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Government and Politics Unit 2 > AO1 - Parliament > Flashcards

AO1 - Parliament Flashcards

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0
Q

What are the key features of the Westminster model ?

A
  • Uncodified Constitution
  • Parliamentary Sovereignty
  • Cabinet Government
  • FPTP
  • Two-party System
  • Unitary State
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1
Q

What are the 5 main features of Parliament ?

A
  • Executive and legislature are fused
  • Legislature can dismiss the executive
  • Parliamentary elections decide the government
  • Collective government
  • Separate Head of State
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2
Q

What are the two main virtues of the Westminster Model ?

A

Responsible Government: Government is Accountable to Parliament eg. PMQ and the People through Elections
Representative Government: Government is formed through Parliament a directly elected body ~ Representative Democracy

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3
Q

Is the Westminster Model Useful ?

A

‘The system is as effective as the members make it’ Robert Rodgers - Clerk of the House of Commons and Chief Executive
There is significant disparity between the ideal and reality for example the HofC is not descriptively representative 23% of Ms are Women

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4
Q

Why is the Executive able to dominate parliament ?

A

Parliamentary Majority
Party Discipline
Control of the Parliamentary timetable

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5
Q

What Key describes the Structure of Parliament ?

A

Bicameral Legislature: Two Chambers

Formally Parliament has three parts the monarch, the House of Lords and The House of Commons

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6
Q

Benefits of a Bicameral Legislature ?

A

Provides better checks and balances
Provides for greater scrutiny and revision
The Upper chamber - Life Peers are experts
Many represent different interests

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7
Q

Problems with a Bicameral Legislature ?

A

Institutional Gridlock

Indirectly Elected chamber

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8
Q

Stages of a Bill

A 
•First reading
•Second reading
•Committee stage
•Report stage and third reading
Then goes through the House of Lords, where amendments can be made. Both chambers have to agree on the law. If the HofL tries to block the bill parliament can enact acts of Parliament
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9
Q

Functions of Government

A
  • legislation
  • scrutiny and holding the government to accountancy
  • representation
  • recruitment of ministers
  • legitimacy
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10
Q

What type of legislature is Parliament

A

The British parliament is a policy-influencing legislature

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11
Q

What three types of legislature did Professor Philip Norton suggest ?

A

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

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12
Q

What percentage of divisions faced rebellions ?

A

•In the 2005–10 parliament there were rebellions by Labour MPs on 28% of divisions, and a total of 174 Labour MPs voted against the party line at least once
- In the 2010–12 parliamentary session, 153 MPs from the coalition parties voted against the whip and rebellions occurred on 44% of divisions

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13
Q

2005 Terrorism 90 Days Bill

A

In November 2005, the Blair government was defeated by 322 votes to 291 on its proposal to allow terrorist subjects to be detained for up to 90 days without charge

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14
Q

Blair’s Government lost on what Amendment in the HofL

A

It also lost two votes on House of Lords amendments to the Racial and Religious Hatred Bill in 2006

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15
Q

What do Rebellions show ?

A

Rebellions are a visible sign of the limits of party unity and the ability of backbench MPs to exert influence

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16
Q

Examples of How the House of Lords has become more assertive ?

A
  • Counter-terrorism: in 2005, the Lords amended proposals on control orders for terrorist suspects and insisted that the legislation had a limited lifespan
  • Religious hatred: proposals to introduce a new offence of incitement to religious hatred were amended or blocked by the Lords in 2001 and 2005
  • Trial by jury: the Lords blocked Labour’s proposals to restrict the right to trial by jury in 2000 and 2007
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17
Q

Why is the HofL more assertive ?

A
  • No party has a majority, so the government must win cross-party support for its legislation
  • The Lords is more confident of its legitimacy and more willing to flex its muscles on legal and constitutional issues
  • Labour governments, it has been argued, did not have a mandate because they were elected with the support of fewer than a third the electorate
  • Backbench MPs have been willing to support the Lords
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18
Q

Reason for Parliament having an effective check on the executive ?

A
  • The executive’s control over the parliamentary timetable has been weakened
  • Backbench MPs provide greater checks on government policy than in the past — increased incidents of rebellion are a constraint on government action
  • The reformed House of Lords is a more effective revising chamber
  • Select committees have become more influential
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19
Q

Reasons against Parliament having an assertive check on the Executive ?

A
  • The government has control of the Parliamentary Timetable
  • Select Committees have little influence and as the gov has a majority MPs this would reflect in the select Committees making them bias
  • Government Defeats are rare
  • Government is able to overturn amendments from the HofL Salisbury Convention
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20
Q

What are the roles of the monarchy ?

A
  • Royal Assent
    Approval by the Monarch is the final stage in the legislative process. Only when a bill is signed by the monarch can it become law.
  • Appointing Prime Minister
    A formality were the Monarch invites the leader with the largest party in the HofC to form government
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21
Q

What other roles does the Monarch have ?

A
  • Proroguing Parliament
    Bringing the parliamentary session to an end
  • The Queen’s Speech
    At the state opening of Parliament, the monarch opens the new parliamentary session and delivers the speech outlying the main bills Government wants to introduce
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22
Q

What is Legislation ?

A

One of the primary functions of government. Law Making

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23
Q

Can the House of Lords introduce bills ?

A

Yes, for example Transport for London Bill. The majority of Legislation originates from the House of Commons

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24
Q

First Reading

A

Formal presentation of the bill on the floor of the house by a minister from the responsible department. There is no debate or vote at theis stage

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25
Q

Second Reading

A

The main debate on the principle of the bill. Explains and justifies the Bill. The Shadow minister responds and the backbenchers respond.
If the bill is contested a vote is taken.

26
Q

When was the last time government was defeated ?

A

In 1986 on the Sunday Trading Bill, it was defeated by 14 votes.

27
Q

Committee Stage

A

Bills are sent to a public committee where each detail is scrutinised and amendments can be made. A new Committee is established for each public bill, Once the bill is passed the committee is dissolved.
Public Bill committees may take evidence from outside experts.

28
Q

The range of membership in committees ?

A

16 to 50, they reflect party strength in the commons. Whips instruct MPs how to vote.

29
Q

What Bills are scrutinised on the floor of the House ?

A

Finance Bills and Bills of constitutional influence. They are called committee of the Whole.

30
Q

Report Stage

A

Amendments made in committees are considered by the full house and the house may accept, reject or alter them.

31
Q

Major’s government lost on what stage of the passage of a bill

A

On the reporting stage. In 1993 on the Maastricht Treaty, but then made the issue a matter of confidence and won by 40 votes.

32
Q

Third Reading

A

This debate on the amended bill on the floor of the house. No further amendments are permitted.

33
Q

‘Parliamentary Ping Pong’

A

When a bill goes back and forth between the two houses. If an agreement can’t be made by the lords the bill will droop or invoke by an act of Parliament.

34
Q

How many draft bills were scrutinised by a committee between 1997 - 2010 and 2010-12?

A

56 Drafts and 9

35
Q

‘Public reading stage’

A

Members of the public may post comments online about proposed legislation.

36
Q

Post-legislative scrutiny

A

3 to 5 years after the bill has come to force. Government submit memorandums on legislation to select committees

37
Q

How many MPs are drawn from a ballot early in each parliamentary sessions ?

A

20

38
Q

How many ways are there to introduce a Private Members Bill ?

A

There are three ways of introducing Private Members’ Bills in the House of Commons: the Ballot, the Ten Minute Rule and Presentation.

39
Q

Private Member’s bills past

A

Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Act 1965
Abortion Act 1967
Autism Act 2009
Sustainable Communities Act 2006

40
Q

Policy-making legislature

A

These amend or reject legislative proposals made by the executive, and can out forward alternative bills

41
Q

Policy-influence legislatures

A

These can modify or reject legislature proposals made by the executive but are unable to develop extensive legislative proposals of their own.

42
Q

Legislatures with little or no influence

A

Legislatures with little or no proposals from the executive, and cannot formulate meaningful alternative policy proposals of their own

43
Q

Parliament scrutinises the executive ….

A

In order to hold the government accountable by requiring ministers to explain and Justify their actions. Through Question Time, the Liaison Committee and select Committees.

44
Q

Question Time is every…

A

Wednesday at noon for 30 mins

45
Q

How does the opposition scrutinise and hold the executive to account.

A
  • The architecture allows the confrontation from the Opposition to the executive
  • Oppose governments legislative proposals, but also present themselves as an alternative-government in waiting
  • Opposition parties are permitted to choose the topic for debate on 20 Days
46
Q

How does the government enjoy significant influence in parliament ?

A

They can draw on the expertise of the civil service, while the opposition relies on limited state funding ‘short money’ to fund research.

47
Q

2006 Liberal Democrat Motion

A

On British Citizenship for Gurkha veterans produced a rare government defeat.

48
Q

The Backbench Committee

A

Created in 2010, gives MPs greater Opportunity to shape the parliamentary agenda. It decides the agenda for one day a week. The committee takes account of backbench opinions, select committee reports and e-petitions when determine subject for debate.

49
Q

How have Select Committees become more effective ?

A

They are no longer appointed by party Whips. The wright committee recommended committee chairs should be elected by secret ballot.
Overtime select committees have become more expert than the relevant minister (who usually have short terms in a specific office).
They have powers to Summon witness and examine evidence.

50
Q

The Constitution Unit 2011 found that X% of select committee suggestions are taken account ?

A

40%

51
Q

Important Select Committees

A
  • Public Accounts committee
  • Standards and Privileges Committee
  • Modernisation Committee
  • Liaison Committee
  • European Scrutiny Committee
  • Political and Constitutional Affairs Committee
52
Q

How has the % women in the House of Lords changed ?

A

Before 1999 9% in 2013 23%

53
Q

What does the standard and Privileges committee do ?

A

Examine conduct of MPs + Overseeing the register of interests.

54
Q

Modernisation Committee

A

Established in 2005, examines how the practices and procedures of the HofC can be reformed.

55
Q

European Scrutiny Committee

A

This assesses the significance of the EU documents, reporting in detail on about 475/1,000 or more it receives each year.

56
Q

The Electoral Commission’s 2007 Audit of Political engagement showed…

A

41% were satisfied with the way their local MP worked 12% were dissatisfied
In general 30% satisfied and 37% dissatisfied

57
Q

Methods in which parties have used to increase Women MPs

A
  • All Women Shortlists - Labour: boosted the number of female MPs in 1997 their were 101 labour MPs the election before only 37
  • Priority Lists - Conservatives: 50/50 Aspiring candidates. Out of the 49 Con MPs only 19 had been on the A list
58
Q

What percentage of BME’s were elected ?

A

Only 4% in comparison to 14% of the population

59
Q

The average age of an MP and range

A
  1. 35-55
60
Q

Education of MPs

A

A 1/3 went to public schools

Compared to less than 10% of voters

61
Q

Representation of Social Class

A

Only 10% of Labours MPs had been manual workers.
MPs who work in Business are more likely to be Conservatives
While public sector workers are most likely to be conservative.

62
Q

What Three factors contribute to an MP being recruited as a minister.

A
  • Communication Skills
  • Experience
  • Conformity

Government and Politics Unit 2 (7 decks)

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