The Role And Structure Of Government

Question 1

What is scrutiny of legislation?

Answer 1

• HoC shares power w/HoL
• All backbenchers serve on legislative committees; examine proposed legislation to see if it can be improved
• Weak aspect of HoC - rarely amend legislation with approval of gov

Question 2

What is national debate?

Answer 2

• national issues that are more important than party politics; constitutional issues.
• eg - Article 50, Brexit negotiations

Question 3

What is representation of interests?

Answer 3

• constituents, sections of society, cause
• Orgs such as Countryside Alliance, Age UK enjoy support of MPs
• campaign groups encourage supporters to write to MPs to further cause
• issues like sex equality, race/community, ageing, counter-extremism transcend party values

Question 4

What is constituency representation?

Answer 4

• strength
• constituents/interests repped by MPs
• can lobby minister, raise matter in HoC, raise campaign
• can lead to conflict of interests
• individuals can approach MP for help w/disputes concerning public bodies

Question 5

What is government accountability?

Answer 5

• most important political function
• gov cannot be accountable to ppl other than during general elections, HoC holds gov to account: PMQs, select committees/public accounts committee, HoC can refuse to pass legislation, votes of no confidence

Question 6

What is legitimation?

Answer 6

• considered most important constitutional function
• gov makes laws, needs way of making sure it’s ‘will of the people’
• MPs elected vote on legislation, making law-making process more legitimate

Question 7

What is legislating?

Answer 7

• process of passing laws
• backbenchers can develop own legislation -> private members’ bills
• MP can present bill, but likely unsuccessful -> parliament/its members do not make laws

Question 8

What is a public bill?

Answer 8

• law that affects general public -> can be gov bill or introduced by minister
• change law as it applies to general population

Question 9

What is the composition/party allegiance in HoC, 2023?

Answer 9

Cons - 352 (265 M, 87 W) ………….TBC

Question 10

How is HoC structured?

Answer 10

• wholly elected; made up of MPs; 650 seats - 1 constituency = 1MP
• some MPs hold ministerial positions (executive)
• electoral commission - oversight of constituency size/population change

Question 11

How is HoL structured?

Answer 11

• more undemocratic
• life peers/hereditary peers (92) - Lords Temporal
• Before CRA 2005 - Law Lords
• Lord Spiritual - religion affiliated figures (26)
• more independents/cross bench peers
• can be appointed/chosen on individual merit (PM nom)
• specialists in certain areas, not politicians

Question 12

What is the role of Public Bill Committees?

Answer 12

• set up by HoC to scrutinise details of particular bills in committee stage; temporary; take place in public bar one brief session
• not very effective - exist/do scrutinise and take/hear evidence; don’t scrutinise well - gov has majority, lack the continuity of other permanent committees

Question 13

What is the role of select committees?

Answer 13

• permanent/active bodies who hold gov accountable and make sure they are performing duties properly; every gov department is shadowed by one
• more effective - chaired by opposition, less whip power, access to restricted docs, gov must respond; only advisory (gov accepts 40% of recommendations), governing party still has majority

Question 14

What is the role of Lords Committees?

Answer 14

• investigates public policy, proposed laws, gov activity; six main ones (EU Committee, Science and technology committee, communications committee, constitution committee, economic affairs committee, international relations committee), also ad hoc (Covid-19 committee)
• not effective; may perform the scrutiny well due to experts, but has fundamentally less power/legitimation and can only recommend

Question 15

What are the four potential types of opposition?

Answer 15

• Official Opposition
• Other opposition parties
• Intra-party - opponents within governing party
• Intra-party - can be disagreements between different parties in gov during coalition

Question 16

What is the purpose of opposition?

Answer 16

• offer scrutiny/potential checks on gov; must also offer viable/practical alternative solutions

Question 17

How can opposition challenge gov?

Answer 17

• Leader of OO has special privileges in debates/HoC business; opening + 5 more questions at PMQs; only MP allowed to respond; first right to reply to major statements by PM
• 20 opposition days - choose topic for debate
• member of shadow cabinet can also ask questions of ministers/propose alternative policies
• select committees often produce reports critical of gov policies/implementation

Question 18

What factors affect the power of opposition?

Answer 18

• parliamentary arithmetic - gov w/small majority enables more power for opposition; greater chance to defeat gov on legislative plans
• context - in times of national emergency; opposition parties had to be seen as largely supportive of gov when national unity main priority

Question 19

What are the strength and weaknesses of opposition?

Answer 19

S - OO gets extra funding/privileges; opposition can position itself as alternative gov; can check/even change gov policy; backbench rebels
W - gov possesses greater resources, control of parliamentary businesses, chooses topic for most debates; much depends on quality of shadow cabinet ministers/how well they perform; successes rare; successful rebellions rare

Question 20

How will does parliament perform its representative role?

Answer 20

Well - all parts of UK repped through 650 constituencies of roughly equal size; wide range of parties in HoC; HoC becoming more diverse - record 220 women elected in 2019, 6% MPs elected in 2019 opening identified as LGBTQ+
Not Well - not all constituencies equal in population size; FPTP favours two largest parties/regionally concentrated ones; women still underrepresented (1/2 electorate, 34% MPs in 2019)

Question 21

What is the Burkean/trustee theory?

Answer 21

• elected officials should take into account constituents’ views, while employing personal judgement; constituents entrust their elected officials to rep them

Question 22

What is the delegate theory?

Answer 22

• states that elected officials are mouthpieces for constituents

Question 23

What is the mandate theory?

Answer 23

• advocates that MPs primarily there to carry out/rep their party’s policies/manifesto

Question 24

What is secondary legislation?

Answer 24

• many laws derived from SIs (provisions within primary legislation to introduce new clauses/changes)
• Eg Misuse of Drugs Act 1971

Question 25

What are ballot bills?

Answer 25

• form of private member bill; have best change of become law/being properly debated
• ballot w/20 names drawn out

Question 26

What are ten minute rule bills?

Answer 26

• policy aspirations put into legislative language to secure 10 minute speaking slot during prime time in HoC after question time
• party whips decide slots

Question 27

What are presentation bills?

Answer 27

• any MP permitted to intro bill of choice, having given prior notice to public bill office
• during Friday sitting only, after all ballot bills on order
• no speech or debate

Question 28

What is parliamentary privilege?

Answer 28

• exemption of MPs/peers from laws of slander/contempt of court to uphold free speech; doesn’t apply beyond Westminster

Question 29

What is an emergency debate?

Answer 29

• granted at speaker’s discretion; must be important matter; MP has 3 minutes to put request to House if granted

Question 30

How effective are PMQs?

Answer 30

• For - high profile, widely publicised; forces PM to directly address key issues of day; keeps PM accountable to parliament
• Against - gives misleading/distorted image of how gov scrutinised; environment for political point scoring; many MPs from ruling parties use as opportunity for questions solely intended to show gov in good light

Question 31

What is the redress of grievances?

Answer 31

• the right to make complaints/seek assistance of gov without fear of punishment or reprisals