Parliament

Question 1

Presidential government:

Answer 1

Government office-holders are answerable to the president

President is not dependent on a continuing majority in the legislature

Executive accountable to people

Clear separation of powers - codified constitutional agreement to separate

Question 2

Main functions of parliament:

Answer 2

Legitimating

Scrutiny

Accountability

Legislating

Law-making

Representation

Question 3

Main functions of the House of Lords:

Answer 3

Scrutiny

Accountability

Legislating

Law-making

Delaying

Deliberation

Question 4

Separation of powers:

Answer 4

Doctrine of the separation of powers proposes that each of the three functions of government should be entrusted to separate branches of government

Question 5

What is the purpose of the separation of powers:

Answer 5

To fragment government power in such a way as to defend liberty and stem corruption

Question 6

Who’s work is the separation of powers based on:

Answer 6

French philosopher, Montesquieu

Question 7

Where is separation of powers applied most strictly:

Answer 7

USA

Question 8

Fusion of powers:

Answer 8

Occurs when the three key parts of the state - executive, legislature and judiciary - are all integrated, as they are in the UK.

Question 9

Representative government:

Answer 9

System of government where the electorate has given an elected parliament the power to take the major decisions on its behalf.

Question 10

Composition of the Commons:

Answer 10

650 democratically elected MPs representing geographical constituencies from across the UK

Approximately 16 different parties represented

Comprises frontbenchers and backbenchers

Question 11

Composition of the Lords:

Answer 11

91 Hereditary Lords

Approx 600 appointed lords

24 Church of England bishops

Over 700 members!

Question 12

Main criticisms of the constitutional reforms of Parlaimeng since 2010:

Answer 12

Lords reform

Reduction in number of MPs

Fixed term parliaments

AV referendum

Right to recall, MPs

Question 13

How the executive dominates Parliament:

Answer 13

Payroll Vote

Parliament Act

Party Whips

Parliamentary Majority

Party loyalty

Power of patronage

Question 14

How parliament has some power:

Answer 14

Rebellions

When the parliamentary majority is small

Can make back room deals

When PM is weak

PMQs can be effective in revealing weaknesses in the government

Question 15

Parliamentary government:

Answer 15

Government governs in and through the assembly or parliament

‘Fusion’ of executive and legislative branches

Main source of political authority in the UK

Government must be drawn from Parliament and must be accountable to Parliament

Question 16

What is parliament?

Answer 16

Parliament is the central law making institution as well as being the main way in which citizens are represented

Question 17

Distinctions between the HOL and the HOC:

Answer 17

HOC - grants popular consent to proposed legislation

HOL - deliberating at length on important issues

HOC - represents the interests of constituents

HOL - delays legislation forcing government to reconsider

Question 18

Shared functions of the HOC and HOL:

Answer 18

Grant formal consent to legislation

Call government to account

Scrutinise proposed legislation and amend it where necessary

Debate key issues

Represent the interests of different sections of society

Question 19

What is the Westminster model:

Answer 19

Concept suggests that Parliament is the centre of the political system

Question 20

Presidential government:

Answer 20

Political principle that a president has a separate source of authority from that of the rest of the government

Question 21

Separation of powers:

Answer 21

Principle that the powers of the government and parliament should be separated and that they should each control each other’s power

Question 22

Fusion of powers:

Answer 22

Where there is no separation between government and Parliament

Question 23

Parliamentary government:

Answer 23

Principle that the government draws its authority from Parliament and not directly from the electorate

Question 24

Factors in the HOL favour:

Answer 24

Government does not enjoy the party support of a majority in the HOL

Most members of the Lords are not professional politicians meaning they can be independent minded

HOL cannot veto proposals but can delay and obstruct giving them so influence over government