United Kingdom

Question 1

Legislative-Executive System UK

Answer 1

Parliamentary system with Constitutional Monarchy

Question 2

Type of Democracy / Authoritarianism UK

Answer 2

Majoritarian Democracy (Westminster Whitehall Model)

Question 3

Unitary or Federal UK?

Answer 3

Unitary. Devolution (North Ireland, Scotland, Wales)

Question 4

Head of State UK

Answer 4

Monarch, formal powers, ceremonial function

Question 5

Head of Government UK

Answer 5

Prime Minister, on paper not dominant, in real time very dominant

Question 6

Government / Cabinet UK

Answer 6

Single Party Cabinets
Cabinet Dominance
- Power shifts to the government instead of parliament
Ministers remain members of Parliament
Dependent on parliamentary confidence
Dominant in relation to parliament (few checks on executive power
Cabinet depends on parliamentary confidence

Question 7

Legislature Lower House UK

Answer 7

House of Commons
Strong Party discipline
Debating Parliament

Question 8

Legislature Upper House UK

Answer 8

House of Lords
Not directly elected
- hereditary peers and life peers (appointed)
Debating parliament
Unicameralism, The house of Llords is a powerless house

Question 9

Judiciary UK

Answer 9

Supreme Court
Common Law tradition
- no wirtten constitution, majority should always have a say not a judge
Cannot conduct judicial review (weak institution)

Question 10

Common Law

Answer 10

Laws aren’t codified, Jurisdiction becomes law

Question 11

Electoral system UK

Answer 11

Single Member Distrcts with Plurality for House of Commons
Fist past the post
Plurality NOT majority
Importance of regional cleavage
Candidate-oriented

Question 12

Devolution

Answer 12

The granting of powers and autonomy to the different countries in the UK
The troubles (1960-1990)
Good Friday Agreement
St. Andrews agreement
Scotland Act
Wales Act
Scotland Act
Wales Act

Question 13

Parties in the UK

Answer 13

Conservatives
Labour Party
- Third Way
Liberal Democrats
Regional Parties (SNP, PLaid Cymru, Unionists)

Question 14

Fixed Term Parliaments Act

Answer 14

Under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act, which has governed how UK Parliamentary elections are called since 2011, an election could only be triggered outside of the normal five-year Parliamentary cycle by one of two scenarios: if two-thirds of the House of Commons voted in favour of one, or if the Government lost a vote of no confidence and no alternative government was confirmed by the House of Commons within 14 days.

Removed the right to plan snap-elections by the prime-minster

Question 15

Hung Parliament

Answer 15

A hung Parliament is when no single political party wins a majority in the House of Commons. It is also known as a situation of no overall control. Happens in Single party systems. Sometimes there will be a minority government

Question 16

Wasted Votes

Answer 16

In electoral systems, a wasted vote is any vote that does not receive representation in the final election outcome. This includes lost votes for a losing candidate or party, and excess votes for winning candidates in excess of the minimum needed to win.

Question 17

Globalisation Cleavage

Answer 17

Winners and losers of Globalisation

Question 18

Collectivist Consensus

Answer 18

The consensus tolerated or encouraged nationalisation, strong trade unions, heavy regulation, high taxes, and an extensive welfare state.
The notion of a post-war consensus covered support for a coherent package of policies that were developed in the 1930s and promised during the Second World War, focused on a mixed economy, Keynesianism, and a broad welfare state

Question 19

Magna Carta

Answer 19

1215: Acknowlegdement of the King of England that he too is under the Law

Question 20

Bill of Rights

Answer 20

First document where liberties were codified