Politics - Constituency knowledge questions

Question 1

What is a constitution?

Question 2

What is the purpose of a constitution?

Question 3

How is the UK constitution different from other constitutions?

Question 4

What are the stages in the development of the UK constitution?

Question 5

What are three milestones in the development of the UK stages in the constitution?

Question 6

What does the term uncodified mean in relation to the British constitution?

Question 7

What does the term unentrenched mean in relation to the British constitution?

Question 8

What are the two tests that must be met if any changes to the constitution are to occur?

Question 9

What is sovereignty?

Question 10

What are the different types of sovereignty?

Question 11

What is the difference between legal and political sovereignty?

Question 12

What is the rule of law?

Question 13

What are the sources of the British constitution?

Question 14

What examples of codified constitutions are there and what are the circumstances in which they came about?

Question 15

What is a two-tier legal system and what does it imply about changing the constitution?

Question 16

What is a single-tier legal system in the context of the UK constitution and what does it imply about changing the constitution?

Question 17

What two tests must be met if any changes to the constitution are to occur?

Question 18

What examples of codified constitutions are there and what are the circumstances in which they came about?

Question 19

What are the special arrangements in place to change the American constitution?

Question 20

What are the special arrangements in place to change another constitution? (Not the UK or America)

Question 21

What are the arrangements in place to change the British constitution?

Question 22

Why might the arrangements in place to change the British constitution be seen as an advantage?

Question 23

Why might the arrangements in place to change the British constitution be seen as a disadvantage?

Question 23

What is a Bill of Rights?

Question 24

What does judicial review mean?

Question 25

What does judicial review mean in the context of the American constitution?

Question 26

What does judicial review mean in the context of the British constitution?

Question 27

What are the reasons for the UK keeping an uncodified constitution?

Question 28

What are the reasons for the UK introducing a codified constitution?

Question 29

How are some parts of the UK constitution effectively entrenched?

Question 30

Where does power lie in a unitary constitution?

Question 31

Where does power lie in a federal constitution?

Question 32

What is constitutional reform?

Question 33

What were the main reasons for reform under New Labour?

Question 34

What examples of constitutional reform since 1997 are there?

Question 35

What have been the changes to the House of Lords composition since 1997 and what has the impact been?

Question 36

What electoral reforms have been put in place since 1997 and what has the impact been?

Question 37

What was the Jenkins Commission and what was the result of the AV referendum?

Question 38

What have the various reforms to the House of Commons (up to 2010) and outcomes been?

Question 39

What are the key features of the Human Rights Act?

Question 40

How does the Human Rights Act work?

Question 41

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Human Rights Act?

Question 42

What is the Freedom of Information Act and why was it passed in 2000?

Question 43

What are the weaknesses of the Freedom of Information Act?

Question 44

What is an example to prove the Freedom of Information Act worked?

Question 45

What were the key features of the Constitutional Reform Act of 2005?

Question 46

What were the reasons behind the separation of the judiciary and government?

Question 47

What were the reasons behind the setting up of the Supreme Court?

Question 48

How does the appointment of senior judges work?

Question 49

What did the Fixed Term Parliament try to achieve?

Question 49

What were the weaknesses of the Fixed Term Parliament Act and what were the reasons behind why it was repealed?

Question 50

How does the Recall of MPs work? Why was it passed?

Question 51

What did the Elections Act of 2022 change?

Question 52

What has the impact been of leaving the EU? (Covered in topic 4)

Question 53

What is devolution?

Question 54

In what circumstances did the London Assembly and the London Mayor come into existence?

Question 55

What powers does the London mayor have?

Question 56

What have the achievements of various London mayors been?

Question 57

What are metro mayors; when were they set up?

Question 58

What policy areas do the metro mayors have responsibility for?

Question 59

What are English votes for English Laws? When has it been used?

Question 60

Why was EVEL abandoned?

Question 61

What is the West Lothian Question?

Question 62

What was the outcome of the 2004 referendum for a North East Assembly?

Question 63

What statistics suggest England should have an assembly / Parliament?

Question 64

What are the reasons for giving more powers to metro regions?

Question 65

What are the reasons against giving more powers to metro regions?

Question 66

What is the historical circumstances by which devolution in Scotland came about?

Question 67

What are the three different types of devolution?

Question 68

What are the powers given to the Scottish Parliament under the Scottish Act of 1998?

Question 69

What were the reasons for and the outcome of the Scottish referendum of 2016?

Question 70

What are the powers given to the Scottish Parliament under the Scottish Act of 2016?

Question 71

What are the historical circumstances by which devolution in Northern Ireland came about?

Question 72

What are the powers given to the Northern Ireland Assembly under the Belfast Agreement?

Question 73

When and why was the Northern Ireland Assembly suspended?

Question 74

What are the historical circumstances by which devolution in Wales came about?

Question 75

What were the powers given to the Welsh Assembly under the Government of Wales Act of 1998?

Question 76

What are the powers given to the Welsh Assembly under the Government of Wales Act of 2014?

Question 77

What are the powers given to the Welsh Assembly under the Government of Wales Act of 2017?

Question 78

Overall - What has the impact of devolution on Scotland - strengths and weaknesses - been?

Question 79

Overall - What has the impact of devolution on Northern Ireland - strengths and weaknesses - been?

Question 80

Overall - What has the impact of devolution on Wales - strengths and weaknesses - been?

Question 81

What are the arguments for and against further devolution - strengths and weaknesses?

Question 82

What are the arguments for and against further devolution to England - strengths and weaknesses?

Question 83

What is the overall impact of devolution?

Question 84

What is the overall impact of electoral reform?

Question 85

What is the overall impact of House of Lords reform?

Question 86

What is the overall impact of the reform of the judiciary?

Question 87

What is the overall impact of House of Commons reform?

Question 88

What is the overall impact of the Freedom of Information Act?

Question 89

What is the overall impact of constitutional reform in terms of it being weak and in need of further reform?

Question 90

What is the overall impact of constitutional reform in terms of it being sufficient and in no need of further reform?