Definitions

Question 1

Referendum

Answer 1

A form of election which refers a specific decision directly to the electorate. This will distil the issue down to a simple yes or no answer. E.g. the 1998 referendum on the GFA, 2014 Sept 18th Scottish Independence Referendum. 2016 ‘Brexit’ Referendum on EU membership/withdrawal.

Question 2

Accountability

Answer 2

This is the process by which those in positions of responsibility either elected or appointed are held responsible for their actions or indeed lack of action. An example of this would be the electorate hold their elected representatives accountable at the end of each electoral cycle. Northern Ireland Assembly elections 1998, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2016 & 2017.

Question 3

Scrutiny

Answer 3

The process by which those in positions of responsibility are examined on the success or otherwise with which they carry out their duties or responsibilities. E.g. the Standing/Statutory Committees in the NI Assembly scrutinise the work of the Executive departments and ministers

Question 4

Representation

Answer 4

Action or speech on behalf of a person, group, business house, state or the like by an agent or deputy. E.g the work of a constituency MLA or MP on behalf of a constituent e.g the tabling of a question either written or oral.

Question 5

Democratic deficit

Answer 5

The electorate are unable to experience the full benefits of political representation because of short comings in the electoral system or in the political structures. E.g. NI under direct rule 2002 -2007. 2017-2020. The electorate in NI voted for local political parties who had little or no influence on the formulation or implementation of policy which was decided at Westminster & Whitehall.

Question 6

Participation

Answer 6

The act of taking part. In a political sense this generally refers to the participation in an electoral process, the taking part in the executive or legislative aspect of the government. Participation continues at every level of the political process including the registration for the electoral franchise, the exercise of that franchise, membership of a political organisation such as a pressure group or political party, the entry into local, regional or national government.

Question 7

Mandate

Answer 7

A command or authorisation to act in a particular way on a public issue given by the electorate to their representative. The act of transferring political authority from the electorate to a representative. The electorate give their representative a mandate to speak and act on their behalf.

Question 8

Proportionality

Answer 8

The principle that representation in government should co-relate with the amount of the electoral support gained. E.g Proportional Representation allows for an equitable distribution of political authority in accordance with the level of electoral support gained.

Question 9

Unicameral

Answer 9

Literally this means one chamber and specifically while referring to politics it refers to a legislature which contains one chamber. E.g The NI Assembly.

Question 10

Bicameral

Answer 10

Again, literally translated refers to two chambers or rooms and in politics refers to a legislature which is comprised of two chambers. An example of a bicameral legislature is the British Parliament made up of Commons and Lords, The US Congress made up of Senate and House of Representatives and the Irish Oireachtas made up of Seánad and Dáil.

Question 11

Principle of consent

Answer 11

This refers specifically to an idea from Northern Ireland. It refers to the constitutional position of NI within the UK and that it cannot and will not be changed unless the majority of the electorate in Northern Ireland assent to the change. This was present in the Govt. Of Ireland Act 1920, the Treaty of 1921, the Downing Street Declaration of 1969, the Sunningdale Agreement 1973, the 1981/2 Rolling Devolution, the AIA of 1985 The Downing Street Declaration of 1993, the Framework Document of 1995, the GFA 1998 and St Andrew’s Agreement 2006.

Question 12

Politics of accommodation

Answer 12

This refers to a desire to reach a situation in NI specifically where major political decisions can be reached through a process of negotiation and consensus. A hope that the idea of a zero sum game can be removed from politics that if one side gains then by necessity the other loses.

Question 13

Petition of concern

Answer 13

30 MLAs could refer a ministerial decision back to the Executive within seven days of an Executive decision. The Presiding Officer is to verify if it concerns an issue of public importance. The Executive must consider the issue within 7 days. A second referral cannot be made to the Executive on the same issue.

Question 14

Key decision

Answer 14

This is something which is defined as requiring cross community support and is designated as a key decision in advance. An example of a key decision is the election of the FM/dFM. Key decisions can also be triggered by a ‘Petition of Concern.’

Question 15

Parallel consent

Answer 15

This means that when the Assembly votes on what has been designated as a key decision the result is determined by the overall majority including a majority of self-designated unionists and nationalists.

Question 16

Weighted majority

Answer 16

Again, this is used in cases of key decisions. In this case there must be at least 60% of the MLA’s present and voting and that at least 40% of those voting must be both nationalist and unionist. Then a majority of these 40%’s must vote in favour of the motion for it to pass.

Question 17

Consociational

Answer 17

A form of government which accommodates diverse interests of a divided or plural society through power-sharing and coalition made up of parties representing the dominant groups in that society. E.g. in Northern Ireland since the GFA (1998) and latterly the St Andrew’s Agreement (2006) the return of devolution in 2007 there has been a coalition in government (executive) comprising of DUP, SF, UUP, SDLP and APNI ministers in an executive committee.

Question 18

Devolution

Answer 18

This is the process by which political authority is transferred from the political centre to the political periphery.
E.g. After the election of the New labour government in 1997 the Prime Minister proposed the extension of devolved powers to each of the parts of the United Kingdom. Legislatures and executives were established in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Question 19

Suspension

Answer 19

A period when the Assembly and therefore the Executive is suspended and not in operation but devolution continues to operate in shadow form. In the absence of an Assembly and Executive cannot be nominated or ratified. This is a situation wherein the political authority remains devolved from Westminster but the operation of that devolution is stalled. This had occurred on a number of occasion since the devolution was restored in 1998/1999. The current period of suspension began with the DUP withdrawal from the Executive in February 2022. After the May elections the DUP refused to nominate a Speaker and because of this fully devolved government could not begin. The DUP have adopted this stance to place pressure on the Westminster government to take action on the Northern Ireland Protocol (which is part of the EU/UK Withdrawal Agreement) which they believe to be impacting negatively on Northern Ireland’s place in the United Kingdom.

Question 20

Secretary of State

Answer 20

This is a cabinet ranking minister in the UK government with overall authority for Northern Ireland policy similar to the Scottish Secretary and Welsh Secretary of State. The office was first introduced in 1972 after the prorogation of Stormont on March 24th of that year.

Question 21

The Northern Ireland protocol

Answer 21

In June 2016 the UK electorate voted to withdraw from the European Union. One very problematic issue resultant from this decision was that a trade/commercial border would now exist between the UK and EU on the island of Ireland. It was agreed that physical infrastructure should not reappear on the frontier. After almost five years of torturous negotiation the UK and EU agreed the Withdrawal Agreement. This included the Northern Ireland Protocol which essentially governed how trade would occur between GB and NI, NI and the EU. Northern Ireland under this protocol or arrangements would be treated differently than the rest of the UK. Some viewed this positively as offering trading advantages to Northern Ireland while other (Unionists) viewed this very negatively stating that it undermined Northern Ireland ‘s integral position as a part of the United Kingdom. The disputes and disagreements over the Protocol have resulted in political problems in Northern Ireland and beyond.

Question 22

Direct rule

Answer 22

This is when the government of Northern Ireland is situated in London, that key decisions are made at an executive level from Whitehall and a legislative level from Westminster. This was the case between 1972 and 1998.

Question 23

Power sharing

Answer 23

Power-sharing
This is a term used in Government and Politics with specific reference to the political arrangements in Northern Ireland after the 1998 Good Friday/Belfast Agreement. This is a system of government where differing, even contradictory political groups were forced to share executive authority. 2024 Northern Ireland Executive is made up of four political parties – Sinn Féin, the Democratic Unionist Party, the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland and the Ulster Unionist Party

Question 24

What was the context for the Stormont House Agreement

Answer 24

• 2008 financial crisis led Conservative/Lib Dem coalition of 2010
• they made 2012 welfare reform bill, differences on equality in marriage legislation and failure to deliver Irish language among others led to difficulties in the devolved institutions
• WRB ‘Bedroom tax’ needed parity legislation in NI
• negations in Stormont house took place to get over difficulties
• agreement reached in late 2014

Question 25

What changes did the Stormont house agreement make

Answer 25

• reduce welfare provisions in NI by £114m
• public sector rationalization: improve efficiency of NI civil service
• Reduction of MLA from 108 (6) to 90 (5)
• executive department decreased 12 to 9
• devolution of corporate tax power