AK- Parliamentary Government

Question 1

difference between parliament and government: PARLIAMENT

Answer 1

-parliament is the highest legislative authority in the UK
-sovereignty of parliament is a fundamental principle of constitution
-responsible for checking the work of gov and approving + denying new laws

Question 2

difference between parliament and government: GOVERNMENT

Answer 2

-executive
-runs the country
-responsible for developing and implementing policy and for drafting laws

Question 3

advantages of the system

Answer 3

-gov can act really quickly to get laws through parliament
-system has functioned well for 100’s of years

Question 4

disadvantages of the system

Answer 4

-no seperation of powers
-gov can abuse power eg proroguing parliament

Question 5

vote of no confidence

Answer 5

if a vote of no confidence in the gov is passed by parliament the head of state must respond by either asking another person to form a gov or dissolve the elected parliament and call a ge

Question 6

what happens in parliament

Answer 6

-lords +monarchs banned from the h of commons
-the chamber is the heart pod parliament
-media and public can access
-main function of parliament is to scrutinise gov

Question 7

who is the speaker of the house and what does he do

Answer 7

-speakers are elected by a ballot of all MP’s
-they keep order and organise debates
-current speaker= Sir Lindsay hoyle 2019

Question 8

what is the difference between front and back benches

Answer 8

-front= reserved on one side for gov ministers and the PM
-back=for mps of the political parties who don’t hold ministerial office

Question 9

what are the whips and what do they do

Answer 9

-whips ensure party discipline
-chief whips ensures that maps know when and what to vote for and most importantly remain loyal to the party line

Question 10

what are select committees

Answer 10

-they check and report on government departments
-minimum of 11 members
-members of committees are elected by fellow mps

Question 11

pros of legislative process

Answer 11

• a lot of scrutiny due to amount of stages
• committee stages where experts can check that the bill is acceptable
  -allows MP’s to shape legislation as it goes through legislation

Question 12

cons of legislative process

Answer 12

• takes a while for a piece of legislation to be passed
  -gov dominates what goes through parliament
  -House of Lords unelected

Question 13

representativeness of parliament

Answer 13

-former teachers and manual workers are more likely to be labour MPs
-those with a legal or business background are more likely to be cons

Question 14

functions of parliament P1

Answer 14

-making law: all gov legislation must pass trough what can be a lengthy process in the HoC and HoL before it reaches statute book
-legitimacy: parliament gives legitimacy to the gov of the gay through its elected MPs, parliament makes law legitimate
-Scrutiny and accountability: by questioning ministers + debates

Question 15

functions of parliament P2

Answer 15

-representation: should represent the people, political parties attempt to reflect the views of people who elect them
- debating major issues: parliament is the place where people expect issues of major importance to be discussed

Question 16

info about the House of Lords

Answer 16

-26 bishops
-820 unelected members
-make and shape laws +scrutinise gov
-lots of cross benchers (don’t align with any party)

Question 17

why was the lords not reformed before 1997

Answer 17

-House of Lords reform is not a vote winner
-House of Commons did not want to give any power to another chamber
-parliamentary agenda is often busy with more pressing matters

Question 18

House of Lords reform act 1999

Answer 18

-act decreased membership of the house from 1330 to 700
-no more hereditary peers except for 92

Question 19

salisbury convention

Answer 19

-ensures that gov bills can get through the lords when gov of the day doesn’t have a majority in the lords

Question 20

arguments for reform

Answer 20

-undemocratic (92 hereditary peers)
-unalected
-not accountable to the public as you can’t get rid of them

Question 21

arguments against reform

Answer 21

-system works as is
-more important issues eg NHS
-experts in their fields

Question 22

select committees

Answer 22

committee made up of a small number of MPs appointed to scrutinise the working of gov departments

Question 23

functions of select committee

Answer 23

-scrutiny
-produces reports informing gov
-scrutinise gov when they are forced to explain their actions

Question 24

how many members to select committees have and how are they chosen

Answer 24

-11 members
-elected by own MPs

Question 25

what happens in N.10: 3 different departments

Answer 25

-pms office: special advisors chosen by the PM
-press office: run by spin doctors who control media access and communication
-policy unit: provides information on policy areas on which the pm makes decisions

Question 26

sources of the PMs power

Answer 26

-patronage powers: able to give jobs/sack people at will. EG sunk and lee Anderson + appointing people who will back him
-party leadership: pm is responsible for the overall organisation of the gov+ voted in by his MP’s showing his backing
- PMs office: 200 civil servants working for him EG press office pm office policy unit
-public standing: the pm represents uk in high level diplomacy + opinion polls

Question 27

roles of PM

Answer 27

-leader of nation EG churchill during war bj during covid
-leader of political party EG leading In pmqs + behaviour of party
-foreign affairs
-media spokesperson

Question 28

limitations of pm power in relation to Theresa may

Answer 28

-size of parliamentary majority (330 seats down to 310)
-unity of ruling party (divided on the issue of Brexit)
-public media profile of the pm (49% of public thought she was awful)
-confidence of the cabinet (vote of no confidence)
-coalition government (2017 cons DUP agreement)

Question 29

what is the cabinet

Answer 29

group of senior ministers and heads of government departments who. are key decisions for the gov
-chosen by pm

Question 30

what is collective responsibility

Answer 30

convention that all decisions made in the cabinet/gov must be collectively supported by all members of gov