Chapter 7- Parliament

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Define Parliament.
An assembly that has power to debate and make laws.
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Define legislatures.
The branch of government responsible for passing laws.
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List the key features of a parliamentary system.
(i) The executive and legislative branches are fused, (ii) The legislature can dismiss the executive, (iii) Parliamentary elections decide the government. (iv) Collective government, (v) Seperate head of state.
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Define head of state.
The chief public representative of a country, such as a monarch or president.
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What is the Westminster model?
The traditional way of understanding the British political system, focusing on the constitution and major institutions. It noth describes the British system and claims that it is the ideal.
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Name the key features of the Westminster model.
Parliamentary sovereignty, an uncodified constitution, cabinet government, the FPTP electoral system, a two-party system and a unitary state.
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Name the two main virtues Westminster model.
Representative government and Responsible government.
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Define bicameralism.
A political system in which there are two chambers in the legislature. The lower house is usually elected in general election and tends to be the dominant chamber.
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Name the benefits of bicameralism.
The upper house provides checks and balances, Provides greater scrutiny and revision of legislation, and may represent different interests (e.g. states in a federal system)
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Name the problems associated with bicameralism.
(i) Institutional conflict between the two houses can produce legislative gridlock, (ii) an indirectly elected upper house may frustrate the will of the democratically elected lower house.
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Define Parliamentary Sovereignty.
The doctrine that Parliament has absolute legal authority within the state. Parliament can make law on any matter it chooses, its decisions may not bind its successors.
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Define motion of no confidence
A parliamentary motion which, if passed, requires the resignation of the government.
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Define frontbencher
An MP who holds a ministerial or shadow ministerial position.
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Define backbencher
An MP who does not hold a ministerial or shadow misterial position.
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Define divsion
A vote Parliament
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Define whip
(i) A party official responsible for ensuring that MPs turn up to parliamentary votes and follow party instructions on how to vote. (ii) An instruction to vote that is issued to MPs by political parties.
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Define peer.
A member of the House of Lords.
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What does the House of Lords consist of?
Hereditary peers, life peers and lords spiritual.
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What is the House of Lords Act (1999)?
This act ended the right of all but 92 hereditary peers to sit and vote in the Lords.
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What is the role of the monarchy?
The monarchy retains a formal and ceremonial role in Parliament, It entails: The royal assent, Appointing the prime minister, Proroguing parliament, The Queen's speech.
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List the functions of Parliament.
Legislation, Scrutiny and accountability, representation, recruitment of ministers and legitimacy.
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Define Bill.
A legislative proposal that has yet to complete the parliamentary legislative process.
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Define Act.
A legislative proposal that has completed the legislative process and entered into law.
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Define public bill.
A bil concerning a general issue of public policy, introduced by a government minister
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Define green paper.
A government document setting out various options for legislation and inviting comment
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Define white paper.
A government document setting out a detailed proposal for legislation.
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Whats the acronym for the passage of legislation?
12CR3, 12CR3
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Define committee of the Whole House.
A meeting held in the chamber in which the full House of Commons considers the committee stage of a public year.
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Define Private member's bill
A bill sponsored by a backbench MP.
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Define Secondary legislation.
Law made by ministers, who have been granted this authority by an Act of Parliament, rather than by parliament.
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Define accountability?
The principle that an office holder or institution must account for their actions. In a system of parliamentary government, ministers are accountable to parliament and to the electorate.
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List different methods of scrutiny and accountability.
Question Time, The Opposition, Debates, Select Committees(e.g. Public accounts committee, standards and privileges committee, liaison committee, europesn scrutiny comittee, political and constitutional affairs committee)
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Define Parliamentary rebellion.
A division in which MPs vote against their party whip.
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Give two different viewpoints on whether parliament is an effective check on the power of the executive.
(+) Backbench MPs provide greater checks on govt. policy than in the past; increased incidents of rebellion are a constraint on gvt. action (-) Government defeats are rare- more backbench MPs from the gov. party obey the whip on a majority of votes.
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List changes made to the Commons under Labour.
Pre-legislative scrutiny, Carry-over of legislation, modernisation committee, liaison commitee, westminster hall sittings and hearings on public appointments.
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List changes made to the Commons under the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coaltion.
Fixed term parliaments, implementation of the Wright proposals.
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Give opinions from both sides about whether the house of lords should be wholly elected.
(+)A fully elected House of Lords would have the legitimacy that can only be derived from democratic election, (-) It would come into conflict with the House of Commons, as both would claim democratic legitimacy.
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Define legislatures.

Back

The branch of government responsible for passing laws.

Card 3

Front

List the key features of a parliamentary system.

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

Define head of state.

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

What is the Westminster model?

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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