Parliament

Question 1

what is the legislature

Answer 1

the body that has the power to make, revoke + change laws.it also has the role of scrutinising the executive + holding them to account. (parliament)

Question 2

what is the executive

Answer 2

the body that runs the country + propose laws to the legislature. (government) includes PM, cabinet, junior ministers, their advisers, civil servants

Question 3

what is the judiciary

Answer 3

the body that interprets + applies the law, to uphold the rule of law in society

Question 4

what is soverign

Answer 4

parliament

Question 5

what 3 parts make up parliament

Answer 5

house of commons, house of lords, monarchy

Question 6

speaker

Answer 6

chair of the commons or house of lords, who runs its proceedings

Question 7

PM

Answer 7

the leader of the largest party in the commons

Question 8

cabinet

Answer 8

the 20 or so most senior ministers in the government

Question 9

government ministers

Answer 9

junior ministers who work under a cabinet minister in a specific department

Question 10

whips

Answer 10

responsible for ensuring that backbenchers vote with their party

Question 11

backbenchers

Answer 11

not part of the government, but are MPs or lords in the governing party

Question 12

opposition benches

Answer 12

all other MPs or lords who are not members of the governing party

Question 13

leader of the opposition + shadow cabinet

Answer 13

20 or so senior members of the official opposition

Question 14

crossbenchers

Answer 14

unique to the lords and are peers who aren’t part of any party

Question 15

legislating

Answer 15

both houses review the laws the gov wants to pass after debating them, the commons can amend legislation + veto it , the lords can suggest amendments

Question 16

debating

Answer 16

parliament can hold the executive to account, backbenchers + opposition debate the significant issues of the day, adjournment debates are held at the end of the day, emergency debates can be held

Question 17

ways parliament is democratically representative

Answer 17

each MP in the commons represents an area of the UK

Question 18

ways parliament isn’t democratically representative

Answer 18

-FPTP distorts the representation of parties
-the lords is unelected + unrepresentative

Question 19

does parliament ‘look like’ the UK

Answer 19

white middle class men dominate parliament but things are improving

Question 20

how is MP representation effective

Answer 20

social media increases pressure on MPs to respond to constituents, free votes on issues allow MPs to listen to the views of the constituents

Question 21

how is MP representation ineffective

Answer 21

elections are focused on parties not candidates, under the coalition MPs supported policies that their constitutions may have voted against

Question 22

composition of the house of commons

Answer 22

-650 MPs
-424 men, 226 women, 66 ethnic minorities
-344 cons, 205 labour

Question 23

composition of the house of lords

Answer 23

-785 lords
-life peers, hereditary peers, lords spiritual
-556 men, 229 women, 48 ethnic minorities
-277 cons, 172 labour

Question 24

powers of the house of commons

Answer 24

veto + amend + reject legislation, approve govs budget, dismiss a gov, represent a constituencies interests, legitimisation of a gov and its laws

Question 25

powers of the house of lords

Answer 25

delay + amend legislation, can’t vote against manifesto pledges, no jurisdiction over financial matters, less loyalty to parties, doesn’t represent constituents, can’t legitimise, provides the gov with ministers

Question 26

how is the lords more effective than the commons

Answer 26

party discipline is weaker in the lords, lords spend most of the time scrutinising legislation, the gov has lost some legislation in the lords, many lords appointed due to expertise, hereditary peers removed

Question 27

how is the commons more effective than the lords

Answer 27

lords can only delay legislation, lords lacks a mandate, liaison committee is part of the commons, select committees have grown in influence, media concentrates on the commons, lords is less effective at scrutinising

Question 28

how does devolution limit parliamentary sovereignty

Answer 28

limits parliament, subsequent acts devolved more power, policy differences continue to multiply

Question 29

how does devolution not limit parliamentary sovereignty

Answer 29

hasn’t altered the legal sovereignty of parliament, parliament retains the right to make any laws, devolved powers can be restored to London

Question 30

how does the human rights act 1998 limit parliamentary sovereignty

Answer 30

judges can review cases/declare acts incompatible, judges have to interpret all UK laws

Question 31

how does the human rights act 1998 not limit parliamentary sovereignty

Answer 31

the supreme court can’t strike down laws, can be repealed, UK could withdraw from ECHR

Question 32

how does referenda limit parliamentary sovereignty

Answer 32

in democracy the people hold the ultimate power, brexit referendum saw popular sovereignty triumph

Question 33

how does referenda not limit parliamentary sovereignty

Answer 33

popular sovereignty isn’t absolute, many MPs and lords voted against triggering article 50

Question 34

how does executive dominance limit parliamentary sovereignty

Answer 34

fused branches means the executive is sovereign, a PM with a large majority has considerable power

Question 35

how does executive dominance not limit parliamentary sovereignty

Answer 35

never a constant situation- different areas dominate, the triggering of article 50 court case shows the limits of executive power