Institutions of the British Constitution: government and legislature (AQA GCSE Citizenship Studies): Revision Note

The power of government

• The UK government has significant power to make decisions and introduce laws

  • However, this power is not unlimited and is checked by other institutions

• Parliament may need to agree to government proposals

  • MPs can debate, amend, or reject laws

• The courts can intervene if the government acts unlawfully

  • The UK Supreme Court can rule that government actions or laws are unlawful

• The public and the media can challenge the government

  • Protests, petitions, and media scrutiny can pressure the government to change course

The Prime Minister and Cabinet

• The Prime Minister is the head of the government, but the monarch is the Head of State

• The Prime Minister is appointed by the Monarch

  • This usually happens after a general election or if a Prime Minister resigns

• The Cabinet is made up of the most senior government ministers

  • Cabinet members are appointed, promoted or dismissed by the Prime Minister

  • The Prime Minister is often described as first amongst equals

    • This means they lead the Cabinet but are still part of a team

Key Cabinet roles

• Collective responsibility means all Cabinet members must publicly support government decisions

  • If a minister disagrees, they are expected to resign

  • This principle helps ensure unity and stability in government

• The Prime Minister is accountable to Parliament

  • They must answer questions and justify government actions

• The Prime Minister is also accountable to their political party

  • Party members can remove a leader through a leadership challenge

  • Examples include Margaret Thatcher (1990) and Boris Johnson (2023)

Parliamentary sovereignty

• Parliamentary sovereignty means that Parliament is the highest legal authority in the UK

  • Parliament can make or change any law

• The government proposes laws, but Parliament decides whether they become law

• Even governments with large majorities can face resistance

  • In 2025, Labour plans to cut welfare spending were withdrawn after 108 Labour MPs opposed them

• This shows that Parliament can limit government power, even when the government is strong

Role of the legislature

• The legislature refers to the bodies that make laws

  • In the UK, this is Parliament, made up of the House of Commons and House of Lords

Key roles

The House of Commons

• This is the elected chamber of Parliament where MPs debate laws, represent their constituents, and hold the government to account

• MPs are elected by the public in general elections to represent local constituencies

• There are 650 Members of Parliament (MPs), each representing a constituency

The House of Lords

• This is the second chamber of Parliament that scrutinises, revises, and suggests amendments to laws proposed by the House of Commons

• Members are unelected and include life peers, bishops, and a small number of hereditary peers

• here are around 780 members, and unlike the House of Commons, there is no fixed limit on its size

• The House of Lords can delay and amend legislation but cannot ultimately block laws passed by the Commons

Opposition

• The opposition includes all political parties not in government

• The official opposition is the largest opposition party

  • Currently, this is the Conservative Party

  • The Leader of the Opposition receives a salary and special status, such as raising issues each week at Prime Ministers' Questions

• The main role of the opposition is to hold the government to account

  • This is done through questioning, debates, and proposing alternatives

• Opposition parties are given Opposition Days

  • On these occasions they can choose the topics for debate in Parliament

• Opposition influence is stronger when the government has a small majority

  • With a large majority, governments usually pass their legislation unless their own MPs rebel

Political parties

• A political party is an organisation of people who share similar ideas and policies

  • These ideas are known as an ideology

• Parties stand candidates in elections to win power and form a government.

  • Party policies are set out in a manifesto, which is a list of promises made to voters

• In a democracy, there is a choice of political parties

• In a one-party state, only one political party is allowed

  • E.g. in China, the Communist Party is the single political party

Political parties in the UK

• Sinn Féin MPs are elected but do not take their seats in the House of Commons