Political institutions of a state are continuously shaped by historical and social trends that often introduce unique elements to their functions. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland encompasses one such institutional “quirk” in its bicameral parliament: the House of Lords. This upper house, established in the fourteenth century, is located in central London. It currently holds 820 members who are classified as either Lords Spiritual or Lords Temporal. The former identifies bishops from the Church of England while the remaining members encompass the latter. With the advent of modernity, The House of Lords has prompted controversy on its significance with many in the field of academia claiming it has become outdated.
Scholars …show more content…
For example, in the 1930s Prime Minister Churchill aimed to address economic issues, thus peers with economic backgrounds were suited to provide guidance. However, a predominant group of representatives in the institution is that of Bishops from the Church of England who provide distinct observations and suggestions on legislation. The institution has become more representative through the reform known as the Lords Spiritual Act passed recently in March 2015. The Act requires that vacant positions of Lords Spirituals be succeeded by women in an effort to adhere to social values of gender equality. Rachel Treweek was appointed to the House of Lords on October 2015 as the first female bishop in the …show more content…
Scholars downplay this element by arguing that without free and fair elections, the institution lacks democratic legitimacy. However, if one were to analyze the House of Lords through the lens of deliberative democracy, legitimacy is expanded as “processes by which opinion is formed and alternatives debated” are conducted through a wide representative group. As a result of appointment, the House of Lords surpasses the House of Commons in representing ethnic minorities with percentages of five and four respectively. Moreover, by evaluating the House of Lords’ adherence to democracy in historic terms, it is evident that appointment serves as a step towards democracy. Prior to the House of Lords Act of 1999, peers of the second chamber came into membership through heredity. The reform dismissed nine-tenths of the heredity peers, and instead focused on appointment as the dominant mechanism of entering the
Scholars …show more content…
For example, in the 1930s Prime Minister Churchill aimed to address economic issues, thus peers with economic backgrounds were suited to provide guidance. However, a predominant group of representatives in the institution is that of Bishops from the Church of England who provide distinct observations and suggestions on legislation. The institution has become more representative through the reform known as the Lords Spiritual Act passed recently in March 2015. The Act requires that vacant positions of Lords Spirituals be succeeded by women in an effort to adhere to social values of gender equality. Rachel Treweek was appointed to the House of Lords on October 2015 as the first female bishop in the …show more content…
Scholars downplay this element by arguing that without free and fair elections, the institution lacks democratic legitimacy. However, if one were to analyze the House of Lords through the lens of deliberative democracy, legitimacy is expanded as “processes by which opinion is formed and alternatives debated” are conducted through a wide representative group. As a result of appointment, the House of Lords surpasses the House of Commons in representing ethnic minorities with percentages of five and four respectively. Moreover, by evaluating the House of Lords’ adherence to democracy in historic terms, it is evident that appointment serves as a step towards democracy. Prior to the House of Lords Act of 1999, peers of the second chamber came into membership through heredity. The reform dismissed nine-tenths of the heredity peers, and instead focused on appointment as the dominant mechanism of entering the