Kazakh University of International Relations and World Languages ​​

named after Abylai Khan (KazUIR & WL)

Faculty: Faculty of International Relations

Department: Regional Studies

PROJECT WORKS

for discipline of "Political Science" for 2012 - 2013 years

Approved by: ___________________________

Almaty, 2013

Module # 1

Theme I: “Sovereignty as the Main Concept of Politics”

Stages of Implementing

1. Define Sovereignty as the claim by a state to full self-government and recognition by other states of its independence.

2. Prove that Sovereignty doesn’t mean complete freedom of actions, states exist in the real world and in many cases sovereignty may be theoretical rather than legal and the country may have its actions affected or even controlled by other states.

3. Draw a distinction between legal and political sovereignty.

4. Remember that legal sovereignty consists of unrestricted legal authority, with the right to make laws on any matter.

5. Figure out that political sovereignty consists of unchallengeable power, the power to act in any chosen way.

Literature

1. Stephen D. Krasner. Problematic Sovereignty: Contested Rules and Political Possibilities. New York: Columbia University Press, 2001

2. Hideaki Shinoda. Re-Examining Sovereignty: From Classical Theory to the Global Age. Basingstoke, England: Macmillan, 2000

3. Daniel Philpott. Revolutions in Sovereignty: How Ideas Shaped Modern International Relations. Princeton, NY: Princeton University Press, 2001

4. Neil MacCormick. Questioning Sovereignty: Law, State, and Nation in the European Commonwealth. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999

5. Michael Ross Fowler, Julie Marie Bunck. Law, Power, and the Sovereign State: The Evolution and Application of the Concept of Sovereignty. University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 1995

Theme II: “In what ways is Parliament sovereign in uk?” Stages of Implementing

1. Define that the sovereignty of parliament is a legal power, and parliament is limited by a number of political and practical considerations.

2. Outline that there is no legal authority in the United Kingdom.

3. Remember that in UK no court or judge can declare an Act of Parliament invalid or unconstitutional. But outline that this aspect of sovereignty is gradually diminishing, as judges, in enforcing EU law, can declare a British statute inoperable.

4. Explore limits to parliament’s ability to pass legislation (with the sole and growing exception of EU matters).

5. Prove that no parliament can legally bind its successor or be bound by its predecessor. This means that no parliament can pass an Act which a successor parliament cannot repeal. Prove that this point in UK is contradictory of matters decided by the EU.

6. Outline the point that parliament in UK can pass laws legalising former illegalities or making illegal things which, when done, were legal. This is called ex post facto or retrospective legislation. Don’t forget to mention it in your presentation.

7. Remember that the sovereignty of parliament is an important legal concept, and means that statutes are supreme over common law; thus judges play a much smaller role in the British political process than is the case in countries such as the USA. Its practical importance is also considerable.

8. Prove the political fact that control of parliament is largely in the hands of the government of the day.