Made by Benedetta Galvano 5°Bsc
The British political system
the United Kingdom is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy
To understand the current type of government in the United Kingdom and the territory it occupies, it is necessary to take a step back. At the beginning of the 17th century, absolutist kings continued to rule in this territory.
Under the tenure of Charles I, clashes began to occur between absolutists and those who wanted more power for Parliament, which triggered a civil war that lasted from 1642 to 1648. In 1649 the Republic was declared. However, in 1660 the monarchy was re-established in the hands of Charles II. Behind him came James II, whom William III of Orange-Nassau dethroned in the Glorious Revolution.
It was then, in 1689, when a parliamentary monarchy through the Bill of Rights. In Parliament, the Tories (noble supporters of the king) and the Whigs (bourgeois defenders of parliamentary power) agree to alternate government.
In the 18th century, the United Kingdom retained its thirteen British colonies in North America.
English tax policy in the colonies resulted in the War of Independence, which began in 1775 and ended in 1783, when the Peace of Versailles was signed and, thus, the independence of the United States of America.
On the other hand, in full imperial policy, the United Kingdom occupied India until it had absolute control in 1857. It was from 1920 when, through the movement promoted by Mahatma Gandhi, the protest against British rule began. It was in 1947 that this territory also became independent.
Historical context
Territorial organization
To reach its current status, the British territory has gone through several political processes. In 1707 the Kingdom of England (which was also Wales) joined Scotland. It was in 1800 when the Kingdom of Ireland united, thus the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was officially formed.
- This state has a political division of four zones:
- England: its capital is London. It has nine regions.
- Scotland: the main city is Edinburgh. It has twelve regions.
- Welsh: with Cardiff as the capital. It is divided into twelve areas.
- Northern Ireland: It has 25 districts. Belfast is the capital.
Parliament
The English Parliament has a bicameral structure, i.e. it is made up of:
- House of Lords also called House of Peers represents the upper house. The full and formal name of the House of Lords is The Right Honorable the Lords Spiritual and Temporal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled.
In the past, membership of the House of Lords was a hereditary right for all members (peers). A number of reforms were subsequently passed, such as the Life Peerages Act 1958 and the House of Lords Act 1999, whereby the number of hereditary members was greatly reduced.
The number of members of the House of Lords is not fixed; on 14 February 2022 it was made up of 767 eligible members (eligible members who can participate in sessions). Of eligible members, 655 are life members (whose title will not pass to their children), 87 are hereditary members and 25 are Lords Spiritual.
The House of Lords, like the House of Commons, meets in the Palace of Westminster.
- Lower house, or house of commons, elected by universal suffrage with a majority system. This is the actual legislative body of the United Kingdom, which holds real power.
This is made up of 650 members who assume the title of Members of Parliament.
The House of Commons is elected by the majority system. Its members remain in office until the Chamber is dissolved for new elections, which occurs within a maximum of five years after the last election. Each member is elected and represents an electoral district called a "constituency"
The seat of the House of Commons is the Palace of Westminster in London.
It is the only place in the whole of the United Kingdom where, by tradition, the sovereign is not allowed to set foot.
The crown
The Crown in the current British system of government has powers of order exclusively
ceremonial. Formally, the Queen has the prerogative to designate the Prime Minister
and the members of the Government, proceed with the appointment of Judges, dissolve and convene the
Parliament, negotiate and ratify international treaties together with the command of
Armed Forces and the civil administrative apparatus of the country, even if, in reality, on the ground
effective, all these powers belong to the executive. Similarly, in the proceeding
legislative, the function of the Crown is limited to ratify with its approval (Royal
Assent) as decided by the Parliament.
The prime minister
Throughout history there have been a large number of prime ministers in the United Kingdom whose function has been to coordinate government. Between these:
- Robert Walpole (1721-1742): was the first to hold this position. He belonged to the Whig Party, i.e. the Liberal.
- William Pitt (1783-1802 and 1804-1806): is the youngest prime minister in British history, since he came to power at the age of 24. In his mandate, the United Kingdom of Great Britain united with Ireland, a fact which marked the beginning of the 19th century.
- Winston Churchill (1940-1945 and 1951-1955): chaired during World War II. Before holding his position, he predicted the rise of Hitler and the danger it could pose.
- Margaret Thatcher (1979-1990): also known as the Iron lady. Her popularity increased with victory in the Falklands War, in 1982. She was the first woman to attain the presidency and stayed for a total of three terms.
- Tony Blair (1997-2007): Attended the 2003 Azores Summit, then covered the Iraq War. This cost him his political reputation.
- David Cameron (2010-2016): organized the referendum on the departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union, known as Brexit. When the "no" to stay won, he resigned.
Today, the British royal family is the most advanced in terms of transparency policy from all over Europe. Every year it publishes all the expenses that have been carried out in detail: hiring of staff, purchases, official trips, etc.
Furthermore, since 2011, the UK has been part of the Alliance for Open Government. Member countries must make as much data as possible available to inhabitants in order to encourage citizen participation. As for the political parties, the main ones are the Conservative Party (the first Tories) and the Labor Party, considered centre-left. Other parties are the Liberal Democrats (from the Whigs) and the Green Party of England and Wales, an environmental movement founded in 1990.
How are the powers divided?
Title here
You can write a description here
Executive power is exercised by the government
Legislative power is exercised by both the government and the two houses of Parliament, the House of Lords and the House of Commons.
The judiciary is independent of the executive and legislative branches.
Title here
You can write a description here
Thanksfor your attention
THE BRITISH POLITICAL SYSTEM
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Made by Benedetta Galvano 5°Bsc
The British political system
the United Kingdom is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy
To understand the current type of government in the United Kingdom and the territory it occupies, it is necessary to take a step back. At the beginning of the 17th century, absolutist kings continued to rule in this territory. Under the tenure of Charles I, clashes began to occur between absolutists and those who wanted more power for Parliament, which triggered a civil war that lasted from 1642 to 1648. In 1649 the Republic was declared. However, in 1660 the monarchy was re-established in the hands of Charles II. Behind him came James II, whom William III of Orange-Nassau dethroned in the Glorious Revolution. It was then, in 1689, when a parliamentary monarchy through the Bill of Rights. In Parliament, the Tories (noble supporters of the king) and the Whigs (bourgeois defenders of parliamentary power) agree to alternate government. In the 18th century, the United Kingdom retained its thirteen British colonies in North America. English tax policy in the colonies resulted in the War of Independence, which began in 1775 and ended in 1783, when the Peace of Versailles was signed and, thus, the independence of the United States of America. On the other hand, in full imperial policy, the United Kingdom occupied India until it had absolute control in 1857. It was from 1920 when, through the movement promoted by Mahatma Gandhi, the protest against British rule began. It was in 1947 that this territory also became independent.
Historical context
Territorial organization
To reach its current status, the British territory has gone through several political processes. In 1707 the Kingdom of England (which was also Wales) joined Scotland. It was in 1800 when the Kingdom of Ireland united, thus the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was officially formed.
Parliament
The English Parliament has a bicameral structure, i.e. it is made up of:
This is made up of 650 members who assume the title of Members of Parliament. The House of Commons is elected by the majority system. Its members remain in office until the Chamber is dissolved for new elections, which occurs within a maximum of five years after the last election. Each member is elected and represents an electoral district called a "constituency" The seat of the House of Commons is the Palace of Westminster in London. It is the only place in the whole of the United Kingdom where, by tradition, the sovereign is not allowed to set foot.
The crown
The Crown in the current British system of government has powers of order exclusively ceremonial. Formally, the Queen has the prerogative to designate the Prime Minister and the members of the Government, proceed with the appointment of Judges, dissolve and convene the Parliament, negotiate and ratify international treaties together with the command of Armed Forces and the civil administrative apparatus of the country, even if, in reality, on the ground effective, all these powers belong to the executive. Similarly, in the proceeding legislative, the function of the Crown is limited to ratify with its approval (Royal Assent) as decided by the Parliament.
The prime minister
Throughout history there have been a large number of prime ministers in the United Kingdom whose function has been to coordinate government. Between these:
Today, the British royal family is the most advanced in terms of transparency policy from all over Europe. Every year it publishes all the expenses that have been carried out in detail: hiring of staff, purchases, official trips, etc. Furthermore, since 2011, the UK has been part of the Alliance for Open Government. Member countries must make as much data as possible available to inhabitants in order to encourage citizen participation. As for the political parties, the main ones are the Conservative Party (the first Tories) and the Labor Party, considered centre-left. Other parties are the Liberal Democrats (from the Whigs) and the Green Party of England and Wales, an environmental movement founded in 1990.
How are the powers divided?
Title here
You can write a description here
Executive power is exercised by the government
Legislative power is exercised by both the government and the two houses of Parliament, the House of Lords and the House of Commons.
The judiciary is independent of the executive and legislative branches.
Title here
You can write a description here
Thanksfor your attention