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Summary the UK government chapter - Life in the UK Test: Study Guide 2021, ISBN: 9781907389733 Life in UK Test
Summary the UK government chapter - Life in the UK Test: Study Guide 2021, ISBN: 9733 Life in UK Test
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The UK governmentThursday, 27 May 2021 11:47
The UK is a parliamentary democracy with the monarch as head of state.
1) The development of British democracy
Democracy is a system of government where the whole adult population gets a
say. This might be by direct voting or by choosing representatives to make
decisions on their behalf.
○ At the turn of the 19th century, Britain was not a democracy as we know it
today. Although there were elections to select members of Parliament
(MPs), only a small group of people could vote. They were men who were
over 21 years of age and who owned a certain amount of property.
○ The franchise (that is, the number of people who had the right to vote)
grew over the course of the 19th century and political parties began to
involve ordinary men and women as members.
○ In the 1830s and 1840s, a group called the Chartists campaigned for
reform.
They wanted six changes:
1. for every man to have the vote
2. elections every year
3. for all regions to be equal in the electoral system
4. secret ballots
5. for any man to be able to stand as an MP
6. for MPs to be paid.
At the time, the campaign was generally seen as a failure. However, by 1918
most of these reforms had been adopted. The voting franchise was also extended
to women over 30, and then in 1928 to men and women over 21. In 1969, the
voting age was reduced to 18 for men and women.
2) The British constitution
A constitution is a set of principles by which a country is governed. It includes all
of the institutions that are responsible for running the country and how their
power is kept in check. The constitution also includes laws and conventions. The
British constitution is not written down in any single document, and therefore
it is described as ‘unwritten’. This is mainly because the UK, unlike America or
France, has never had a revolution which led permanently to a totally new
system of government.
In the UK, there are several different parts of government. The main ones are:
, British constitution is not written down in any single document, and therefore
it is described as ‘unwritten’. This is mainly because the UK, unlike America or
France, has never had a revolution which led permanently to a totally new
system of government.
In the UK, there are several different parts of government. The main ones are:
• the monarchy
• Parliament (the House of Commons and the House of Lords)
• the Prime Minister
• the cabinet
• the judiciary (courts)
• the police
• the civil service
• local government.
In addition, there are devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern
Ireland that have the power to legislate on certain issues.
A. The monarchy
Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state of the UK. She is also the monarch
or head of state for many countries in the Commonwealth.
The UK has a constitutional monarchy. The queen responsibilities:
1. This means that the king or queen does not rule the country
but appoints the government, which the people have chosen in
a democratic election.
2. The monarch invites the leader of the party with the largest
number of MPs, or the leader of a coalition between more than
one party, to become the Prime Minister.
3. The monarch has regular meetings with the Prime Minister and
can advise, warn and encourage, but the decisions on
government policies are made by the Prime Minister and
cabinet (see the section on ‘The government’).
The Queen has reigned since her father’s death in 1952, and in 2012 she
celebrated her Diamond Jubilee (60 years as queen). She was married to
Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, until his death in 2021. Her eldest son,
Prince Charles (the Prince of Wales), is the heir to the throne.
Ceremonial roles:
1. opening of the new parliamentary session each year. On this
occasion the Queen makes a speech which summarises the
government’s policies for the year ahead. All Acts of
Parliament are made in her name.
2. The Queen represents the UK to the rest of the world.
3. She receives foreign ambassadors and high commissioners,
entertains visiting heads of state, and makes state visits
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