Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
20 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
|
When and who set up the Scottish Parliament and Welsh and Northern Ireland assemblies |
Tony Blair as the Labour Party Leader and PM in 1999 |
|
|
When did Scotland vote in the Scottish Referendum on UK independence and what was the vote. What did the UK political party leaders promise? |
September 2014 - 45% for independence. They promised greater devolution i.e. more power for the Scottish Parliament should they choose to remain in the UK |
|
|
When did the US achieve independence |
In 1776 when they won against British Troops in the American Revolution |
|
|
When did France win independence from it's Monarchy |
At the deposition and execution of Louis XVI in 1793 and the revolution that followed |
|
|
Has the UK been without a Monarch |
Yes, in 1649 and then reinstated in 1660 |
|
|
Does the UK have a written constitution |
No, unlike the US. The Government works through laws, traditions and customs called an unwritten constitution |
|
|
Problems with democracy in the UK |
Falling voter turnout Falling party membership |
|
|
What determines a 'major' political party such as Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrats |
They are (and have always in some form) been represented by elected Members of Parliament |
|
|
Explain the political system in China |
It is a one party state. All politicians are drawn from one party. Essentially communist however in reality the Chinese Communist Party promotes individual property ownership and individual wealth creation (two very Western and democratic ideals) to improve the national economy. |
|
|
What are the ideals of a truly democratic state |
The guarantee of freedom of the press and the right to protest and as well as holding regular contested election for Government office |
|
|
What is a unitary state? Use the UK as an example |
The UK was created by England coming together with Northern Ireland, Wales & Scotland in which ultimate power is vested in one national institution. More specifically, power in the UK lies in the Houses of Parliament in Westminster. |
|
|
What is Parliamentary Sovereignty? |
It means Parliament has (in theory) the ability to pass any laws without restriction. There is no power above parliament in the land, but not all decisions are made in Westminster. |
|
|
Where / how has Parliament delegated some of its powers. |
For centuries, it delegated powers to local governments including councils. For nearly 40 years, Parliament has also delegated many powers to the European Union and European laws now have more force in the UK courts than laws made by parliament. |
|
|
How consistent has UK rule been. |
Compared to many European nations, the UK has had a considerably smoother history. No external enemy has successfully invaded the UK and taken over its Government since William the Conqueror in 1066, nearly 1000 years ago,. There has been no civil war in Britain since the middle of the 1600s, more than 350 years ago. Due to this lack of drastic change, UK law has been allowed to slowly and continuously develop over a long period of time. |
|
|
Does the UK have a written constitution? |
As there has never been a time when the political systems needed to be restructured due to lack of invasion or civil war, the UK has never required a written constitution and so does not have one. |
|
|
Explain the UK's economic position and how it has changed since the Industrial Revolution |
The Industrial Revolution was the very rapid creation of factories and large-scale industry towards the end of the 18th century. Britain was one of the first to industrialise, making it one of the richest nations in Europe and driving the conquest and expansion of the British Empire, which 100 years ago covered a quarter of the globe. Two World Wars weakened Britain's economic position, forcing it into debt to America to pay for war provisions and undermining the UK's appetite and ability to dominate other nations. This has led to considerable social change. |
|
|
What are the 4 commonly known demonstrations of power |
Charisma - char, personality Rhetoric - skilfully used words, engaging Incentives - demonstrate personal benefits Coercion - riot police, death penalties - even democratic governments reserve the right of violence as a last resort |
|
|
Name the 3 parts of any government |
The Legislature: Creates laws. The Houses of Parliament - which is why MP's are often referred to as law-makers. The Judiciary: The legal systems, deciding whether an individual has broken a law and if so, what the punishment ought to be. The Executive: oversees the workings of the state in accordance with the laws passed by the legislature. |
|
|
What does the UK Government comprise of |
25 members of the Houses of Parliament led by the PM (the Cabinet) - so Britain is ruled by a Cabinet Government'. |
|
|
What is a mandate |
When a party wins a majority in the House of Commons, it is said to have been given the right to run and re-organise the state according to the ideas and policies in its manifesto (the list of policies each party publishes before an election setting out what it would do if it won power). This right is called a 'mandate' and the bigger majority a party wins, the bigger its mandate is said to be |
