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A Level Politics > P2 T2: Parliament > Flashcards

P2 T2: Parliament Flashcards

1
Q

2.1 Define Parliament

A

The British legislature made up of the HoC, HoL, and the monarch

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2
Q

2.1 What term is accurate to use when describing the UK’s parliament?

A

Fusion of powers - the executive and legislative branches of govt. are joined (members of the cabinet are also MPs)

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3
Q

2.1 What are the primary features of parliamentary government?

A
  • Fusion of powers between executive & legislative branches
  • Govts. formed as a result of parliamentary elections, no separate ones for the PM
  • Govt. can only continue with confidence of the HoC
  • PM is head of govt. NOT head of state
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4
Q

2.1 What is a vote of confidence? Give an example

A

A motion in the Commons with the wording ‘This house has no confidence in HM government’, if the vote is lost a govt. may have to step down

e.g. In 2019, there was a vote of confidence for Theresa May set forward by Corbyn, May won by a majority of 325-306

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5
Q

2.1 Define confidence & supply

A

Right to remove govt. and grant/withhold funding, also used to describe an informal coalition where the minority party agrees to provide this in exchange for policy concessions

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6
Q

2.1 What is the role of MPs?

A
  • Represent constituencies & respond to issues
  • Scrutinise the govt.
  • Legitimise legislation
  • Debate legislation
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7
Q

2.1 What is the subtle difference between govt. backbenchers & opposition backbenchers?

A

Govt. backbenchers are supposed to not criticise the govt. too harshly, opposition backbenchers do

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8
Q

2.1 How do backbenchers represent their constituents?

A
  • Participating in debates
  • Questioning ministers
  • Voting on legislation
  • Participating in public bill & select committees
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9
Q

2.1 Outline the features & role of the official opposition

A
  • Opposes/criticises govt. policies
  • Has a shadow cabinet & whips
  • Leader asks 6 questions in PMQs
  • MPs are on all committees & given 20 days a year to raise issues for debate
  • Presents itself as an alternative to the govt.
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10
Q

2.1 Outline the features & role of whips

A
  • Ensure the work of a party runs smoothly
  • Work with opposition whip to arrange business & send out memos
  • Responsible for ‘pairing’ MPs
  • Incentives & sanctions to make MPs ‘Toe the Party Line’
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11
Q

2.1 Why is the whip’s role more difficult in coalition & minority govts.?

A

Takes a small number of rebel backbenchers to overturn a vote - harder to make up numbers to win the vote

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12
Q

2.1 What happens when MPs don’t comply with whips during votes in the HoC? Give an example

A

May withdraw the whip & expel them from the party, e.g. Mark Spencer in 2019 - suspended 21 tory MPs for not supporting EU withdrawal bill

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13
Q

2.1 Define pairing

A

An arrangement between two MPs of opposing parties to not vote, enabling an MP to be absent without affecting the results (cancel each other out)

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14
Q

2.1 Define ‘Toeing the Party Line’

A

Supporting and voting with your party in parliament even if you disagree

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15
Q

2.1 Outline the features and duties of the speaker of the HoC

A
  • Elected to the position by fellow MPs
  • Call upon MPs during debates, ensuring parties receive fair debating time
  • Discipline MPs
  • Announce results of the vote (cast deciding vote if tied, usually for the govt. by convention)
  • Expected to act impartially, e.g. John Bercow (2009-19) criticised for being firmly against Brexit
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16
Q

2.1 Give arguments for and against the statement that Bercow was a good speaker

A

For:
- Stood up to govts.
- Modernised the role (no more wigs)
- High profile - understood they were on TV
- Broke convention - power over govt. on Brexit

Against:
- Referee not a player
- Partial/biased
- Accused of bullying MPs & staff - one diagnosed with PTSD

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17
Q

2.1 Summarise the features and roles of the monarchy

A
  • Mostly ceremonial head of state because it symbolises the authority of the crown without being involved in politics
  • Bageholt - ‘dignified’ rather than ‘effective’
  • Appoint govts., open & dissolve parliament, King’s speech, royal assent for bills
18
Q

2.2 Give the key differences between the Commons and the Lords

A

Commons:
- Supreme legislative power
- Approve budgets & any money bills
- Select committees - departmental

Lords:
- Only delay bills up to one year
- Cannot delay money bills
- Salisbury convention - Lords cannot defeat measures in manifestos
- More independent - 1/4 are crossbenchers
- Have time to debate important issues, e.g. genetic engineering

19
Q

2.2 Define select committee

A

Responsible for scrutinising govt. departments

20
Q

2.3 Define ping pong

A

Process by which legislation goes back and forth between HoC & HoL

21
Q

2.3 Define private member’s bill

A

A bill proposed by an MP who is not a member of the govt., usually through an annual bill

22
Q

2.3 Define minority government

A

A govt. that does not have majority support, usually formed by single parties that are unable or unwilling to form coalitions

23
Q

2.3 Outline the legislative process

A
  • Consultation stage - Draft, comments by senior officials
  • 1st Reading - Read out in the house
  • 2nd Reading - Debating stage where members discuss & vote
  • Committee stage - Smaller group of MPs/Lords discuss & make amendments
  • Report stage - Amendments are reported to the house & voted on
  • 3rd Reading - Overall consideration in house & final votes
  • Bill goes to other house - Similar stages, ping pong, HoC can pass a law even if HoL doesn’t agree
  • Royal Assent - Monarch signs it off
24
Q

2.4 KTD: Is Parliament effective in fulfilling its function? 1. Legislative function

A

Legislative function:
- Proposes, debates, & enforces legislation
- Passes through parliament not by it
- Party control means bills rarely defeated
- Small number of bills initiated by backbenchers, e.g. Kim Leadbeater’s Assisted Dying Bill

FOR:
- ‘05 - backbenchers defeated Blair’s plans to extend detention of terrorist suspects (1st ever)
- May’s legislation passed in HoC, defeated 15 times in HoL in 2018 over EU withdrawal bill

AGAINST:
- Blair did not lose a vote in HoC 1997-2005
- Coalition only defeated 7 times - low considering multi-party ruling
- Brown defeated 3 times
- HoL can only delay bills - Parliament Acts

25
2.4 KTD: Is Parliament effective in fulfilling its function? 2. Representative Function
Representative Function: FOR: - Each MP has a constituency - legitimacy - Raise grievances of constituents - 2/5 women, 90 BME MPs, 64 LGBTQ+ MPs, 23 cabinet MPs state educated (2024) AGAINST: - FPTP undermines representation - HoL unelected - weakens democracy - White, middle-class men still dominate HoC
26
2.4 Describe the trustee model of representation
MPs decide what is best for constituents and are trusted to, MPs use superior knowledge, education, & experience
27
2.4 Describe the delegate model of representation
MPs are the 'messenger' of constituents - they convey views of others
28
2.4 Describe the doctrine of the mandate model of representation
Parties gain mandates by winning - MPs should represent their party's manifesto as voters often vote for the party, not the candidate
29
2.4 How did Brexit challenge the models of representation?
- Cons. MPs that campaigned for Remain felt unable to support Brexit - Lisa Nandy - campaigned for Remain but her constituency firmly voted Leave (63%) so she respected this and supported legislation to leave
30
2.4 KTD: Is Parliament effective in fulfilling its function? 3. The function of recruiting and maintaining the government
The function of recruiting and maintaining the government: FOR: - Debates, Qs, and committees help ministers learn about their area - Gain an understanding of govt., e.g. Thatcher, Major, Brown, and May were backbenchers AGAINST: - Ministers are recruited from a small pool of talent - entering HoC younger than ever so less experience - Speech making skills but no managing skills of govt. departments - Large majorities can dictate to their MPs, not abide by them
31
2.4 KTD: Is Parliament effective in fulfilling its function? 4. Legitimacy Function
Legitimacy Function: FOR: - When parliament approves, as if public has approved - Parliament gives consent of people to laws - w/o then laws would lack authority AGAINST: - Lords has no legitimacy - PMs, esp. w/ large majorities, do not encourage enough scrutiny, e.g. Blair rarely turned up to parl. other than PMQs - Scandals, e.g. 'Cash for Qs'
32
2.4 KTD: Is Parliament effective in scrutinising the executive? 1. Questioning
Questioning: - PMQs, MQs, QT - Urgent Qs - ask speaker for permission - Written Qs & letters - ministers must respond to letters from MPs & peers FOR: - QT secures accountability of govt. to backbenchers as ministers must be up-to-date - PMQs gives a platform to Leader of Opposition - make a name for themself - PMs dread PMQs AGAINST: - MPs bully others - DC joked Miliband was 'Salmond's Poodle', Tories barked at him - PMQs coordinated by Downing St. - preprepared Qs
33
2.4 KTD: Is Parliament effective in scrutinising the executive? 2. Committees
Committees: FOR: - Public bill committees - consider bills clause by clause - PBC improved '07 - more scrutiny - 3/5s of committee members have specialist expertise AGAINST: - Less independent than select committees - membership dominated by party whips - Scrutiny of legislation is of little value - whips dominate proceedings & often majority only accepts govt. amendments
34
2.4 What were the Wright Reforms?
Reforms made to the workings of the HoC in 2010 which strengthened the power of backbenchers to hold govts. to account Executive no longer controls membership of most select committees
35
2.4 Summarise Departmental Select Committees
- Scrutinise govt. departments - Conduct inquiries & write reports - Send for 'persons, papers, and records' - Jeremy Hunt took on chair of Health Committee - former health secretary, held Johnson's Covid policy to account
36
2.4 Summarise Liaison Committees
- All 35 chairs of select committees to question PM - Twice-yearly appearances of PM for scrutiny - e.g. Johnson in May 2020 - questioned on Covid & Dominic Cummings
37
2.4 KTD: Is Parliament effective in scrutinising the executive? 3. Debating
Debating: - Bills debated judiciously in 2nd reading HoC & HoL - Emergency debates allowed by speaker - Adjournment debates - backbenchers raise issues for ministers - Wright Reforms created Backbench Business Committee (BbBC) - responsible for business one day a week - E-petitions - 100,000 sigs FOR: - Since BbBC backbenchers have more time to discuss issues - E-petitions give public a say AGAINST: - Debates initiated by BbBC are motions for discussion - govt. doesn't have to act
38
2.4 KTD: Is Parliament effective in scrutinising the executive? 4. The Official Opposition
Official Opposition: Second largest party has debate privileges, 'Opposition days' when opposition can choose debates FOR: - Blair, Cameron oppositions highlight weaknesses AGAINST: - A large maj. govt. can ignore opposition, e.g. Blair '97-'05 - If govt. has a weak or no maj. a poor opposition leader may not make the most of their position, e.g. Corbyn criticised for ineffective even with govt. in chaos
39
2.4 KTD: Is the HoL as effective as the HoC in fulfilling its functions? 1. Legislative Function
Legislative Function: FOR: - More independent in HoL - 2020 Lords rebelled against internal markets bill which threatened Devolution rights AGAINST: - Legal restraints on HoL, HoC can overturn Lords' amendments - Salisbury convention means HoL doesn't oppose manifesto measures
40
2.4 KTD: Is the HoL as effective as the HoC in fulfilling its functions? 2. Scrutiny
Scrutiny: FOR: - Govt. maj. in HoC means rarely checked, however no maj. in HoL so more scrutiny - Lords more independent- non-partisan views, Lords are for life so whips have less power - More debating time - Select committees for particular issues AGAINST: - HoL less effective in scrutiny as no PMQs or MQs - Commons select committees have grown since 2010
41
2.4 KTD: Is the HoL as effective as the HoC in fulfilling its functions? 3. Representation
Representation: FOR: - HoL cannot claim democratic legitimacy so more willing to represent issues that an elected house may not want to - Sometimes claims HoL does a better job at addressing representational deficits - Appointment system directly addresses imbalances AGAINST: - HoC elected - represent constituents via adjournment debates, PMQs, MQs, raising privately with govt. member - Structure of HoL works against women's membership - hereditary peerages passed to 1st son, places reserved for bishops (first female chosen in 2014) (14% of the HoL)

A Level Politics (7 decks)

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