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12 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Constitution |
. A set of laws and principles which govern how a country is run . Also outlines the powers and functions of government and the rights of ordinary citizens in relation to the government . A framework within which the institutions of the state operates - regulates the balance of power . The central concept of the UK Constitution is parliamentary sovereignty - parliament can make any law it wants and no one else can unmake these laws . Governs the relationship between the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary . Constitutional arrangements are greatly affected by the UK's relationship with the EU - E.g Brexit |
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Uncodified |
. A constitution in which laws and principles are not set out in a single document . It is derived from a number of sources, some written down while others are unwritten - E.g UK constitution |
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Unentrenched |
. A constitution that is not protected by a higher court and does not require special procedures to amend it . E.g the UK constitution can be altered easily by a simple majority vote in Parliament, making it have a higher degree of flexibility than a codified system |
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Unitary |
A political system where all legal sovereignty is contained in a single place |
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Devolution |
The dispersal of power, but not sovereignty, within a political system |
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The monarch's place |
. The Queen has the power to dissolve parliament, to convene parliament, to choose laws and choose the next PM - A central paradox of the constitution, as the Queen retains these powers only on the understanding that she never uses them . If the Queen acted against the advice of the PM or in a way seen as unfair by other political parties, the power of the Crown would be destroyed . The monarch is the pinnacle of the constitution as the head of state - They have no legislative power but prevents any politician from becoming too much of an influential figure - E.g the Queen is the only person in the UK who would open the Olympics |
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The Executive |
The government, civil service and the Crown |
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The Legislature |
Parliament (House of Commons and House of Lords) |
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The Judiciary |
The courts and the judges |
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Veto |
The power to used by an officer of state to unilaterally stop an office action, especially the enactment of legislation |
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Ratify |
Sign or give formal consent to a treaty, contract or agreement, making it officially valid |
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Federalism |
. The decentralisation of power from the center to regions . Opposite of devolution |