How effectively does Parliament carry out its functions?

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How effectively does Parliament carry out its functions?

There are several important functions that Parliament exists to perform. When we say Parliament, we mean the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Between them, this is the highest judicial, legislative and executive body in Britain. Its main occupation is to sustain and provide both government and Opposition. It does this by dividing itself into the largest party (or coalition of parties in the case of a hung parliament) and those groups not in power. However, even though government and Opposition is provided, it is not effective as it should be because the Government exists as almost an ‘elected dictatorship’, having the power to do what it wants with the support of its majority. Parliament also exists to create and decide upon legislation, but again Parliament is non-existent in this process. The government/Opposition divide remains in the legislation process, with executives introducing laws, which are then, on most occasions, passed by the Government’s majority of MPs. This, therefore, hinders Parliament’s effectiveness as a legislative forum independent from the executive as the executive almost automatically has the support needed to pass laws. Parliament should also scrutinize and debate the laws and policies that are being proposed and any important events that are occurring, but whether this is very effective is doubtful. There are select committees and standing committees to scrutinize and investigate the activities of the government, but these generally support the Government’s proposals. A crucial function of Parliament is to legitimize what the government has done, because the government has gone through the “proper channels”. This study will show just how ineffective Parliament has become because of the desire for strong government.

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Parliament’s basic function is to provide both government and Opposition, but this situation of adversarial politics that exists makes for a rather ineffective system. The whips on both sides ensure that the results in elections structure the situation for the whole of the Government’s term. The Government is therefore all-powerful between elections as it has a majority, has legitimacy because of its election by the public, and is able to rule as it sees fit. The Opposition, on the other hand, is weakened by this system, as it cannot gain enough support in Parliament to oppose the Government. The ...

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