The distinction between legal sovereignty and political sovereignty. (Edexcel A-Level Politics): Flashcards
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Practise the cards
13 cards from this deck
What is a key characteristic of legal sovereignty?
What is a key characteristic of legal sovereignty?
Theoretically unlimited authority
Where does legal sovereignty reside in the UK?
Where does legal sovereignty reside in the UK?
UK Parliament
What are the three components of UK Parliament?
What are the three components of UK Parliament?
Commons, Lords, and Monarch in law-making capacity
What power do courts have over Parliament's laws?
What power do courts have over Parliament's laws?
Uphold/apply laws; cannot strike down legislation
Give examples of legal sovereignty exercise
Give examples of legal sovereignty exercise
Human Rights Act 1998; EU Withdrawal Act 2018
What is Parliament's scope of law-making?
What is Parliament's scope of law-making?
Unlimited - can pass any law
What is political sovereignty?
What is political sovereignty?
Where ultimate power resides in practice
What factors influence political sovereignty?
What factors influence political sovereignty?
Public opinion, media, parties, pressure groups
Describe the nature of political sovereignty
Describe the nature of political sovereignty
Flexible and contextual; can shift with circumstances
Who exercises political sovereignty with strong majority?
Who exercises political sovereignty with strong majority?
Government with strong Commons majority
How does public opinion affect sovereignty?
How does public opinion affect sovereignty?
Can constrain or empower governments via elections
Distinguish legal vs political sovereignty
Distinguish legal vs political sovereignty
Formal legal authority vs actual power in practice
Compare stability of legal vs political sovereignty
Compare stability of legal vs political sovereignty
Legal: stable and fixed; Political: fluid and changing