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politics paper 2 > parliament > Flashcards

parliament Flashcards

1
Q

What is a Backbencher?

A

An ordinary MP with no executive responsibility.

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2
Q

What is a Frontbencher?

A

An MP who holds a ministerial or shadow ministerial position.

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3
Q

How many constituencies are there in the UK?

A

650, representing roughly 75,000 people each.

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4
Q

What are Life peers?

A

MPs with a lifetime appointment to the House of Lords.

676 as of 2018.

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5
Q

What did the House of Lords Act 1999 do?

A

Reduced the number of hereditary lords in the House of Lords from 1,330 to 92.

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6
Q

Who are the Lords spiritual?

A

26 Bishops that sit in the House of Lords, from the Church of England.

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7
Q

What is the Power of patronage?

A

The ability of the Prime Minister to appoint individuals to positions in the House of Lords.

Examples include Gordon Brown appointing Lord Sugar in 2009, David Cameron appointing Ed Llewellyn in 2016, and Boris Johnson appointing Jo Johnson in 2020.

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8
Q

What is Parliamentary sovereignty?

A

The constitution states that under parliamentary sovereignty, Parliament is the supreme law-making system in the UK.

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9
Q

How do MPs represent their constituencies effectively?

A

MPs spend time in their constituencies meeting people, visiting local businesses, and holding regular ‘surgeries’ for constituents to discuss concerns.

Example: MP Ken Clarke voted for a parliamentary vote on any Brexit deal, reflecting his constituents’ preference to remain.

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10
Q

How effective is the House of Commons in law making?

A

The government’s planned laws for the year are outlined in the King’s speech and are often successfully passed.

Example: The Data Protection Act 2018 increased the regulation of personal data.

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11
Q

What are Private member’s bills?

A

Bills introduced by backbench MPs on specific issues relevant to their constituencies.

Example: The City of London Corporation Act 2018 allowed greater control over open spaces in London.

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12
Q

What is legitimation in the context of the House of Commons?

A

The House of Commons approves decisions that impact people in the UK.

Example: In 2013, the House of Commons voted against military intervention in Syria.

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13
Q

What are PMQs?

A

30 minutes each Wednesday when the Prime Minister faces questions from MPs in the House of Commons. Six questions are allocated to the Leader of the Opposition.

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14
Q

What are Departmental Select committees?

A

19 committees responsible for overseeing governmental departments.

Example: Nick Hurd was questioned by the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee regarding support for Grenfell Tower fire victims.

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15
Q

What is Individual ministerial responsibility?

A

The principle that holds all government ministers accountable for the actions of themselves and their departments.

Example: Home Secretary Amber Rudd resigned after misleading the House of Commons.

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16
Q

What are some issues with representation in the House of Commons?

A

52% of MPs are over 50, only 2% under 30, and 8% from ethnic minority backgrounds.

Despite 14% of the UK population being from ethnic minorities, only 32% of MPs are female, despite the highest number elected in 2017.

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17
Q

What are some issues with law making in the House of Commons?

A

Making laws can take a long time, with only two private members’ bills passed since 2017.

Example: The Assaults on Emergency Workers Act (2018) took over a year to pass.

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18
Q

What are Party whips?

A

Instructions for MPs to vote in a party-approved way, limiting free debate.

Example: A three-line whip was used by Labour to order MPs to vote for triggering Article 50.

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19
Q

What is an example of legitimation not fulfilled?

A

The House of Commons legitimated government action not in the public interest.

Example: The war in Iraq was approved despite significant public opposition.

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20
Q

What are some issues with scrutiny during question time and PMQs?

A

Ministers often avoid direct answers, and PMQs can become about point scoring.

Example: Planted questions are sometimes used to strengthen party leaders.

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21
Q

What are the exclusive powers of the House of Commons?

A

Select committees, removal of government, budget approval, and legislation.

22
Q

What are the powers of the House of Lords?

A

Legislation and proposing amendments to bills.

23
Q

What is the Salisbury Convention?

A

The convention whereby the House of Lords does not delay or block legislation included in a government’s manifesto.

24
Q

What are the stages of the legislative process?

A

First reading, second reading, committee stage, report stage, third reading, House of Lords, royal assent.

25
Q

What happens during the first reading of a bill?

A

The announcement that a bill has started the legislative process, allowing it to be read and scrutinised.

26
Q

What occurs during the second reading of a bill?

A

Debate and vote on the principle of the bill.

27
Q

What is the committee stage of a bill?

A

A small group from the House examines the bill clause by clause, known as the Public Bill Committee in the House of Commons.

28
Q

What happens during the report stage of a bill?

A

Committee members report back to the House, and the House reviews amendments to the bill.

29
Q

What occurs during the third reading of a bill?

A

Debate and vote on the final form of the bill, with no further amendments made in the Commons.

30
Q

What happens after the House of Lords considers amendments?

A

The bill returns to the chamber for both Houses to consider amendments, continuing until an agreement is made or the bill fails.

31
Q

What is royal assent?

A

The final approval by the crown to an act of parliament, which is a formality.

32
Q

What did the Strathclyde review recommend?

A

That the House of Lords should not be able to stop secondary legislation from passing.

33
Q

What does the Parliament Act 1911 state about financial legislation?

A

It does not allow the Lords to amend money bills, which can only be amended by the House of Commons.

34
Q

What is ‘ping-pong’ in the legislative process?

A

The exchange of amendments between the House of Commons and House of Lords until both agree on the final wording.

35
Q

What is the convention regarding secondary legislation in the House of Lords?

A

While the Lords can reject secondary legislation, there is a convention that they shouldn’t use this power.

36
Q

What is the convention regarding reasonable time for reviewing laws?

A

The House of Lords is expected to review laws relating to government policies within a reasonable period of time.

37
Q

What is parliamentary privilege?

A

The right of MPs or Lords to make certain statements within Parliament without outside influence, including law.

Example: During the Ryan Giggs affair, an MP named the footballer who had taken out an injunction.

38
Q

What role do backbenchers play in government scrutiny?

A

Backbenchers represent UK citizens by impacting laws and scrutinising the government.

39
Q

What is the role of party delegates among backbenchers?

A

Backbenchers are expected to show support for their party and not overly criticize the government.

40
Q

What significant role do backbenchers play in rebellions?

A

Backbenchers can express discontent or support, potentially changing the direction of government.

Example: In 2012, 91 Conservative backbenchers voted against House of Lords reform plans.

41
Q

How do backbenchers serve their constituencies?

A

Backbenchers are vital for ensuring their constituencies’ voices are heard and can spend more time in their constituencies.

42
Q

What are some non-significant roles of backbenchers?

A

Party whips hold power over backbenchers, limiting rebellion opportunities, and select committees are often ignored.

43
Q

How are select committees composed?

A

They are made up to represent the balance of parties in the House.

44
Q

What is the primary function of select committees?

A

To scrutinise the government and its departments.

45
Q

What are some disadvantages of select committees?

A

They have no power over legislation, can’t force ministers to appear, and are not always effective.

46
Q

What are some advantages of select committees?

A

They can influence government policy and hold ministers accountable.

Example: The Housing, Communities and Local Government select committee’s report encouraged the government’s Build to Rent programme.

47
Q

What is the role of the opposition?

A

To scrutinise the executive via question time and PMQs, presenting themselves as an alternative government.

48
Q

What is the Shadow Cabinet?

A

Members of opposition parties who watch or shadow particular Cabinet members, ready to run the government.

49
Q

What factors contribute to the significance of the opposition?

A

The size of the majority and unity among opposition parties.

50
Q

What are Minister’s questions?

A

An hour each day in parliament where ministers must answer questions about their departments from other MPs.

51
Q

What are the characteristics of PMQs?

A

Every Wednesday for 30 minutes, the opposition leader asks six questions, often leading to point scoring.

politics paper 2 (3 decks)

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