How does the UK Constitution affect the way the country is governed?
I can explain how the UK Constitution works and how it differs from the Constitution of the United States.
- Year 11
How does the UK Constitution affect the way the country is governed?
I can explain how the UK Constitution works and how it differs from the Constitution of the United States.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- The UK has an uncodified constitution, made up of laws, conventions and traditions.
- Parliamentary Sovereignty means Parliament can make or change any law.
- The UK system is flexible and can respond quickly, like with the Online Safety Act 2023.
- The US has a codified constitution, which is written in one document and harder to change.
- The US is a federal system, so states control areas like education, unlike the UK's devolved system.
Keywords
Constitution - the set of principles and rules by which a country is organised; it is usually contained in one document
Uncodified - the laws, legal decisions and customs that govern a country that does not have a constitution in a single written document
Conventions - rules that are observed despite not being written in a document that has legal authority
Common misconception
The UK has a written constitution like the United States.
The UK Constitution is uncodified; it exists through laws, customs and conventions, but is not written down in one single document.
Equipment
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
- Depiction or discussion of serious crime
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the word to its description.
Q2.The UK gains from being a member of organisations like the WTO and the Commonwealth.
Q3.What must the UK do to remain a responsible WTO member?
Q4.The Commonwealth is made up of mostly former colonies.
Q5.Put the following benefits of being part of international organisations in order from individual to global impact.
Q6.Which of these is an obligation of being part of the UN?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the word with its definition.
