Year 11 - Citizenship
How does the UK Constitution affect the way the country is governed?
Practising what we have learnt
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Study Guides
This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
Pupils revisit a number of the key concepts covered in earlier units in preparation for their GCSE papers.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explain how the UK Constitution works and how it differs from the Constitution of the United States.
Key Notes
- 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.
Vocabulary To Learn
- 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 Mistakes To Avoid
- The UK has a written constitution like the United States.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
The UK has an uncodified constitution, made up of laws, conventions and traditions. Parliamentary Sovereignty means Parliament can make or change any law.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'constitution'
the set of principles and rules by which a country is organised; it is usually contained in one document.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: The UK has a written constitution like the United States. Correction: The UK Constitution is uncodified; it exists through laws, customs and conventions, but is not written down in one single document.
More Lessons In This Unit
- How are my rights protected? Study Guide
- How does the justice system work in the UK? Study Guide
- What does it mean to live in a democracy? Study Guide
- What has shaped the identity of the UK? Study Guide
- What is the UK's relationship with international organisations? Study Guide
- Where does power and influence lie? Study Guide
Browse all guides in the Year 11 Citizenship guide library.