

Question 133

Under-representation in age

Answer 133

Young and older people are under-represented in the commons, with most MPs being in the 35 to 55 age range. The SNP’s Mhairi Black was only 20 when first elected in 2015 - the youngest MP to be elected since 1832.

Question 134

Under-representation in LGBTQ+

Answer 134

45 MPs elected in 2017 define themselves as LGBTQ+, the highest number of the world.

Question 135

Under-representation in Education

Answer 135

29% of MPs elected in 2017 attended a fee-paying school, compared to 7% of voters, but the number is in long-term decline. 9/10 are university graduates.

Question 136

Under-representation in social class

Answer 136

The number of MPs who previously had manual occupations has been falling. MPs who worked in business are more likely to be conservatives, and those who worked in the public sector to be Labour.

Question 137

The relationship between Parliament and the executive

Answer 137

an unequal one, with the executive the dominant actor. The government has significant control over the legislative process. There is a good reason for this: it the government did not have this power, it could not fulfil its mandate
or govern effectively. But executive dominance does not mean that parliament is impotent.

Question 138

Key factors of the legislative-executive relations

Answer 138

• the government’s parlaimentary majority
• the extent of party unity

Question 139

Importance of a government majority

Answer 139

-FPTP electoral system often, but not always, delivers a working majority for the party that wins most votes in a general election. A government with a large majority is in
a commanding position, able to push its legislation through parliament by utilising the whip system and controlling the parliamentary timetable. The larger a government’s majority, the less likely it is that the other
parties in the Commons will be able to defeat or amend government bills.

Question 140

examples of governements legislative majority

Answer 140

With a majority of 167 at the 2001 election, the Blair government survived large rebellions from Labour backbenchers on Iraq, tuition fees and foundation hospitals. The government suffered its first Commons
defeat within months of its majority being cut to 65 at the 2005 election.

Question 141

minority government

Answer 141

the party with the largest number of seats governs alone. It may be able to persuade a smaller party to support it
on the budget and Queen’s Speech. This is known as a ‘confidence and supply’ deal. It must still find parliamentary majorities on a bill-by-bill basis. A minority government may be relatively stable in the short term,
particularly if other parties do not want another general election. It is difficult to sustain a minority government for long, although the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 limits what counts as a confidence motion.

Question 142

post war minority governments

Answer 142

• Wilson’s 1974 government - 301 seats, called another election in october and got a majority of 3
• May government 2017 - 317 seats

Question 143

Coalition government

Answer 143

Two or more parties form the government, having reached a formal agreement on a legislative programme and cabinet posts.

Question 144

Examples of a coalition

Answer 144

2010 conservative lib dem coalition

Question 145

effectiveness of Backbench MPs

Answer 145

-The strengthening of select committees, creation of the Backbench Business Committee (BBBC) and greater use of urgent questions have given backbench MPs more opportunity to scrutinise government.
However, the high failure rate for private members’ bills suggests that backbench MPs have little impact on legislation.
-It is a common perception that MPs slavishly follow the party whip and MPs do indeed vote with their party on the overwhelming majority of divisions in the Commons. When a parliamentary rebellion occurs, it is usually small
and can easily be absorbed by a government with a working majority.

Question 146

Examples of majority governments

Answer 146

• Thatcher 1979-1990 - 339 - 397 - 376
• Blair - 1997-2005 - 418 - 412 - 355

Question 147

Has parliament become more effective?

Answer 147

-Parliamentary scrutiny of the executive has been enhanced in recent years by the increased assertiveness of backbench MPs and the House of Lords. In
2009, a select committee on reform of the House of Commons, chaired by Labour MP Tom Wright, recommended changes to parliamentary procedures
that enhanced parliamentary scrutiny and its agenda-setting ability:
- the election of select committee chairs and members
- the creation of the Backbench Business Committee (BBBC)
- new mechanisms for citizens to petition parliament
-The prime minister is now obliged to get parliamentary consent before calling an early election. In short, parliament now exercises significant constraint on
executive power.

Question 148

Parliament and Brexit

Answer 148

-Brexit poses significant challenges for parliament. The 2016 EU referendum was a move away from parliamentary sovereignty towards popular sovereignty. It provoked competing claims of legitimacy. The government claimed that parliament should not frustrate Brexit but
many MPs sought to reassert parliamentary democracy. Some noted Chapter 5 Parliament that referendums are advisory rather than binding; others accepted the result but argued that the terms of withdrawal should be subject to parliamentary consent.

Question 149

Is parliament an effective power check on the government? yes

Answer 149

-The executive’s control over the parliamentary
timetable has been weakened by the creation of
the Backbench Business Committee (BBBC) and the
greater use of urgent questions.
-Backbench MPs provide greater checks on government
policy than in the past, with increased incidents of
rebellion a constraint on government action.
- The reformed House of Lords, in which no party
has a majority, is a more effective revising chamber
- amendments made in the Lords often force the
government to rethink legislation.
- Select committees have become more influential,
with governments accepting around 40% of their
recommendations. The election of select committee
chairs and members has enhanced their independence.

Question 150

Is parliament an effective power check on the government? no

Answer 150

• The executive exercises significant control over
  the legislative timetable and MPs hoping to steer
  legislation through parliament face significant
  obstacles.
• Government defeats are rare - most backbench MPS
  from the governing party obey the whip on a majority
  of votes.
• The government is usually able to overturn hostile
  amendments made in the House of Lords, and can
  resort to the Parliament Act to bypass opposition in
  the Lords.
• Select committees have little power. The government
  is not required to accept their recommendations
  and often ignores proposals that run counter to its
  preferred policy.

Question 151

Has parliaments reputation improved

Answer 151

Parliament’s reputation was damaged by the 2009 MPs’ expenses scandal. The Hansard Society’s annual Audit of Political Engagement has traced public attitudes towards parliament. The 2017 report found that only 30% of people were satisfied with how parliament works - a partial recovery from the lows seen during the expenses scandal. More people agreed than disagreed in 2017 that parliament debates and makes decisions about issues
that matter to me’ and ‘holds the government to account. However 73% agreed that ‘parliament is essential to our democracy’.

Question 152

UK/US comaprison

Answer 152

-The Us Congress is a bicameral legislature. The lower chamber is the House of Representatives, which consists
of 435 elected members. The Senate, which consists of 100 elected members, is the upper chamber. The two
chambers have broadly equal powers. In the UK, only the House of Commons is elected. The unelected House of
Lords is politically and legally subordinate.
-Congress is a policy-making legislature. It can reject or amend proposals from the president, and puts forward
legislative proposals of its own. Most proposals come from the president, who has the power of veto - although
this can be overridden by Congress. The UK Parliament is a policy-influencing legislature that modifies government
proposals but does not propose extensive bills of its own.
- There is a strict separation of powers in the USA. Members of the executive branch cannot be members of the legislature. The president cannot dismiss Congress, but Congress can impeach the president. The US Constitution also gives Congress the power to declare war, and Senate the power to veto appointments made by the president.
- Party discipline has grown stronger in the USA but it is still weaker than in the UK. A president cannot rely on the
support of members of his own party in Congress. Members of Congress are more independent-minded and more likely than MPs to place the interests of their constituents above those of party.
-Standing committees in Congress have significant influence over US government departments. Committee chairs are powerful figures in Congress. Departmental select committees in the UK are much less powerful.