Key term
WJEC A-Level Government and Politics 603-1979-3
The British Constitution
Topic overviewThe nature of the constitution: uncodified, unitary and flexibleStatute law as a source of the constitutionCommon law and works of constitutional authorityConstitutional conventionsParliamentary sovereigntyThe rule of lawParliamentary government and constitutional monarchyConstitutional reform since 1997The debate on a codified constitutionThe UK, the European Union and BrexitThe UK, NATO and the United Nations
The Judiciary and the Supreme Court
Topic overviewThe constitutional role of the Supreme CourtThe Constitutional Reform Act 2005 and the creation of the CourtThe Supreme Court as the highest court of appealThe separation of powers in the UKJudicial independenceJudicial neutrality and the appointment of judgesJudicial review and the doctrine of ultra viresSupreme Court rulings on constitutional mattersA separate legal jurisdiction for Wales
The UK Executive
Topic overviewThe core executiveThe roles of the Prime MinisterThe powers and resources of the Prime MinisterThe royal prerogativeThe composition of the CabinetThe roles and functions of the CabinetCollective ministerial responsibilityIndividual ministerial responsibilityPrime ministerial government and its limitsThe civil service
Parliament and the Accountability of Government
Topic overviewThe composition of the House of CommonsThe House of Lords: composition and powersThe functions of ParliamentThe legislative processPrivate members' bills and delegated legislationSelect committeesQuestions, debates and confidence in the governmentBackbench MPs and peersThe role of the OppositionParliamentary privilegeParliamentary sovereignty in practiceExecutive dominance and where power lies
Government and the Senedd in Wales
Topic overviewThe First Minister of WalesThe Welsh Government and its CabinetCollective and individual ministerial responsibility in WalesThe powers and resources of the Welsh GovernmentThe origins and structure of the SeneddThe composition and election of the SeneddThe legislative competence of the SeneddThe legislative process in the SeneddPlenary and the business of the SeneddSenedd committeesMembers of the Senedd and the OppositionDebates over the effectiveness of the Senedd
Devolution and the United Kingdom
Topic overviewThe nature and forms of devolutionThe origins of devolution in the UKThe Scottish Parliament and Scottish GovernmentThe Northern Ireland Assembly and ExecutiveDevolution in EnglandAsymmetry in the devolution settlementThe West Lothian question and English votes for English lawsFunding devolution and the Barnett formulaDevolution, sovereignty and the unionDebates over the future of the union
Citizenship and Rights
Topic overviewThe meaning of citizenshipGlobal citizenshipFreedom, equality and active citizenshipThe rule of law and protection under the lawThe rights of minoritiesPositive discrimination and positive actionThe sources of rights in the UKEquality legislation on race and genderFreedom of expression, association and religionPrivacy, liberty and the right to a fair trialConflicts between rightsDebates over a British Bill of Rights
The Protection of Human Rights
Topic overviewThe courts and the protection of rightsJudicial review: grounds and remediesJudicial review in practiceThe Universal Declaration of Human RightsThe European Convention on Human RightsThe European Court of Human RightsThe Human Rights Act 1998The Human Rights Act in the courtsEnforcing equality lawOmbudsmen and commissionersPressure and campaigning for rightsDebates over the protection of rights in the UK
Democracy and Participation
Electoral Systems in the UK
Topic overviewThe functions of elections and the language of electoral systemsFirst Past the Post: how it worksFirst Past the Post: advantages and criticismsThe Additional Member System and Senedd electionsThe Single Transferable VoteParty list systemsThe supplementary vote and the alternative voteProportionality, fairness and effects on party systemsCoalition and minority governmentKey elections in WalesReferendums in Wales and the UK
Voting Behaviour in the UK
Topic overviewThe sociological model and social classParty identification and partisan dealignmentThe rational choice modelThe valence model and governing competenceAge, gender, ethnicity and educationRegion, nation and voting in WalesElection campaigns and party leadersThe media and voting behaviourTurnout, tactical voting and volatility
Political Parties in Wales and the UK
Topic overviewThe functions of political partiesThe Labour Party: origins and ideologyThe Conservative Party: origins and ideologyThe Liberal Democrats and the centre groundPlaid Cymru and the Welsh party systemSmaller and minor partiesParty organisation and the role of membersLeadership selection in the main partiesCandidate selection and representationManifestos, platforms and the mandateParty funding, cash for influence and reform
Pressure Groups and Social Movements
Topic overviewPressure groups and how they differ from partiesSectional and promotional groupsInsider and outsider groupsAccess points in Wales and the UKLobbying and direct contact with decision-makersDirect action and public campaigningUsing the media and new technologiesFactors in pressure group successPressure groups and the health of democracySocial movements: nature, membership and methodsThe women's movement and the environmental movement
Liberalism
Topic overviewOrigins of liberal ideasHuman nature, reason and progressIndividualism, liberty and natural rightsToleration, pluralism and justiceThe social contract and the liberal stateConstitutionalism, the rule of law and liberal democracyNegative and positive freedomClassical liberalism and laissez-faire economicsModern liberalism and the enabling stateThe New Right and libertarian views of the marketEquality of opportunity and equality of outcomeLiberalism and Welsh political parties and movementsLiberal ideas in global politics
Conservatism
Topic overviewOrigins of conservative ideasHuman imperfection, pragmatism and traditionOrganic society, hierarchy and natural inequalityAuthority, order and propertyTraditional and one-nation conservatismAuthoritarian conservatismMoral conservatism, the family and the churchThe New Right: neo-liberalism and neo-conservatismConservative debates on immigration and integrationConservative debates on minority rights and welfareEconomic conservatism, the market and state interventionConservatism and Welsh political parties and movementsConservative ideas in global politics
Socialism and Communism
Topic overviewOrigins of socialist ideasHuman nature, community and cooperationClass, class conflict and the proletariatEquality and social justiceMarxism and historical materialismCommunism in theory and in practiceRevolutionary and parliamentary roads to socialismSocial democracy, revisionism and the Third WayDemocratic socialism and ethical socialismSocialist views of capitalismPublic ownership and the means of productionCollectivism and the redistribution of wealthSocialism and the Welsh labour movementSocialist ideas in global politics
Nationalism
Topic overviewOrigins of nationalist ideasDefining the nation and the nation stateNational consciousness and the role of historyLanguage, culture and national symbolsNational sovereignty and self-determinationCivic nationalismEthno-cultural nationalismLiberal nationalismConservative nationalismChauvinism, xenophobia and expansionist nationalismPolitical nationalism, citizenship and the stateSeparatism, secession and anti-colonial nationalismNationalism and Welsh political parties and movementsNationalist ideas in global politics
The US Constitution and Federalism
Topic overviewThe Declaration of Independence and the founding principlesWriting the Constitution and its compromisesSeparation of powers and checks and balancesThe amendment processEnumerated, implied and reserved powersTheories of federalismThe changing balance of federal and state powerFiscal federalism and federal grantsFederalism before the Supreme CourtDebates about the Constitution
Rights and Liberties in the USA
Topic overviewThe Bill of Rights: origins and importanceThe First Amendment: speech, press and assemblyThe First Amendment: religionThe Second Amendment and gun ownershipRights of the accused and due processThe death penalty and the Eighth AmendmentPrivacy and the ConstitutionThe Fourteenth Amendment and incorporationCivil rights and the struggle for racial equalityAffirmative action and contemporary equality debates
The US Congress
The US Presidency
Topic overviewThe constitutional office of PresidentThe powers of the PresidentThe President as chief executiveThe President and legislationThe President, foreign policy and the armed forcesExecutive orders and unilateral actionThe CabinetThe Executive Office of the PresidentConstraints on presidential powerThe imperial presidency debate
The US Supreme Court
Topic overviewThe constitutional role of the Supreme CourtJudicial review and Marbury v MadisonJurisdiction and how a case reaches the CourtNomination and appointment of justicesTenure and proposals for reformJudicial activism and judicial restraintOriginalism and the living ConstitutionPrecedent and legal reasoningThe Court and the protection of rightsThe political significance of the Court and its composition
US Elections and Voting Behaviour
Topic overviewThe invisible primaryPrimaries and caucusesThe national nominating conventionsThe ticket and the general election campaignThe electoral collegeCongressional and midterm electionsMoney in US electionsPACs, super-PACs and campaign finance lawThe media and social media in campaignsLong-term determinants of voting behaviourShort-term factors, swing states and independents
Political Parties in the USA
Topic overviewThe American political spectrumThe Democratic partyThe Republican partyFactions in the Republican partyFactions in the Democratic partyParty organisation and candidate-centred campaignsWhy two parties dominateThird parties and independent candidatesRealignment, decline and polarisation
The US Congress
- 10 subtopics
- 30 things to know
- A2 Unit 4
What The US Congress covers
The US Congress is examined in A2 Unit 4, Government and politics of the USA — government of the USA. It covers the constitutional basis of Congress, the House of Representatives, the Senate, congressional leadership, the committee system, how a bill becomes law, the filibuster and Senate procedure, parties, partisanship and gridlock, congress and the executive and representation and the member's role.
The 10 subtopics
Each one has its own page.
- The constitutional basis of CongressPower of the purse, senate's exclusive powers and house's exclusive powers.Open →
- The House of RepresentativesTwo classic gerrymandering techniques, incumbency advantage and discharge petition.Open →
- The SenateOffice of president pro tempore, argument that the Senate is malapportioned and hold in Senate practice.Open →
- Congressional leadershipThree powers of the Speaker, role of the majority leader and party caucus or conference in Congress.Open →
- The committee systemStanding committee, joint committee and two powerful House committees and their business.Open →
- How a bill becomes lawBill dying in committee, president's options when a bill reaches the desk and pork-barrel spending.Open →
- The filibuster and Senate procedureRecall questions on why extended debate is possible in one chamber only, the cloture threshold and how it changed, the nuclear option, reconciliation, and the case each way.Open →
- Parties, partisanship and gridlockDivided government, three institutional causes of gridlock and partisan polarisation.Open →
- Congress and the executiveThree checks Congress holds over the President, executive agreement and executive privilege.Open →
- Representation and the member's roleTrustee model of representation, delegate model of representation and politico model.Open →
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
Your recallNot started
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Explain how congressional committees are organised and how their chairs are chosen.
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Why did the framers create two chambers?
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How often are House seats reapportioned, and on what basis?
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How many senators are there, and how are they distributed?
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How is the Speaker chosen?
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What is a filibuster?
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What is divided government?
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Name three checks Congress holds over the President.
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What is the trustee model of representation?
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Give three powers the Constitution grants Congress over money and trade.
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What is redistricting?
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Why is the Senate described as a continuous body?
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Where does the Speaker stand in the presidential line of succession?
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Why are committees described as the workshops of Congress?
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Who may formally introduce a bill in Congress?
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Why is the filibuster possible in the Senate but not the House?
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What is gridlock?
Process
How does Senate confirmation work for appointments?
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What is the delegate model of representation?
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What is the power of the purse?
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Who draws congressional districts in most states?
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Who presides over the Senate?
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What is a whip?
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What is a standing committee?
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What is meant by a bill dying in committee?
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What is cloture?
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Name three institutional causes of gridlock.
Process
Why has the confirmation process become more contentious?
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What is the politico model?
Take The US Congress further
The same content, four other ways.
Questions from this topic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
Which article of the Constitution establishes Congress?
Model answer
Article I.
- 2
What does it mean to say Congress is bicameral?
Model answer
It consists of two chambers, the House of Representatives and the Senate, and both must agree to pass legislation.
- 3
Why did the framers create two chambers?
Model answer
The Connecticut Compromise reconciled representation by population with equal representation of the states, and a second chamber was also intended to check hasty legislation.
- 4
Give three powers the Constitution grants Congress over money and trade.
Model answer
To lay and collect taxes, to borrow on the credit of the United States, and to regulate commerce with foreign nations and among the states.
- 5
What is the power of the purse?
Model answer
Congress's exclusive authority to raise revenue and appropriate money, without which the executive cannot spend.
- 6
Which chamber must originate revenue bills?
Model answer
The House of Representatives.
What is inside Levo
Six ways to work the same material.
The US Congress revision questions
- What does The US Congress cover in WJEC A-Level Government and Politics?
- 10 subtopics: the constitutional basis of congress, the house of representatives, the senate, congressional leadership, the committee system, how a bill becomes law, the filibuster and senate procedure, parties, partisanship and gridlock, congress and the executive and representation and the member's role. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.
- How is The US Congress organised?
- By the WJEC 603-1979-3 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.
Every question in The US Congress, on a schedule.
Attempt a question from memory, write the correct version, then attempt it again. Levo records the jump between your first attempt and your last, and brings each question back on the day you are due to forget it.
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