L4: How do MoP get elected ? Flashcards
Parliament- Who are they ?
Bicameral (HOL-unelected; HOC- elected) + the crown
Two key functions:
- Scrutinising the executive
- Making legislation
First-past-the-post system
- Used by UK, Canada and some parts of the USA
- Ballot syste accessed by those eligble to vote
- Votes are cast to elect MPs to the LOWER chamber of the House: HOC (MPs)
Through the FPTP system, how does this form a govt ?
- Total of seats are counted
- If more than 50% (326 seats)
- At the 2019 general election, conservative party won 365 seats
Strengths and Weaknesses of the FPTP system
Advantages:
-Simple and efficient
-Strong government even when country is divided
Disadvantages:
-Undemocratic
-Perpetuates power divides between parties
-“Safe” and “swing” seats
Proportional Representation
-Route for extremism
-Weak government? Too much diversity
-Weakened relationship between constituent and consistency – less accountability
Elective Dictatorship
- Diagram depicting the law-making process
- Term coined by Lord Halisham
What are the features of elective dictatorship ?
-Democratic Facade- outward appearance of democracy
-Concentrated power- party dominance
-Erosion of Democratic Norms e.g., SoP, ROL, PS
Parliamentary Sovereignty
-Parliament has legislative freedom i.e., right to make/unmake laws
-It can’t bind a successor
-No person or body is recognised by the law of England
Rule of Law
-No man is punishable or can be lawfully made to suffer in body or deprived of their goods unless they had violated the law which has been established in an ordinary way and applied by an ordinary court
-No man is above the law
-The principles of the constitution are the result of the ordinary law of the land
Separation of Powers
- Executive
- Judiciary
- Legislature
How may we prevent elective dictatorship ?
-Further SOP?
-Codification
-Different electorate system
-Strengthening Parliament
