Presidential Election Cycle
Constitutional requirements The Constitution supplies only the bare skeleton of the presidential election process: who may stand, how electors are appointed, and when terms begin and end. The primaries, caucuses and national conventions described in the next section appear nowhere in its text; they are practices developed by the political parties over time, not constitutional […]
Electoral Systems in the USA: An Overview
This corresponds to AQA specification 3.2.1.5, “The electoral process and direct democracy” (AQA 7152, Government and Politics of the USA). The AQA specification combines campaign finance and state-level direct democracy, such as referendums, initiatives and recall elections, within this same section, whereas the Edexcel specification separates these into distinct sub-sections (electing the president and Congress […]
The Government of Henry VII, 1485 to 1509
Introduction: Government as an Instrument of Survival 1. The Council: From Feudal Assembly to Working Executive Scale versus reality Social composition of the working council The Council Learned in the Law Essay debate 2. Parliament: A Reluctant and Transactional Partner The pattern of use Early functions: legitimacy, attainder, taxation Why Parliament was sidelined later in […]
Tutor Notes & Activities – Referendums
UK Referendums Five Teaching Activities for A Level Politics Level: A Level Politics (suitable for AQA 7152 and Edexcel 9PL0) Topic: Referendums: use, arguments for and against, and impact on UK political life since 1997 Format: Five adaptable activities, timed for a single lesson or split across a short scheme of work Teacher notes These […]
Referendums in the UK
How This Guide Maps to Your Specification Referendums appear on both major A-Level Politics specifications as a named topic within the study of democracy and elections. This guide is organised so that every section below can be located directly against the relevant specification reference. AQA (7152): Government and Politics of the UK Pearson Edexcel (9PL0): […]
Referendums in the UK: Flashcards
31 cards, grouped by topic (A–F) How to use these cards Section A – Key terms and concepts # FRONT – Question BACK – Answer A1 What is a referendum? A direct vote in which the electorate gives a Yes/No answer on a single issue, rather than electing a representative to decide. A2 Is a […]
Referendums: For and Against
1. What is a referendum? Referendum: a direct vote in which the electorate is asked to give a Yes/No answer on a single issue, rather than electing a representative to decide on their behalf. Case study: In Miller v Secretary of State for Exiting the EU (2017), the Supreme Court confirmed that the 2016 referendum […]
Brexit 2016 – The ‘Last’ Referendum?
1. Long-Term Background: The UK and European Integration, 1973 to 2013 The UK joined the European Economic Community in January 1973 under Edward Heath’s Conservative government, having applied for membership twice before and been vetoed by France. Divisions over Europe surfaced almost immediately: Harold Wilson’s Labour government held a referendum in 1975 on continued membership, […]
The Impact of Referendums on UK Political Life Since 1997
1. Constitutional Practice and Parliamentary Sovereignty Legally, most UK referendums remain advisory: Parliament is not bound to implement a result and must still legislate to give it effect. In practice, however, results since 1997 have generally been treated as politically decisive, most strikingly in the case of the 2016 EU referendum, where a majority of […]
Referendums in the UK Since 1997: How They Have Been Used
1. Introduction: Referendums and the UK Constitution A referendum is a direct vote in which the whole electorate, or the electorate of a particular nation or region, is asked to decide a single question, usually by choosing between two options. The UK constitution is uncodified and rests on the doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty, meaning that […]