Summary
Summary - Government and Politics
- Module
- Government and Politics
- Institution
- AQA
In-depth analysis and summary of arguments that may be questioned in exam
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Government of the UKNature and sources of the constitution
Nature of the British constitution:
● Uncodified constitution- no single document sets out the laws outlining how the state
works
● Split into three main branches:
- Executive- Crown, government, Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers
- Puts laws into effect and plan policies
- Legislature- Parliament, Crown, House of Commons, House of Lords
- Makes laws
- Judiciary- judges, courts and magistrates
- Administers justice by interpreting the law in a dispute, ensuring the law is upheld
Sources of the British constitution:
● Statute law- acts of Parliament that has to be approved by the House of Commons,
Lords and the monarch
➢ Examples include:
- Fixed term Parliament Act 2011, which established fixed 5-yearly elections to the
Westminster Parliament
- Scotland Act 1998, which created a Scottish Parliament
- Great Reform Act 1832, which extended the franchise to small landowners, tenant
farmers and shopkeepers
● Common law- criminal law that has been created by judges where statute law is unclear.
Applies to everyone
➢ Examples include:
- Supreme Court’s cancellation of Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, rejecting Parliament’s
decision to start formal Brexit negotiations as it would mean overturning existing UK laws
● Royal prerogative- prime minister exercises powers which are the preserve of the
monarch. Enable decisions to be made by without the consultation of Parliament
➢ Examples include:
- Hiring and firing ministers
- Calling elections
- Declaration of war
- Making of treaties
- Dissolution of parliament
● Convention- rules as to how the political system works, senior members of the
government form a cabinet and prime minister is the leader of the party with majority in
the Commons
➢ Examples include:
- Prime minister must come from the House of Commons
- Salisbury Convention, requires House of Lords not to delay legislation that was in the
election manifesto
, - Cabinet is the ultimate decision making body and all major disputes will be settled there
and ministers are bound by Cabinet Collective Responsibility meaning they mustn't
criticise these decisions in public
● European law- UK is subject to European laws and treaties since it became a member of
the European Economic Community in 1973
➢ Examples include:
- Equal rights for all nationals
- Look for a job in EU
- Working time directive
● Works of authority- books written by constitutional theorists that are considered guides to
the UK’s uncodified constitution
➢ Examples include:
- Erskine May’s guide to parliamentary procedure
- Dicey established the rule of law and parliamentary sovereignty
Key principles that underpin the constitution:
● Parliamentary sovereignty- Westminster Parliament is the supreme law-making body.
This legislative supremacy is constructed around three interconnected propositions:
- Parliament can legislate on any subject of its choosing
- Legislation cannot be overturned by any higher authority
- No Parliament can bind its successors
➢ However, Westminster Parliament is seen not be the law-making sovereign because:
➢ Under the European Communities Act 1972, Parliament agreed to make itself
subservient to European Law
➢ New Labour’s devolution programme grants the Scottish Parliament certain powers
and primary legislative control over many areas of government
● Rule of law- defines the relationship between the state and its citizens. Has three main
strands:
- No one can be punished without trial
- No one is above the law, and everyone is subject to the same justice
- General principles of the constitution are judge-made common laws rather than
parliamentary statute of executive order
● The law is an essential feature of a liberal democracy and everyone is equal under the
law
● Unitary state- UK consists of four nations but it is a highly centralised state in which
Westminster holds legal sovereignty which means Westminster holds elite power whilst
regional and local governments have little power
● Parliamentary government under a constitutional monarchy- government ministers are
accountable to parliament and the Crown. Parliament has supremacy over the monarch.
Monarch retained formal powers but their usage was constricted; she sits as a
‘figurehead’ and a symbol of unity
Constitutional reform from 1997-2010:
● Labour’s reforms in the year 1997-2010 were driven by the following four themes:
, - Modernisation to remove the use of the outdated and inefficient procedures used
- Democratisation by encouraging electoral reform and greater use of referendums
- Decentralisation of decision making powers and the enhancing the role of local
governments
- Rights of citizens would be strengthened and safeguarded
Rights Human Rights Act 1998 incorporates the European law into UK law
Freedom of Information Act 2000 gives greater access to information held by
government
Devolution Scottish Parliament with tax-raising powers, education and health
Welsh Assembly with secondary legislative powers
Directly elected mayor of London
Parliament All but 92 hereditary peers are removed from the House of Lords
In 2004 the House of Commons received extra pay
London government reform in 1998 for London Mayor
Brown’s Governance of Britain Green Paper aimed to limit executive’s powers
and make it accountable to parliament but this didn’t work out because of global
financial crisis’
Constitutional reform from 2010-2015:
● Fixed Term Parliament Act 2011 creates 5year terms to avoid the prime minister calling a
general election at a politically advantageous time
● Scotland Act 2012 gave the Scottish government the power to vary income tax
● Protection of Freedom Act 2012 offered citizens greater protection from the state by placing
scrutiny of the security services
● House of Lords Reform Act 2014 aimed at halting the increase in the number of those
eligible to sit and vote in the House of Lords by giving existing peers the right to retire or
resign. Also allowed peers to be removed as a result of criminal offence
● Wales Act 2014 allowed further devolution to Wales
Constitutional reform from 2015-2020:
● English Votes for English Laws 2016
● Scotland Act 2016 gave the Scottish Government greater financial autonomy
● Brexit 2016 referendum
● Wales Act 2017 gave the Welsh Assembly tax-raising powers
Rights in conflict:
● Growing number of conflicts in government and judiciary because:
● The human rights act has given judges more power to challenge government ministers
● Has made citizens more aware of their ability to challenge the actions of public bodies and
the government
● European court has power over British court when it comes to rights protection
● Individual rights encourage civic responsibility as it provides the basis for a free and fair
society and is the best way to ensure governments act responsibly
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