Present Day g.B.: British State System.
Monarchy as an Institution
GB is a constitutional monarchy with a democratic form of government.
The monarch is a symbol of nation’s unity, head of the executive branch of power, integral part of legislature, head of judiciary branch, commander-in-chief of all armed forces, etc.
She summons or dissolves parliament, appoints every important office holder; confers peerages, knighthoods and other honors; makes peace and declares war; is informed and consulted on every aspect of national life – so she naturally has access to all secret documents.
The Queen presides over the ‘secret council’, a consultative body comprising Prince Philip,Duke of Edinburough, Prince of Wales (Charles), cabinet members and leaders of opposition.
Gueen Elizabeth II (who succeeded to the throne in 1952) is supported by 70 % of the population. The Queen’s family are charged with royal comissions.
The Parliament. Elections.
In GB ‘Westminster’ stands for legislative and ‘Whitehall’ for executive power. Parliament is the highest legislative authority in GB and its legislative power is unlimited. It means there is no institution in GB similar to the Supreme court of USA that can abolish a law if it considers it contradictory to the constitution. Probaby perhaps there is no written constitution.
The Parliament has 2 chambers – the House of Commons, to which members are elected from constituencies, and the House of Lords – often referred to as ‘the upper chamber’. Its members are not elected and not paid.
In GB there are approximately 650 electoral districts or constituencies, each elects 1 MP. Labour , Conservative, and The New Liberal – the main adversaries - have political organisations in most constituencies. Some are ‘safe seats’ where this or that party has the lead. Some constituencies are ‘marginal’ or even ‘3 way marginal’ – it means that political sympathies are divided and it is ‘sleeping voters’ – people with vague political outlook who can be easily swayed this way or that – who decide the matter.
Voting takes place on the same day (usually on Thursday ) at all polling stations. Every resident over 18 has the right to vote unless he is imprisoned, is a lord or mentally ill. People can either drop their ballot papers into ballot booth or express their will by postal vote. In GB there is a majority electoral system – that means the candidate who wins the most votes is selected, even if he doesn’t get as many as the combined votes of other candidates; proportional representation is very mush desired but not yet reached..
If the majority changes grom one party to the other the defeated PM usually resigns at once.
The Parliament Act fixed the life of Parliament at 5 years, although it can be prolonged or dissolved . The life of Parliament is divided into sessions. Each session lasts for 1 year and it is terminated by a prorogation, which begins or ends in October or November. The period in which the Parliament is not sitting are known as recesses.
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom Meetings are held in the Palace of Westminster
Number of members - 646
Members are elected through the first-past-the-post 5у51ет(отдающий победу кандидату, набравшему простое большинство голосов (как минимум на один голос больше, чем кто-л. из оппонентов; об избирательной системе)) by electoral districts known as constituencies
Evolved at some point in England during the 14th century
Legislative powers of the House of Commomns exceed those of the Lords
The Prime Minister stays in office only as long as he or she retains its support
The full, formal style and title of the House of Commons is The Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled
Currently the United Kingdom is divided into 646 constituencies, with 529 in England, 40 in Wales, 59 in Scotland, and 18 in Northern Ireland.
Parliamentary term may not last for more than five years
Conventionally, all elections in the United Kingdom are held on a Thursday.
A candidate for a constituency must submit nomination papers signed by ten registered voters from that constituency, and pay a deposit of £500, which is refunded only if the candidate wins at least five per cent of the vote. The candidate with a plurality of votes wins.
Minors, Members of the House of Lords, prisoners, and insane persons are not qualified to become Members of the House of Commons.
A voter is a resident of the United Kingdom as well as a citizen of the United Kingdom, of a British overseas territory, of the Republic of Ireland, or of a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.