The Structure and Role of Parliament Flashcards
Who is in the HOL ?
-Hereditary peers
-Life peers
-Monarch
-Most senior bishops
Who is in the HOC ?
-Mp’s
-PM and their cabinet
-Master at Arms
-Speaker
What are features of the HOL ?
-Unelected
-Less controlled by whips
-Limited by the Parliament acts 1911-49
What are the features of the HOC?
-Elected by FPTP
-Organised by party whips
-The primary chamber
What are Party whips ?
They whip the party into line
-three line whip = you have to vote with your party
What is Scrutiny of the Executive ?
The ability to hold the Prime Minister, Cabinet and govt to account. Examining the work of govt
What are the functions of Parliament ?
-Scrutiny of the Executive
-Representation
-Legislation
-debate
-Legitimacy
How can we scrutinise the executive ?
-Through Committes and PMQs
What are Public Bill committees ?
-another name for staning commitees who scrutinise proposed bills in the commitee stage of legislation
-They are temporary
What are Select commitees ?
They hold ministers and departments to account through :
-launching investigations
-calling witnesses
-publishing reports
-They are permenant
What are Lords Commitees ?
-There are permenant commitees in the lords and they reflect the proportion of parties in the commons.
-The conduct inquiries
What are Parliamentry debates ?
-At moments of high political drama, parliament, especially the commons, takes centre stage.
-Provides an opportunity for Mps to raise their concerns and opinions.
What is Parliamentry privelege ?
-It allows MPs freedom of speech and the right for both houses to manage their own affairs
-Mps and Peers in parliament can speak without fear of legal action
Who do Mps represent?
-Their constituents
-Their party
-Special interests
What are the theories of representation ?
-Delegate Model
-Trustee model
-Mandate model
-Descriptive model
