Why do we have a separation of powers?
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe the different branches of government and analyse why they might have a separation of powers.
Key learning points
- Power in the UK is split into three branches; the legislative, the executive and the judiciary.
- Separation of powers exist to ensure checks and balances, accountability, protection of rights and scrutiny.
- Power is shared to prevent corruption, allowing each branch to oversee and check the actions of the others.
Keywords
Legislative - the lawmaking body of the state i.e. Parliament in the UK
Executive - the branch of government that is responsible for putting laws or decisions into effect
Judiciary - the branch of the state that is responsible for enforcing the law; it is composed of judges and other legal officials
Common misconception
Power is separated, therefore, each branch does not link together.
While power is separated, the branches are still linked and work together. Each branch has its own responsibilities but also checks and balances the others to ensure no one branch becomes too powerful.
Teacher tip
Ensure pupils understand the key terms (executive, legislative and judiciary) before exploring how they overlap. A solid grasp of each branch's role will help pupils better understand how they work together in checks and balances.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.UK Parliament is made up of the Monarch, the House of Commons and the House of ...
Q2.In which area of UK Parliament do MPs meet?
Q3.Who is the head of the Government?
Q4.What is the British Constitution?
Q5.The House of Lords is an chamber.
Q6.Match the type of constitution to its definition.
rules by which a country is governed in a single document
rules by which a country is governed not in a single document
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.The three branches of power in the UK are the executive, the judiciary and the ...
Q2.Which branch is responsible for running the country and developing and implementing policies?
Q3.Which of the following is a reason why power is separate in the British constitution?
Q4.Match the correct branch to who holds them accountable.
are held accountable by the legislative who scrutinise their actions
are held accountable by the media through press coverage on rulings
are held accountable by the judiciary who apply the laws impartially
Q5.Which branch scrutinises the work of others by conducting reviews in court to decide if legislation violates the constitution?
Q6.Which of the following statements is an accurate description of the separation of powers in the UK?
To help you plan your 11 citizenship lesson on: Why do we have a separation of powers?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 citizenship lesson on: Why do we have a separation of powers?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 citizenship lessons from the What is the nature of the British Constitution? unit, dive into the full secondary citizenship curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.