The constitution: codification and sovereignty - key concepts

The concepts

• Constitution (tap to reveal) - The set of fundamental rules that determine how a country is governed, where power lies, and what rights citizens have.
• Parliamentary sovereignty (tap to reveal) - The principle that Parliament is the UK's supreme legal authority and can make, change, or repeal any law.
• Crown in Parliament (tap to reveal) - The idea that sovereignty belongs to Parliament as a whole - King, Commons and Lords together.
• Devolution (tap to reveal) - The transfer of power from central government to regional bodies such as the Scottish Parliament or Welsh Senedd, while Westminster keeps overall sovereignty.
• Devolved assembly (tap to reveal) - An elected parliament in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland with powers to make laws in certain areas.
• Quasi-federal (tap to reveal) - The UK's system after devolution - resembles a federal state in some ways but Parliament still has ultimate authority.
• Unitary (federal) (tap to reveal) - A unitary system keeps all legal power with the central government; federal splits power between central and regional governments.
• Constitutional convention (tap to reveal) - An unwritten rule that politicians are expected to follow even though it has no legal force.
• Constitutional monarchy (tap to reveal) - A monarchy where the king or queen has only ceremonial powers - all real decisions are made by elected politicians.
• Constitutional reform (tap to reveal) - Planned changes to the rules and structures that govern how a country is run.
• Convention (constitutional) (tap to reveal) - An unwritten rule of how government is supposed to work that is followed by convention and political expectation rather than by law.
• Dignified part of constitution (tap to reveal) - Bagehot's term for the ceremonial parts of the constitution - like the monarchy - that inspire loyalty but have no real power.
• Dignified part of constitution (tap to reveal) - Bagehot's term for the ceremonial parts of the constitution that inspire respect but have no real power.
• Efficient part of constitution (tap to reveal) - Bagehot's term for the parts of the constitution that actually run the country.
• Flexible constitution (tap to reveal) - A constitution that can be changed using the same process as ordinary laws, without needing special majorities or procedures.
• Rigid constitution (tap to reveal) - A constitution that is difficult to change because amendments require a special process, such as a large parliamentary majority or a referendum.
• Administrative devolution (tap to reveal) - Transferring the running of policies to a regional body without giving it the power to change laws.
• Asymmetrical devolution (tap to reveal) - Different parts of the UK having different levels of devolved power - Scotland has more powers than Wales.