Parliament Flashcards
(24 cards)
What is parliamentary sovereignty?
Parliament can make or unmake any law (no authority can override its decisions)
What is the Rule of Law?
All individuals and bodies are subject to the law -> no one is above it
What is a constitutional monarchy in the UK context and who is “The King in Parliament”?
Government operates in the name of the Crown but is accountable to Parliament
King in Parliament = the legislative body composed of the Monarch, the Commons and the Lords
Who is supreme in the UK constitution, and who dominates in practice?
Parliament is supreme but the executive dominates in practice
What are Royal Prerogative powers, and who uses them
Powers like war-making, treaty-singing, and appointments used by ministers, not the monarch.
Are Royal prerogative powers subject to parliamentary approval and when were they notably contested
No they were not and they were contested during the Brexit process
What does House of Commons Standing Order 14 state?
A government controls most parliamentary time
What proportion of legislation passed between 2010-16 came from the government?
80%
How is backbench and opposition time treated in Parliament?
It is limited and regulated
What are the core functions of the HoC?
Holding government to account
Legislating
Approving the budget
Forming the executive
Why is the HoC a source of political legitimacy?
The government must retain its confidence
Main role of the HoL and can it block legislation permanently?
Scrutiny and expert analysis of legislation
No it can only amend or delay
Why is the HoL seen as a constitutional safeguard?
It protects rights and provides expert scrutiny
Where do must bills begin and how must they pass?
Begin in Commons usually but must pass in both houses
Why is scrutiny deeper in the Lords?
Due to less party pressure and more expertise
What is secondary legislation?
Law made under powers granted by an Act of Parliament, approved via a simpler process
What problem did English Votes for English Laws address and when was it introduced and scrapped?
The West Lothian Question
Intro - 2015, scrapped 2020
What causes executive dominance according the Parliamentary Decline Thesis (PDT)?
Fusion of powers, party discipline, payroll vote, and government control procedures
What evidence challenges the PDT?
Backbench rebellion
Policy withdrawals
Select committee influence
Stronger Lords
What are Select Committees and when were they introduced?
They scrutinise departments; introduced 1979
What did the Wright Reforms (2010) do?
Boosted the power and independence of select committees
What did the HoL Act 1999 change?
Reduced hereditary peers and increased expertise in the Lords
How is the current HoL characterised?
Stronger, more balanced second chamber (roughly 826 members)
What did the Fixed-term Parliaments Act do and when was it repealed?
Require general elections every 5 years
2022
