UK Flashcards
What are the powers of the crown?
- ceremonial stuff
- head of state
- signs off on laws passed by parliament (ceremonial)
- calls parliament to assembly
- member of royal family can sponsor civil society institutions
How is the PM chosen?
chosen from majority party in parliament
(if there is none, parties ban together to form a coalition)
What are the roles of PM?
-head of gov
-makes sure laws get executed
-makes ideas and sends them to House of Commons
How are members of the House of Commons chosen?
- voters elect members and they represent a constituency
What is the Fixed Terms Parliament Act?
it sets the terms for house of commons at 5 years unless 2/3 of commons wants new election OR a vote of no confidence in PM passes
Who has practically all the legislative power?
parliament - any law passed by parliament IS the law. these laws make up the constitution (though there is no formal constitution)
How can Parliament change any existing law or enact new ones?
By simple majority vote
What is it called when there is no majority party in Parliament?
Hung Parliament- parties ban together to form a coalition to gain a majority of seats
What are the roles of the House of Lords?
makes suggestions to bills, has committees, advises House of Common, can introduce bills but cannot permanently stop a bill from commons
What are the types of Lords and how are they chosen?
Life lords: granted lordship by the crown for life
Hereditary lords: some will have lordship passed to their kids (not really used anymore)
Anglican bishops
Do Lords need to belong to a party?
No, there are a lot of cross bench (no parties) and independents (do not support the three main parties) and some partisan
Can the House of Lords stop a bill from becoming a law?
No, but they can hold a bill for 6 months
How can one become a lord?
the PM makes a list of who they think should get lordship and sends it to the crown who grants lordship to everyone on the list
What are the limitations of the UK Supreme Court?
can’t overturn laws passed by parliament
What can the UK Supreme Court do?
-highest court of appeal for civil and criminal cases
-devolve power to local courts
