The political system in Britain and USA

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The political system in Britain and USA

a) Britain

Great Britain: England

Scotland

Wales

United Kingdom: Great Britain

Northern Island

British Commonwealth of Nations: United Kingdom

New Zealand

Australia

Canada

+ other territories

Politic: - set with the constitution1

- unwritten laws, based on traditions and common law

- it’s easy to change it

- 1215 - Magna Carta – King John – start of parliament

- can be altered by an Act of Parliament

Political system: - parliamentary and democratic system

- constitutional monarch as a head of State.

- Government interrupted only once – 1649 – 1660

- during the reign of Oliver Cromwel

Queen: - Elizabeth II - born April 1926 (first birthday)

- June (second birthday)

- 1947 – married with Prince Philip

- 1952 – acceded to the throne

- 1953 – crowned

- impartial, acts on advice of ministers (she reign

not rule)

- has: - right to be consulted2

- right to encourage

- right to warn

- executive power

- head of legislative

- head of a church of England

- she appoints many officials

- ceremonial function

- chooses the leader from majority party in House

of Commons. He is called Prime Minister.

- week work: - sees Prime Minister each week

- speak to other Ministries

- receives copies from Government

- each year: - she summons3 and dissolves4 Parliament. - she must say a speech, which is prepared

by the Government

Parliament: - four countries: England

Scotland

Wales

Northern Island

- consists: Sovereign5

House of Lords

House of Commons

- work: - revising6 the Government work

- law making

- new law - proposal7 is a bill

go through both houses

sent to queen for

Royal Assent

she can’t refuse

- parliament session: - 1st day – queen reads speech of a

Government policy

(in the House of Lords)

- Monday to Thursday -

Ministers answer MP’s questions

for one hour – questioning time

- Two days a week -

Prime Minister answer MP’s

questions

- House of Lords: - made up - for about 1203 members (hereditary)

Lords Temporal - of peers and peeresses

- usually former8 members of House of Com.

- their sons and daughters can’t be members

- law lords – judicial duties of the house

Lords Spiritual - archbishops of Canterbury and York ( two archbishops )

- 24 bishops of the church of England

- function - bring experience of law making

- they can only complement9 not rival house of commons

- they can also ask to rewrite the bill before it became law

- House of Commons: - elected by voters in one region

- consists of 651 members of parliament (MPs)

- there is only 59 women (1994)

- 651 seats: - 524 England

- 38 Wales

- 72 Scotland

- 17 Northern Island

- Speaker – the chief officer

- elected by MPs to preside over the house

- parliamentary power, decide national policy

- Elections: - must be every 5 years (also shorter periods)

- minimum voting age – 18 – secret ballot

- candidates must be 21 or over.

- more political parties: Liberal-Democratic (centre)

Labour (left wing)

Conservative (right wing) - the voting system is called – first past the post system