A relationship diagram shows institutions as boxes and their links as arrows, each arrow carrying a verb. The verbs are what make it a relationship diagram rather than a map of names.
This lesson is part of constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. Confirm the exact powers in your textbook, since this page teaches the method with a simplified set of real institutions.
What are the four steps?
- List the institutions the question names.
- Place each in a box, grouping the lawmakers, the executive and the courts.
- Draw an arrow between boxes that interact.
- Write a verb on each arrow, and check it against your notes.
Four steps keep the diagram short enough to draw in a few minutes.
Worked example: a simple set of four boxes
Use four boxes: Head of state, Parliament, Cabinet and Courts.
| From | To | Verb label |
|---|---|---|
| Parliament | Cabinet | Holds to account 2 |
| Cabinet | Head of state (Yang di-Pertuan Agong) | Advises 1 |
| Courts | Parliament and Cabinet | Interpret the law they make and apply |
| Head of state (Yang di-Pertuan Agong) | Parliament | Gives royal assent to bills 1 |
Draw the boxes in a square, then add the four arrows. Each label tells the reader what the link means.
The mistake that costs marks
The common slip is to draw arrows with no labels, or to draw every possible link so the page becomes a web. A cluttered diagram hides the main relationships.
A second slip is to draw an arrow the wrong way. If the Cabinet advises the head of state, the arrow starts at the Cabinet.
How do you test the diagram against a written question?
Suppose the question says: “Explain how the courts check the power of the executive.” Find the arrow from the courts to the executive on your diagram, read its label, and expand it into a sentence.
“The courts interpret the law that the Cabinet applies, so a court can decide whether an action follows the law.” If you cannot find the arrow, the diagram is missing a link.
Check yourself
Add a fifth box, Civil service, to the diagram above. Which arrow does it need, and what verb would you write?
Answer
It needs an arrow from the Cabinet to the civil service, with a verb such as “directs” or “gives policy to”. The civil service then carries out the policy.
Check the exact wording in your textbook, but the direction and the verb are the parts that show understanding.
What to study next
Continue with comparing historical institutional development, or try the practice set.
For a teacher to check your diagrams, see online one-to-one Sejarah tuition. The evidence-to-explanation planner can help you turn an arrow into a sentence.