Parliament

Question 1

Ways to hold the government to account - PMQs (governing party)

Answer 1

MPs are able to ask the PM easy questions to make the PM look good as well as the government

Question 2

Ways to hold the government to account - PMQs (opposition)

Answer 2

Opposition MPs try to score points by asking questions to make the PM and government look stupid and incompetent - opposition leader can ask 6 questions

Question 3

When do PMQs take place? And for how long?

Answer 3

Every Wednesday, for 30 minutes

Question 4

Pros of PMQs

Answer 4

• Provides an opportunity for the Commons to challenge the PM
• Forces the PM to be well informed (and on the ball) about policy and wider news agenda

Question 5

Cons of PMQs

Answer 5

• Too many questions asked by ‘friendly’ government backbenchers (who wants to make the PM look smart)
• PMQs have become an exercise in point-scoring rather than asking important, helpful questions

Question 6

Ways to hold the government to account - Public Bill Committee (PBC)

Answer 6

Temporary committees, formed to scrutinise a bill after its second reading, with the power to take written & oral evidence, debate & amend the bill (legislative)

Question 7

Pros of PBCs

Answer 7

• Can scrutinise the Commons passing any bills in any form and way they want.
• Makes the government think twice

Question 8

Cons of PBCs

Answer 8

Amendments that are contrary to a majority government’s wishes are rarely accepted - contradicts links to Parliamentary Sovereignty

Question 9

Ways to hold the government to account - Select Committees (SC)

Answer 9

Small groups of MPs or members of the House of Lords that are set up to investigate a specific issue in detail or to perform a specific scrutiny job
- SCRUTINISES government DEPARTMENTS
- a GOVERNMENT with a majority will also have a MAJORITY IN THE COMMITTEE

Question 10

Pro of SC

Answer 10

More independent than PBCs - free to be critical
Work is respected because it’s evidence based (hearings are televised and reported in the media - increases influence)

Question 11

Cons of SC

Answer 11

Majority of SC members are picked from governing party
Can cover only a limited range of topics in depth (avoids long-term investigations)

Question 12

An example of SC

Answer 12

PAC held Amazon, Starbucks and Google to account in 2013 when they paid limited tax. They held multinational companies to account, so they can hold the PM and gov to account

Question 13

How many Lords are there?

Answer 13

791 Lords (mostly life peers and 92 hereditary - most appointed by the PM)

Question 14

What can the Lords do?

Answer 14

Can delay legislation for up to 1 year - due to the 1911 and 1949 Parliament Acts.
Scrutinises legislation and can force government to amend bills

Question 15

What can’t the Lords do?

Answer 15

• Has no jurisdiction over financial matters
• Has no power to dismiss a government
• Don’t represent constituencies, but other interests

Question 16

Pros of The Lords

Answer 16

Less partisanship and party loyalty than in the Commons (more independent)
-so can vote more freely and critically
- can argue and answer more clearly in debates

Question 17

Cons of The Lords

Answer 17

• Can’t do anything long term
• e.g the 1949 Parliament Act meant the Lords could only delay legislation for up to a year
• House of Lords will not oppose the second or third reading of any government legislation promised in its election (SALISBURY ADDISON CONVENTION)

Question 18

What is a mandate?

Answer 18

The authority to carry out policies put forward in a manifesto which helped a party gain votes from the electorate in order to win an election

Question 19

To defy the mandate of the government is to…

Answer 19

have been elected under false pretences.
If government doesn’t stick to its manifesto, their mandate is false (this isn’t good)

Question 20

What is the legislature?

Answer 20

The body that has the power to MAKE, REVOKE AND CHANGE LAWS. Can scrutinise the executive and hold them to account
- This is Parliament

Question 21

What is the executive?

Answer 21

The body that runs the country and proposes laws to the legislature
- This is the government (consists of the PM, Cabinet, civil servants, etc)

Question 22

What is the judiciary?

Answer 22

The body that interprets and applies the law. It does this to uphold the rule of law in society. The court can’t strike down laws

Question 23

What is known as the Parliamentary system?

Answer 23

The legislature and executive are fused (joined together) - its executive (government) sits in the legislature (Parliament).

Question 24

How many MPs are there in the HoC?

Answer 24

650 MPs (MPs only)

Question 25

How many Lords are in the HoL?

Answer 25

791 Lords (hereditary, life peers - appointed by MP)

Question 26

What can the HoC do?

Answer 26

- Can veto and amend legislation. - Can reject any legislation, even manifesto pledges. - Approves government's budget. - Can dismiss a government in extreme circumstances.

Question 27

Elements of the HoC?

Answer 27

- Represents constituency interests. - PMQs and ministerial question time. - LIASION COMMITTEE - is part of the commons and checks the power of the PM.

Question 28

What can the HoL do?

Answer 28

- Can scrutinise legislation and force government to amend bills. - Can delay legislation for up to a year (Parliament Act 1949). - Has no jurisdiction over financial matters. - Has no power to dismiss a government.

Question 29

Elements of the HoL?

Answer 29

- Doesn't represent constituencies, but other interests. - Lords are more independent, so less/weaker party discipline. - Only government spokesperson in the Lords.

Question 30

What is financial privilege?

Answer 30

The longstanding constitutional convention that the LORDS SHOULD NOT OPPOSE THE COMMONS ON ISSUES OF TAXATION and public spending

Question 31

Is Parliament democratically representative?

Answer 31

- Each MP represents an area in the UK. - FPTP distorts the representation of parties, so MPs are often elected by less than 50% of their constituents. - HoL is unelected and unrepresentative.

Question 32

People in HoC (what they look like)

Answer 32

442/650 are white, middle-class men. 208/650 are women. 52/650 are from an ethnic minority. However, things are improving.

Question 33

People in HoL (what they look like)

Answer 33

585/791 are men. 206/791 are women. 48/791 are from an ethnic minority.

Question 34

Evidence that the HoL is more effective than the HoC

Answer 34

- Party discipline (weaker in the Lords, so more independent) - Legislation (HoL can force gov to amend bills, has been most active in challenging the gov over Brexit legislation, defeating the gov 14 times) - Expertise (more effective in its scrutinising role for checking the gov than HoC)

Question 35

Evidence that the HoC is more effective than the HoL

Answer 35

- Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949 - Committees (select committees have grown in influence and authority) - Scrutiny (PMQs and ministerial question time only happens in the HoC)

Question 36

Stages of a bill in HoC (begins in the HoC and then goes to HoL)

Answer 36

- First reading - Second reading and vote - Committee stage - Report stage and third reading

Question 37

Stages of a bill in HoL (begins in the HoC and then goes to HoL)

Answer 37

- First reading - Second reading and vote - Committee stage - Report stage and third reading

Question 38

What is ping-pong?

Answer 38

A bill can go back and forth between the two Houses for up to a year before it becomes law

Question 39

What is Parliamentary privilege (backbenchers)?

Answer 39

Within the walls of Parliament, MPs are free to speak without fear of prosecution for slander

Question 40

Backbenchers - traditional role vs in recent years

Answer 40

Used to be seen as "there to vote and do as their party says" ('lobby fodder'). Recently, backbenchers have evolved their role through their growing independence when voting in Parliament.

Question 41

Significance and increase in backbenchers' role

Answer 41

RISE IN number of BACKBENCH REBELLIONS against government measures - Coalition MPs rebelled in 35% of divisions during 2010-15 Parliament, whereas under Labour in 2005-2010 Parliament was 28% Increased use of 'URGENT QUESTIONS' (REQUIRES IMMEDIATE ANSWER)

Question 42

Limits to backbenchers' powers

Answer 42

Whips - Their role is to entice backbenchers to vote into voting with their party through "carrots and sticks". Resources - Compared to the government, they have relatively few resources to rely on. Majority - Usually backbenchers accept the government's legislative programme and vote with them, even if they disagree.

Question 43

Separation of powers:

Answer 43

A system of government that splits power into different branches, preventing too much power being held by only a few people