POLITICAL SYSTEM in the United Kingdom

Great Britain is a constitutional monarchy. This means that the official head of the State is the
monarch ( a king or a queen) but his or her powers are limited by the constitution. For years it has
been er !a"esty #ueen $li%abeth &&.
The Queen
(er full title is er !ost $'cellent !a"esty $li%abeth the Second( by the Grace of God of
the )nited *ingdom of Great Britain and +orthern &reland and of her other ,ealms and Territories
#ueen( ead of the -ommonwealth( .efender of the Faith)
er surname (if she had any) would be /indsor.
The #ueen is only a formal and symbolic head of State.
er duties are( e.g(.0 she holds receptions and State banquets( she 1isits 1arious parts of Britain
e1ery year( she gi1es audiences to the 2rime !inister and other important persons( she pays state
1isits and undertakes tours in other countries of the -ommonwealth( she formally summons and
dissol1es 2arliament.(3The #ueen4s speech5( with which the #ueen opens each session of
2arliament is prepared by the go1ernment and read by the #ueen). Besides she is commander0in0
chief of all armed forces and the head of the -hurch of $ngland. She also awards 1arious titles and
orders( etc.
But in reality( the #ueen acts only on the ad1ice of her ministers. The monarch4s power of 1eto(
which is not clearly defined( has not been used for o1er two hundred years( and so it has become a
tradition that the royal power of 1eto doe not really e'ist at all.
#ueen $li%abeth && was born on 67st 8pril( 796:. She ascended the throne on :th February 79;6(
after her father4s death (*ing George <&) and was crowned on 6nd =une( 79;>. The #ueen4s
husband is .,.. (ir ,oyal ighness) 2rince 2hilip( the .uke of $dinburgh. She has four
children( three sons (-harles(8ndrew( $dward) and a daughter(8nne). The eldest son( .,..
2rince -harles( 2rince of /ales( is the heir to the throne. &n Britain a daughter succeeds only if
there are no sons in the royal family. (Therefore of the ?@ monarchs since the +orman -onquest
only si' ha1e been queensA !ary &( $li%abeth &( !ary &&( 8nne( <ictoria( $li%abeth &&.)
The #ueen4s residence in Bondon is Buckingham 2alace( in Scotland Balmoral. Cfficially #ueen4s
birthday is celebrated on =une :th.

.espite the scandals in recent years( the ,oyal Family is still lo1ed by many people. The most
popular member of the family is now 2rince /illiam.
7
The Constitution
of the )* is unwritten. &t is based on custom( tradition and common law.
The Parliament
is the supreme legislati1e body and the highest authority in the )*. &t consists of the House of
Commons and the House of Lords British parliamentary system is one of the oldest in the world(
it de1eloped slowly during the 7>th century after *ing =ohn4s signature of !agna -arta in 767;.
The two ouses of 2arliament share the same building( the 2alace of /estminster on the left bank
of the Thames.
The #ueen formally summons and dissol1es 2arliament and opens each new session with a 3speech
from the throne5.
The House of Lords is made up of hereditary and life peers and peeresses( two archbishops and 6?
bishops of the -hurch of $ngland. &ts main function is law0making.
The House of Commons consists of :;@ paid members (!2s) who are elected at a General
$lection( which must be held e1ery fi1e years. <oting is not compulsory and is from the age of 7D.
8nother important parliamentary task is answering the questions. From !onday to Thursday all
ministers must answer !2s4questions for one hour (questionig time). Two days a week the 2rime
!inister must answer !2s4questions.
8ll speeches in the ouse of -ommons are addressed to the Speaker who is elected at the beginning
of each new 2arliament to preside o1er the ouse. &n the ouse of the Bords it is the Bord
-hancellor.
S!ottish Parliament 8 new Scottish 2arliament was elected in 7999 and sits in $dinburgh. This is
the first time Scotland has had its own parliament in >@@ years.
The "o#ernment
is formed by the party which has the ma"ority in 2arliament and the #ueen appoints its leader as the
2rime !inister. The Ca$inet is the e'ecuti1e organ of go1ernment. &t4s made up by the leading
ministers and heads of go1ernment departments (about 6@ people). So the Go1ernment is a larger
body (about D@ peple)
The second largest party forms the official Cpposition with its own leader and 3shadow cabinet5.
The present 2rime !inister is EE..( the head of the EEE.. 2arty. The 2rime !inister4s official
residence is 7@ .owning Street.
6
Politi!al Parties
&n present0day Britain there are two big political parites( the La$our Part% and the Conser#ati#e
Part% (they are still referred to as Tories). &n foreign policy( the -onser1ati1es and Babourists
usually agree on the main issues and there is not much difference between the two parties.
The Politi!al S%stem in the USA
The )S8 is a federation consisting of ;@ states. &n the 8merican democratic system( rights and
powers are di1ided between the indi1idual states and federal go1ernment. The ).S. system of
go1ernment is based on the Constitution adopted in 7FD9.
The federal go1ernment has three branchesA
the e'ecuti1e ( the 2resident and $'ecuti1e office)
the legislati1e (both houses of -ongress)
the "udiciary (the Supreme -ourt and all other federal courts)
The three branches are designed to check and balance the others. (it is called a system of 3cheks and
balances5)
The ).S. were formed from 7> colonies. This is also represented on the 8merican flag by F red
and : white stripes.
The nation4s go1erning documents are the Constitution of the US. and its first &'
Amendments0 also called the (ill of )ights0 that were ratified in 7FDF. These documents
encompass fundamental democratic freedoms such as the freedom of speech( press( assembly as
well as the right to your own religion.
8ltogether there ha1e been 6: 8mendments to the -onstitution. For e'ample the 7>
th

8mendment prohibits sla1ery and grants black people the right to 1ote( the 79
th
8mendment gi1es
franchise to women.
The ).S. has a federal form of go1ernment( where powers are di1ided between the federal
go1ernment and the states. The legislati1e powers of the federal go1ernment belong to the
Congress* which consits of the House of )e+resentati#es with its ?>; members and the Senate
with two representati1es from each state.
8 member of the ouse of ,epresentati1es must be at least 6; years old( must be a resident of
the represented state and must ha1e been a citi%en of this state for at least F years. !embers get
elected for a term of two years e1ery e1en0numbered year.
>
The Senate consists of two senators from each state who are elected for a period of si' years.
Senators ha1e to be at least >@ years old( must ha1e residency in the concerned state and must ha1e
been citi%ens of the )S8 for at least nine years.
The -ongress issues laws dealing with ta'es( international and domestic business( bankruptcy(
weights and measures( post offices and roads( armed forces etc.
8ll bills passed by both houses are forwarded to the president( who has the right to 1eto them. &f
the president chooses to 1eto a bill howe1er( it may still be passed by a two0thirds 1ote in both
houses.
The building in /ashington(..-.(in which -ongress meets( is called the Ca+itol
The +resident has to be a 3natural born citi%en5 who is at least >; years old and has been a )S
resident for at least 7? years. e is elected for a period of four years and under the 66nd
8mendment this period can be renewed once. (i.e. he or she cannot be elected mote than twice) The
only 2resident who ser1ed three terms and was elected to the fourth was F...,oose1elt (elected in
79>6(79>:(79?@ and 79??)
The 2resident4s official residence is the ,hite House in /ashington.
e is the -ommander0 in0 -hief of the armed forces. )nlike our 2resident the ).S. 2resident has
wide powers.
$ach year in =anuary( the 2resident presents a report to -ongress in which he re1iews e1ents and the
work of the go1ernment for the past year. &t is known as the State of the )nion 8ddress.
The 2resident is also assisted in his work by the ,hite House Staff
The -i!e.President presides o1er the Senate. e automatically succeeds to the presidency if the
2resident dies( resignes( or is unable to carry out his functions during his elected term.
Since the foundation of the )S8 se1eral presidents ha1e died while in office( four ha1e been
assassinated (Bincoln 7D:;( Garfield 7DD>( !c*inley 7D99 and *ennedy 79:>) and one had
resigned (+i'on in 79F?0 /atergate affair)
The president assigns se!retaries to lead departments including agriculture( commerce( defense(
education( energy( health and human sr1ices( housing and human de1elopment( interior( "ustice(
labor( transportation( treasury and 1eterans4affairs. 2erhaps the most important are the Se!retar% of
State and the Se!retar% of /efense
The current 2resident is George /.Bush.( a ,epublican)
$ach state has its own go1ernment and makes its own laws concerning sales ta'es( education( speed
?
limits( gambling( drinking and di1orce.They ha1e the same three departments of go1ernmentA
e'ecuti1e( legislati1e and "udiciary. The e'ecuti1e department is headed by the "o#ernor
There are two ma"or political parties in the )S8( the )e+u$li!an Part% and the /emo!rati! Part%
The symbol of the .emocrats is the donkey( of the ,epublicans is the elephant.
The Politi!al S%stem in the C0e!h )e+u$li!
The C0e!h )e+u$li! 1as esta$lished on 2anuar% &
st
* &334( as one of the successors to the
-%ech and Slo1ak Federal ,epublic.
The -, is a democratic state( go1erned according to the constitution of 7996.
The head of the state is the +resident. e is elected for a period of ; years by the 2arliament at an
assembly of both parliament chambers. The president can be elected for two terms of office. The
president appoints the chairman and other members of the go1ernment.
The "o#ernment is the supreme e'ecuti1e authority of state power in the -,. &t consists of the
2rime !inister and ministers. The parliament of the -, is called the Assem$l%. &t consists of two
chambers 0the Senate and the Cham$er of /e+uties. The right to 1ote is gi1en to e1ery citi%en
who is more than 7D years old. $1ery citi%en who is more than 67 years old can be elected a
deputy( e1ery citi%en o1er ?@ can be elected a senator. The Senate consists of D7 senators( who are
elected for the period of : years. $1ery two years one third of the senators is elected. The -hamber
of deputies consists of 6@@ deputies( who are elected for ? years. The candidates for deputies are
nominated by political parties. There are four main political parties in the republic 0 the -i1ic
.emocratic 2arty( the Social .emocratic 2arty( the -ommunist 2arty and the Four0-oalition(
consisting of four smaller parties.
State holida%s5 D
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