PAPER 1 - GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS IN THE UK

Question 1

define codified

Answer 1

constitution on a single written document
- usa

Question 2

define uncodified

Answer 2

a constitution which is not written on a single document
- uk constitution

Question 3

statute law

Answer 3

-acts of parliament that affect and alter the british constitution
- covers laws that impact on civil liberties and human rights such as the human rights act 1998

Question 4

common law

Answer 4

• laws passed down over the years by legal judgement in the courts
• eg - magna carta

Question 5

unitary

Answer 5

• all power ultimately derives from central government

Question 6

rule of law

Answer 6

• everyone is equally subject to the laws of the land
• even gov and ministers cannot break their own laws

Question 7

parliamentary sovereignty

Answer 7

• the basis of the uk constitution
• parliament is the supreme authority in britain
• this means that parliaments laws cannot be struck down by a higher authority

Question 8

the royal prerogative

Answer 8

• the powers traditionally held by the monarch but now, they preserve of the PM
• these powers include the power of patronage, being commander- in- cheif and negotiating treaties with foreign powers

Question 9

conventions

Answer 9

• unwritten traditions that help to state and gov run more smoothly
• eg - 1945 sailsbury convention

Question 10

authoritive opinions

Answer 10

• the writings and books of constitutional experts that clarify and explain the inner workings of the constitution
• eg - the cabinet manual 2010

Question 11

human rights

Answer 11

• rights which apply to all people
• cannot be removed from anyone????
• they are absolute, universal and fundamental

Question 12

manifesto

Answer 12

• a list of policy commitments released by a party before an election
• once elected, the gov should deliver this manifesto

Question 13

when was the magna carta made

Answer 13

1215

Question 14

when was the bill of rights made

Answer 14

1689

Question 15

when was the act of settlement made

Answer 15

1701

Question 16

when was the parliament acts made

Answer 16

1911 and 1949

Question 17

what are the sources of the british constitution

Answer 17

• statute law
• common law
• conventions
  works of authority
  international conventions

Question 18

what is the freedom of information act 2000

Answer 18

allows public bodies such as the gov and nhs to - publish and make publically available certain info about their activities
- allow members of the public to request info from these public authorities via a freedom of info request

Question 19

what is the purpose of the freedom of information act?

Answer 19

• to promote openness and transparity amongst the public bodies
• meant to boost public trust in such organisations and remove secrecy

Question 20

advan of freedom of info act 2000

Answer 20

• requests are popular and widespread, over 44,000 requests were made in 2020
• allows for public scrutiny
• allows public and pressure groups to identify examples of waste and inefficiency or corruption in public bodies

Question 21

disadvantages of freedom of info act 2000

Answer 21

• public bodies often refuse requests for info
  -in 2020 around 50% of all requests were denied either in full or in part
• often the requests were declined becaus ethey wpuld involve the release of personal info about individuals which lead to a conflict between an individuals right to privacy

Question 22

what are individual rights

Answer 22

rights that apply to individual citizens
- eg the right to free expression and the right of free education up to the age of 18

Question 23

what are collective rights

Answer 23

rights that protect a whole group of individuals
- eg workers in specific jobs, religious groups or disabled people

Question 24

how do individual rights and collective rights clash? 3 reasons

Answer 24

• the individual right to privacy ( individual ) but suspected terrorists might have their phone calls monitered to protect the collective right to security
  -the individual choice whether or not to be vaccinated against covid 19 ( individual ) and the collective right of those classed as clinically vunerable to be protects from covid 19
• the individual right to free speech and opinion ( individual ) but the collective right of a particular group ( musims )mand racial minorities not to be subjected to hate speech

Question 25

2 chambers of uk parliament

Answer 25

• lords and commons

Question 26

how many MPs in hoc

Answer 26

650

Question 27

define executive

Answer 27

the government - comprising all ministers led by the PM

Question 28

how many members in HOL

Answer 28

800

Question 29

define scrutiny of the executive

Answer 29

close examination and questioning of the government

Question 30

define commons

Answer 30

the elected chamber of parliament

Question 31

define lords

Answer 31

highest chamber in parliament - containing peers and bishops

Question 32

define delegates

Answer 32

a person sent to represent something
- an MP for a constituency

Question 33

define trustees

Answer 33

any person that holds the legal title of an asset or group of assets for another person

Question 34

the three theories of representation

Answer 34

1- trustees
2- madate
3- descriptive