Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Old A-Level Politics Decks > The Constitution > Flashcards

The Constitution Flashcards

1
Q

What is a constitution?

A

A constitution is a body of rules that defines the manner in which a state or society is organised

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What does a constitution set out?

A

It sets out the way in which sovereign power is distributed between the government and the people, and between government’s constituent parts

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What are the two types of constitution?

A
  • codified
  • un-codified
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What type constitution does the UK fall under?

A

an un-codified and unentrenched constitution

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What is the format of a

  • codified constitution
  • un-codified constitution ?
A

codified- a single authoritative document
un-codfied-a less tangible constitution, drawing up upon a range of written and unwritten sources

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is an example of a country with a
*codified
*un-codified
constitutions?

A
  • USA
  • UK
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What are the 5 main sources of the British Constitution?

A

1) Statute law
2) Common law
3) Conventions
4) EU laws and treaties
5) Works of authority

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is constitutional statute law ?

A

those Acts of Parliament that play a key role in defining the relationship between the government and the people or between different elements of government

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What are 3 examples of statute law?

A
  • Human Rights Act 1998
  • Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is the supreme source of the UK constitution?

A

statute law

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What can pass a new statute or unmake any existing law and overturn any other constitutional practise?

A

the doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What is Parliamentary Sovereignty?

A

the doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty holds that the Westminster Parliament retains supreme political power within the UK system of government

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is common law also referred to as?

A

case law

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What is common law?

A

this refers to established customs and legal precedent developed through the actions of judges

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What were most traditional civil liberties available to UK citizens such as freedom of speech established by?

A

common law

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What is the royal prerogative rooted in?

A

common law

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What is the royal prerogative?

A

this consists of those powers traditionally exercised by the monarch. Many of these powers are now exercised by the PM on behalf of the monarch

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What are conventions?

A

conventions are traditions or customs that have evolved over time and become accepted rules of behaviour

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Do conventions have legal standing?

A

no

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Why can conventions be easily overturned with the passing of a parliamentary statute?

A

as they have no legal standing

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What doctrine of cabinet is rooted in convention?

A

Collective responsibility

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What is collective responsibility?

A

This is the principle that as decisions are taken collectively within cabinet, cabinet members are expected to support publicly those decisions made or resign their posts

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Under what Act did the UK incorporate the Treaty of Rome 1957 into UK law?

A

European Communities Act 1972

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What impact did the incorporation of the Treaty of Rome 1957 have on the UK law?

A

This gave EU laws and treaties precedence over our own national laws

25
Q

Although UK law is bound by EU laws, what does parliament have the right to do?

A

They have the right to repeal the 1972 Act and subsequent treaties, and thereby withdraw from the EU

26
Q

What are Works of Authority?

A

These are scholarly texts which serve to codify practices not outlined on paper else where

27
Q

What authority do ‘Works of Authority’ have?

A

a persuasive authority

28
Q

What gives Works of Authority certain status?

A

the fact that many of them have been used as constitutional references for well over 100 years

29
Q

Who are four authors of ‘Works of Authority’?

A
  • Walter Bagehot
  • Erskine May
  • A.V Dicey
  • Gus O’Donnell
30
Q

What book did Walter Bagehot write?

A

‘The English Constitution 1867’

31
Q

What book did Erskine May write?

A

‘Parliamentary Practise 1844’

32
Q

What book did A.V Dicey write?

A

‘An Introduction to the Study of the Law of the Constitution 1885’

33
Q

Although statute law has historically been said to be the supreme source of the UK constitution, what recently have seen the primacy of statute law questioned?

A

The expansion in the range and depth of EU laws and regulations

34
Q

What authorative book did Gus O’Donnell write?

A

The guidance on how to form a coalition government.

35
Q

How many years in opposition had Labour faced before their victory in 1997?

A

18 years

36
Q

What was the commons majority Labour won in 1997?

A

a 179 seat majority

37
Q

How many hereditary peers were left after the House of Lords Act 1999?

A

92

38
Q

Why was the second stage of Lords reform stalled in 2003?

A

Parliament rejected all 8 models for a reformed chamber

39
Q

How many models of lord reform were proposed in Parliament in 2003?

A

8 models

40
Q

Why were attempts in 2007 to revive the reform process of the lords dropped?

A

as the Commons voted for an entirely elected second chamber and the Lords gave it support to an entirely appointed model

41
Q

Who suggested that AV+ should be adopted for general elections?

A

the Jenkins Commission

42
Q

When was the hybrid system AMS (FPTP top up) used? (2)

A

in the Scottish Parliament elections and Welsh Assembly

43
Q

Under PPERA 2000 what did Labour establish ?

A

an independent Electoral Commission

44
Q

What were the 3 tasks of the independent Electoral Commission?

A

to monitor elections, regulating party funding and expenditure and organising referendums

45
Q

What did the HRA 1998 incorporate?

A

it incorporated most of the provisions of the ECHR into the UK law

46
Q

What did the HRA 1998 allow citizens?

A

This allowed citizens to seek redress in UK courts without having to go to the ECHR in Strasbourg

47
Q

Where is the ECHR?

A

Strasbourg

48
Q

What did the Freedom of Information Act 2000 give citizens the right to?

A

the right to request information held by public bodies

49
Q

What did the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 do?

A

this established a new UK Supreme Court which took on virtually all the judicial role previously performed by the HOL

50
Q

When did the Supreme Court open?

A

October 2009

51
Q

What did the Constitutional Reform Act establish to appoint senior judges?

A

an Independent Judicial Appointments Commission

52
Q

In Labour’s time in government 1997-2010, what changes were made in London ? (3)

A
  • Given an elected Mayor
  • Given a strategic authority (the Greater London Authority)
  • Given a 25 member elected assembly (The Great London Assembly)
53
Q

What did the Northern Ireland Act 1998 establish?

A

a Northern Ireland Assembly and power-sharing executive

54
Q

When was the referendum which granted the Welsh Assembly primary legislative powers in many areas of policy?

A

March 2011

55
Q

When was the coalition’s HOL Reform Draft Bill ?

A

2011

56
Q

What electoral system was given a UK-wide referendum by the coalition?

A

AV

57
Q

What are the 6 sources of the UK Constitution?

A

statute law, common law, conventions, landmark decisions, authoritative works, treaties

58
Q

What are the reforming acts of Parliament?

A

Scotland Act 1998, Human Rights Act 1998, Equality Act 2010, Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013

Old A-Level Politics Decks (1 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions