Parliament - functions, effectiveness and structure of parliament
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Course
Unit 1 GOVP1 - People, Politics and Participation
Institution
AQA
Book
UK Government and Politics for AS/A-level (Fifth Edition)
A* student notes for the new Politics A level (starting 2019). These notes cover the entire chapter of Parliament with all the essential content, along with examples under the AQA and Edexcel specification. These notes address the bicameral style of government in the UK parliament, as well as exami...
How are the House of Commons and the House of Lords structured and what roles do they
play in parliament?
What are the comparative powers of the Commons and the Lords?
What are the main functions of parliament?
How effective is parliament in performing these functions?
How does parliament interact with the executive?
Structure?
House of Commons: The lower, primary chamber of the UK legislature,
which is directly elected
House of Lords: The upper chamber of the UK legislature, which isn’t
directly elected by voters
Legislature: The branch of government responsible for passing laws
Parliament: An assembly responsible that has the power to debate and
make laws
Bicameral: A political system where there are two chambers in the
legislature
Bicameralism
→The lower house is directly elected in general elections, and is dominant
→The composition of the upper house varies; may be directly elected or indirectly elected (appointed
---by ministers), or be a hybrid
→Bicameralism has several benefits: - upper house provides checks and balances
- provides greater scrutiny and revision of legislation
- may represent different interests
- subject professionals offer more experience
→Problems may also arise: - institutional conflict may produces legislative gridlock
- indirectly elected upper house may frustrate the will of the democratically
--------------------------------------elected lower house
1
, PARLIAMENT
The House of Commons: structure and members
Backbencher: An MP or member of the HoL who does not hold a ministerial
or shadow ministerial position
Frontbencher: An MP or member of the HoL who holds a ministerial or
shadow ministerial position
Parliamentary privilege: The legal immunity enjoyed by members of
parliament, particularly their right to free speech in parliament
Division: A vote in parliament
Whip: (a) A party official responsible for ensuring that MPs turn up to
parliamentary votes and follow their party when voting. (b) An instruction to
vote that is issued to MPs by political parties
The House of Commons is a democratically elected chamber of 650 MPs.
Each MP is elected by a single-member constituency by the first-past-the-
post electoral system
The number of MPs is not fixed and can change, and in 2016, the Conservative
government confirmed its commitment to cut the number of MPs to 600 and
equalize constituency size by 2020.
The governing party sits on the benches to the right of the speakers chair, and the
members of opposition sit to the left (opposite those governing).
Most MPs have no ministerial positions and are known as backbenchers.
Almost all MPs represent a political party, with some exceptions: Sylvia Hermon as
an UU, was re-elected as an independent in 2010-2015.
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