British Government

331 Words1 Page

British government is democratic government. So, too, is American government; it roots are buried deep in English political and social history. Yet there are important differences between the two systems of government. Most of those differences grow out of this fundamnetally important point: Unlike government in the United State, government in Great Britain is unitary and and parlimentary in form and rests upon an unwritten constitution. They rule what they call a monarchy.
The Monarchy
In contrast to such republics as the United States and France, Britain has a hereditary ruler; so Great Britain is a monarchy. Its monarch bears the title of queen or king. While English monarchs once ruled with absolute power, their role has changed , and they are now little more than figureheads. Because her powers and duties are controlled by Britain's unwritten constitution, Elizabeth II, Britain's queen since 1952, is known as a constitutional monarch.
In formal terms, all acts of the British government are performed in the name of the queen. The queen does appoint the prime minister, byt her choice is subject to the approval of the House of Commons. So, traditionally, she chooses the leader of the majority party in that house to be prime minister. She has no power to dismiss the prome minister.
The house of Lords
The upper chamber, the House of lords, is a predominantly aristocratic body of more than1,100 members. More than 750 of its members have inherited their positions. They hold noble titles-such as duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron-and are known as the hereditary peers. The other members are appointed for life by the queen.

Show More
Related

  • Phoenix Pay System Case Study

    1381 Words  | 3 Pages

    The governor general, who assigns judges of the federal courts and advises the prime minister as well as accomplishing those duties of the prime minister. The prime minister has power to assign and fire Cabinet ministers, and hundreds of other federal government office holders. The Crown Corporation that is established by the Government of Canada.

    Read More

  • Should Australia Become a Republic?

    1087 Words  | 3 Pages

    Australia is currently a constitutional monarchy, meaning that the Queen is our current head of state. We also have a written constitution, which limits the Queen and other authorities power. The governor general, who is appointed on the advice of the prime minister, represents the Queen.

    Read More

  • The US Constitution

    1697 Words  | 4 Pages

    In comparison to the American System of government, other nations such as Britain, France, Canada, and Mexico are quite similar. The British Parliamentary system does not have two houses of the legislature; however it has the upper house called the House of Lords, which were comprised of Britain as in dukes, earls, viscounts, barons, and bishops.

    Read More

  • The Monarchy in Canada

    733 Words  | 2 Pages

    A monarchy is a form of government in which a single individual holds all the power in government. Since 1918 Britain has been governed in a Democratic system but held a lot of the same customs that it had when it was a monarchy (like a royal family etc.). Canada was a part of the British Monarchy when it was still around and unfortunately is still a part of the monarchy system that remains in Britain today. In 1867 the British North America Act was established and formed the Dominion of Canada by Queen Victoria. Since then Canada has grown to have its own customs and traditions but Britain’s crown is unitary throughout all jurisdictions in Canada. Queen Elizabeth the second is the sovereign of Canada she is the head of state; she must remain neutral politically in Canada and govern the people of Canada according to their respective laws and customs. The question too many Canadians today is whether or not Canada should abolish the British Monarchy in Canada. Many Canadians feel the monarchy is considered purely ceremonial and lacks legitimacy; attachments to the monarchy in Canada mostly just exists in older Canadians, younger generations in Canada have different views which support that the monarchy should be abolished in Canada.

    Read More

  • Essay On Reasons For English Colonization

    944 Words  | 2 Pages

    A1. England was run by a Parliament and per history had very limited involvement of the monarchy or direct rule by the king. As well as the colonial legislatures; members were elected by property-holding men and governors were given authority to make decisions on behalf of the king. This system our leadership and how it controls its people the reason many

    Read More

  • The Australian Government

    1379 Words  | 3 Pages

    The government of Australia is Constitutional Monarchy and a Federal Parliamentary. According to the Australian Government website, they call it a Constitutional Monarchy because the country was established with a constitution and the Head of State was Queen Victoria (Irving). Queen Victoria was the Queen of England at the time. They also call it a Federal Parliamentary because their Constitution was the birth of their nation and it created a federal system of government (Irving). When a government is deemed a Parliamentary it has a Parliament and means that they elect a Prime Minister.

    Read More

  • The Prime Minister of Canada

    2331 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Prime Minister is the Head of Government in Canada. Almost always, the Prime Minister is also the leader in the House of Commons, the assembly of ‘common’ people elected by the population to run government. Multiple steps are required to select a Prime Minister. First, there must be a vote of party members at a national convention that decide who will be their leader. If their party is already in power, or holds the majority of seats within Parliament, the chosen leader will assume the role of Prime Minister immediately. If not, the leader must lead the party through a successful election process to become Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is not elected directly by the entire population through the election. He or she is elected in an indirect manner when his or her party wins an election with the most seats in the House of Commons. The Prime Minister can lead the country for a maximum of five years before another election. However, historically and by tradition, most will call an election within four years depending on their perceived standing among the voters. If after four years, they feel that they are still held in high regard by the general public, and it is probable that they will maintain or enhance their power in government, the likelihood of calling...

    Read More

  • Three Estates

    490 Words  | 1 Pages

    as, "an assemblage of person (as members of nobility, clergy, and commons) called together by the British sovereign setting for a period of time and then being dissolved, and constituting the supreme legislature body of the United Kingdom." Parliament could also be defined as, "The 'image' and 'the thing in deed' of the mixed party (Alford 36)." The three different groups as mentioned in the definition by the Webster’s Dictionary are the estates that divide the parliament. The estates are not of physical property, but rather the separation of the society. One group was the clergy, which consisted of the bishops and priests, who were also called the prayers. Next there was the group of nobility which was formed by the kings, queens and knights, as so known as the fighters. And finally, the last group was the group of commons which were the average person such as the workers. The term three estates showed the fundamental view of the separation of society in medieval times.

    Read More

  • Government: Canada And China

    698 Words  | 2 Pages

    The two countries I have chosen to compare are China and Canada. Their systems of government are very different and have different powers and rolls in their country. Canada has a system of government very similar to our own. While china's government appears to be similar as well, but it is quite different. Canada's government democratic and is parliamentary in form but, very much like our own. Like all large governments it is representative democracy.

    Read More

  • The Differences Between the UK and US Constitutions

    684 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Differences Between the UK and US Constitutions The question requires us to see the difference between the UK and US constitutions of the political systems and then analyse whether there is actually a difference between the two. Constitution specifies the powers of the state and the institutions or offices, which have and excise state power. “A state is a human community that (successfully) claims the monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force within a given territory” (Max Weber). There are two types of constitutions negative constitutions which goes beyond principles that are beyond people’s wishes this is common in the US constitution. Whereas the positive constitution is an example of the British constitutions constructed so that public wishes are kept.

    Read More

  • British Monarchy

    773 Words  | 2 Pages

    The British public’s view on the monarchy has changed tremendously over the past two centuries. Because of this, the monarchy’s social and political roles have been steadily declining. The reasons behind this are the Great Reform Bill of 1832, growing political parties, and the actions of the Royal Family.

    Read More

  • Advantages And Disadvantages Of Majoritarian Government

    703 Words  | 2 Pages

    The United Kingdom is formally called “United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.” Government in the United Kingdom is considered to be Parliamentary. Although it is parliamentary, it is also described as being “majoritarian.” Parliament in the UK works a little different than the United States; the people of the U.S. are allowed to elect their president. In the parliamentary system the people elect who will be in the legislature, and the legislature then selects who the next prime minister will be. Then, once the prime minister is selected he choses members of the cabinet. This system creates a quick and easy political decision-making by popular majority. In this essay we will discuss the strengths and limitations the majoritarian government of the UK. One of the strengths of majoritarian government is perhaps that it is the fastest to pass or veto legislation, however there are limitations or weaknesses also like it lacks checks and balances from the House of Lords, and the disadvantage that the smaller parties have when it comes to elections, and not having a set calendar date for elections.

    Read More

  • Should the British Monarchy be Abolished?

    842 Words  | 2 Pages

    The monarchy symbolizes unity and traditions, which is unique and treasured to the nation. The monarch universally known as head of the Commonwealth, she is voluntarily recognised as the Head of State to 54 independent countries (The British Monarchy, 2013) The Queen to modern Britain, is an icon, who cannot simply be swapped for an elected politician. The British monarchy has played huge importance in British history, which is integral to our national identity. The Queen reined for 61 years and she provides an existing connection between the past, present and future. This is exactly what a politician could not offer to the public; for instance, Tony Blair, prior to 1997 was unknown on a state level, as he had done nothing significant for the British public. The monarchy’s traditions are famous not only in the United Kingdom but throughout the world. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is the ruler of sixteen other countries including Britain. Whilst the queen receives many privileges as head of state, it does come at a personal cost. Her privacy is limited as she is consistently scrutinized from t...

    Read More

  • The House of Commons

    949 Words  | 2 Pages

    and the second is a free vote, this is when MPs are allowed to make up

    Read More

  • The British Political System

    2037 Words  | 5 Pages

    It is well known that the British political system is one of the oldest political systems in the world. Obviously, it was formed within the time. The United Kingdom of the Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the constitutional monarchy, providing stability, continuity and national focus. The monarch is the head of state, but only Parliament has the right to create and undertake the legislation. The basis of the United Kingdom’s political system is a parliamentary democracy. Therefore, people think the role of the Queen as worthless and mainly unnecessarily demanding for funding, but is it like that?

    Read More

More about British Government

Open Document