Politics paper 2 forgot

UK Consititution being uncodified & unentrenched means..

Not written down and less protected

What do electoral systems face from public and why?

• Structural criticism

• Fails to accurately reflect votes cast therefore constitution maintains outdated mechanisms which requires reform

What do president win in EC

Majoirty of EC votes

What does FPTP allow?

• Parties to secure parliamentary majorities on a minority share of vote

What vote % did Labour win in 2019?

32.1%

How much votes did Trump lose by in popular vote in 2016?

2.87M

Flaws of FPTP

• Unrrepresentative

• Lack of proportionality at national level with votes not translated into seats with any real accuracy

• Simple pluraliryt system

• Winners bonus → Paarty with most votes even without a majoryt hugeley benefits & enjoy a share of seats in excess of share of votes it recieves

What does UK’s uncofied consittuion fail to protect

• Democracy

Which senator proposed a joint resolution on banning burning of US flag and when?

• Steve Daine

• June 2019

What would entrenchment of UK constitution allow

• Prevent a political interference from an overarching executive & make sure political reform are fully debated before being enacted

Evidence of rigidy of US ocnsittuion due to its entrenehcment process

• only 27 amendements with only 10 in 1791, & 2 cancelluing out each other demonsttrating how entrenchement can make meaningful reform extremely difficult allowing consittuion to be outdated

What is devolution VS federalism

• Transfer of power

• Federaloism - Consittuional divsion of power, both have significant power over clearly defined areas of govt

What does federalism prevent

Federal encorachment

What do ststae legislatures usally contol?

• The regulation of local commerce, public safety through policing & establshing and mainting schools

• Powers canot be removed by federal govt

How can changes to federalism occur

• Formal amendemnt process - Requires ¾ of state legislatures approval ensuring states powers cannot be removed by govts will

Federalism case example

US V Skrmetti June 2025 to uphold Tennessee’s minorAFFIRMING care for minors, prohibiting medical treatments for minors seeking to transition/treat gender dysphoria

What are trigger laws

• They take effect immediately

What are sheild laws

• Protect abortion providers from prosecution by other states

What can devolved istition do similiary to US states

• Pursure different policy agendas

How has state power been ovderriden by national govt under recent presidnets & example

• Deveolpments and policies which have seen areas of policy shared between the states & federal govts subjest to top-down aggresive use of federal power that challenges traditional sovereinty of state govtd

• Under 2nd trump adminsitatrion, which has targeted federak immigration authorities at specific states like LA, Chicago & NY

• The deployment of ICE overrides local ‘sanctuary’ polciies designed to limit cooperation with federal immigrtaion agent, also deployed national guards to cities like LA to support federal immigration enforcement despite oppositon from state leaders

• Jan 2026 - Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota asn part of federal crackdown on illegal immigrants

What can devoloution face similiar threats of alike to federalism in US>

• cENTRAL GOVT ENCROASHMENT

When did Sunak block Scotland’s gender recogntioon bill

Jan 2023

How did Sturgeon' condemn Sunak’s blocking of gender recongition bill

• As “full frontal attack|” on Scotland’s ability to make full decsions on devolved matters

Who set out imperial president theory & what is it

Arthur Schlesinger - President excceeding conttiutional limits & ignoring Congress wishes

What are executive actions

• Decisions made by President which gives federal officials onstructions to take certain actions allowing president to make major policy decisons without requiring consent from congress

What did War powers act require? How has this been undermined through Trump’s 2026 Iran Excuitve orders?

• Congressional apporval after 60 days

• Congress let deadline pass 1 May 2026 without officaly authorsing or declaring war

What was result of Senate April 2026 War powers resolution

• 52-47

What does PMQs allow

• Gives ability to expose govt failure, demand explanations & place political pressure on excutive

What did Badenochs PMQ political pressure lead to Starmer stating

That appoutnment of Mandelson was a “Mistake” and “wrong judgement”

What is PMQs often accused of?

• Poltiical theatre focused on point scoring rather than detailed scurinty

Why is UK parliamnert describe to perfom its legislation function more effectively than Congress?

• Strong whipping system, allowing legislation to pass with few checks

Wgat …points does congress have

Multiple veto pointz

Why is US Cobgress’s legilstive function ineffective & example

• Cogress & execuitve elected independently often can lead to a divided govt where either one chamber can be lead by a different majoriyt party encouraging paritsan divisions & stalling legislation - - Sept 2025 Huuse passed 6 month funding extension for US govt that included SAVE ACT (a bill make significant changes to voting laws) which democrat senators wouldsn taccept this verion of bill rejecting it 14 times leading to 43 day govt shurdown & ultimate failure of SAVE act

• Congressionall committee approvall limited - always at strt before being sent to house and senate having significant power over legislation

Why was 118th congress described as most unporoductive since 1980-s (2022-24)

• Passed onlyt 150 bills in over 2 yrs despite over 10k introduced, down from 350 from previous congress

Renaming postal office law

4 jan 2025 - Renamed postal service facility on 119 main street in Plain, Georgia “Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Post office”

How many bills did govt pass in 2024-2026 & how many passed

63 & 54 recieved royal assent

How are HOL limited in their ability scrutine govt & examples

• Acknowledges its lack of demcoratic legitimacy contrasting to Congress bicamral approvalrequired by Congress as both chamers impost equal legislative pwiwrs & independent mandates

• Parliament acts 1911 & 1949 meant they cant veto bils passed by Hoc for more than a year → invokd 7 times in total

• Equalising age of cosent to 16 for homosexuals & heterosexuals in Sexual offences act 2000

What does frequent elections for representatives in US allow for?

Elecotrate to punish/reward based on performance/policy decisions

Which republican senator voted against One Big Beautiful bill (major domestic policy package) & why

Tom Thillis - Argued it would remove medicaid for more than 600k north carolinas

Example of HOL exerting signifcant influence

• Preventing End of Life (Terminally ill adults) bill in April 2026 from passing despite passing elected HOC and majority support from population due to more than 1,200 amendment tabled and procedural delays by small numbers of unelected peers → Obstructing will of ele ted representatives

Political donors in HOL exmanple