key terms Flashcards
constitution
a set of rules which determine where sovereignty lies in a political system and establishes the relationship between the government and governed
codified constitution
written down in a single document
uncodified constitution
not contained in a single document
enternched
requires seperate rules + proceedures for amendment
unentrenched
no special proceedure required for amendment
unitary
all legal soverignty is contained in a single place —> westminister
federalism
legal sovereignty is shared between national and regional governments like in america
parliamentary sovereignty
parliament can make an amend any laws
cannot be bound by its predecessors or bind its successors
democratisation
intro of a democratic systen or principles
decentralisation
process of spreading power away from the center towards a devolved gov.
civil rights
set of safeguards for individual and minority rights
devolution
power is disolved but not sovereignty
asymetrical devolution
a type of devolution where the various regions are granted unequal amounts of power
quasi federalism
a system of devolution where it is difficult for power to return to central government
common law
laws made by judges to reflect the views of society in general in cases where the law is unclear or doesnt cover the issue
