Parliament & The Executive Flashcards
Which 3 institutions create legislature?
- The House of Commons
- The House of Lords
- The Monarch
What’s the difference between government and parliament?
Government runs state departments and public health services as well as implementing policies.
Parliament scrutinises the actions of government, passes laws, represents citizens and enables the government to raise taxes
What’s the difference between government and parliament?
Government runs state departments and public health services as well as implementing policies.
Parliament scrutinises the actions of government, passes laws, represents citizens and enables the government to raise taxes
What is the role of House of Commons and House of Lords?
Debate, scrutinise, amend and pass laws
What is the monarch’s role?
It is almost entirely symbolic, but the monarch does sign bills into law
What house is the House of Commons?
Lower House
Who is the most powerful house in parliament?
House of Commons
How many MPs are in the House of Commons?
650 MPs are elected to represent single-member constituencies at least every five years
Where are the Executive drawn from?
House of Commons
What house is the House of Lords?
Upper house
Who makes up the House of Lords?
A mix of former MPs, community and business leaders, donors, experts, hereditary peers and religious leaders
Who makes up the House of Commons?
MPs
How many peers are in the House of Lords?
800
Who appoints ‘Life Peers’?
The Prime Minister
What is the function of the House of Lords?
Scrutinising legislation and proposing amendments
What is the role of the monarch?
Providing Royal Assent to laws (Acts of Parliament can’t become laws without it)
Who has the power to open and dissolve parliament?
The Monarch
What are the 4 functions of the Houses of Parliament?
- Legitimisation by giving assent to the decisions and actions of government
- Expressing views demands and interests of society
- Recruiting ministers for the Executive
- Scrutinising and influencing government bills
How do the Houses of Parliament legitimise the decisions and actions of the government?
Responding to motions laid before them by the Executive.
Motions pass or fail by majority
Commons and Lords exert power by making assent conditional
What is latent legitimisation?
Commons provide latent legitimisation by doing its job properly
How do the Houses of Parliament express the views, demands and interests of society?
MPs express demands and views of their constituents
Why are the Houses of Parliament key in recruiting for the Executive?
Ministers are drawn from Commons and Lords
What is the Executive?
Ministers responsible for the government of a country
What is the role of the Executive?
Takes decisions on policy
Runs government departments and the civil service
Introduce motions requesting money to Parliament
Introduce motions and bills for Parliament to scrutinise and approve
Which offices and institutions make up the Executive?
- Prime Minister
- The Cabinet
- Cabinet Committees
- Junior Ministers
What is the role of the Prime Minister in the Executive?
Head of government
Recruits for the Executive and chair cabinets
What is the role of the Cabinet in the Executive?
It is made up of Secretaries of State who run government departments and oversees government
What is the role of Cabinet Committees in the Executive?
Consider policies and issues in detail
What is the role of junior ministers in the Executive?
Assist secretaries of state in running of departments
What is the role of civil servants in the Executive?
To support and advise
Recall the Executive Hierarchy
- Prime Minister
- Secretaries of State
- Ministers of State
- Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State
- Parliamentary Secretary
What are the functions of the Prime Minister?
- Appointing, managing and dismissing ministers
- Deciding when and where Parliament meet and its agenda
- Choosing which departments exist and their responsibilities
- Advising the monarch on public honours and oversees public appointments
Which body is key for decision-making in the Executive
The Cabinet
Who makes up Cabinet?
Secretaries of State of all government departments
What are the 5 functions of Cabinet?
- Approving policy to be laid before Parliament
- Resolving disputes between Cabinet Committees or Ministers
- Constrains the Prime Minister through scrutiny, dialogue and questioning
- Unifies the government by interlinking and monitoring all government bodies
- Unifies parliamentary party as Cabinet MPs can represent backbenchers to the Prime Minister, and the Cabinet to backbenchers
