Unit 5 political system of the united kingdom and the usa British Constitution

The British Constitution, unlike the Constitutions of most other countries, is not set out in any single document. It is made up of statute law, common law and conventions. Conventions are rules and practices which are not legally enforceable but which are regarded as indispensable to the work of government.

The constitution is adaptable to changing political conditions: it can be altered by Act of Parliament, or by general agreement to alter a convention. The organs of government can be clearly distinguished. Parliament is the legislature and the supreme authority. The executive consists of: the Government - the Cabinet and other ministers; government departments; local authorities; and public corporations. The judiciary determines common law and interprets statutes, and is independent of both legislature and executive.

Political Party System

The present party system depends upon the organized political parties. The parties are not registered or formally recognized in law, but in practice most candidates in elections belong to one of the main parties.

Parliamentary government based on the party system has been established in Britain over the past 100 years. In the 19^th century there was no clear-cut party division in the House of Commons. The terms ‘Whig’ and ‘Tory’ to describe certain political leanings had been in use for about 150 years but there was virtually no party organization outside Parliament. The House of Commons did not present opposing parties, but political groups which could only be classified in accordance with their support of or opposition to the King’s government. The reason for this lack of unity lay in the small size of the electorate. The outcome of elections was decided by a small number of influential citizens, and not by the public at large.

The first parliamentary Reform Act, in 1832 did not greatly increase the electorate. Female suffrage followed in the twentieth century. The voting age for both men and women was lowered to 18 in 1969. The expansion of the electorate was accompanied by the organization of political parties in the modern sense. Side by side with party organization inside the House of Commons came the development of country-wide party organization outside Parliament – Liberal (formerly called Whig), Conservative (or Tory) and, from the late nineteenth century, Labour (or Socialist).

Major Parties in the uk

The Conservative Party

The origins of the Conservative Party go back to the Tories of the seventeenth century - the word ‘Conservative’ first came into use in the 1830s. The fundamental principles of the Conservative Party are: 1) individuals have an absolute right to liberty; 2) ownership is the strongest foundation of individual freedom, opportunity and independence; 3) freedom means responsibility - to family, neighbours, and to nation; 4) Government has to strengthen individual liberty and choice, and protect the most vulnerable members of the community; 5) in economic affairs the Government should establish a climate in which enterprise can flourish, without over-regulating businesses; 6) Britain must remain strong, with secure defenses, in order to provide the surest guarantee of peace.