Week 1 - Seperation of Powers Flashcards
the seperation of powers is intended to
guard against tyranny and preserve liberty
it was held that the major institutions should be
divided and dependent upon each other so that one power would not be able to exceed that of the other two
what happens when absolute power is vested in one person or office
Dictators Despots Totalitarian regimes Soviet stle Repression Divine right of kings
the division of government responsibilities into distinct branches to
limit any one branch from exercising the core functions of another
to prevent conceration of power and provide
checks and balances
limiting the powers of government by
seperating governmental functions into the executive, legislative and judiciary
seperation of powers has its fullest practical expression in
the US constitution
in America, Articles I, II and III establosh three branches of government and
specify powers entrsted to each as a means of ensuring that no one can exert unlimited power
the US constitution is
deliberately inefficient
the seperation of powers was designed to prevent the
majority from ruling with an iron fist
based on their experience, the framers shield away from
giving any branch of the new government too much power
powers in the US are seperated into
The Executive: President
Legislature: Senate and House of Representatives
Judiciary: Supreme Court and lower courts
the president of the united states administers the
executive branch of the governement
the president enforces the laws that
the legislative branch (congress) makes
in the UK we have the
Executive: Government (Prime Minister, Ministers, officials and civil servants
Legislature: Parliament (House of Commons/Lords)
Judiciary: Judges
the government is formed by the leader of
whichever party in the commons can command a majority in an election
the leader of that party becomes
prime minister and heads the govenrment
head of government
the executive
the prime minister is a relatively new
addition to government
the monarchs first minister was
the lord chancellor
the lord chancellor was wholly dependant on the
favour of the king or queen
legislature
house of commons and the house of lords
much of the important work carried out in the commons is done in the
committees
the committees are
numerous (about 35)
in the UK the executive and legislature are
closely entwined
the prime minister and a majority of their ministers are
members of parliament and sit in the house of commons
the executive is therefore present at
the heart of parliament
