Devolution | AQA A-Level Politics (7152)
Devolution
- 52 questions
- 5 subtopics
- Paper 1: government and politics of the UK
- Paper 1
What was devolved to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and how it differs from federalism, why England is the gap in the settlement, and how the money is shared out..
It covers devolution, Federalism and the Scottish Parliament, scotland and Wales since Devolution, northern Ireland and Power-Sharing, the West Lothian Question and English Devolution and the Barnett Formula, Sewel and the Impact of Devolution.
Sample questions from Devolution
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Devolution, Federalism and the Scottish Parliament
Which Act created the Scottish Parliament, and what preceded it?
Show the answer
The Scotland Act 1998, which followed a 1997 referendum in which Scottish voters endorsed a parliament by a large majority. -
Devolution, Federalism and the Scottish Parliament
Name three areas devolved to Scotland.
Show the answer
Health, education and policing and justice. -
Scotland and Wales since Devolution
How did Welsh devolution begin differently from Scotland's?
Show the answer
The 1997 Welsh referendum passed by a wafer-thin margin and delivered only executive powers over secondary legislation, without primary law-making or tax powers. -
Scotland and Wales since Devolution
What is the Welsh legislature now called?
Show the answer
Senedd Cymru, the Welsh Parliament, renamed in 2020. -
Northern Ireland and Power-Sharing
How are ministerial posts in the Northern Ireland Executive allocated?
Show the answer
By the d'Hondt method, in proportion to each party's strength in the Assembly. -
Northern Ireland and Power-Sharing
What is a petition of concern?
Show the answer
A device allowing a group of Assembly members to require a measure to win cross-community support before it can be passed. -
The West Lothian Question and English Devolution
What happened to the proposal for an elected regional assembly in the North East?
Show the answer
It was rejected overwhelmingly in a 2004 referendum, which ended plans for elected English regional assemblies. -
The West Lothian Question and English Devolution
Give one argument for creating an English Parliament.
Show the answer
It would give England the same national voice as the other nations and would answer the West Lothian question directly.
The 5 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Devolution, Federalism and the Scottish Parliament | Recall questions on what devolution is, how it differs from federalism, why the UK settlement is asymmetric and the Act that created Holyrood. | 11 |
| Scotland and Wales since Devolution | Recall questions on the 2022 ruling on a further independence referendum, who leads the Scottish Government and how Welsh devolution developed. | 8 |
| Northern Ireland and Power-Sharing | Recall questions on how the Good Friday Agreement produced devolution in Northern Ireland, power-sharing in the Executive and Assembly, the petition of concern, the powers devolved in 2010 and why devolution has been suspended. | 8 |
| The West Lothian Question and English Devolution | Recall questions on England as the gap in the devolution settlement, the West Lothian question and English votes for English laws, the London Mayor, combined authorities and metro mayors, and the case for and against an English Parliament. | 15 |
| The Barnett Formula, Sewel and the Impact of Devolution | Recall questions on the Barnett formula, the Sewel Convention and legislative consent, the policy divergence devolution has produced, and how devolution and Brexit have changed the character of the United Kingdom. | 10 |
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.