Constitutions and Legislatures Compared | AQA A-Level Politics (7152)
Constitutions and Legislatures Compared
- 52 questions
- 4 subtopics
- Paper 2: comparative politics
- Paper 2
One constitution codified and entrenched, the other neither; one legislature sovereign, the other constrained.
What follows for amendment, for federalism and devolution, and for committees and control of money.
Sample questions from Constitutions and Legislatures Compared
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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The Two Constitutions Compared
How does the separation of powers differ between the two systems?
Show the answer
The USA separates the personnel of the three branches so that nobody may serve in two at once, while the UK fuses executive and legislature because ministers must sit in Parliament. -
The Two Constitutions Compared
Why does constitutional interpretation matter far more in the USA than the UK?
Show the answer
The US document is short, old and often vaguely worded, so its meaning is settled by Supreme Court interpretation, whereas the UK's uncodified rules are changed openly by Parliament. -
Devolution and Federalism Compared
Why is UK devolution described as asymmetric and US federalism as symmetric?
Show the answer
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland hold different powers and England has no devolved legislature at all, whereas every US state has identical constitutional status. -
Devolution and Federalism Compared
How does the funding of the UK's devolved bodies differ from that of the US states?
Show the answer
US states raise substantial taxes of their own alongside federal grants, while devolved bodies are funded mainly by a block grant from Westminster calculated by the Barnett formula, with more limited tax-raising powers. -
Parliament and Congress: Powers and Chambers
Why is the Senate often called the more powerful chamber of Congress, and how does that compare with the Lords?
Show the answer
The Senate has exclusive powers to confirm appointments, ratify treaties and try impeachments, while the Lords has no exclusive powers and can ultimately be overridden by the Commons. -
Parliament and Congress: Powers and Chambers
How are members of the two lower chambers elected?
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Both are elected from single-member districts by first-past-the-post, but US district boundaries are usually redrawn by state politicians while UK constituencies are set by independent boundary commissions. -
Committees, Scrutiny and Control of Money
Which is the stronger legislature in relation to its executive, and why?
Show the answer
Congress is stronger because it is independent of the executive and can amend, block or ignore the president's programme, while Parliament is normally controlled by the very government it exists to check. -
Committees, Scrutiny and Control of Money
How can each legislature remove the chief executive?
Show the answer
The Commons can force out a government with a simple majority in a confidence vote, while removing a president requires impeachment by the House and conviction by two-thirds of the Senate.
The 4 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| The Two Constitutions Compared | Recall questions comparing the UK and US constitutions in their form, sources, entrenchment and amendment, sovereignty, the separation of powers, judicial review, rights, conventions and the speed of government action. | 19 |
| Devolution and Federalism Compared | Recall questions on the genuine similarities between the systems, the distinction between devolution and federalism, and why one is asymmetric. | 8 |
| Parliament and Congress: Powers and Chambers | Recall questions on the basis of each legislature's powers, which chamber dominates, how upper-house members arrive and why the Senate is so strong. | 9 |
| Committees, Scrutiny and Control of Money | Recall questions on the differing power of the committee systems, the reach of scrutiny, control of public money and who initiates legislation. | 16 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby topics
AQA A-Level Politics Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 2,215 questions with their answers.