Parliamentary committees have limited powers to effect changes to the way that government approaches the legislative process. Referendums are not the answer, but Nick argues that other forms of direct democracy could complement representative institutions and strengthen democratic legitimacy. How does UK Parliament hold Government to account? After all, Brexit wasn’t an issue in 1979! Since 2007, Westminster's parliamentary (select) committees have undertaken pre‐appointment hearings with the minister's preferred candidate for top‐level appointments to key public bodies; and in relation to some of the most salient positions, Parliament has acquired formal ‘advice and consent’ powers. His right hand man, Dominic Cummings, is whipping ministerial advisers into line. There is a Scrutiny Unit which also provides advice. Of course, there is a third option - continue with the patchwork of random institutions that are created as and when the government sees fit. In this first episode of our new series, Nick delves into liberalism (PAPER 1), and whether modern and classical liberals agree about the role of the state. The House of Commons and House of Lords both have a range of tools with which to hold government to account, most notably the various forms of questioning that takes place on the floors of both chambers and the valuable committee work takes place off from them. europarl.europa.eu. We hope like the new jingles. The fact is that sovereignty has multiple locations. It is one of the major reasons why the US constitution simply doesn’t work anymore. Comparative: Amending the US/UK constitutions. Parliament is good at the former but not at the latter. Whether anyone can understand it is another matter! We discuss whether legitimacy actually matters compared to much of the good work that is performed by the UK’s upper chamber. If you like us then please leave a favourable rating and review on whatever platform you use to get your podcasts, so that more people can find us. As a heads up, apologies if you can hear lawnmowers, text messaging and snoring cats. It’s hard to believe that this is the 50th episode of The A Level Politics Show. The House of Commons and House of Lords both have a range of tools with which to hold government to account, most notably the various forms of questioning that takes place on the floors of both chambers and the valuable committee work takes place off from them. The structure and role of the House of Commons and House of Lords. The 2019 general election will reinforce that trend. Avoiding an overly powerful executive and protecting rights can be achieved by moving away from the UK’s un-entrenched arrangements. Yet the fact that Trump is about to be impeached is the best argument against that argument. Yet it turned out the people were wiser than the Electoral College, which gave us nativism (Trump) instead of wise albeit flawed experience (Clinton). How important was race, especially when considering the summer of protest, the Black Lives Matter movement and the killing of George Floyd? Is there enough pluralism? Labour: Has it returned to its ideological roots? In short, referendums are an entirely unsuitable way of making political decisions. Parliament does not undertake its scrutiny of government in isolation. (PAPER 1), Nick examines whether the checks and balances contained in the US constitution are effective in avoiding tyranny and in encouraging bypartisanship. Growing trend of bypassing the scrutiny at committee level. Should it look to the founding fathers and take a literal approach, treating the US constitution as a dead piece of parchment? The A Level Politics Show. Michael Foley argued that prime ministers seek to separate themselves from the forces of constraint, be it parliament, cabinet or their own party. Mains level : Paper 2- Importance of scrutiny of the Bills at committee level. There are of course some social factors that don’t appear to matter at all. Yet the development of these new initiatives raises questions about their overall coherence and the role of parliamentary scrutiny. Data show that very few Bills are referred to the Parliamentary Committees now. It is, critics claim, unAmerican, unfair, unnecessary and unworkable. Nick is joined by Matthew Phillips to debate whether the UK should adopt a US-style codified constitution. Are political parties good for democracy? The parliamentary system isn’t built for a president, although few prime ministers appear to have been informed, and continue to act like West Wing fanboys while in office. Would state funding resolve this issue? “Oh dear!” Rights. It varies according to approval ratings, the type of government, national events and electoral mandates. (PAPER 1), While FPTP is held up as promoting strong government and stability, the evidence of the past few years has shown otherwise. Parliamentary Oversight - Scrutiny of Government - Duration: 2:21. Committee system for legislative scrutiny. While referendums can legitimate policy, they divide communities. The House of Commons and House of Lords both have a range of tools with which to hold government to account, most notably the various forms of questioning that takes place on the floors of both chambers and the valuable committee work takes place off from them. To be truly representative, parliament should not only resemble the people it serves. The article explains in detail the functioning of committees in the scrutiny of the Bills and underscores the importance of scrutiny of the Bills at the committee levels. The structure and role of the House of Commons and House of Lords. Yet the evidence of the past decade points to a rightward shift on economics and on service provision, while Brexit has empowered the neo-conservative wing of the party to the detriment of centrist schools of thought. Seminar for UK teachers of Citizenship, Law, Modern Studies and Politics. The UK parliament ultimately fails all of these tests. Try these questions on for size: Does Congress look like America? We will go through as many political topics as possible to give you as much help as we can with your A Level Politics revision. In doing so, it is important to examine the powers of each chamber, their status in relation to their sister chambers and their capacity to check the work of the executive. Parliamentary scrutiny is the close examination and investigation of government policies, actions and spending that is carried out by the House of Commons and the House of Lords and their committees. Or should it accept the flaws in the founding documents, as well as in those who created them, and take a more flexible view? If, during this time of home learning, you would like to build a political landmark out of Lego (or any material for that matter) do send me a picture by tweeting @nickdesouza. Therefore, it is wrong to claim that one chamber is significantly more powerful than the other. This episode is dedicated to the memory of James Furlong RIP. While Nick agrees that some of these measures may improve participation, the elephant in the room is the electoral system. (PAPER 3), How do we judge representation? It is time, I argue, for a federal UK. 'Parliamentary Scrutiny: Challenges and Choices' a seminar for teachers of A Level Politics and Adavanced Higher Modern Studies. Nick looks at the inbuilt tension between the US government and the 50 states. This "affirmative resolution" procedure is therefore used most often where the powers delegated are particularly wide-ranging, as in the Emergency Powers Act 1920 and the Human Rights Act 1998. Successive Conservative governments have promised to either scrap or “update”, to replace it with a bill of rights or kill it altogether. Don’t worry, it will all make sense when you give us a listen. Growing trend of bypassing the scrutiny at committee level. In our previous podcast we looked at the problems in UK democracy and so it is only right to look at some of the potential solutions to those flaws. In this episode, we focus on whether political parties adequately serve democracy. While two parties dominate vote share and seat share in parliament, popularity is only one measure of a party system. How does the UK Parliament hold Government to account? The founding fathers gave many powers to Congress in a bid to overcome tyranny. How does UK Parliament hold Government to account? Then let the battle commence! Happy to report that no rebellion became extinct during the making of this podcast, which is hardly surprising since we mention Extinction Rebellion on a number of occasions, along with 20 -odd other campaigns. The scrutiny landscape is perhaps best understood as a web of The “Old” and “New” Labour factions of the Labour Party existed long before Tony Blair coined the names. Should the English be given their own parliament? Thus, the two constitutions are more similar than one might think. We will focus on UK politics and US politics, and also look at political ideologies, including liberalism, socialism, conservatism and feminism. The former might give elites a bloody nose but can also intimidate minorities, while the latter might allow for compromise yet can create an aloof political class. To do so, they must represent the public rather than their donors, they must hold government to account and provide meaningful routes for citizens to participate. Removing caucuses, super delegates and closed primaries could all improve the current process and lend greater legitimacy to the candidates who go on to compete in the general election. Welcome to series 3 of The A Level Politics Show! While an English Parliament should be seen for what it is - a reactionary and narrow-minded attempt to shut people out of decision making - regional assemblies would do the opposite. Alternatively, the enabling legislation may make the SI subject to annulment by either House within a fixed period (usually 40 days); it may come into force immediately, subject to cancellation, or it may not come into force until the 40 days have passed without a successful challenge. He also suggests that while money is handy, sound leadership is even more useful. This show was recorded in 2017 when The A Level Politics Show was very young indeed. One alternative, the NPVIC, gives us that assurance and deserves our consideration. Are several forms of democracy present, including direct, liberal and representative, and do they complement each other? While mimicking America is not fancied by either host, there are certainly lessons to be learned from many other countries. any SI that makes a charge on the Revenue; any SI that purports to be immune from challenge in the courts; any SI that purports to operate retrospectively; any SI that has been unreasonably delayed in publication; any SI that makes unusual or unexpected use of the powers granted; any SI that appears to be ultra vires the parent Act; any SI that appears to be badly drafted and confusing. It was why they created the Electoral College in the first place - to protect the people from themselves. Listen to The A Level Politics Show on Spotify. Firstly, and how might they be improved it should also contain the and. 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