...To what extent does the PM dominate the UK political system? Some say that the Britain has entered an era of elective dictatorship; this is when a government that is elected but has won so many votes that it can do what It likes1. In the UK we have a first past the post voting system so theoretically speaking once elected government can do as they please as they have been given the power to do so by the majority of voters who voted them in. The Prime Minister is the head of government and as head of the executive he has powers that can portray him as a dictator not someone representing the ideas of the general population. For example the conservative government introduced ‘the bedroom tax’ if this was David Cameron’s idea he has the power to ensure that his party vote for this law even if they disagree. In this essay I will evaluate evidence on how much the PM dominates the political system in the UK and conclude by giving my opinion on to what extent he controls the political system. The PM is head of the executive and seen as the most important figure of UK politics, with this comes powers and responsibility’s that arguably makes him the most powerful man in the country. The ability to hand pick your cabinet is a key factor on how much the PM controls the political system of, being able to choose who does what job in the country means the PM holds the careers and more importantly the livelihoods of the ministers in his hand because he has the ability to hire and fire ministers...
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...explain why government needs an effective Parliament c) Analyse the main factors that limit the effectiveness of Parliament Jan 2010 a) With reference to source, what changes to the second chamber are proposed? b) With reference to the source, and your own knowledge, explain the arguments for a fully or partly elected chamber c) Make out a case against an elected second chamber Jan 2011 a) With reference to the source, describe two functions of the House of Commons b) With reference to the source, and your own knowledge, explain how the House of Commons can control the power of government c) To what extent is the House of Commons effective in carrying out its various functions? May 2011 a) With reference to the source, describe three proposals that seek to strengthen parliamentary representation by increasing popular participation b) With reference to the source, and your own knowledge, explain how three of these proposals seek to make government more accountable to Parliament c) To what extent will the coalition government’s proposals bring about an effective reform of Parliament? Jan 2012 a) With reference to the source, why are legislative committees needed? b) With reference to the source, and your own knowledge, explain the ways in which backbench MPs can call government to account c) To what extent has the formation of a coalition altered the relationship between Parliament and government? Jan 2013 a) With reference to the source, outline two criticisms of...
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...How powerful is the UK Parliament? The Westminster Parliament is the UK’s highest political institution, making decisions on issues important to citizens throughout Britain. The Houses of Commons and Lords are responsible for passing legislation, scrutinising the government and debating issues. Retaining a high level of sovereignty despite devolution, seating dominating majority governments and possessing unprecedented constitutional flexibility, the UK Parliament wields a great deal of power. Political scientist Arend (Lijphart, 1999) first branded democracies as ‘consensual’ or ‘majoritarian.’ The UK parliament is said to be majoritarian, with a strong governing party and Cabinet, a lesser presence of small parties, minimal decentralisation,...
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...To what extent does parliament control executive power? Parliament remains the center of debate for MP's and parties, however it's the executive government that has overhauling power of formulating and executing policies. As head of the executive branch of government the Prime enjoys considerable power. The executive would be commonly known to have considerable power but you could argue that parliament places restraints and controls certain aspects of it. Parliament can be considered weak in different ways. One of those is the presence of party loyalty in the commons. MP's are elected and will have a strong mandate to support the party's policies. Defying the party leadership would prove too difficult and could be seen as a betrayal of the mandate. In turn, MP's will feel bound to the mandate made, encouraging them not to challenge the executive and support it's decisions. Another party factor is the overall majority the government has in parliament. The first past the post system guarantees this majority . The conservative party in the current House of Commons has 101 more seats than Labour. This demonstrates the vast majority of Conservative MP's from the 2015 general election. More importantly, for parliament to build momentum against the executive it would be difficult as roughly half the chamber are in the Prime Ministers party. In summary, party loyalty and is a beneficial to the executive's hold of power. However, Parliament does remain effective in different...
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...MARKING [pic] To what extent is the prime minister first among equals? This essay will compare the prime ministerial styles of Thatcher and Blair and compare presidential styles to collective cabinet government. It explains what can happen when a prime minister has too much power and is more than just first among equals. It concludes that in recent years the prime minster has exerted too much power and is ignoring his cabinet. By the 1830s the Westminster system of what we now as cabinet government emerged. The head of the government is the prime minister. Leech et al define the prime minister as: “A head of government whose power normally derives in Britain from leadership of the largest party in the legislature, more exceptionally from the enjoyment of the confidence of a cross –party parliamentary majority. The prime minister is not head of state” (p.191, 2011), UK Politics is devised from a constitutional monarchy: the monarch is the head of state. Leech et al (2011) further state that Sir Robert Walpole (1721-1742), holds this claim as he was the first Lord of the Treasury. In 1905 it was given royal warrant thus giving it legal status (Schaffer, 2011). The key aspect of the prime minister’s power is defined as someone who gives leadership and represents the nation at home but also abroad (Leech et al, 2011, p. 193). The prime minister also steers the government by directing government policies and strategies and by chairing the cabinet. Prime ministers power is referred...
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...LEVEL UNIT TWO GOVERNING THE UK “Never, never, never give up” Winston S Churchill 1874-1965 1 GOVERNING THE UK 50% of AS [25% of A2] UNIT TWO SAMPLE QUESTION Answer one question from Section A and one question from Section B in 80 minutes. Spend 40 minutes on Section A and 40 minutes on Section B SECTION A QUESTION ONE PRIME MINISTERIAL POWER “For too long the big political decisions in this country have been made in the wrong place. They are not made around the Cabinet table where they should be, but they are taken on the sofa in Tony Blair’s office. No notes are kept and no one takes the blame when things go wrong. That arrogant style of government must come to an end. I will restore the proper process of government. I want to be Prime Minister of this country not a President (Source: David Cameron, The Times, 5th October 2006) “The Cabinet is the committee at the centre of the British political system. Every Thursday during Parliament, Secretaries of State from all departments as well as other ministers meet in the Cabinet Room in Downing Street to discuss the big issues of the day. The Prime Minister chairs the meeting, selects its members and also recommends their appointment as ministers to the monarch. The present Cabinet has 23 members (21 MPs and two peers). The secretary of the Cabinet is responsible for preparing records of its discussions and decisions”. (Source: From a modern textbook) (a) What criticism is David Cameron making...
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...People and Politics Understanding the Examination and Exam Technique Choosing your questions In this unit you are presented with four questions. They are of equal value and each question covers one of the four sections of the specification. These are: Democracy and political participation Party policies and ideas Elections Pressure groups There is no significance to the order in which questions appear. Each question is divided into three sections (a), (b) and (c). When choosing which questions to do, the following principles are recommended: It is almost certain that you will be better off choosing your strongest question to do first. You should choose questions on the basis of how well you can answer the section (c) part. The (c) part carries 25 of the 40 marks available for the whole answer. Do not choose a question simply because you can do part (a) especially well. The (a) question is only worth 5 marks. It would be illogical to choose your strongest (a) part if you cannot do well on section (c). If you cannot decide between several (c) parts, i.e. you can do more than one equally well, make your choice on the basis of part (b) which carries 10 marks. But remember, it is the (c) parts that will determine most what your overall mark will be. So, when you first look at the exam paper, look at the (c) sections first. Assessment Objectives Each question is divided into three sections, as follows: carries 5 marks carries 10 marks carries 25 marks The way you answer questions...
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...politics since the collapse of the communism in East Europe.’(Fukuyama francis,1989) I disagree with this statement in a large extent. Overview Fukuyama published the idea of ‘end of ideology’, which became a controversial issue in 1989. No doubt, fascism and communism had both lost their appeal after the collapse of the communism in east Europe. In the postwar period, the three ideologies-liberalism, socialism and conservation –came to accept the common goal of capitalism. ( Lee, 1990) However, it does not mean that capitalism is a triumph of the world. Jacques mentions that there are many types of Marxism. For instance, orthodox Marxism is produced by the unique history tradition. Therefore, when one specific communism is collapsed, it does not mean that the communism is collapsed. In fact, there still are states that pursue other types of communism. People reflect and become interested in Marxist if capitalism cannot bring them into utopian era. There is no way to say that ideologies are becoming irrelevant to the discussion of politics. Also, All human are political thinkers. We all have difficult thoughts and diverse perceptions when the things happen around us. Modern ideologies such as feminism and ecologism are witnessed. From the observations and judgments, we can find out our own belief of what our world is and what we ought to be. ‘equality , ’rights’ ,’freedom’ ,’justice’ are the expression that always appear in our life. Of course, different...
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...Functional Analysis of Anticipatory ''It'' Lexical Bundles in Political Speeches Abstract This paper investigates a particular structural group of frequent word combinations referred to as ‘anticipatory it lexical bundles’. Lexical bundles are words formed that often co- occur in longer sequences. They are not idiomatic or structurally complete, but the sequences are building blocks in discourse and are so common and recurrent that the readers and listeners should pay much attention to them. The paper aims at showing and exploring structures and functions of the 'anticipatory it lexical bundles' presented in political speeches. This paper adopts Hewings and Hewings's categorization of interpersonal functions of 'anticipatory it lexical bundles'. Furthermore, the present investigation scrutinizes the interpersonal functions of 'anticipatory it lexical bundles' in the discourse of political speeches delivered by British politician 'Margaret Thatcher'. The structural and functional types of 'anticipatory it lexical bundles' found in the speeches under analysis are described and compared. The main finding of this paper indicates that there are two main interpersonal functions of lexical bundles that dominate in this domain: attitude markers and emphatics. 1.1 Lexical Bundles Lexical bundles, as a particular and relatively recent category of word combinations with a possibly formulaic status (Biber and Barbieri, 2007: 263), are coined and...
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...The European Union: Questions and Answers Kristin Archick Specialist in European Affairs March 4, 2013 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov RS21372 CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress The European Union: Questions and Answers Summary The European Union (EU) is a political and economic partnership that represents a unique form of cooperation among sovereign countries. The Union is the latest stage in a process of integration begun after World War II, initially by six Western European countries, to foster interdependence and make another war in Europe unthinkable. Today, the EU is composed of 27 member states, including most of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, and has helped to promote peace, stability, and economic prosperity throughout the European continent. The EU has been built through a series of binding treaties, and over the years, EU member states have sought to harmonize laws and adopt common policies on an increasing number of economic, social, and political issues. EU member states share a customs union, a single market in which goods, people, and capital move freely, a common trade policy, and a common agricultural policy. Seventeen EU member states use a common currency (the euro). In addition, the EU has been developing a Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), which includes a Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP), and pursuing cooperation in the area of Justice and Home Affairs (JHA)...
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...• FAQ Legal systems Introduction: profusion and variety There are hundreds of legal systems in the world. At the global level, international law is of great importance, whether created by the practice of sovereign states or by agreement among them in the form of treaties and other accords. Some transnational entities such as the European Union have created their own legal structures. At the national level there are over 180 sovereign states in the United Nations Organization. Many of these are federal or confederal, and their constituent parts may well have their own law. But, despite this great variety, it is important to begin by emphasizing one great division: that into religious and secular legal systems. Each side of this split holds quite different views as to law, in its source, scope, sanctions, and function. The source of religious law is the deity, legislating through the prophets. Secular law is made by human beings, and one of its most famous examples begins with the words 'We, the people'. It follows from this difference in their source that religious laws are perceived to be eternal and immutable, while secular rules can be changed by their makers. Religious law tells people what to believe as well as how to behave, whereas secular law deals with our external actions as they affect others. In a religious legal system disputes are usually adjudicated by an officer of that religion, so the same person is both judge and priest. In a secular system, by contrast,...
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...APPENDIX 1 INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS IN FEDERAL SYSTEMS INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS IN FEDERAL SYSTEMS 1 Introduction 1 2 FEDERAL SYSTEMS 3 3 WHAT ARE INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS? 4 4 AUSTRALIA’S FEDERATION – HOW IS IT OPERATING? 5 5 INTERNATIONAL COMPARISONS 8 6 INTERNATIONAL FEDERAL SYSTEMS: A BRIEF OVERVIEW 9 7 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 PRINCIPLES OF INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS EFFECTIVENESS TRANSPARENCY ACCOUNTABILITY EFFICIENCY INDEPENDENCE 11 11 33 34 37 40 8 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 INTERGOVERNMENTAL FISCAL ARRANGEMENTS REVENUE RAISING SPENDING FISCAL EQUALISATION MONITORING POLICY 43 43 51 55 56 57 9 CONCLUSION 59 INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS IN FEDERAL SYSTEMS INTRODUCTION 1| INTRODUCTION Australia, like many other systems of government around the world, is a federal system. Federations, while divided into different levels of government inevitably have a degree of interdependency between governments. Inescapably there arises a degree of conflict or ineffective governance. For example, disputes may arise between different governments on the basis of service provision or infrastructure, constitutional jurisdiction, fiscal arrangements (e.g. vertical fiscal imbalance or spending powers) or environmental or social issues. Most federations have developed a system of intergovernmental consultation and cooperation...
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...INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS IN FEDERAL SYSTEMS 39 7.5| INDEPENDENCE The actions and decisions of intergovernmental relations must be free from undue influence from political or private interests. They must have high-level commitment. The Productivity Commission has a very important role in Australia’s economic competitiveness in identifying reform priorities for Australia, and conducting detailed research and making recommendations on potential solutions. The Productivity Commission’s contribution to the understanding of our federal system has been seen in a number of reports it has produced, including the recent compilation of materials from the 2006 Roundtable Proceedings in Canberra entitled Productive Reform in a Federal System. The Productivity Commission’s role in federal–state relations is limited however: + The research priorities are set by the Commonwealth Government (and therefore potentially guided by political interests of the day rather than long-term objectives) and there is limited opportunity for the Productivity Commission to set its own work priorities. + There is no ‘buy-in’ by the state governments (either in terms of the direction of the Productivity Commission’s work agenda, the funding of the Commission or the outcomes). + There is no requirement for the Commonwealth Government to respond to the reports of the Productivity Commission, and therefore less accountability for the findings. Two considerations...
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...successful outcome. The Irish government soon announced that the referendum would take place on 2 October. The prospect of a favourable result looked bright, thanks to the global economic crisis, which hit Ireland particularly hard. Although ratifying the Treaty would not make a material difference, it would send a positive signal to international investors and affirm Ireland’s good fortune to be in the euro area at a time of global financial turmoil. Armed with legally binding guarantees from the EU to allay the concerns of many who opposed the Treaty in the first referendum, and the decision by the European Council to retain one © 2010 The Author(s) Journal compilation © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford OX4 2DQ, UK and...
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...BN2004/0601 Briefing note: IT IS TIME TO ACT ON BURMA 2 SHOULD THE SPDC BE ALLOWED TO GET AWAY WITH LIES? Patience & Flexibility 3 WHY ACT NOW? SPDC’s Broken Promises Lack of Democratic Progress Continuing Human Rights Abuses Releases from international pressure Security Concerns, Military Threat 4 PRESSURE WORKS Archbishop Desmond Tutu Daw Aung San Suu Kyi U Lwin, NLD Spokesman Asian Activists Malaysian Parliamentarians Sen. John McCain & HE Madeline Albright Sanctions Take Time Engagement is not working 6 WHAT THE REGIME IS BEING URGED TO DO 6 WHAT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY CAN DO 6 A BAN ON FINANCIAL REMITTANCES – THE PRACTICAL OPTION 7 A LIFELINE FOR THE DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT 7 A NON-VIOLENT BARGAINING CHIP 8 TAKING AIM AT SPDC’S ECONOMIC LIFELINES 9 CREATING DOMESTIC PRESSURE FOR CHANGE Undermining Moderates? 10 INSTIGATING REGIONAL ACTION 11 SPDC – FEIGNING REFORM & ROLLING OUT THE CHARM 11 DAMPENING EFFORTS Relabeling Enabling Remittances Business Diplomacy 13 SANCTIONS & SEX WORK Burma’s biggest pimp Increasing since 1988 Jumping the Gun Low Factory Wages Insufficient evidence Numbers of job losses disputed Job losses from capital flight Reforms needed 14 PEOPLE OF BURMA SUPPORT SANCTIONS 15 PREDICTIONS : Brief Chronology of ‘Predictions’ by the Thai Government 17 RECENT ARMS&...
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