Mini topics Flashcards
(10 cards)
Explain the features of the House of Commons
- Elected at general elections- every constituency has MP
-Party with most seats forms government
-Roles= Most bills start in the commons- if voted against then bill will end in the commons.
Explain features of the House of Lords
- Non-elected body. Made up mainly of life peers.
- Less powerful than HOC, due to being unelected.
-Can vote on bills passed in commons, making amendments/ suggestions - The Parliaments act 1911/49 limits the power of the Lords- if lords reject law- it can pass as long as it passes all stages in the commons the next year.
Explain the two types of bill
- Public bill= Bills introduced by the government and involve matters of public policy
- Private Members bills= These are introduced by individual MP’s
Explain Parliamentary supremacy
- A definition of Parliamentary supremacy was given in Dicey in the 19th Century. He made 3 main points:
1- Parliament can legislate on any subject matter with no limits.
2- No Parliament can be bound by any previous parliament, nor can any parliament pass an act that will bind a later parliament.
3- No other body has the right to override or set aside an act of parliament.
Explain the limitations of parliamentary supremacy
-The effect of the Human rights act 1998- AOP must be compatible with this
- Devolution- Scotland and Wales can make their own laws, limiting supremacy in these areas
- EU Membership- no longer a limitation as the Uk voted to leave the EU in 2016
List the legislative stages of Commons and Lords
- First reading
-Second reading - Committee stage
- Report stage
- Third reading
- Royal Assent
- Repeated in house of Lords
Explain the influences on Parliament- political influences
- Each party has their own manifesto, and will try to pass law based on this
-Pros= Government majority means law is more likely to be passed
-Cons= Small majorities in government can find it difficult to pass laws (E.G.- Coalitions)
Explain influences on parliament- public opinion/ media
- Strong public opinion may lead to changes in the law. Media may highlight issues/ influence the public
- Pros= bring attention to areas that need reform
-Cons= Responding quickly to high profile incidents can lead to poorly drafted
Explain influences on parliament- pressure groups
- Bring issues to government attention. Either represent a group (Solicitors) or a cause (Just stop oil).
- Pros= Can raise awareness for important issues such as climate change
-Cons= Some groups try to impose ideas that majority of society may not agree with, groups can have conflicting interests
Explain the influences on parliament- Lobbyists
-This is where individuals try to influence MPs
-Pressure groups use this, also done by professionals on behalf of businesses.
-Pros= Raise awareness on issues/ available to everyone
- Cons= People can abuse the process, especially professionals. Can cause delays to law making in order to protect business interests.
