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Politics > Parliament > Flashcards

Parliament Flashcards

1
Q

Ways to hold the government to account - PMQs (governing party)

A

MPs are able to ask the PM easy questions to make the PM look good as well as the government

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2
Q

Ways to hold the government to account - PMQs (opposition)

A

Opposition MPs try to score points by asking questions to make the PM and government look stupid and incompetent - opposition leader can ask 6 questions

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3
Q

When do PMQs take place? And for how long?

A

Every Wednesday, for 30 minutes

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4
Q

Pros of PMQs

A
  • Provides an opportunity for the Commons to challenge the PM
  • Forces the PM to be well informed (and on the ball) about policy and wider news agenda
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5
Q

Cons of PMQs

A
  • Too many questions asked by ‘friendly’ government backbenchers (who wants to make the PM look smart)
  • PMQs have become an exercise in point-scoring rather than asking important, helpful questions
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6
Q

Ways to hold the government to account - Public Bill Committee (PBC)

A

Temporary committees, formed to scrutinise a bill after its second reading, with the power to take written & oral evidence, debate & amend the bill (legislative)

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7
Q

Pros of PBCs

A
  • Can scrutinise the Commons passing any bills in any form and way they want.
  • Makes the government think twice
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8
Q

Cons of PBCs

A

Amendments that are contrary to a majority government’s wishes are rarely accepted - contradicts links to Parliamentary Sovereignty

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9
Q

Ways to hold the government to account - Select Committees (SC)

A

Small groups of MPs or members of the House of Lords that are set up to investigate a specific issue in detail or to perform a specific scrutiny job
- SCRUTINISES government DEPARTMENTS
- a GOVERNMENT with a majority will also have a MAJORITY IN THE COMMITTEE

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10
Q

Pro of SC

A

More independent than PBCs - free to be critical
Work is respected because it’s evidence based (hearings are televised and reported in the media - increases influence)

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11
Q

Cons of SC

A

Majority of SC members are picked from governing party
Can cover only a limited range of topics in depth (avoids long-term investigations)

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12
Q

An example of SC

A

PAC held Amazon, Starbucks and Google to account in 2013 when they paid limited tax. They held multinational companies to account, so they can hold the PM and gov to account

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13
Q

How many Lords are there?

A

791 Lords (mostly life peers and 92 hereditary - most appointed by the PM)

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14
Q

What can the Lords do?

A

Can delay legislation for up to 1 year - due to the 1911 and 1949 Parliament Acts.
Scrutinises legislation and can force government to amend bills

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15
Q

What can’t the Lords do?

A
  • Has no jurisdiction over financial matters
  • Has no power to dismiss a government
  • Don’t represent constituencies, but other interests
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16
Q

Pros of The Lords

A

Less partisanship and party loyalty than in the Commons (more independent)
-so can vote more freely and critically
- can argue and answer more clearly in debates

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17
Q

Cons of The Lords

A
  • Can’t do anything long term
  • e.g the 1949 Parliament Act meant the Lords could only delay legislation for up to a year
  • House of Lords will not oppose the second or third reading of any government legislation promised in its election (SALISBURY ADDISON CONVENTION)
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18
Q

What is a mandate?

A

The authority to carry out policies put forward in a manifesto which helped a party gain votes from the electorate in order to win an election

19
Q

To defy the mandate of the government is to…

A

have been elected under false pretences.
If government doesn’t stick to its manifesto, their mandate is false (this isn’t good)

20
Q

What is the legislature?

A

The body that has the power to MAKE, REVOKE AND CHANGE LAWS. Can scrutinise the executive and hold them to account
- This is Parliament

21
Q

What is the executive?

A

The body that runs the country and proposes laws to the legislature
- This is the government (consists of the PM, Cabinet, civil servants, etc)

22
Q

What is the judiciary?

A

The body that interprets and applies the law. It does this to uphold the rule of law in society. The court can’t strike down laws

23
Q

What is known as the Parliamentary system?

A

The legislature and executive are fused (joined together) - its executive (government) sits in the legislature (Parliament).

24
Q

How many MPs are there in the HoC?

A

650 MPs (MPs only)

25
Q

How many Lords are in the HoL?

A

791 Lords (hereditary, life peers - appointed by MP)

26
Q

What can the HoC do?

A
  • Can veto and amend legislation.
  • Can reject any legislation, even manifesto pledges.
  • Approves government’s budget.
  • Can dismiss a government in extreme circumstances.
27
Q

Elements of the HoC?

A
  • Represents constituency interests.
  • PMQs and ministerial question time.
  • LIASION COMMITTEE - is part of the commons and checks the power of the PM.
28
Q

What can the HoL do?

A
  • Can scrutinise legislation and force government to amend bills.
  • Can delay legislation for up to a year (Parliament Act 1949).
  • Has no jurisdiction over financial matters.
  • Has no power to dismiss a government.
29
Q

Elements of the HoL?

A
  • Doesn’t represent constituencies, but other interests.
  • Lords are more independent, so less/weaker party discipline.
  • Only government spokesperson in the Lords.
30
Q

What is financial privilege?

A

The longstanding constitutional convention that the LORDS SHOULD NOT OPPOSE THE COMMONS ON ISSUES OF TAXATION and public spending

31
Q

Is Parliament democratically representative?

A
  • Each MP represents an area in the UK.
  • FPTP distorts the representation of parties, so MPs are often elected by less than 50% of their constituents.
  • HoL is unelected and unrepresentative.
32
Q

People in HoC (what they look like)

A

442/650 are white, middle-class men.
208/650 are women.
52/650 are from an ethnic minority.
However, things are improving.

33
Q

People in HoL (what they look like)

A

585/791 are men.
206/791 are women.
48/791 are from an ethnic minority.

34
Q

Evidence that the HoL is more effective than the HoC

A
  • Party discipline (weaker in the Lords, so more independent)
  • Legislation (HoL can force gov to amend bills, has been most active in challenging the gov over Brexit legislation, defeating the gov 14 times)
  • Expertise (more effective in its scrutinising role for checking the gov than HoC)
35
Q

Evidence that the HoC is more effective than the HoL

A
  • Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949
  • Committees (select committees have grown in influence and authority)
  • Scrutiny (PMQs and ministerial question time only happens in the HoC)
36
Q

Stages of a bill in HoC
(begins in the HoC and then goes to HoL)

A
  • First reading
  • Second reading and vote
  • Committee stage
  • Report stage and third reading
37
Q

Stages of a bill in HoL
(begins in the HoC and then goes to HoL)

A
  • First reading
  • Second reading and vote
  • Committee stage
  • Report stage and third reading
38
Q

What is ping-pong?

A

A bill can go back and forth between the two Houses for up to a year before it becomes law

39
Q

What is Parliamentary privilege (backbenchers)?

A

Within the walls of Parliament, MPs are free to speak without fear of prosecution for slander

40
Q

Backbenchers - traditional role vs in recent years

A

Used to be seen as “there to vote and do as their party says” (‘lobby fodder’).
Recently, backbenchers have evolved their role through their growing independence when voting in Parliament.

41
Q

Significance and increase in backbenchers’ role

A

RISE IN number of BACKBENCH REBELLIONS against government measures - Coalition MPs rebelled in 35% of divisions during 2010-15 Parliament, whereas under Labour in 2005-2010 Parliament was 28%
Increased use of ‘URGENT QUESTIONS’ (REQUIRES IMMEDIATE ANSWER)

42
Q

Limits to backbenchers’ powers

A

Whips - Their role is to entice backbenchers to vote into voting with their party through “carrots and sticks”.
Resources - Compared to the government, they have relatively few resources to rely on.
Majority - Usually backbenchers accept the government’s legislative programme and vote with them, even if they disagree.

43
Q

Separation of powers:

A

A system of government that splits power into different branches, preventing too much power being held by only a few people

Politics (9 decks)

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