Historical context of the UK political system

Question 1

What did the Magna Carta do?

Answer 1

Established the first formal limits on the power of the monarchy and paved the way for the creation of parliament

Question 2

What is an uncodified constitution?

Answer 2

Describes a constitution where the laws, rules and principles specifying how a state is governed is not gathered in a single document. Instead, they are found in a variety of written and unwritten sources

Question 3

How was England run between 1066-1215?

Answer 3

As an absolute monarchy

Question 4

How were the devolved regions run between 1066-1215?

Answer 4

• Scotland had its own absolute monarchy
• Wales and Ireland were ruled by a series of princes and chieftains, with little oversight and domination from England

Question 5

Describe the state of the monarchy today?

Answer 5

Their role is largely limited and they have passed much of their sovereignty to parliament. Meanwhile, other countries became a part of the UK

Question 6

Why has the establishment of modern democracy in the UK been different to other countries?

Answer 6

Because there is no single point at which this occured. Instead, the system of UK government and politics has evolved over time. This happened thanks to the uncodified nature of the constitution, which has resulted in a number of unusual features