AS government and politics Unit 2 exam questions

Instructions:
1) You must use the planning sheets to plan a total of five ten marks questions and five twenty five mark questions. 2) The questions in bold are the ones you must plan. This means you can choose one more ten mark question to plan and one more twenty five mark question to plan. 3) You must then pick two of the ten mark questions you have planned and two of the twenty five mark questions you have planned and write answers to them. Its probably best to do them in timed conditions: a minute per mark plus a couple of minutes planning time per question.

Constitution / judiciary
In what sense is the UK constitution unwritten? (10) What is elective dictatorship? (10) What are the main features of the constitution? (10) Explain, using examples, the sources of the constitution. (10) Outline the constitutional reforms undertaken since 1997. (10) What is the role of the judiciary? (10) Distinguish between judicial neutrality and independence. (10) How is judicial independence protected? (10) How is judicial independence threatened? (10) How is judicial neutrality protected? (10) How is judicial neutrality threatened? (10) Assess the strengths of the UK constitution. (25) Why has the UK constitution been criticised? (25) Should our constitution remain uncodified? (25) Discuss the importance of the constitutional changes that have occurred since 1997. (25) What are the benefits of the constitutional reforms undertaken since 1997? (25) Have recent constitutional reforms removed the need for a codified constitution? (25) What are the criticisms of the UK constitution? (25) How strong is the case for reform of the UK constitution? (25) Assess the impact of the constitutional reforms undertaken since 1997. (25) To what extent is the rule of law upheld in the UK? (25) To what extent are judges neutral and independent? (25) How effective are judges in protecting civil liberties? (25) Have civil liberties been weakened or strengthened in recent years? (25) Should the UK have an entrenched Bill of Rights? (25) Why have judges become increasingly politicised in recent years? (25) Judges have acted beyond their role as enforcers of the law. How far does this statement apply to the role of the judiciary in recent years? (25)

Parliament

What are the powers of the House of Commons? (10) What are the powers of the House of Lords? (10) Outline three functions of Parliament. (10) Briefly explain the key features of Parliamentary Government? (10) Briefly explain the key features of Presidential Government? (10) Briefly explain the key features of Parliamentary Sovereignty? (10) In which ways does the Commons differ from the Lords? (10) In what ways does Parliament carry out its various functions? (10) Outline three ways Parliament carries out its scrutinising role. (10) Why is Parliament so weak in relation to the executive? (25) Why and in what ways is the UK said to have Parliamentary Government? (25) Why has it proven difficult to reform the House of Lords? (25) How and why has the Lords been reformed since 1997? (25) Why and in what ways has Parliament become weaker in relation to the executive? (25) How effective is Parliament in carrying out its representative role? (25) How effective is Parliament in checking executive power? (25) How well does Parliament carry out its functions? (25) Has the UK Parliament become an irrelevant institution? (25) Has Parliament become more or less powerful in recent years? (25) Should the UK have a fully elected second chamber? (25) How could Parliament be strengthened? (25)

Executive
Outline the make-up of the executive. (10) What are the role and functions of the Prime Minister? (10) What are the role and functions of the Cabinet? (10) Outline the relationship between ministers and civil servants. (10) Outline the powers of the Prime Minister and the limits on those powers. (10) What is presidentialism? (10) Have Prime Ministers become more or less powerful in recent years? (25) Is the Cabinet irrelevant? (25) Is the Prime Minister too powerful? (25) To what extent is the Prime Ministers power limited? (25) To what extent do we still have Cabinet Government? (25) Have Prime Ministers become Presidential? (25) To what extent have the civil service remained neutral, permanent and anonymous? (25)