1. L2.8: Constitution and Government 2
To begin to examine how the Constitution limits
the power of Government
To discuss whether these limitations are
sufficient
2. Match the definitions
Sovereign
Parliamentary sovereignty
Legal sovereignty
The idea that Parliament is
the ultimate authority within
the State.
The name given to the
Monarch (for historical
reasons) despite the fact
that she is not, ultimately,
‘sovereign’
Political sovereignty
The ultimate power to make
laws which will be enforced
within the State
Where political power lies in
reality. Parliament may have
legal sovereignty - but does
Parliament truly have power?
Or does it lie elsewhere.
3. If your Head teacher resigned and a new Head teacher took over your
school or college and the new Head teacher came in and said....
All the rules that you had at school
are now abolished. The timetable is
changing. The time we start school is
changing, your lunch hour is changing.
All the school behaviour
policies, everything
- the whole lot, it is all changing
What problems would you have with that?
What problems would your teachers have?
And your parents or carers?
4. Parliament is elected for only 4 to 5 years at a time, in
that time, they could repeal all previous legislation
made by other Governments. It could, in theory, claw
back power from the regional assemblies, it could
withdraw from Europe etc.
No Parliament can
ENTRENCH any laws - it cannot make laws that a
future Parliament cannot withdraw.
Why do you think that when, on being elected, a new
Parliament does not just ‘wipe the slate clean’, repeal
all laws that were made before and make new ones?
5. dissolving Parliament and
calling a General Election
appointing and dismissing all
Government Ministers
creating peerages (members
of the House of Lords)
appointing ambassadors
agreeing foreign treaties
commanding the armed
forces and declaring wars
conducting relations with
foreign powers
conducting relations with
foreign powers
granting pardons to convicted
prisoners
6. 1. What the power ‘means’ - e.g. what does it mean to create
a peer?
2. How the Prime Minister goes about exercising that power
e.g. what does he have to do to ratify a foreign treaty
3. Find examples of when these powers have been exercised
in the past
4. How can the Prime Minister use these to exercise power
over others and so exercise political sovereignty (power not
controlled by Parliament)?
7. dissolving Parliament and
Provides the most power to the PM
calling a General Election
appointing and dismissing all
Government Ministers
creating peerages (members
of the House of Lords)
appointing ambassadors
agreeing foreign treaties
commanding the armed
forces and declaring wars
conducting relations with
foreign powers
conducting relations with
foreign powers
granting pardons to convicted
prisoners
Provides the least power to the PM
8. It is clear to see that the Prime
Minister has considerable
powers. If you were an evil
Prime Minister, which powers
would you use to make sure
that you ruled the country with a
firm hand and Parliament would
have to do as you say?
Make your evil plan!
9. What limits are
there on the powers
of the Prime
Minister?
Could I be accused of
being an
‘elective dictator?’
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Consider how you would go about answering this question.
What information would you need?
Where would you find this out?
What further questions would you need to ask in order to
investigate this?
Thought shower your ideas in pairs, then join with other
pairs and create an action plan to answer this question as
a group.
10. L2.8: Constitution and Government 2
To begin to examine how the Constitution limits
the power of Government
To discuss whether these limitations are
sufficient
Do you think this country is potentially at
risk from an ‘evil Prime Minister’ in the
future?