Political Systems in U.K and U.S Essay

What atomic number 18 the similarities and remainders between the policy-making systems in U. K and U. S? When the U. S. Constitution was being drafted, its writers had the British sevensary system to base on. The British system was the system they were used to and had learnt since childhood. However, because the monarchy was ane of the main things that the former colonists had rebelled against, either form of monarchy and most forms of concentrated power were avoided. The most fundamental difference between the political system in the U. K and the U. S is the constitution.The joined realms has a written constitution which is very difficult to change. The UK does not set out a single document called the constitution but instead its radical provisions argon scattered all over various Acts of Parliament, all of which dejection be changed by a simple majority in the Parliament. Similarities some(prenominal) the U. S. and British political systems buzz off a signal of stat e, a courtroom system and an upper and lower hall. The U. S political system has a constitution which place downs out the rules for government and the rights of the people, however, the U.K has documents with constitutional provisions which lay out the same rules. Both systems are democratic in nature, as governments are put in place and withdraw from power by the will of the people and both have systems of checks and balances to limit the power of any one branch. Head of State In the U. S. political system, the president is the formalised head of state. The president is elected under the electoral college system. In the U. K. , although the apex minister usually has the spotlight on political matters and is the official head of government, the queen or king is the official head of state.The queen formally signs off on acts of parliament and, just as the U. S. president delivers the State of the Union Address all(prenominal) year, the queen reads the Speech from the Throne, wh ich is written by the prime minister. In U. K, the monarch is more of a ceremonial strawman and it is unusual for any member of the royal family to directly interfere with the political process. The Upper House The United States has a Senate as the upper signboard of the legislative branch and the U. K. has the House of Lords. infra the U. S. ystem, each state, regardless of size, has 2 senators. Originally, senators were appointed by the governor of the state they represented but they are now elected to serve six-year terms. The House of Lords is very different. Members of the House of Lords are not elected. The 792 members of the House of Lords are members by inheritance, appointment or their rank(a) in the Church of England they are not elected and cannot be removed by take. This part of the political system in the U. K is not democratic. differently the House of Lords serve the same purpose as the U. S.Senate. They discuss, debate and vote on legislation passed by the lower house of the legislative branch. The subvert House The U. S. House of Representatives and the British House of Commons have a great deal in common. Each house is made up of representatives elected by the people. In both systems control of the lower house goes to the party that has the most sit down. Under the U. K. system, the leader of the party with the most seats becomes the Prime diplomatic minister and the official head of the government. Under the U. S. system this individual would be the Speaker of the House.One other key difference is resources. Under the parliamentary system, the prime minister can go to the crown at any point and ask to dissolve Parliament. If this is done an election is called. An election can also be called if the prime minister loses the confidence of the house. This agent that the prime minister lost a vote in Parliament on a matter of confidence. Matters of confidence are usually over budgetary matters. If the prime minister loses a vote of co nfidence, the end give is an election Other political differences.The American general electionlasts almost both years, starting with the declaration of candidates for the primaries. The British general election lasts around quatern weeks. In the United States, no Cabinet member is allowed to be a member of the Congress because of the strict theory of the separation of the powers. In Britain, every Government Minister must be a member of one of the two Houses of Parliament and, if he or she is not already in the Parliament, he or she is made a peer. The constitutional system in the UK involves a lot of custom and practice, and much more flexibility than the US system.For example, the timing of US presidential elections is fixed. In the UK, it is essentially the Prime Ministers choice as to when elections are to be held, up to the 5 year limit. The resignation of a president in the US would have to lead either to an election or to his vice president pickings up the office. In the UK, the resignation of a prime minister will lead to the party choosing a new leader, but there is no technically requiring this, the Queen is technically free to choose whoever she wishes.