Parliament & The Executive

Question 1

Which 3 institutions create legislature?

Answer 1

1. The House of Commons
2. The House of Lords
3. The Monarch

Question 2

What’s the difference between government and parliament?

Answer 2

Government runs state departments and public health services as well as implementing policies.

Parliament scrutinises the actions of government, passes laws, represents citizens and enables the government to raise taxes

Question 2

What’s the difference between government and parliament?

Answer 2

Government runs state departments and public health services as well as implementing policies.

Parliament scrutinises the actions of government, passes laws, represents citizens and enables the government to raise taxes

Question 3

What is the role of House of Commons and House of Lords?

Answer 3

Debate, scrutinise, amend and pass laws

Question 4

What is the monarch’s role?

Answer 4

It is almost entirely symbolic, but the monarch does sign bills into law

Question 5

What house is the House of Commons?

Answer 5

Lower House

Question 6

Who is the most powerful house in parliament?

Answer 6

House of Commons

Question 7

How many MPs are in the House of Commons?

Answer 7

650 MPs are elected to represent single-member constituencies at least every five years

Question 8

Where are the Executive drawn from?

Answer 8

House of Commons

Question 9

What house is the House of Lords?

Answer 9

Upper house

Question 10

Who makes up the House of Lords?

Answer 10

A mix of former MPs, community and business leaders, donors, experts, hereditary peers and religious leaders

Question 11

Who makes up the House of Commons?

Answer 11

MPs

Question 12

How many peers are in the House of Lords?

Answer 12

800

Question 13

Who appoints ‘Life Peers’?

Answer 13

The Prime Minister

Question 14

What is the function of the House of Lords?

Answer 14

Scrutinising legislation and proposing amendments

Question 15

What is the role of the monarch?

Answer 15

Providing Royal Assent to laws (Acts of Parliament can’t become laws without it)

Question 16

Who has the power to open and dissolve parliament?

Answer 16

The Monarch

Question 17

What are the 4 functions of the Houses of Parliament?

Answer 17

1. Legitimisation by giving assent to the decisions and actions of government
2. Expressing views demands and interests of society
3. Recruiting ministers for the Executive
4. Scrutinising and influencing government bills

Question 18

How do the Houses of Parliament legitimise the decisions and actions of the government?

Answer 18

Responding to motions laid before them by the Executive.

Motions pass or fail by majority

Commons and Lords exert power by making assent conditional

Question 19

What is latent legitimisation?

Answer 19

Commons provide latent legitimisation by doing its job properly

Question 20

How do the Houses of Parliament express the views, demands and interests of society?

Answer 20

MPs express demands and views of their constituents

Question 21

Why are the Houses of Parliament key in recruiting for the Executive?

Answer 21

Ministers are drawn from Commons and Lords

Question 22

What is the Executive?

Answer 22

Ministers responsible for the government of a country

Question 23

What is the role of the Executive?

Answer 23

Takes decisions on policy

Runs government departments and the civil service

Introduce motions requesting money to Parliament

Introduce motions and bills for Parliament to scrutinise and approve

Question 24

Which offices and institutions make up the Executive?

Answer 24

1. Prime Minister 2. The Cabinet 3. Cabinet Committees 4. Junior Ministers

Question 25

What is the role of the Prime Minister in the Executive?

Answer 25

Head of government Recruits for the Executive and chair cabinets

Question 26

What is the role of the Cabinet in the Executive?

Answer 26

It is made up of Secretaries of State who run government departments and oversees government

Question 27

What is the role of Cabinet Committees in the Executive?

Answer 27

Consider policies and issues in detail

Question 28

What is the role of junior ministers in the Executive?

Answer 28

Assist secretaries of state in running of departments

Question 29

What is the role of civil servants in the Executive?

Answer 29

To support and advise

Question 30

Recall the Executive Hierarchy

Answer 30

1. Prime Minister 2. Secretaries of State 3. Ministers of State 4. Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State 5. Parliamentary Secretary

Question 31

What are the functions of the Prime Minister?

Answer 31

1. Appointing, managing and dismissing ministers 2. Deciding when and where Parliament meet and its agenda 3. Choosing which departments exist and their responsibilities 4. Advising the monarch on public honours and oversees public appointments

Question 32

Which body is key for decision-making in the Executive

Answer 32

The Cabinet

Question 33

Who makes up Cabinet?

Answer 33

Secretaries of State of all government departments

Question 34

What are the 5 functions of Cabinet?

Answer 34

1. Approving policy to be laid before Parliament 2. Resolving disputes between Cabinet Committees or Ministers 3. Constrains the Prime Minister through scrutiny, dialogue and questioning 4. Unifies the government by interlinking and monitoring all government bodies 5. Unifies parliamentary party as Cabinet MPs can represent backbenchers to the Prime Minister, and the Cabinet to backbenchers