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WalesPoliticsQuick questions
Political Concepts and Theories (A2 Unit 3)
Quick questions on Key political concepts: power, authority, legitimacy and sovereignty - WJEC A-Level Government and Politics
6short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What is legitimacy?Show answer
Legitimacy is the quality of being rightful or justified: a legitimate regime or decision is accepted as having the right to rule or to be obeyed. Legitimacy turns power into authority and secures consent, which is why governments seek to legitimise themselves through elections, the rule of law and constitutional procedure.
What is sovereignty?Show answer
In the UK, the distinction is central: Parliament remains legally sovereign, but devolution, referendums, the Human Rights Act and former EU membership dispersed power, and political sovereignty arguably lies with the people.
What is concepts in relation?Show answer
These concepts connect to wider ideas. Rights (legal and human) limit power and protect individuals; equality (formal, of opportunity, or of outcome) shapes how power and resources are distributed; and the state is the body claiming legitimate authority over a territory. Ideologies differ over how to understand and distribute each: liberals stress rights and limited power, socialists stress equality, conservatives stress order and authority, and nationalists stress the sovereignty of the nation.
What is q1?Show answer
What is the difference between power and authority? [4 marks]
What is q2?Show answer
Name Weber's three types of authority. [3 marks]
What is q3?Show answer
To what extent does sovereignty still lie with Parliament in the UK? [25 marks]
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