UK

Question 1

Devolution Term

Answer 1

the transfer or delegation of power to a lower level (state or local) especially used by centralized/unitary government

Question 2

Devolution Examples

Answer 2

Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland

Question 3

House of Commons

Answer 3

• 650 MPs
• Single Member District (SMD)
• FPP (single winner)
• 5 yr election cycle, not fixed

Question 4

General Election - “Polling Day”

Answer 4

4-6 week campaign cycle for MPs
- Sovereign dissolves parliament ahead of election (asked by PM

Question 5

MP Information

Answer 5

• do not have to live in their constituent districts
• run in safe districts
• “sacrificial lambs”

Question 6

SNAP! Elections

Answer 6

• an election that is called earlier than the scheduled one
• designed to INCREASE a party’s majority
• feature of parliamentary electoral systems
• allow for greater popular sovereignty

Question 7

VOTER TURNOUT

Answer 7

~70%+

Question 8

Brexit and its impact?

Answer 8

Brexit called for multiple snap elections (2017+2019), which lead to less participatory voters and a disturbance in party balance in the parliament

Question 9

UK 2015 Election

Answer 9

• SCHEDULED; 66% Turnout
• only general election held under the Fixed Term Parliament Act of 2011
• last general election before BREXIT
• huge win for SND (Scottish)
• Huge loss for liberal democrats

Question 10

UK 2017 Election

Answer 10

• SNAP! Election
• PM Theresa May wanted to strengthen her party for Brexit negotiations
• Backfired against the conservatives, labour picked up seats

Question 11

UK 2019 Election

Answer 11

-SNAP! Election
- PM Boris Johnson wanted to wrap up Brexit
- landslide for conservative (highest percentage since 1979 and seat gain since 1987)

Question 12

Party Roles

Answer 12

• party determines who runs where
• party members are expected to support leadership
• party ID important, not the individual MP
• We need to know the numbers, if a snap is called (or vote of no confidence) they need to be sure they are definitely on the party {motivation for voting party line}

Question 13

Multi-Party System of UK

Answer 13

Conservatives and Labour

Question 14

Conservative Party

Answer 14

• right/center right
• “Tories”
• free markets; deregulation of business, lower tax rates
• critical of devolution
• traditional social conservative
• 172,000+ members

Question 15

Labour Party

Answer 15

• left/center left
• welfare state; taxation as a means of wealth distribution
• more moderate now than originally
• 399,000+ members

Question 16

Liberal Democrats

Answer 16

• wants PR, not FPP
• more socially liberal than Labour
• opposed to military interventionism

Question 17

SNP (Scottish National Party)

Answer 17

• favors Scottish independence and acceptance into the EU
• no members in the House of Lords (they oppose it)