Government Unit 1 Lesson 2 Part 2

In the 1300's, the British Parliament presided over the .... of Edward II and Richard II.

abdications

One similarity between the Supreme Court and The House of Lords is that they

are both appointed for life

Parliamentary general elections

are called by the party of power

A Prime Minister differs from a President in which of the following ways

A Prime Minister holds power as long as Parliament approves. A President is elected by the general public, and a Prime Minister is the leader of the majority party in the House of Commons. A President is elected every four years, whereas Parliamentary elections are held every five years.

Which of the following are houses of England's Parliament?

House of Commons House of Lords

Great Britain has a _____ form of government.

Parliamentary

The leader in majority party in the House of Commons is usually the

Prime Minister

PARLIAMENTARY GOVERNMENT

The legislature in Great Britain is called the Parliament. Where the American Congress has two houses called the House and the Senate, the Parliament has two houses which are called the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Elections for those in these houses may occur at any time, not just on a fixed basis. The Prime Minister and his Cabinet of top officials are controlled directly by the Parliament. The rest of the government's ministers, the cabinet, may be selected from either house. Thus, the executive branch is, in effect, a committee of the legislature. Elections must be held every five years; the Prime Minister may call elections earlier, although no more frequently than once a year. If the party in power fails to obtain a parliamentary majority on an important issue, it must call a general election. The major parties in Parliament are the following: Conservative, Labour, and the coalition of Social Democrats and Liberals. The top leader is known as the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is usually the leader of the majority party in the House of Commons and is elected on a different basis than the United States president. While America's president is elected every four years, the Prime Minister holds office for either as long as Parliament supports him, or for up to five years. A general election is held every five years, but if an issue arises which may bring a vote against the Prime Minister, the vote may be at any time. The Prime Minister is directly answerable to the Parliament and must work closely with its members. The judiciary system of Great Britain has some vast differences from the Supreme Court of the United States. The High Court in Britain consists of members of the House of Lords who may not judge the constitutionality of any law in the land whereas in America, the Supreme Court judges the constitutionality of the laws that come before it. Unlike the U.S. Congress, which has the power to override a veto from the President, no British court may have an overriding power over the Prime Minister or the Parliament. In the House of Lords, like the Supreme Court, the members may stay for life or until retirement. The people of Great Britain elect the officials who will be going to the House of Commons. The 651 members of the House of Commons members are called members of Parliament and are voting members of the legislative branch of government. The members are voted in from same-sized districts throughout England. Statutes, laws and taxes are under the power of the Parliament. Cabinet members, including the Prime Minister, are members of one house or the other and are collectively responsible to the House of Commons. Both Houses of Parliament are situated at the Palace of Westminster, a royal palace containing nearly 1,200 rooms. Formerly the residence of kings, the palace was turned over to Parliamentary use in 1965 for the function of both Houses. Over 100 staircases and 2 miles (3 kilometers) of passageways are contained within the palace. Within the palace area is the historic building known as Westminster Hall, which is known for hosting major public ceremonial events. The House of Lords is not as powerful as the House of Commons. The main function of the House of Lords is to review and examine bills that are passed by the House of Commons. While the House of Lords will amend bills from the House of Commons, it rarely changes a bill drastically. It can delay a bill but has no power to veto a bill that has been approved by the House of Commons. The House of Lords has a different type of membership than that of the House of Commons. While the House of Commons has members that are voted upon by their districts, the House of Lords has hereditary peers who received their membership by inheritance, going back a number of generations. There are also members who are called "life peers" who have a lifelong seat in the House of Lords, given to them through an honored achievement they have accomplished. A third group is known as "lords spiritual"; they are senior officers from the Church of England. The "law lords" make up the fourth group. Law lords are selected high-ranking magistrates from around the country, who hear final legal appeals, much like the American Supreme Court. Britain's legislature is often referred to as the "Mother of Parliaments" because of its influence on the parliaments of other countries. Parliament began in medieval times as a body of noble and ecclesiastical advisers to the monarch. The Curia Regis, or great council, evolved into the House of Lords. The Fourteenth Century Parliament split into two houses and started gaining more control over laws and taxes. In 1376 it created impeachment and even presided over the abdications of Edward II and Richard II during that century. Parliament gained significant power under Henry VIII in the 1500's. The House of Commons grew in strength, helped by the overthrow and execution of Charles I and in 1688-89 by the English Revolution, which set the foundation for parliamentary sovereignty. In the 19th century the House of Commons moved away from the monarchy and became democratic. The Great Reform Bill of 1832 opened the door for the common person to get involved in politics; the bill gave the vote to the middle class for the first time. The following decades saw more freedoms in voting, including the creation of equal electoral districts in 1885.

House of Lords

contains the High Court; also called the "upper house," composed of the lords temporal and spiritual

During the 19th century the House of Commons moved away from the monarchy and became

democratic

majority

largest percentage of the whole body which, by vote, controls the direction of legislation

The members of the House of Lords who have been given seats through an honored achievement they have accomplished are called

life peers

electoral districts

local geographic boundaries within which the citizen votes

Palace of Westminster

meeting site of both Houses of the British Parliament

House of Commons

oversees law and tax legislation; the more powerful of the two houses of Parliament

The House of Lords powers are limited to

reviewing and examining bills that are passed by the House of Commons

sovereignty

supremacy of rule; higher authority

judiciary system

system of courts and the upholding of the laws of the land

impeachment

the charging of a public official of a crime or misdeed before a judging body of officials

Prime Minister

the leader of the majority party in the House of Commons

general election

the people of the country voting for the members of the House of Commons