parliamentary law making Flashcards
What are the two type of pressure groups
cause and sectional
what is a pressure group
a group or organisation that forces parliament to act in a certain way that is in line with their opinions
What is a cause pressure group
where they try to change one individual aspect of the law
Examples of cause pressure groups
Hunting bill, RSPCA
What is a sectional pressure group
An organisation that represents a section of society
Examples of sectional pressure groups
Trade unions for teachers and nurses
Name all influences on parliamentary law making
Pressure groups, Media, Public opinion/ protesting, lobbyists, political, events
How does the media influence parliamentary law making
They show campaigns that raise awareness of something
Examples of Media influencing
BLM, Sarahs law - requires people to know if there are sex offenders in their area, Fins law
How does the public opinion and protesting influence parliamentary law making
The general public agree on a consensus and protest to bring it to parliaments attention
Examples of public opinion and protesting
the brexit referendum, LGBTQ+, BLM
What are lobbyists
They are individuals that ambush members of parliament outside of the house of parliament and impose their cause or opinions on them
Example of lobbyists
Zika funding - $1.1 billion allocated for Zika research
How does political influences influence parliament
Governments are elected in power based on their manifestos and they must create laws in line with their manifestos
Examples of political influences
Brexit decision, Covid 19 regulations, police, crime and sentencing courts bill
How do events influence parliamentary law making
High alert events can cause parliament to create law in line with the event
Example of events influencing parliament
9/11 terrorist acts, Dunblaine
Advantages of pressure groups
They usually have quite a large membership through national trusts, Therefore they get more media coverage, so they put more pressure onto the government to change.
Disadvantages of pressure groups
They can threaten to protests however they have no real legal power, this means that they cant force any laws through, so try demanding things from their members
Advantages of the media
People can make comments and post what they think on social media, Makes it easier for the government to see what people want and are thinking, the government can address the issue while its fresh and people are opinionated on it
Disadvantages of the media
The media can twist and manipulate what people say, government react to the manipulated opinions, bad and inappropriate acts passed
Advantages of public opinion and protesting
The populations voice gets heard by government, government create legislation that is in line with their opinions
Disadvantages of public opinion and protesting
The peoples opinion keeps changing, this causes government to give a “knee jerk” reaction, they create poor legislation, dangerous dogs act
advantages of lobbyists
People can directly bring their opinions to individual MP’s, Make sure the right message is conveyed and they understand the issue, proper legislation made in line with what they want
Disadvantages of lobbyists
Its a profession meaning people pay other people to be lobbyists, wrong message could be conveyed, poor legislation made
They annoy MP’s when they’re busy, unlikely to be listened to
Advantages of political influences
The government want to be re-elected so they create legislation in line with what the country wants, respects the democratic will of the people, respects democracy
Disadvantages of political influences
Pledges the government make are not always reflective of what the country wants, Can make coalition governments with other parties, often go against their pledges
Explain the process of a bill
Green paper - initial proposal for a new bill
White paper - firmer proposal for a new bill
First reading - aims and titles of the bill are read aloud
Second reading - debate on it and there is a vote if it continues
Committee stage - a committee of 16-50 MP’s with a specialist interest in the subject research it and make amendments
Report stage - Committee report back their changes and the bill is voted on
Third reading - more of a formality, includes a vote
Other house - The bill follows the same process from first reading in the opposite house
Royal assent - The monarch must pass the bill into an act, cant refuse due to royal assent act
What are the 4 types of a bill
private, public, private members bill, hybrid
What is a private members bill
One MP has 10 minutes to propose an idea for a new bill on their own
What is a public bill
A bill that would affect the whole of the country
What is a private bill
A bill that would affect a specific group of people
What is a hybrid bill
A bill that would affect the whole country but also affects a specific section of the population more severely
Example of a private members bill
abortion act
Example of a public bill
Theft act
Example of a private bill
White Haven harbour act
Example of a hybrid bill
HS2 railway
Explain the democratic advantage to the legislative process
Its democratic as it is made by elected representatives. This means that they are answerable to the electorate
Explain the Reform advantage to the legislative process
Whole areas of law can be reformed, This makes the law more accessible. This leads to more convictions. The Theft act had reformed all property acts
Explain the consultation advantage of the legislative process
There are opportunities to consult others on matters, Specialists can be consulted for alterations and better understanding, leads to adequate and suitable legislation
Explain the flexible advantage to the legislative process
There is room for flexibility in law making, this allows them to respond to situations and adapt to it, done through delegated legislation
Explain the time disadvantage of the legislative process
There is a lack of time, parliament cant deal with every issue presented, unsuitable legislation remains in place
Explain the long process disadvantage of the legislative process
It is a long process, bills get altered a lot before they become an act, The bill loses integrity and doesn’t solve the original issue
Explain the government control disadvantage of the legislative process
The government control what is passed, This is because bills are voted on in parliament, majority party at the time will only pass laws that increases their reputation
Explain the complex procedure disadvantage of the legislative process
It is a complex process, Makes it harder to understand the acts passed, cases don’t get the justice they wanted
