Week 3: The US Political System
The American system of government is very different to ours here in the UK.
There are 3 different 'branches' of government, as shown in the diagram above. This system is designed specifically to provide a series of 'checks and balances', i.e. to ensure that there are always measures in place to stop one person or group of people taking total control and abusing their power.
TASK: Research the US Political system. Find out what the American system is, in comparison to ours in Britain. For each of these British ways of doing things, find how it works in America.
After you have completed your research, comment below with the pros and cons of each system and which, ultimately, you believe is the most safe and effective.
After you have completed your research, comment below with the pros and cons of each system and which, ultimately, you believe is the most safe and effective.
UK SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT =
- First past the post voting system
- The leader of the ruling party automatically becomes Prime Minister (i.e. voters do not directly choose the head of government)
- The Prime Minister forms their own cabinet, members of parliament for their own party who will take on important roles such as Chancellor, Education Secretary, Minister for Justice etc.
- The British political system is headed up by the unelected monarch, although their powers are largely ceremonial
- The UK government is made up of two bodies - the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
- The House of Commons includes 650 elected MPs, each representing a specific constituency (area of the country of around 60,000-80,000 voters)
- The House of Commons is chaired by a neutral 'Speaker' of the house who is chosen by the other MPs.
- There is no maximum amount of time someone could be PM or a party could hold power, although recent legislation means that an election should be held every 5 years. Our recent election was a 'snap' election, called when over two thirds of the MPs agree that one is needed in an 'emergency')
- The House of Lords is the 'Upper' chamber of government. Its main role is to revise policy suggested by the House of Commons.
- There is no fixed number of members in the House of Lords, but currently there are 826 members - many more than in the House of Commons.
- Members of the House of Lords can be hereditary peers (the right to sit in the House has passed down through generations of a family), They could also be 'Life Peers' (most of the current members are this). This means that they have been chosen by the Queen, on the advice of the Government, to sit in the House for as long as they live, but afterwards no member of their family has the right to sit in the House. Almost 200 are former Members of Parliament. Others are distinguished figures in fields such as education, health and social policy.
- For a Bill (the first proposal of a new law) to be passed, it must be approved by a majority vote in both houses.
For more detailed information refer to this interesting website: http://www.rogerdarlington.me.uk/Britishpoliticalsystem.html#Arms
Pros of the UK political system:
ReplyDelete• The most important benefit in the UK is that you vote for an MP, not for a party - if you want to start your own party, and if your candidates in the other constituencies pay their deposit, they can get on the ballot, get elected, and run the country. It is that simple - you could have someone famous start their own party and in less than a year be running the country.
• The second most important benefit is the Queen - someone who represents the country, but not the government. The prime minister lives in an "ordinary" house in London, and governs the country. The Queen lives in a "white house" and represents the country. The prime minister bows to "his Queen".
• The third benefit is that because you vote for an MP, not a party, the prime minister will be a compromise of the majority party, and will be unlikely to have an absolute majority unless the opposition is incompetent - therefore you will have to have intelligent MPs that can debate policy in parliament, practical MPs that can vote both tactically and strategically.
• The UK system is in many ways more flexible than others. Since there is no constitution held up as the final rules on everything, it is easier to adapt and change.
• The UK system is in many ways more flexible than others. Since there is no constitution held up as the final rules on everything, it is easier to adapt and change.
Cons of the UK political system:
• The UK system is in many ways more flexible than others. Since there is no constitution held up as the final rules on everything, it is easier to adapt and change.
• First Past The Post voting discourages new parties from entering the arena. It is essentially impossible for someone to start a party from scratch and secure a seat in parliament.
• The permanent civil service can mean that new governments find it hard to achieve real change. The TV show Yes, Prime Minister shows this very clearly - the Prime Minister has a range of ideas, all of which are quashed under intricate and incomprehensible streams of information from the civil service.
Pros of the US political system:
• The power of the executive is greatly restricted compared to other nations, preventing hostile takeovers/unconstitutional actions.
• The power of the legislative branch is greatly restricted, as many of its potential powers are reserved for the President.
• Citizens are able to elect their President directly, instead of indirectly through parliament.
• Citizens have a single representative who is directly accountable to them.
• There is a decreased chance of a predicament referred to as "tyranny of the majority", a scenario in which a minority bloc is consistently overruled in congress.
Cons of the US political system:
• Separate government can easily lead to legislative inaction or "gridlock", especially when two parties hold power - The U.S. is occasionally less able to respond to dramatic crises or other events requiring decisive action than other nations. And voters are constantly dissatisfied with Congress and the legislative process
• Americans have fewer viable candidates and parties to choose from, and many political ideologies (classic liberalism/libertarianism, environmentalism, socialism/social democracy) that are commonplace in European politics are completely ignored.
• When voters have only one representative, there is a chance that their congressman may not represent their political ideology.
• The electoral system uses is a poor one that in practice ensures a two-party state rather than a more diverse political landscape.