Theme B Flashcards
What are the key principles of the labour party?
- Formed to represent the working classes
- Create public education service
- Increase taxation of the richest members of society
What are the key principles of the Liberal Democrats?
- Represent the middle ground between the two wings
- Increase taxes to fund NHS
- Reinstate university grants for poorest students
What are the key principles of the Conservative party?
- Protect British culture and promote private ownership
- Increase in privately owned sectors such as transport
- More selective schools
List three features of someone who is eligible to stand as a candidate for an MP
- Over 18
- British/Irish/commonwealth
- Able to pay £500 deposit
What is representative and direct democracy?
- Representative democracy involves the public voting for someone to make decisions on their behalf (general elections)
- Direct democracy is where everybody votes on each decision (referendums)
What are two advantages and two disadvantages of representative democracy?
- Adv: Every citizen can choose who represents them; a local MP is aware of the needs of citizens
- Disadv: Mostly take place every 5 years, limiting input; many MPs vote with their party, rather than to benefit their people
List two advantages and two disadvantages of direct democracy
- Adv: give government clear direction as to what should be done; most democratic way to make a decision
- Disadv: media can influence the decision of many people; if results are close people may become unhappy
When are general elections held?
- Typically they are held at least every 5 years
- Can occur if there is a majority ‘vote of no confidence’ in the current government
- Can occur at any time if there is a 2/3 majority vote in Parliament
Give two features of someone who can vote
- Members of Parliament
- Over 18
Give two features of someone who cannot vote
- Members of House of Lords
- Convicted prisoners
Why do some people say that >16 should be allowed to vote?
- It is their future that will be decided by the votes
- They are mature enough and more educated than previous generations
Why do some people say that >16 shouldn’t be allowed to vote?
- Too immature
- Not legally recognised as an adult
What are some features of the FPTP voting system?
- Each constituency elects one candidate to be an MP
- Candidates standing are listed on a ballot paper, where the voter will put a cross on who they want to vote for
- Candidate with the majority vote wins
What are some advantages and disadvantages of FPTP?
- Adv: Simple and easy to understand; results are quickly calculated up
- Disadv: Encourages tactical voting in the hopes of not ‘wasting’ a vote; less likely that a smaller/independent candidate will be in power
What are some features of proportional representation?
- Seats are awarded bases on % vote won
- Parties have a list of candidates
- Candidates given seats based on party popularity
What are some advantages and disadvantages of proportional representation?
- Adv: Fewer votes wasted ; fairer to minority and independent candidates
- Disadv: MPs may have no links to constituency; allows extremist parties to get into power
What is a majority Government?
- This is when a party receives over half of the 650 available seats in the House of Commons, which is essential for laws to be made as they need 50% vote to go through
What is a coalition government?
- This is when a party does not reach a majority vote, and so may decide to form a majority with the help of another party
- May be difficult to pass laws as parties will often have different ideologies
What is the role of the Monarch in the formation of Government?
- They appoint the government
- Reading the state opening at Parliament
Give two differences between Government ministers and civil servants
- Government ministers represent a political party; civil servants are politically neutral
- Government ministers head departments; civil servants work for the departments
Give three examples of ministerial departments
- Department for health
- Department for education
- Ministry of defence
What is the executive?
- This is drawing up and proposal of new laws
What is the legislature?
- This is the making and changing of new laws, with the help of the House of Lords, who vote and scrutinise
What is the judiciary?
- The is the application of new laws, as they are put into practice
What is the monarchy?
- They remain politically neutral, whilst giving royal assent to each law that has been made
What are three roles of the House of Commons?
- Debating, examining, proposing and passing new laws
- Working in select committees to scrutinise new laws and the work being done
- Prepare questions to be answered on Prime minister Question Time
What are three roles of the House of Lords?
- Debate, propose, scrutinise and pass new laws
- Provide expertise in their designated areas
- Work in select committees to scrutinise the work being done by the Government
What are some roles of the Prime Minister?
- To select a ‘cabinet’, who will head the governmental departments
- Lead their party
- Answer questions on question time
- Set policies that line with their manifesto
What are some roles of the cabinet ministers?
- Propose new laws
- Head departments
- Direct and initiate policies
What are some roles of the opposition and shadow cabinet?
- Scrutinise the work of the Cabinet
- Develop policies for their own party
- Will get into cabinet if their party wins the next election
What are some roles of MPs?
- Party responsibilities involve developing manifestos and voting in line with party
- Commons responsibilities involve voting for decisions and making and debating laws
- Constituency responsibilities involve running surgeries and attending local events
What are some roles of the speaker?
- Chair debates
- Keep order as MPs speak
- Suspend any MPs that act out of line
What is the law making process?
**Green paper- law proposed by experts and interest groups
**White paper- law presented to the houses
**Parliamentary ping-pong- law bounced between houses as it is scrutinised, amended and shaped
**Royal assent- approved by monarch and put into legislation
- What is the British constitution?
- What defines the laws and principles of the UK, with the key principal being Parliamentary sovereignty
- Consists of: legislations; conventions and case law
How does the Power of the Government make up the British Constitution?
- Power is derived from the party with the majority of seats in the House of Commons
- Scrutiny and debates go into making and shaping laws
- The Government split into three distinct sectors, to ensure that laws are practiced equally nationwide
What is the importance of the role of the opposition in the British Constitution?
- Made up of MPs that are not in power
- Responsible for scrutinise laws and monitoring work of the government
What is an uncodified constitution?
- This is a constitution that stems from a range of different sources and is not clearly outlined in one document
- In Britain, it stems from: case law, legislations and conventions
- Changing due to devolution, where each nation can legislate their own issues
Give two advantages and two disadvantages of the uncodified constitution
- Adv: flexible, allowing each Government to change laws; easy to add new laws, so it’s quicker to mirror changing values
- Disadv: Citizens may struggle to understand; may be easier for controversial laws to be passed
What is Parliamentary sovereignty?
- This is the key principal of the British constitution, stating that the Parliament is the supreme legal authority in the UK
- Future Parliaments can make their own laws, yet measures are in place to scrutinise and hold the Government to account.
What is judicial review?
- It involves a court proceeding where a judge reviews the lawfulness of actions taken by a public body
What are some reasons for an action being overturned in judicial review?
- Decision made beyond their legal power
- Proper procedure wasn’t followed
- Decisions was irrational and illogical
- Action taken didn’t carry out the promise that was made
What are some powers of Scotland’s Parliament and the other devolved bodies?
- Laws around fishing
- Laws around education
- Laws around tourism and sport
How has devolution led to changing relations between the different nations?
- Led to calls for independence in Scotland
- Further devolved powers in Wales
- Multiple suspensions in the Northern Ireland assembly
What are the two different types of taxes?
- Direct taxes (taxes such as council tax), that have to be paid from a person to the a larger body and cannot be avoided
- Indirect taxes (such as VAT or excise duties), which are paid on goods and services
What are some of the roles of the Chancellor of the Exchequer?
- Lead the treasury department
- Raise revenue by increasing taxation or borrowing
- Decide where the money in the central body will be spent
- Set budgets for the different Governmental departments
What are some debates in regards to taxes and where they are being spent?
- Whether people who can afford private healthcare should pay for it?
- Reducing costs of university fees to prevent the deterrence of the poorer students?
- The role of charities to help poorer and suffering people?
