Theme B Flashcards
Council
A group of people who are elected to look after the affairs of a town, district or a county.
Manifesto
A published statement of the aims and policies of a political party.
Council Tax
Paid by all residents in an area - the amount payed is dependent on their house value.
Business Tax
Payed by all local businesses - depends on the rent money they pay for the buildings they use.
Seats in parliament
650 seats - have to get the majority 326 seats
Hustings
A meeting at which candidates in an election talk with voters.
Political Ideology
A set of ideas or beliefs about a particular thing. In politics it is usually left or right.
Who can’t vote?
- Under 18
- EU citizen resident at the UK
- A convicted prisoner
- Have been found guilty of corrupt practices in
an election in the last five years. - Are a member of the House of Lords
First Past The Post
An electoral system where voters have one vote in their
constituency and the candidate with the most votes wins
Proportional representation
The number of seats a party wins is roughly proportional to the votes it receives in an election.
Canvassing
When people try to persuade others to vote for their party in an election.
Representative democracy
A form of democracy in which people elect a
representative to make decisions for them.
Advantages of FPTP
- Extremist parties are unlikely to be elected
- The result becomes clear very quickly
Disadvantages of FPTP
- The number of votes cast for a party does not reflect
the number of seats won - Smaller parties tend to win few seats because they
don’t have enough support in each constituency - People may vote tactically to keep a party out rather
than for the party they believe in.
Advantages of PR
- No votes are wasted
- The number of seats the parties win reflects the
percentage of votes cast for each party.
Disadvantages of PR
- The party can draw up the list of candidates so only people who agree with the powerful people in a party will be elected
- The elected MP has no local link in a big constituency
- small parties can have unfair power over the larger parties by threatening to withdraw from a coalition.
Closed-list system
a form of PR in which a party puts forward a list of candidates in the order they will be elected
What factors can affect who you vote for?
- Party policy
- Age, Gender and Ethnicity
- Social Class
- Religion
- Peer Influence
Conservative policies
- People should own the businesses and services that we need and should be free to make a profit.
- Thinks that taxes should be as low as possible so people can choose how to spend their money
- Thinks that strong communities are built through maintaining traditional values
- Thinks that the Monarchy and the House of Lords are important in the way the country runs.
Labour Policies
- Thinks that services should be provided by the government working with private companies
- Thinks that taxes should be used to help close the gap between rich and poor.
- Communities will be strong if people respect each other. - Thinks that the EU is important to the UK.
Coalition
A government made of more than one party. It is formed when no one party has enough seats to form a government.
Cabinet
A group of MPs who head major government departments. It meets weekly to make decisions about how government policy will be carried out.
Back benchers
MPs who do not hold office in the government or opposition; they sit on the back benches in the House of Commons
Shadow Cabinet
MPs from the main opposition party who ‘shadow’ MPs who head major government departments
Speaker
The MP elected to act as chairman for debates in the House of Commons
Roles of a PM
- directing government policy
- managing the Cabinet
- organising government
- controlling Parliament
- providing national leadership.
The Cabinet
- the Treasury, which runs the finances
- the Home Office, which is responsible for protecting the
public - the Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Office, which is
responsible for the UK’s interests abroad.
Bi-cameral
The UK Parliament is bi-cameral because it has two Houses, the House of Commons and the House of Lords
Black Rod
The person who has ceremonial duties in the Palace of Westminster, including bringing MPs to the House of Lords for the State Opening of Parliament
The executive
Makes policy and puts it into practice. It is made up of the Prime Minister, Cabinet and Civil Service.
The judiciary
Makes judgments about the law. It is made up of judges and magistrates in courts
The legislature
Makes laws. It is made up of the House of Lords and House of Commons
Secretary of State
An MP who is in charge of a government department such as health or defence
Green Paper
This puts forward ideas that the government wants discussed before it starts to develop a policy.
White Paper
This puts government policy up for discussion before it becomes law
Act of Parliament
A law passed by Parliament
Referendum Example
- Scotland 2014
- Brexit 2016
Assembly
A body of people elected to decide on some areas of spending in a region.
Devolution
The transfer of power from central to regional government
British constitution
The laws and conventions which set down how the UK is governed.
Judicial review
A review carried out by the High Court to decide whether a decision made by a public body has been made properly.
Parliamentary inquiry
An enquiry set up to investigate actions taken by government departments and public bodies.
Parliamentary sovereignty
Parliament is the top legal body and can pass new laws
or stop old laws.
Select committee
One of the committees that check and report on the work of government departments
Total managed expenditure
£742 billion
Budget
The process each year when the Chancellor of the Exchequer explains how the government will raise and spend its money
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The member of the government who is responsible for
the country’s finances
Government revenue
The money raised by the government
The House of Commons
Debates, constructs and votes on legislation
The House of Lords
Amends legislation
Some powers of the government and cabinets
- Making policy decisions
- Representing the UK on the world stage
- Handling events and crises
- Running individual government departments
The powers of the PM
- Appointing Cabinet and Government ministers
- Negotiating and conferring with other leaders
- Responding to crises and events
The role of the civil service
- Carrying out routine administration
- Enacting decisions by ministers
- Advising ministers
The role of the monarch
- Being a figurehead for the UK
- Meeting weekly with the PM
- Acting as an experienced advisor
