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Powers and Functions of House of Commons vs House of Lords, British Parliament System

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Maya Oyewole

08/03/2023

Politics

Functions of the House of commons (HOC) and house of lords (HOL) , Politics

Powers and Functions of House of Commons vs House of Lords, British Parliament System

The British parliamentary system consists of two chambers: the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Both play crucial roles in the governance of the United Kingdom, with distinct powers and functions.

Key points:

  • The House of Commons has three main functions: scrutiny, legislation, and representation.
  • The House of Lords has similar but more limited functions, focusing on scrutiny, legislation revision, and representation of minority interests.
  • Both chambers contribute to the legitimacy and deliberative aspects of the British government.
...

08/03/2023

465

FUNCTIONS OF THE
HOUSE OF COMMONS
THE HOUSE OF COMMONS HAS THREE MAIN FUNCTIONS:
$oooo
-SCRUTINY. THIS INVOLVES EXAMINING THE WORK OF GOVERN

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Functions of the House of Lords

The House of Lords, the upper chamber of the British Parliament, performs functions similar to those of the House of Commons but with notable differences in scope and execution.

Scrutiny Function

While the House of Lords cannot veto legislation outright, it possesses a significant power of delay:

  • The Lords can force the government to reconsider legislation by delaying its passage for up to a year.
  • This power effectively compels the government to reflect on the proposed law and potentially make amendments to gain acceptance.

Highlight: The House of Lords' power of delay serves as a crucial check on hasty or ill-considered legislation, promoting thoughtful governance.

Legislative Function

The House of Lords plays a vital role in the legislative process, particularly in revising bills:

  • After bills pass through the House of Commons, the Lords carefully examine and revise them.
  • The chamber's composition of experts in various fields adds significant value to this process.

Example: The expertise found in the House of Lords might include former judges reviewing legal bills or scientists examining environmental legislation, ensuring thorough and informed revisions.

Representation Function

Despite being an unelected body, the House of Lords has developed a reputation for advocating for specific groups:

  • The Lords often stand up for the rights of minorities and vulnerable groups in society.
  • This function helps ensure that the interests of less represented populations are considered in the legislative process.

Quote: "While the House of Lords is unelected, it has gained a reputation for standing up for the rights of minorities and vulnerable groups."

The unique composition and functions of the House of Lords complement those of the House of Commons, creating a balanced British parliamentary system that aims to provide comprehensive governance and representation for all citizens of the United Kingdom.

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Politics

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8 Mar 2023

2 pages

Powers and Functions of House of Commons vs House of Lords, British Parliament System

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Maya Oyewole

@mayaoyew

The British parliamentary system consists of two chambers: the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Both play crucial roles in the governance of the United Kingdom, with distinct powers and functions.

Key points:

  • The House of Commons... Show more
FUNCTIONS OF THE
HOUSE OF COMMONS
THE HOUSE OF COMMONS HAS THREE MAIN FUNCTIONS:
$oooo
-SCRUTINY. THIS INVOLVES EXAMINING THE WORK OF GOVERN

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Functions of the House of Lords

The House of Lords, the upper chamber of the British Parliament, performs functions similar to those of the House of Commons but with notable differences in scope and execution.

Scrutiny Function

While the House of Lords cannot veto legislation outright, it possesses a significant power of delay:

  • The Lords can force the government to reconsider legislation by delaying its passage for up to a year.
  • This power effectively compels the government to reflect on the proposed law and potentially make amendments to gain acceptance.

Highlight: The House of Lords' power of delay serves as a crucial check on hasty or ill-considered legislation, promoting thoughtful governance.

Legislative Function

The House of Lords plays a vital role in the legislative process, particularly in revising bills:

  • After bills pass through the House of Commons, the Lords carefully examine and revise them.
  • The chamber's composition of experts in various fields adds significant value to this process.

Example: The expertise found in the House of Lords might include former judges reviewing legal bills or scientists examining environmental legislation, ensuring thorough and informed revisions.

Representation Function

Despite being an unelected body, the House of Lords has developed a reputation for advocating for specific groups:

  • The Lords often stand up for the rights of minorities and vulnerable groups in society.
  • This function helps ensure that the interests of less represented populations are considered in the legislative process.

Quote: "While the House of Lords is unelected, it has gained a reputation for standing up for the rights of minorities and vulnerable groups."

The unique composition and functions of the House of Lords complement those of the House of Commons, creating a balanced British parliamentary system that aims to provide comprehensive governance and representation for all citizens of the United Kingdom.

FUNCTIONS OF THE
HOUSE OF COMMONS
THE HOUSE OF COMMONS HAS THREE MAIN FUNCTIONS:
$oooo
-SCRUTINY. THIS INVOLVES EXAMINING THE WORK OF GOVERN

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Improve your grades

Join milions of students

By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Functions of the House of Commons

The House of Commons, a key component of the British parliamentary system, performs three primary functions that are essential to the democratic process in the United Kingdom.

Scrutiny Function

The House of Commons plays a crucial role in examining and holding the government accountable for its actions. This function involves:

  • Critically analyzing government policies and decisions
  • Compelling ministers to explain their actions and policies
  • Potentially dismissing a government through a vote of no confidence

Definition: A vote of no confidence is a motion that, if passed, effectively dismisses the government and forces an election.

Example: In January 2019, Theresa May's administration survived a vote of no confidence, demonstrating the House's confidence in her government.

Legislative Function

The House of Commons is responsible for passing and examining legislation. This process includes:

  • Reviewing proposed legislation
  • Making amendments to improve bills and protect minority interests
  • Balancing the need for effective governance with the duty to ensure only worthwhile laws are passed

Highlight: The legislative function overlaps with the scrutiny function, as Parliament must ensure that only beneficial laws are passed without impeding the government's ability to function.

Representation Function

Members of Parliament (MPs) are expected to represent their constituencies' interests, which involves:

  • Protecting the interests of their constituency as a whole
  • Addressing individual constituents' concerns
  • Considering representation in terms of resemblance to the population

Vocabulary: Resemblance in this context refers to how well the composition of Parliament reflects the diversity of the population it represents.

Additional Functions

The House of Commons also serves two other important purposes:

  1. Legitimation: By voting in favor of bills, the Commons grants consent on behalf of the people.
  2. Deliberation: It provides a forum for national debate on important issues.

These functions collectively ensure that the House of Commons plays a vital role in the British parliamentary system, upholding democratic principles and representing the interests of the British people.

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iOS user

The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.

Stefan S

iOS user

This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.

Samantha Klich

Android user

Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.

Anna

iOS user

Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good

Thomas R

iOS user

Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.

Basil

Android user

This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.

David K

iOS user

The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!

Sudenaz Ocak

Android user

In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.

Greenlight Bonnie

Android user

very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.

Rohan U

Android user

I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.

Xander S

iOS user

THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮

Elisha

iOS user

This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now

Paul T

iOS user