To what extent has the coalition strengthened the House of Commons?

To what extent has the coalition strengthened the House of Commons? For the past centuries, institutional and procedural reforms in the Britain's system have been slow and gradual. However, there could have been registered a growing movement for more fundamental reforms. After the May 2009 expenses scandal, there has been a much stronger appetite for changes, as people have started to lose faith in the politicians whose popularity gradually fell down. Therefore, after the 2010 elections, because of a hung parliament, the Conservatives formed a coalition with the Lib Dems, which opened up new possibilities for change. In the first year of their activity, they have passed a lot of laws related to the lower chamber. Therefore, it is vital to analyse as to whether this coalition and their reforms have strengthened the Commons or weakened it. One area that has been affected by these new statutes is the legislation making. The presence of a coalition in the House of Commons represents both a strength and a weakness. One advantageous side is the rejuvenation of the institution. It also means that there are going take place more debates, investigations of the future possible laws. Therefore, there will not be more situations such as in 1983 when the Conservatives under Thatcher had a majority of 144 seats, meaning that some laws, maybe not the best ones or maybe needing the ones

  • Word count: 1039
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Politics
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Identify and Discuss the Role of Prime Minister, Giving Specific Examples within the British System of Government.

Identify and Discuss the Role of Prime Minister, Giving Specific Examples within the British System of Government. Most people would agree that the most powerful individual in the British system of government is the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister may be head of the government but he is also seen as 'primus inter pares' - first among equals. However recent Prime ministers such as Thatcher, Blair and Brown consider themselves to be at least one rank higher than other cabinet ministers. "The exact extent of the power exercised by the Prime Minister, however, is not easy to calculate since the Prime Minister does not govern alone" (Bentley et al, 2008). The main reason the role of the Prime Minister is not easy to define is there is no constitutional definition of the role he plays. The Prime Minister has various roles in the British government system, which coincides to some extent with the administrative divisions of the No.10 Office. The main roles played by the Prime Minister are governed more by convention than any laws or rules and regulations. "The way in which individual Prime Ministers fulfil their roles largely depend on their individual leadership style and personality, however the role is fluid and...Is likely to be determined by day to day events and problems facing the government at the time" (James 1992). The principal roles of the prime minister are taken

  • Word count: 2215
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Politics
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Should the Westminster Electoral System be Reformed?

Should the Westminster electoral system be reformed? The Westminster electoral system has been a target for reform for a long time. Despite the loss in the 2011 referendum, reform is still wanted by a number of people especially the Liberal Democrats who will benefit the most. First Past the Post is the system that Westminster uses for election to the Houses of Commons; it is a simple majority or plurality system that requires a candidate to get more votes than anyone else. One argument that the Westminster electoral system should be reformed is that First Past the Post doesn't give the social representation that other system gives, for example in the Parliament elected in 2010, women, 51% of the population, are represented by 22% of Parliament therefore an under representation, however, university educated are overrepresented, 91% of the Houses of Commons represent 31% of the population but having PR doesn't guarantee that the social composition of Parliament only making the percentage of votes more proportional towards the seats. Moreover, FPTP stops extremist parties such as the BNP from gaining election and having influence over policy or gaining any credibility. One argument for reform of the electoral system is that government claim a mandate or legitimacy despite the fact that they have just over a third of the popular vote, in 2005 Labour claimed a mandate or

  • Word count: 737
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Politics
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The importance of democracy

The Importance of Democracy? There was a brief period in the history of ancient Greece when democracy of different kinds flourished in the various city-states of that age; it had relatively short life as a political system. Even the most direct forms of democracy, where all free citizens gathered regularly to make important decisions, excluded slaves, women and the uneducated. It was, in essence, reserved for the prominent citizens who enjoyed most of the wealth of the city. They were the only people who were considered to be sufficiently informed to vote. Democracy was short-lived in Greece, and once it had disappeared, it did not reappear in any recognisable form until the eighteenth century. Two and a half thousand years later, democracy has established itself as the political system preferred by all economically advanced nations. In the meantime, most people had been governed by hereditary monarchs, autocratic rulers or had effectively not been properly governed at all. So what is it about modern society that seems to make democracy so important? We can identify a number of theories to try to answer this question. Democracy establishes and protects freedom Towards the end of the eighteenth century a number of new philosophical and political movements developed. They were largely based on the principle that mankind should be free, both as individuals and collectively,

  • Word count: 605
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Politics
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Assess the strengths and weaknesses of proportional representation compared to First Past the Post.

Assess the strengths and weaknesses of proportional representation compared to First Past the Post. (25 marks) In general elections, the UK uses First Past The Post (FPTP), which is essentially when the country is split up into constituencies, and each constituency sends a representative to parliament. The representative is chosen by each elector choosing one person on the ballot paper, and the MP with the most votes (not necessarily the majority of votes) is sent to parliament. Although proponents of the status quo say FPTP is a simple, quick, and easy system to run; there are several weaknesses to this arguably "winner takes all" approach to general elections. One of the main criticisms is there is a definite two-party bias in the UK, and FPTP is essentially anti-third party. The Liberal Democrats, normally the third party, for years have been calling for a different electoral system which distributes the seats in parliament more fairy akin to the votes cast. Before the coalition agreement (and arguably after), their preferred voting system they wanted to see implemented in the UK was Proportional Representation (PR). This is an umbrella term, but we are generally talking about a party getting a number of seats in the House of Commons based on the proportion of votes they received. The 'Additional Member System' and the 'Single Transferable Vote' are both examples of a PR

  • Word count: 802
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Politics
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Democratic Rights

Is the UK a democracy? The UK has always, in the modern age, been described as a democracy. However such a loose term cannot be so strongly applied to a state (or any other state). The term democracy comes from Ancient Greece where two words were placed together to mean "rule by the people." Lincoln said that democracy was "rule by the people, for the people". Some say that democracy must have "free press, free elections, equal rights and liberties" It is with these definitions I will asses whether the UK is a democracy. The fact that the House of Lords is a non-elected body, damages the UK's claim to democracy. However, the House of Lords can be silenced (in terms of law-passing) by the Commons. The major reforms of 1911 and 1949 abolished the House of Lord's right to veto any bill and allowed for a bill to passed, even if it has been rejected by the Lords, if it was passed in Parliament in two successive sessions. This goes against democracy, in a sense that a non-elected body can delay the will of the people. However, this changed the tone of the question. Is democracy dependent on time it takes to complete the will of people? If the answer is no, then the UK can still hold the title of 'democracy' because it can eventually be passed. If the answer is yes, then this surely rules out the title the UK has to democracy. I believe the answer to be that democracy is not

  • Word count: 1291
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Politics
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How Democratic is Canada's Parliamentary System?

Canadian History: How Democratic is Canada's Parliamentary System? By: Rachel Williams Course: CH1-4U Teacher: Ms. Whelan Date: December 5, 2003 Canada's parliamentary system, although modeled after its British Imperial motherland, is completely unique to Canada. After careful analysis, it is evident that while it may not be democratic in theory or law, Canada's parliamentary system is most definitely democratic in practice. Democracy is defined as the free and equal right of every person to participate in a system of government; this is often practiced by electing representatives of the people by the people. In Canada, democracy is shown through among other things, its election process which involves the equal right of every citizen to vote. Also, democracy is apparent through Canada's House of Commons, who are elected members of parliament and finally, through the role that the Prime Minister is plays in the governmental system. Canada's election process is an essential part of its parliamentary system and what makes the structure democratic in practice. For example, in Canada "all Canadian citizens [of] at least 18 years of age on election day are eligible to vote, with very few exceptions."i In fact, as of October 31, 2002 law was changed to allow even people serving all types of prison sentences to vote.ii Obviously, this demonstrates the democratic

  • Word count: 1382
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Politics
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The comparison of the US President and the British Prime Minister appears from the onset, to provide some interesting differences since the President holds the position of Head of State as well as Head of Government.

The comparison of the US President and the British Prime Minister appears from the onset, to provide some interesting differences since the President holds the position of Head of State as well as Head of Government. The Prime Minister, it would appear, has more influence in domestic, able to dominate his part, legislature and to an extent, executive branch. The US President, on the other hand, appears to have the position of supremacy in domestic politics, known as the chief legislator and dominates his executive, though part control is limited. He does not hold the same position of power in domestic affairs as the Prime Minister, but his position of strength appears to be in the realm of foreign and international matters, in which he faces little challenge from Congress. Much of this prominence is derived from his status as the 'Nation's Leader' and the unifying force in a dispersed political system. It would appear that both offices hold different powers, all of which will be taken into account when deciding which is more powerful. The power, which the holder of each office exercises over their respective party in the legislature is of great significance in determining which office, confers the most power. The British Prime Minister, as shown by past examples, usually holds substantial power over the party machine from which their power originates, and position depends on.

  • Word count: 2980
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Politics
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Is the Uk more democratic?

Is the UK government more democratic since 1997? In 1997 the Labour Party came into power, many thought this meant that with a change of Political Party in government the UK would see a change in the democratic system. The New Labour Party made some changes in the legislation, some in the direction of greater democracy and some not so much. One notable change the Labour party made was introducing devolved assemblies in Scotland and Wales, so that decisions about Scotland were placed in the hands of the Scots rather than London. This is more democratic because it means that those who it most affects have the power. Even though Scottish MPs are still able to vote on how England is run when many feel it does not affect them, we can see that the UK as a whole has become more democratic from this action. New Labour has also used more referendums since 1997. For example in 2004 Labour's proposal for a referendum was held on whether or not to have a Regional Assembly, but the people voted 'No', and so the proposal was dropped. This shows that the British people do have a considerable amount of power, and the UK is more democratic. Before 1997 the UK government called very few referendums to determine what the people felt and what action should be taken, in fear of not getting the desired response from the people. It can be argued that the government manipulate the system: they

  • Word count: 658
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Politics
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Parliament - Functions, Scrutiny and Influence

Question 4 a) Outline two functions of Parliament Parliament has many functions; one of the most important functions is making laws. All government legislation must pass through a set of stages in both the House of Commons and House of Lords before it reaches the statute book. All law-making power in the UK issues ultimately from Parliament. Another function of Parliament is representation; it is Parliaments duty to represent the people, political parties aim is to reflect the views of the people who elect them however it is questionable how representative Parliament really is nowadays. b) Explain three ways in which Parliament carries out its scrutinising role There are a number of ways in which Parliament scrutinises the work of the government. One way is by asking questions to ministers through Question Time which supplies MP's with an opportunity to question the Prime Minister and the work of the government. Opposition may use this time to criticise the current government and 'score points' although it can be useful for individual MP's who gain valuable information for their constituency. Another way in which Parliament carries out its scrutinising role is through the use of select committees, the job of these committees is to monitor the work of government departments, such as education, defence, health etc. They investigate issues surrounding their department and

  • Word count: 805
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Politics
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