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Politics Paper 2 Essay Plans With Complete Solutions Latest Update
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Politics Paper 2 Essay Plans With CompleteSolutions Latest Update
Evaluate the effectiveness of backbench MPs Scrutiny -Effective
- Select Committees have become increasingly independent since the Wright
Reforms- MPs on committees do significant work to scrutinise govt independently-
Liason Committee (chairs of committees) questioned Johnson in Nov 2021 on
COP26, political ethics, the Budget, violence against women- Public Accounts
Committee forced govt action on tax issues (BBC accounts)- Business Committee
pushed through scrutiny of Mike Ashley for bad working practice at Sports Direct
Scrutiny -Not Effective
- Shadow ministers have great advantage over backbenchers in terms of access to
evidence for effective scrutiny- Question sessions can be ineffective as govt
ministers easily dodge questions- Ministerial Question Time sessions only last 30
mins and sometimes ministers see questions prior- PMQs become overly-theatrical
and govt backbenchers ask easy questions- Govt not legally mandated to
implement advice from committee scrutiny (May ignored Foreign Affairs
Committee on Syria in 2018)
Representation -Effective
- Do local work in surgeries, take up grievances of constituents and help them with
issues- In 2018 8 CON MPs rebel against three-line-whip to oppose Heathrow
Expansion on behalf of their constituents- Can publicise important issues (Lucinda
Berger and antisemtism)- Raise issues of constituents in parliamentary debates or
discussions & lobby officials for help- More confidence in time of party divides in
crisis (100 CON MPs oppose Covid Pass legislation in 2021)
Representation -Not Effective
,- Usually must support party leadership's wishes based on whip system (three-line-
whip) as dependent on party for election funding- Fear of sacking limits rebellions
(Johnson sacked 21 rebels incl. Phillip Hammond & Rory Stewart in 2019)- Rarely
oppose govt's manifesto commitments due to the electoral mandate convention-
Usuall
Evaluate the effectiveness of the House of Lords 1. ACCURATE SOCIETY 2. ONLY
BLOCK BILL 3. LESS PUBLIC IMAGEthesis 1: needs to be reformed to be more
accurate microcosm of society so that can be more effective in reflecting and
fighting for issues in society's minorities and to prevent tyranny of the majority -
undemocratic and unrepresentative. only 51 ethnic minority members in 2016
(6.4%) compared to 13% of population. 2012 saw 181 women, slightly went up to
207 2017 (25%) still not great though.antithesis 1: HOC does not do much better,
even when democratic not necessarily representative. 41 ethnic minority
members and 191 women in 2015.thesis 2: HoL only able to delay HoC bills, not
block. Lords can amend too, but if Commons vote to overturn them they can only
delay it passing for a year. since 1949 only 4 passed without consent of HoL.
Parliament Act (1911) also gives government 'financial privilege' meaning HoL
cannot block money bills. 2012 saw HoL amendments of Legal Aid, Sentencing and
Punishment of Offenders Act government overturned on this basis.antithesis 2: a
stronger HoL could lead to gridlock where bills struggle to succeed/little progress
made.thesis 3: less public image and less involvement in governmental decisions.
e.g government made up from HoCantithesis 3: more public image doesn't
necessarily make a better body of policy making e.g any time Blair messed up Iraq,
bad press for Miliband.
Evaluate how far Parliament retains sole sovereignty within the UK political system
- The EU can overrule parliamentary law and regulations from the EU have a
major impact on Parliament's powers, they erode its law making freedom.-
However Parliament retains the right to revoke the Act of Parliament which
, permitted EU entry in the first place, allowing it to withdraw membership if it so
desires.- The EU has not essentially eroded parliament's legal sovereignty as much
as orchestrated a 'pooling' of sovereignty.
POINT 2 (LEGISLATIVE POWER IN DEVOLVED BODIES)
- Legal sovereignty has also been eroded through devolution with the
establishment of legislative power in the new devolved bodies.- Although
Parliament is sovereign, before enacting legislation the consent of the region must
be given.- However Parliament still has the power to legislate above other bodies.
When looking into the overall position of Parliament, Westminster retains all of its
powers in comparison to the three devolved institutions.- This is evident through
the fact that the institutions are restricted from legislating against the European
Convention of Human Rights (ECHR). However, if Westminster wanted to pass an
act that opposed the ECHR, they are entitled to do so.
POINT 3 (CHECKS AND SCRUTINY)
- Parliament does have ultimate power over the Executive because: the
Government can be removed if it loses a vote in Parliament on a motion of
confidence, Parliament has to approve legislation before it is passed,
Parliamentary votes on many issues are seen to be binding on the Government
(for example the vote against air strikes in Syria), and Parliament can vote a
reduction in a Minister's salary as a sign of disapproval of what they have done.-
However the only real means of forcing the Government to change is through a
Parliamentary vote and not even all of these are binding.- In practice a
Government with a Parliamentary majority ca
Evaluate the extent to which the House of Lords performs a meaningful role in UK
democracycheck expertise (amendment) less partisanship= representative
use same as Q2
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