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Politics Unit 2 > Topic 1 The Constitution > Flashcards

Topic 1 The Constitution Flashcards

1
Q

What are the 5 main functions of a Constitution?

A
  • distributes power
  • establishes processes of gov
  • est civil rights and freedoms
  • est who is citizen and how to become one
  • est how it can be amended
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2
Q

What are 2 examples of processes of gov that the constitution establishes?

A

Electoral system
Legislative process

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3
Q

How can the uk constitution be amended?

A

New laws

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4
Q

What are 2 examples of civil rights and freedoms the uk constitution has established?

A

Freedom of speech
HRA

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5
Q

What are the 3 U’s that make up the nature of the Uk Constitution?

A
  • uncodified
  • unentrenched
  • unitary
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6
Q

What does uncodified mean?

A

Not found in single document, variety of sources

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7
Q

What does the Uk Constitution being unitary mean?

A

Legal sovereignty in one place - Parliament

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8
Q

Why has the Uk become more quasi-federal?

A

Devolution

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9
Q

What does the Uk Constitution being unentrenched mean?

A

Flexible (changed easily) - no safeguards protect constitutional law

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10
Q

What are the 2 ‘twin pillars’ of the Uk Constitution?

A
  • Parliamentary sovereignty
  • rule of law
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11
Q

What are the 5 main sources of the Uk Constitution?

A
  • parliamentary statutes
  • constitutional conventions
  • common law
  • authoritative works
  • treaties
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12
Q

What are 3 examples of parliamentary statutes?

A
  • HRA 1998
  • EU Withdrawal Act 2020
  • fixed term parliament act 2011
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13
Q

What are constitutional conventions?

A

Unwritten principles that are considered binding

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14
Q

What are 2 examples of constitutional conventions?

A
  • Salisbury convention
  • use of referendums to decide constitutional issues
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15
Q

What is the Salisbury convention?

A

HOL mustn’t obstruct proposal from govs last election manifesto

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16
Q

What is common law?

A

Laws est through courts and maintained by judges

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17
Q

What are authoritative works?

A

Written documents to support running of country

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18
Q

What is an example of an authoritative work?

A

2010 coalition agreement - set out rules and process for forming coalition gov

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19
Q

What are treaties?

A

International agreements - become binding on Uk

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20
Q

What is an example of a treaty?

A

Lisbon Treaty 2009 - increased areas of responsibility for EU

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21
Q

What did the Magna Carta 1215 establish?

A

Rule of law

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22
Q

When was the bill of rights?

A

1689

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23
Q

What did the bill of rights 1689 establish?

A

Sovereignty of parliament (over monarch)

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24
Q

When was the act of settlement?

A

1701

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25
Q

What did the act of settlement 1701 establish?

A

Right of parliament to decide line of succession

26
Q

In what 2 ways did David Cameron amend the act of settlement in 2011?

A
  • gave daughters equal rights with sons in succession
  • removed ban on catholic spouses
27
Q

When was the act of union?

A

1707

28
Q

What did the act of union 1707 do?

A

United England and Scotland under name Great Britain

29
Q

When were the Parliament Acts?

A

1911 and 1949

30
Q

What did the 1911 act of parliament do?

A

Reduced power of HOL to block bills

31
Q

What did the 1949 act of parliament do?

A

Further reduced HOL delaying bills to 1 year

32
Q

What did the Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949 establish?

A

Dominance of HOC

33
Q

What were the 6 stages of the development of the Constitution before 1997?

A

Magna Carta 1215
Bill of rights 1689
Act of settlement 1701
Act of union 1707
Parliament acts 1911 and 1949
European communities act 1972

34
Q

When was the European communities act?

A

1972

35
Q

What did the European communities act 1972 do?

A

Brought UK into EU

36
Q

What were the 4 aims of New Labour to reform the constitution?

A
  • democracy (make uk more democratic)
  • modernisation
  • decentralise power
  • improve human rights
37
Q

What were the 5 constitutional reforms carried out between 1997 and 2010?

A

HOL reform 1999
Electoral reforms 1998
Devolution 1998
HRA 1998
Supreme Court 2005

38
Q

When was the HOL reform?

A

1999

39
Q

What was the name of the legislation for the HOL reform?

A

HOL Act

40
Q

What did the HOL reform do?

A

Left only 92 hereditary peers
Mostly appointed chamber (by PM)

41
Q

When was the electoral reform?

A

1998

42
Q

What were the 3 pieces of legislation under Electoral reform and devolution?

A

Scotland act
Wales act
Northern Ireland act

43
Q

What did the electoral reform 1998 introduce?

A

New electoral systems, STV in Northern Ireland, AMS in Wales and Scotland

44
Q

When was devolution?

A

1998

45
Q

When was the HRA?

A

1998

46
Q

What did the HRA do?

A

Bought ECHR into UK law- binding

47
Q

When was the supreme court reform?

A

2005

48
Q

What was the piece of legislation for the supreme court reform?

A

Constitutional reform act

49
Q

What did the Supreme Court reform 2005 do?

A

Senior judges removed from HOL- fully independent Supreme Court

50
Q

What were the 2 reforms under the coalition government 2010 - 15?

A

Fixed term parliaments act 2011
Further devolution to wales 2012

51
Q

When was the fixed term parliaments act?

A

2011

52
Q

What did the fixed term parliaments act 2011 do?

A

Elections at 5 year intervals
Exceptions approved by 2/3 parliament majority

53
Q

When was further devolution given to Wales?

A

2012

54
Q

What was the piece of legislation for further devolution to wales?

A

Government of wales act

55
Q

What were the 3 reforms of the constitution since 2015?

A

EU Withdrawal
Further devolution to Scotland
Devolution to cities

56
Q

What were 2 constitutional reforms since 2015 that followed a referendum?

A

Further devolution to Scotland
EU Withdrawal

57
Q

When was further devolution given to Scotland?

A

2016

58
Q

When was devolution given to cities (metro regions created)?

A

2017-21

59
Q

What is an example of a metro region?

A

Manchester

60
Q

What did the creation of metro regions do?

A

Elected mayors and local authorities granted considerable powers

Politics Unit 2 (3 decks)

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