18. System of government in UK

-17th century – less then 10% have the vote

- first past the post – 17th century – idea, Boroughs – areas, Constituency – small areas (nowdays depends on population) – then House of commons – representative of area – NOT PROPORTIONAL

• The Civil War 1642-51

• series of civil wars between Parliamentarians (“roundheads”) and Royalists (“cavaliers”)

• England protestant country – catholic church is weak – Protestantism – religion has political aspect – do not respect idea of having all power on hands of the king

• X Puritans – religious fanatics, open for business – want end of absolutism, supporters of independent parliament, some want king to be under parliament, want reform the church and idea of monarchy

• Royalists – want king to be head of the state

• Clash about religion but actually about

• divine right of king – believe that king is pointed by God, he has all rights

• question if they really need the king (they want to limit his powers and make parliament more powerful)

• principally over the way of England’s governance

• the war ended with parliamentarian victory at the Battle of Worcester

• replacement of English monarchy with Commonwealth of England

• the war established the precedent that an English monarch cannot govern without parliament agreement

• parliament is going to be able to remove king if they need it

• Charles II they let him have many powers as he likes, many mistresses he likes

Cromwell –

1658 dies – no one to take over, 1660 election – lets have king again – has absolute power, he can do what he wants, but powerfull puritans keeping their tittuls

Cavalier parliament – roylalist

1670 parliament ban everybody in parliament –

- political opposition is not divided by religion – political fractions – 17th – children of puritans

Tories = royalists, supporters of the king

• Tories – tradition of monarchy, conservative, supportive of monarchy, want stability, irish gaelic word ? irish catholic 1670-1680

• Whigs – didn’t like James II, liberal – Scottish word for house thief, Scottish protestant – meant as an insult

• Merchant capitalism (making money through trade)

• James II of England 1685

• he was secretly catholic – attitude towards absolutism, about politicas and power

• Tories and Wings did not liake him – W – against, T – supporters (podporovali stabilitu a monarch.)

• parliament becomes split by political believe

• we can see first political parties (Tories and Whigs)

• they made agreement in 1688 that James II did too much trouble

• they wanted William of Orange to be a king

• Glorious revolution – 1688-90, James II. Replaced by W of O, ESTABLISH CONSTIUTIONAL MONARCHY

• Establish idea of constitutional monarchy

• To some extend establish idea of human rights

1708 – british parliament – kingdowm of great Britain, united kingdom 1802

1715 Hanowerian dynasty of kings

- judicial branch – common law – system of legal precedenc

- king represents – executive branch

• Bill of Rights