Parliament

• How many MPs are there in the House of Commons?

  650 MPs
• How are MPs elected in the House of Commons?

  Through a general election
• What voting system is used to elect MPs?

  First-past-the-post
• What is the role of backbenchers in the House of Commons?

  They do not hold a role in government
• Who are frontbenchers in the House of Commons?

  Government ministers
• What is the role of the Speaker in the House of Commons?

  To preside over debates and rule on procedures
• Who is the Leader of the Opposition?

  Leader of the largest opposition party
• What is the function of whips in Parliament?

  To enforce party discipline among MPs
• How many members are there in the House of Lords?

  Approximately 800 members
• What significant change did the Lords Act 1999 bring?

  Reduced hereditary peers to 92
• Who appoints life peers in the House of Lords?

  The Prime Minister
• What is the role of Lords Spiritual in the House of Lords?

  High-ranking members of the Church of England
• What is the monarch's role in Parliament?

  Head of state and appoints government
• What is the Queen's Speech?

  Sets out the government's legislative programme
• What is required for a bill to become law?

  Royal Assent from the monarch
• What are the main functions of Parliament?

  • Making laws
  • Representing the people
  • Scrutinising the government
  • Recruiting and training future ministers
  • Promoting legitimacy
• Why is Parliament considered to fulfill the function of making laws?

  It can make and unmake any law
• Why might Parliament not be effective in making laws?

  It mostly considers government-made bills
• How does Parliament represent the people?

  The House of Commons is elected
• What is a limitation of Parliament's representation of the people?

  The House of Lords is entirely unelected
• How does Parliament scrutinise the government?

  Through Question Time and select committees
• What is a limitation of Question Time in scrutinising the government?

  It often leads to petty, points-scoring exercises
• How does Parliament recruit future government ministers?

  All ministers are MPs who learn as backbenchers
• What is a limitation of the skills learned in Parliament?

  Skills may focus on debating rather than management
• How does Parliament promote legitimacy?

  Being elected gives the Commons public approval
• What is a limitation of Parliament's legitimacy?

  The Lords is not elected and creates legislation
• What is the significance of the 2015 election in relation to Parliament's representation?

  It showed the Commons did not reflect votes
• What are some scandals that have undermined public faith in Parliament?

  MP’s expenses and ‘cash for questions’
• How does the government majority affect Parliament's scrutiny function?

  Most MPs tend to support the government
• What is the role of select committees in Parliament?

  To scrutinise government department policy
• What is a limitation of select committees in Parliament?

  They can only criticise, not change policy
• How does Parliament ensure future ministers are trained?

  Backbenchers learn before becoming ministers
• What is a limitation of the pool of MPs for ministerial roles?

  Ministers come only from the largest party
• What is the 'Westminster bubble'?

  Ministers lack perspective outside politics
• How does the composition of Parliament affect its legitimacy?

  Unelected Lords undermine democratic legitimacy
• What is the significance of the Adapt app mentioned in the material?

  It provides exam-specific revision content
• What type of feedback does the Adapt app provide?

  Personalised, examiner feedback on answers
• What is the purpose of the unlimited past paper questions in the Adapt app?

  To test knowledge on every topic
• How does the Adapt app enhance the revision process?

  By offering tailored content for each subject