the system in which all adult citizens choose those who will represent them
political franchise
the right to vote
secret ballot
1872
women - right to vote
1918
over 30 years old
Monarchy
Spain, Sweden, Norway, Belgium
constitutional monarchy
monarch - head of state
tasks
Royal Assent
official approval and promulgation (ogłoszenie) of bills passed by Parliament
monarch never refuses
State Opening of Parliament
autumn
"Speech from the throne"
plans of the government for the coming year
prepared by PM and his/her people
regular meeting with PM
Civil List
paying expenses of Royal Family
Political parties
Conservative Party
Tories
centre-right party
David Cameron
Margaret Thatcher
1980s
lead the UK out of the recession and unemployment resorting to the free market principles
=Leszek Balcerowicz
Labour Party
centre-left party
Tony Blair
now= opposition
Liberal-democratic party
has never rules country
now= coalition with Conservative Party
necessity of constitutional and electoral reform
Nick Clegg
2 national parties
Scottish National Party
Plaid Cymru
the Party of Wales
British National Party
GB is losing its independence
2 seats in European Parliament
last 28 years:no seats in British P.
General Elections
every 5 years
PM-date
always on Thursday
canvassing
talking to people in the street/visiting in houses
majority vote
The whole country is divided into constituencies
and in each constituency the candidate who has received the biggest number of votes is chosen.
Votes for other candidates are not counted once again and seats in Parliament are not distributed
according to the proportional number of votes each party has got, like they do in proportional voting system.
first-past-the-post
a candidate must receive the biggest number of votes in his/her constituency to win
advantage
system eliminates weak parties
stability of British P.
usually no coalition
Charter 88
group demands the change of voting system and a written constitution of the UK.
The Government and the Civil Service
Government serves country by Civil Service
Civil Servants
state officials
obliged to serve under every government
must remain apolitical
ministers cannot dissmiss them
stability
Parliament
bicameral (dwuizbowy)
House of Commons
650
House of Lords
c. 700
chosen by PM
appointed by the Monarch
legislative power
sit against each other
central place
Speaker
preside over the sessions
neutral
resigns from party
chosen from MPs
The legal system and legal profession in the UK
two systems
English law for England and Wales
Scottish legal system
based on common law or precedents
work on their cases and issue their verdicts on the basis of previous verdicts of the British courts