Revision For Progressional Exams: Flashcards
What does UNCODIFIED mean?
Not written down in one place
What does ENTRENCHED mean?
There is nothing to protect it from being changed
What is UNITARY?
All power is held in one place
Name an example of the constitution being flexible
- Covid restrictions
- Firearms Act 1997
- Brexit
What is a convention?
Unwritten TRADITION accepted as binding
Give an example of treaties?
After Brexit, the UK didn’t follow EU treaties
What is common law?
Unwritten laws established through the courts over a long period of time
What are historic documents or authoritative works?
books turned into law
What was devolution first called as a law?
Scotland Act
What was the Salisbury convention?
- Lords can’t go against second or third readings
- Lords can’t go against a governments manifesto
What is the Sewel convention?
The government must ask before taking back powers from devolved powers
What committee will public bills go to?
Public Bill Committee
What committee will government departments go to?
Select committees
What committee will specific policies/problems go to? (e.g, the EU)
Select committee
What is a public bill committee?
Scrutinises public bills.
Emerges when a bill is put through parliament, and dies when it has been passed/killed.
What is a select committee?
Monitors the major departments of government.
What is a constitution?
Laws which govern a coutnry
What is rule of law?
Everyone is subject to the law and nobody is above it
What is statute law?
Laws written by parliament
What is common law?
Unwritten laws
What is devolution?
Sharing powers to other nations, but not sovereignty
What is the House of Commons also referred to as?
The Lower Chamber
What is the House of Lords also referred to?
The Upper Chamber
Who is in the executive?
- Prime Minister
- Cabinet
- Treasury
- Departments
How long until cabinet meetings are revealed to the public?
30 years
When and for how long does cabinet meet for?
Every Thursday, for rarely longer than two hours.
How many people are in a cabinet?
20-25 people
What is an emergency cabinet meeting known as?
COBRA meeting
What is collective ministerial responsibility?
If a minister disagrees with government policy, they must resign.
What is individual ministerial responsibility?
If a department or minister makes a serious error, they must resign (apologise as of May 2022)
What is sofa politics?
Making decisions as a Prime Minister without cabinet
What is a political spin?
Making a policy or idea seem appealing to the media
How should you write a 30 mark essay?
Introduction - 3 sentences
Agree
Caveat
Agree
Caveat
Disagree
Caveat (agree)
Ultimately, …
How should you write a paragraph
Argument
Evidence
Explain
