government and politics UK

Question 1

codified

Answer 1

a single document that sets out laws and rules by which a state is goverened

Question 2

uncodified

Answer 2

a constitution where the laws and rules specifying how the state is to be governed are not gathered in a single document

Question 3

constitution

Answer 3

a body of laws rules and practices that set out the way in which a state or society is organised

Question 4

statute law

Answer 4

laws created by parliament
- acts of parliament have to be approved by the house of commons, house of lords and the monarchy before they become a force of law

Question 5

common law

Answer 5

law derived from general customs or traditions and the decision by judges in court

Question 6

conventions

Answer 6

unwritten traditions that enable gov to run more smoothly

Question 7

royal prerogative

Answer 7

discretionary powers that the crown retains which date back to before the uk was a constitutional monarchy in the late seventeeth century

Question 8

authoritative opinions

Answer 8

reference to long established legal and political texts that have become accepted as reference points for those wishing to know precisely ‘who can do what ‘ under the uk constitution

Question 9

rule of law

Answer 9

defines the relationship between the state and its citizens

Question 10

parliamentary sovereignty

Answer 10

the doctrine that parliament has absolute legal authority within the state

Question 11

magna carta date

Answer 11

1215

Question 12

magna carta significance

Answer 12

• guaranteed the right to a swift and fair trail
• offered protection from arbitrary imprisonment
• placed limitations on taxation

Question 13

bill of rights date

Answer 13

1689

Question 14

bill of rights significance

Answer 14

• placed limitations on power of monarchy
  -enhanced the status of parliament
• prohibited cruel and unusual punishment

Question 15

act of settlement date

Answer 15

1701

Question 16

act of settlement significance

Answer 16

barred roman catholics , or those married to roman catholics, from taking the throne
-said to have paved the way for the acts of union 1707

Question 17

acts of union date

Answer 17

1707

Question 18

acts of union significance

Answer 18

united the kingdoms of england and scotland to form great britain, governed from westminster

Question 19

parliaments acts dates

Answer 19

1911/1949

Question 20

parliaments acts significance

Answer 20

1911 - removed the power of the house of lords to block money bills by imposing a max 2 year delay
1949 - reduced the power of house of lords to delay non money bills by reducing the time limit to 1 year

Question 21

the sources of the uk constitution

Answer 21

• statute law
• common law
• conventions
• authoritative works

Question 22

examples of statute law

Answer 22

• scotland act 1998 - created scottish parliament
• parliaments act 1911/1949 - established HOC as dominant chamber

Question 23

examples of common law

Answer 23

• royal prerogative - include the right to
• appoint ministers and choose PM
• give royal assent to legislation
• declare war and negotiate treaties

Question 24

examples of conventions

Answer 24

• cabinet office manual 2011 - thought to bring togtehr many of the conventions into a single document

Question 25

examples of authoritative works

Answer 25

• walter bagehots ‘ the english constitution ‘ 1867
  sets out the role of the cabinet and the PM , describing the former as the ‘ efficient secret of the english constitution’ and the latter as ‘ first among equals ‘