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House of lords today - Coggle Diagram
House of lords today
Arguments FOR elected second chamber
democratic legacy - increase legitimacy
wider representation
better legislation
checks commons - only elected chamber can check other elected chamber
ending executive tyranny
Arguments AGAINST elected second chamber
Specialist knowledge - elected would not have same knowledge
Gridlocked gov
Complementary chambers - carrying out different roles is needed
Dangers to partisanship - cannot think for self when elected
descriptive rep - hard to represent larger society when elected
Legislative scrutiny
How/what
Convention - does not reject bills in manifesto
practice - does not normally vote down gov bills
devotes 50-60% scrutinising bills
Effectiveness
Make around 1000-2000 amendments a year - influential
most amendments come from backbenchers or opposition
affects how gov brings forward bills - anticipated reactions
Scrutiny and influence on gov
how/what
become a more specialised body working through investigative committees
committees do not duplicate work of pbc
employs ad hoc committees to cover topics during session
effectiveness
committee reports recognised as authoritive
sub-comittees valuabe in wake of referendum vote in 2016
committees for post legislative scrutiny point out weaknesses
Raise issues of concern to citizens
how/what
devotes time to debating issues that affect citizens
issues that aren't political or mps cant discuss through fear of losing jobs
issues may affect particular groups - breast cancer / mental health etc
effectiveness
draw attention to issues that deserve government responses
eg assisted dying
does not have to be about passing law but getting it debated
helps agenda setting
Why is house of lords so effective
collective composition
no single party has absolute majority
parties cannot take house for granted to get measures through
individual composition
made peers by leading expertise in field
expertise is still current
cannot lose jobs so can think for themselves