Active Citizens: How are governments formed?

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Active Citizens How are governments formed?

• There are currently 650 Members of Parliament
  (MPs).
• A government needs the support of half of all the
  MPs (325MPs).
• This was the result in 2010

Source http//www.ukpolitical.info/2010.htm
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Active Citizens Coalitions

• Following the 2010 general election, there was a
  period of negotiating between the Conservative,
  Labour and Liberal Democrat parties.
• The outcome was a coalition government between
  the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.
• What this video clip and consider
• Do you think more coalition governments are
  likely in the future?
• Do you think coalition governments are a good
  thing or not?

Source The Independent Newspaper, November 2014
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Active Citizens Cabinet Ministers
Once elected, a Prime Minister is able to choose
cabinet ministers. They are responsible for
different government departments for example
education, healthcare, defence and international
development. Cabinet ministers meet once a
week. They decides on government policy and
co-ordinate the work of the different government
departments. Cabinet meetings are private and its
members should not disclose any information about
them.
Question Who in this class is most likely to be
a cabinet minister in the future? What
attributes do they have that would make them a
good minister?
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Active Citizens Cabinet Role Play

• Each of you is going to take on the role of a
  cabinet minister. You will participate in a
  mock-cabinet meeting, in which one or more policy
  issue is discussed.
• Think about how your cabinet minister would
  address these topics in a cabinet meeting.
• Put forward your arguments. Listen to your
  cabinet colleagues and respond to their points.
• Your cabinet group needs to come to a decision on
  the issue and present a summary of the meeting to
  the rest of the class.

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Active Citizens Cabinet Role-Play

• Choose one of more of the following topics to
  base your cabinet meeting on
• This government should reduce the voting age to
  16 years old.
• Food waste should be illegal.
• Cut spending on international aid by 25 and
  spend this money in the UK instead.
• We should oppose another Scottish Independence
  referendum.
• Even if the topic does not have a direct impact
  on your department, you are still entitled to
  share your views and take part in any votes!

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Active Citizens How are laws made?

• Proposals
• Bills
• Parliamentary stages
• The Queens Assent
• Act of Parliament

• Watch this video clip and answer these questions
• Who comes up with the ideas for a new law?
• Could someone outside parliament propose a new
  law?

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Active Citizens How are laws made?

1. Who comes up with the ideas for a new law?
2. Could someone outside parliament propose a new
   law?

• Election manifestos
• Single MP (wants to change a law or create a new
  one)

• Need someone in parliament to sponsor it.
• Experts in a field or pressure groups can try to
  influence legislation
• Can be response to something that has happened
  (increased risk of terrorism) or because
  something has changed (more people using mobile
  phones)

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Active Citizens How are laws made?
House of Commons
Consultation Stage Ask experts, ordinary people
MPs
First Reading
Green Paper
White Paper
House of Lords
Watch this video and complete the flow chart above
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Active Citizens How are laws made?
House of Commons
First Reading Let MPs know its coming up
Second Reading Minister explains Bill. Debate
and vote
Third Reading Look at all amendments and vote on
the Bill
Report Stage MPs can see what changes the
committee has made
Consultation Stage Ask experts, ordinary people
MPs
Committee Stage Looks in detail at Bill. Line
by line
Green Paper
White Paper
Parliamentary Ping Pong Bill goes between
Commons and Lords until both are happy with it
Report Stage
Committee Stage All Lords go through Bill line
by line.
Third Reading
Second Reading
First Reading
House of Lords
Watch this video and complete the flow chart above
Royal Assent
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Active Citizens Make a law
Imagine that you are a Member of Parliament. What
new law would you like to make? Work in pairs to
develop an idea. Pitch your idea to the class.
Debate these proposals. Vote Which ideas are
supported by a majority of the class?
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Active Citizens Monitor your MP
You can find out how your MP has voted in the
House of Commons by visiting websites such as
www.theyworkforyou.com To find out what new laws
the candidates from the various parties want to
pass in the future, look at their party
manifestos.