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UK politics > UK GOV AND POL KEY DEFINITIONS > Flashcards

UK GOV AND POL KEY DEFINITIONS Flashcards

1
Q

codified

A

the constitution is found in mainly one place (USA)

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2
Q

uncodified

A

the constitution is found in a variety of sources (UK)

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3
Q

statute

A

acts of parliament that affect and alter the British constitution (human rights act 1998)

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4
Q

common law

A

laws based on court decisions rather than codes or statutes

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5
Q

conventions

A

unwritten traditions which enable the government to run more smoothly

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6
Q

authoritive opinions

A

the writings and books of constitutional experts that clarify and explain the inner workings of the constitution

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7
Q

the royal prerogative

A

the powers traditionally held by the monarchy but now the power is held in the prime minister (the power of patronage)

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8
Q

rule of law

A

when everyone in the country are accountable to the same laws (including PM and MPs)

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9
Q

parliamentary sovereignty

A

when the parliaments laws cannot be struck down by a higher authority

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10
Q

individual rights

A

rights applied to individual citizens, such as the right to free expression and the right to free education up to the age of 18

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11
Q

collective rights

A

rights that protect a whole group of individuals, such as workers, disabled people or religious groups

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12
Q

scrutiny of executive

A

checking that the government is carrying out its functions properly

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13
Q

peers

A

members of the House of Lords, mostly life peers who have been nominated by political leaders over the years

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14
Q

delegates

A

a person selected to represent a group of people (MPs)

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15
Q

executive

A

the government

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16
Q

trustees

A

a person in a position of trust

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17
Q

burkean theories of representation (trustee model)

A
  • associated with Edmund burke
  • he argued that electors should trust their MP with acting in their best interests, listen to their views but not being bound by them
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18
Q

the delegate model

A
  • the opposite to the trustee model
  • MPs are viewed as mouthpieces for their constituents and entirely bound by their wishes
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19
Q

the mandate theory

A
  • MPs are elected primarily to carry out the manifest promises of their party
  • it reflects the fact that most votes an MP receives are because of party allegiance, not their own personality
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20
Q

parliamentary privilege

A

ensures that members of parliament are able to speak freely in debates

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21
Q

redress of grievances

A

the right to citizens to get wrongs or injustices by the government put right

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22
Q

referendum

A

direct votes in which the entire electorate is invited to vote on a single political proposition (BREXIT)

23
Q

core executive

A

the collective term for the key players in government policy making

24
Q

primus inter pares

A

’ first among equals’

25
Q

inner cabinet

A

a smaller, more informal group of senior ministers who meet outside of the regular sessions of the full cabinet

26
Q

cabinet committee

A

the people who mostly carry out the day to day work

27
Q

collective cabinet responsibility

A

the principle where all the members of the cabinet support its decisions in the public, even iff they disagree with them in private

28
Q

individual responsibility

A

each minister is personally responsible for the actions and outcomes in their department

29
Q

Supreme Court

A

the highest court of appeal in the UK
- it has the powers to make judgements based of the ECHR

30
Q

judicial independence and impartiality

A

the notion that judges are free from government interference (they are independent)

31
Q

separation of powers

A

the Supreme Court is separate from the government and parliament

32
Q

ultra vires

A

this means that everyone is subject to the law of the land, including the government

33
Q

judicial review

A

a court proceeding in which judges review the legality of a decision or action made by a public body (the government)

34
Q

devolution

A

the delegation of power from the UK parliament in Westminster to assemblies in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland

35
Q

direct democracy

A

a system of democracy in which the people make decisions, not the government

36
Q

representative democracy

A

a system of democracy in which the people vote for elected representatives, these reps make decisions on the peoples behalf

37
Q

suffrage

A

the right to vote

38
Q

participation

A

peoples involvement in political activity (voting, signing a petition…)

39
Q

partisan dealignment

A

the process by which the electorate has become less strongly affiliated to political parties (shown by falling party memberships)

40
Q

pluralism

A

political philosophy that emphasises the benefits of many different groups influencing the decision making process

41
Q

first past the post

A

a plurality system in which the electorate votes for one candidate in their constituency and whichever candidateg gets the most votes, wins

42
Q

majoritarian systems

A

require a candidate to gain 50% plus one vote to win (absolute majority)

43
Q

proportional systems

A

allocate seats in proportion to the number of votes received by each party

44
Q

tactical voting

A

when a voter does not vote for their preferred party because they do not believe there party can win, instead they vote for another party which has a better chance (this may be to stop a party they dislike from winning)

45
Q

ideology

A

core political beliefs and ideas

46
Q

one nation conservatism

A

a version of conservatism that includes policies designed to benefit all sections of society

47
Q

Thatcherism

A

thatchers distinctive branch of conservatism. including privatisation of industry and restriction of trade union powers

48
Q

party systems

A

the number of significant political parties operating in a country

49
Q

insider pressure groups

A

those pressure groups which work within the government and have insider information

50
Q

outsider pressure groups

A

those that do not work with the government and therefore try to influence political decisions from the outside

51
Q

promotional groups

A

those that promote a specific cause

52
Q

interest groups

A

those that exist to defend the interests of a particular group or section of society

53
Q
A

UK politics (5 decks)

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