The contemporary House of Lords : Westminster bicameralism revived / Meg Russell.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Russell, Meg, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Great Britain. Parliament. House of Lords--Reform.

Great Britain.

Legislative bodies--Great Britain--Reform.

Legislative bodies.

Great Britain--Politics and government--1997-2007.

Great Britain--Politics and government--2007-.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (627 p.)

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2013.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

As the second chamber of the Westminster parliament, the House of Lords has a central position in British politics. But it is far less well-studied and well understood than the House of Commons. This is in part because of constant expectations that it is about to be reformed - but most Lords reform plans fail, as the Coalition government's dramatically did in 2012. Meanwhile, following a landmark change in 1999 which removed most of its hereditary members, the Lords' role in thepolicy process has grown. Understanding the chamber is therefore now essential to understanding politics and parliame

Contents:

Cover; Title Page; Copyright Page; Dedication; Acknowledgments; Contents; List of Tables, Figures and Boxes; List of Abbreviations; Six key questions about the House of Lords; What do we already know?; Sources, methods and style; Structure, and how to use this book; 1. Introduction; Context; 2. A Brief History of the House of Lords; In the beginning; The Lords and the origins of parliamentary government; Controversies, abolition and a new settlement: the Lords in the 17th century; An increasingly political House: the 18th century; The growth of democracy: the Lords in the 19th century

Pressures for reform: the Lords in the 20th centuryReform in the 21st century; Conclusion: Continuity and change in the Lords; 3. Bicameralism in Theory and Comparative Perspective; The history of bicameralism internationally; Modern justifications of bicameralism; The extent of bicameralism today; The composition of second chambers; The powers of second chambers; Some general lessons about bicameralism; Conclusion: The Lords in comparative perspective; The Post-1999 House of Lords; 4. A Brief Introduction to the Contemporary House of Lords; Membership of the contemporary House of Lords

Routes into the LordsWhat kind of people sit in the Lords?; Key functions of the Lords; The powers of the Lords; The Lords' ethos and organization; Administration and support for members; The Lords' image, outreach and communications; Conclusion: A chamber of paradoxes; 5. Political Actors in the Lords; The main groups in the Lords; Attendance, voting and voting cohesion; Who has political impact?; Conclusion: New dynamics in a 'no overall control' chamber; 6. The Lords as a Barrier to Government: Legislative Defeats; The legislative process in the Lords

The quantity and timing of Lords defeatsThe Lords and delegated legislation; The nature of Lords defeats; To what extent are Lords defeats overturned in the Commons?; Factors associated with successful Lords defeats; Case studies of defeats; Conclusion: Defeats and the policy power of the Lords; 7. Negotiated Outcomes and the Wider Legislative Impact of the Lords; Quantitative analysis of Lords amendments to government bills; Government handling of bills in the Lords; Six modes of Lords legislative debate; Private members' bills in the Lords; Conclusion: A key site of legislative negotiation

8. Non-legislative Policy WorkWritten and oral questions; General policy debates in the House of Lords; Lords committees; Conclusion: Non-legislative activity and the influence of the House of Lords; 9. Is the House of Lords 'Legitimate'? Attitudes Towards the Chamber; Legitimacy and bicameralism; Legitimacy and debates about the Lords; What does 'legitimacy' mean?; Evidence on key groups' views on Lords legitimacy; Conclusion: A 'more legitimate' House?; The Future; 10. The Politics of Lords Reform; What's wrong with the House of Lords?; The long road to Lords reform since 1999

Issues that confound 'wholesale' Lords reform

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

0-19-175177-4

0-19-165473-6

0-19-165472-8

OCLC:

861538528