The Consitution

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The Constitution
A set of rules that establish and describe the distribution of power within a state, the procedures of government, the limits of government power, and the rights of citizens as well as rules on citizenship and constitutional amendment.
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Constutionalism
Government operates within a set of constitutional rules and not in arbitrary fashion. May be written or unwritten.
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Unitary Constitution
Where sovereignty or ultimate power lies in one central body.
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Federal Constitution
Sovereignty is divided between the central authority and other, regional bodies e.g US states or provinces.
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Parliamentary Sovereignty
Principle that legal sovereignty lies with Parliament, and Parliament is the ultimate source of all political power.
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Quasi-federalism
Suggests the devolution process looks effectively like federalism, but is not federalism specifically as no sovereignty has been divided.
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Pooled Sovereignty
Term used to describe how legal sovereignty within the European Union is shared amongst its members.
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Devolution
Process of transferring power from the UK Parliament and government to regional govts. in Scotland, Wales and N.Ireland. This does not represent any transfer of sovereignty.
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Parliamentary Government
A system of politics where government is drawn from Parliament and is accountable to Parliament. The government has no separate authority from that of Parliament
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Presidential Government
A president normally has a serparate source of authority from that of the legislature. This means the executive(president) is accountable to the people directly, not the legislature.
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Convention
A non-legal rule; a rule of conduct or behaviour.
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Limited Government
A form of government in which government power is subject to limitations and checks, providing protection for the individual.
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Royal Prerigative
The body of powers, immunities and privileges that are recognized in common law as belonging to the Crown, these powers are now more commonly exercised by ministers than by the monarch.
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Royal Assent
The monarch's agreement to legislation passed by the two houses of Parliament, by signing a Bill it becomes an Act
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Sovereignty
The principle of absolute and unlimited power, implying either supreme legal authority or unchallengeable political power.
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Popular Sovereignty
The principle that supreme authority is vested in the people directly, rather then in a representative institution.
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Rule of Law
The principle that law should 'rule' in the sense that it applies to all conduct or behaviour and covers both private citizens and public officials.
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'Dignified' Parts
Long established and widely respected bodies that serve to make the political process intelligible to the mass of people.
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Government operates within a set of constitutional rules and not in arbitrary fashion. May be written or unwritten.

Back

Constutionalism

Card 3

Front

Where sovereignty or ultimate power lies in one central body.

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

Sovereignty is divided between the central authority and other, regional bodies e.g US states or provinces.

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

Principle that legal sovereignty lies with Parliament, and Parliament is the ultimate source of all political power.

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
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