British Politics, Monarchy & State – Key Vocabulary

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering the modern British political system, the monarchy’s ceremonial functions, key constitutional documents, electoral mechanisms, and the historical foundations laid during the Tudor era.

Constitutional Monarchy

System in which the monarch is head of state but powers are limited by a constitution and exercised mainly by elected bodies.

Unwritten (Uncodified) Constitution

A constitution made up of conventions, statutes and historic documents rather than a single written text.

Convention (constitutional)

An unwritten rule of political practice regarded as binding, e.g., the monarch always giving Royal Assent.

Royal Assent

Formal approval by the monarch required for a bill to become law in the UK.

House of Commons

The elected lower chamber of the UK Parliament where most legislation is initiated.

House of Lords

The unelected upper chamber of the UK Parliament that revises and scrutinises legislation.

First Past The Post (FPTP)

Plurality electoral system in which the candidate with the most votes in a constituency wins the seat.

State Opening of Parliament

Annual ceremonial event where the monarch formally opens a new parliamentary session.

King’s / Queen’s Speech

Speech delivered by the monarch outlining the government’s legislative agenda for the coming session.

Fixed-Term Parliaments Act 2011

Legislation (now repealed) that set five-year intervals between general elections and limited the monarch’s power to dissolve Parliament.

Invented Tradition

Rituals or ceremonies created or adapted in modern times to project an image of ancient continuity (Cannadine).

Mediated Monarchy

The idea that the royal family is presented through modern mass media as an ongoing public narrative or ‘soap opera’.

Celebrity Monarchy

Role of royals as global media personalities whose private lives attract popular attention.

Magna Carta (1215)

Charter that first limited royal authority and affirmed legal rights such as trial by peers.

Petition of Right (1628)

Document restricting the king’s ability to raise taxes and imprison without cause, reinforcing parliamentary consent.

Bill of Rights (1689)

Statute establishing parliamentary supremacy and forbidding royal suspension of laws or taxation without consent.

Parliament Acts 1911–49

Laws that curb the House of Lords’ power to veto or delay legislation.

Representation of the People Acts

Series of acts (notably 1918) extending suffrage and regulating electoral rights.

European Communities Act 1972

Act that took the UK into the European Economic Community and gave EU law domestic effect.

Devolution Acts 1998

Statutes creating separate legislatures and executives for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Human Rights Act 1998

UK law incorporating the European Convention on Human Rights into domestic courts.

Prime Minister

Head of UK government, conventionally the leader who commands a majority in the House of Commons.

Act of Supremacy (1534)

Law declaring Henry VIII ‘Supreme Head of the Church of England’, breaking with Rome.

Act in Restraint of Appeals (1533)

Statute proclaiming England an empire and forbidding appeals to the Pope, enabling Henry VIII’s divorce.

The King’s Great Matter

Henry VIII’s quest to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon in order to secure a male heir.

Divine Right of Kings

Doctrine that monarchs derive authority directly from God and are answerable only to Him.

Great Chain of Being

Hierarchical concept of creation in which every creature has a fixed place, used to justify social order.

Tudor Dynasty

English royal house (1485-1603) that included Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, central to the Reformation.

Henry VIII

Tudor king (1509-47) who established the Church of England and expanded royal power.

Church of England

National church founded after Henry VIII’s break with Rome; monarch is its Supreme Governor.

Coverdale Bible (1535)

First complete printed English Bible, translated by Miles Coverdale under Henry VIII.

Great Bible (1539)

Official English Bible ordered by Henry VIII, featuring a title page depicting the king receiving the Word from God.

Crown Jewels

Regalia used in coronations and state ceremonies symbolising the authority of the monarch.

House of Commons Chamber

Green-benched debating chamber where MPs meet; symbol of representative democracy.

Labour Party

Centre-left UK political party historically linked to trade unions and social welfare policies.

Conservative Party

Centre-right UK political party traditionally associated with free markets, hierarchy and unionism.

Landslide Victory

Election outcome in which one party wins by an overwhelming margin of parliamentary seats.

Monster Raving Loony Party

Satirical minor UK political party known for humorous ‘manicfesto’ pledges.

Bill Stages: First Reading

Initial formal presentation of a bill without debate in either House of Parliament.

Bill Stages: Second Reading

Stage where the overall principles of a bill are debated.

Committee Stage

Detailed examination, debate and amendment of a bill line by line.

Report Stage

Further consideration of amendments after committee scrutiny, allowing the whole House to review changes.

Third Reading

Final stage in a House where the finished bill is debated in its amended form before the vote.

Consideration of Amendments

Process where each House reviews changes made by the other before a bill can receive Royal Assent.

Scottish National Party (SNP)

Centre-left party advocating Scottish independence, represented at Westminster.

Devolution

Transfer of statutory powers from the UK Parliament to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Privy Council (Tudor)

Group of royal advisers who assisted the monarch in governing during the Tudor era.

Ceremonial Role of the Monarch

Function of representing national identity, unity and continuity through rituals and public appearances.

‘Fidei Defensor’ (Defender of the Faith)

Title granted by the Pope to Henry VIII for opposing Luther; retained by British monarchs even after the break with Rome.

Treasures Act of Supremacy (Treasons Act 1534)

Law making it treason to deny the monarch’s supremacy over church and state.