P3 - Legislatures Compared

Question 1

what are the powers of the UK parliament

Answer 1

• can declare war
• passes legislation based on the leading party’s manifesto
• scrutinises the government, which holds a majority in the House of Commons
• a vote of no confidence can be held to remove the government and force an election

Question 2

what are the powers of the US Congress

Answer 2

• can declare war
• passes legislation based on the President’s, and its own, electoral platform
• scrutinises the executive branch, which is completely separate from Congress
• a president can be impeached but fixed terms mean his VP will take over

Question 3

what are the strengths of the house of commons

Answer 3

• it is the most powerful chamber
• strong backbench power
• strong constituency link

Question 4

what are the weaknesses of the house of commons

Answer 4

• strong party whip
• executive dominance
• government majority in committees

Question 5

what are the strengths of the house of lords

Answer 5

• more time to debate
• reduced party discipline
  increasingly willing to challenge the HofC, especially post-reforms
• expertise

Question 6

what are the weaknesses of the house of lords

Answer 6

• unelected and includes hereditary peers
• Salisbury convention
• the size of the House of Lords’ membership

Question 7

what are the strengths of the house of reps

Answer 7

• strong constituency links
• representation by population
• effective control by the majority

Question 8

what are the weaknesses of the house of reps

Answer 8

• short election cycle
• the power of the speaker means the minority party can be ignored
• shared legislative power

Question 9

what are the strengths of the senate

Answer 9

• unanimous consent
• the power of the filibuster
• six-year terms enable continuity
• representation of state interests, not just the electorate

Question 10

what are the weaknesses of the senate

Answer 10

• shared legislative power
• unanimous consent can cause gridlock
• overrepresentation of smaller states and underrepresentation of big ones

Question 11

what are the similarities between Congress and Parliament

Answer 11

• bicameral nature
• limited powers to scrutinise, with the outcome, the executive branch
• strong constituency link in the lower chambers

Question 12

what are the differences between Congress and Parliament

Answer 12

• level of party discipline
• equality of power between the chambers
• legislative output