Long Live The King?

A Run Down Of The Government In The United Kingdom

What Kind Of Government is The UK?

The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy. Though the UK is ruled by the king, his power is limited by a constitution. The government side of the UK is run by elected officials known as the Parliament.

What Are The Roles Everyone Plays?

The King serves as the ceremonial head of state which represents the people of the nation in special events and Parliament events. They perform many symbolic ceremonies for the public and special guests. The Parliament acts as a legislative body that makes laws. Similar to the US Congress, Parliament is divided up into two houses. The first is the House of Commons which is composed of Members of Parliament known as MPs. MPs are elected through general elections. The party that ends up holding the most seats in the House of Commons is the one that forms the government. The House of Commons is led by the Prime Minister who is typically the leader of the biggest party. The other House is the House of Lords which is composed of life peers, hereditary peers, and bishops.

How Does Parliament Run?

The Parliament has total sovereignty, which means that they have the authority to make and change laws without any limitations. Unlike the US there is no written Constitution that firmly expresses the rights of the people and the government. Instead, they have a combination of statutes, common law, and constitutional conventions.

So How Does This Match Up To The US?

The US government has some similarities to the government in the UK but it has more differences. Most of our major positions are decided by elections which reflect the voice of the people. The people in the US also have specified rights that are given to them through a document called the Constitution. This document also expresses the rights and limitations of the government which doesn't give them full reign. Our equivalent of the monarch would be our President, but they actually do more than just act as a ceremonial figurehead.