Voting system, legislature and party system oft he United Kingdom Prior to the mid-19th century politics in the

United Kingdom was dominated by the Whigs and the Tories. These were not political parties in the modern sense but somewhat loose alliances of interests and individuals. By the mid 19th century the Tories had evolved into the Conservative Party, and the Whigs had evolved into the Liberal Party. In the 1920s 2 parties: 1. Labour Party represented an alliance between the labour movement, organised trades unions and various socialist societies. 2. Conservative Party However, the UK is not quite a two-party system since a third party 3. Liberal Democrats Since 1997, proportional representation-based voting systems have been adopted for elections to the Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, the Northern Ireland Assembly, the London Assembly and the UK's seats in the European Parliament. In these bodies, other parties have had success. Traditionally political parties have been private organisations with no official recognition by the state. The Registration of Political Parties Act 1998 changed that by creating a register of parties. Register of Political Parties The Electoral Commission's Register of Political Parties[2] lists the details of parties registered to fight elections, and their registered name, in the United Kingdom. Under current electoral law, including the Registration of Political Parties Act, the Electoral Administration Act 2006, and the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, only registered party names can be used on ballot papers by those wishing to fight elections. Candidates who do not belong to a registered party can use "independent" or no label at all. As of 10 June 2011 it shows the number of registered political parties as 419. In Northern Ireland there are 42 registered parties.

Three parties dominate politics in the House of Commons. They all operate throughout Great Britain (only the Conservative and Unionist Party stands candidates in Northern Ireland). Conservative and Unionist Party, centre-right (traditionally centreright and pragmatic; (306 seats in the House of Commons) Labour Party, centre-left (a broad social-democratic party (258 seats) Liberal Democrats, radical-centrist (heavily influenced by social liberalism). (57 seats) Voting system (= Wahlsystem) 1

There are six types of elections in the United Kingdom: United Kingdom general elections (last one in 2010) landesweite Wahlen 2. elections to devolved parliaments and assemblies dezentrale Parlamente z.B. Nordirland 3. elections to the European Parliament 4. local elections Lokale Wahlen 5. mayoral elections Brgermeisterwahlen 6. Police and Crime Commissioner elections. Elections are held on Election Day, which is conventionally a Thursday. General elections have fixed dates, and must be called within five years of the opening of parliament following the last election. Elections are administered locally Anyone who will be aged 18 or over on polling day(Wahltag) and who is a national of the United Kingdom can apply to the Electoral Registration Officer in the district in the UK where they reside with a 'considerable degree of permanence'[9] to be listed in that area's Electoral Register.
1.

A person may only cast a vote if he/she is on the Electoral Register - even if he/she would otherwise qualify to vote. Votes can be cast either in person at a polling station, by post or by proxy. Polling stations are usually open from 7am to 10pm on polling day. United Kingdom general elections are held following a dissolution of Parliament (Auflsung des Parlaments) All the Members of Parliament (MPs) forming the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom are elected. House of Commons= lower house oft he Parliament oft he United Kingdom (Unterhaus) Following the Parliament Act 1911, parliamentary sessions last a maximum of five years, and are ended by the dissolution of Parliament. Traditionally the dates of general elections are not fixed in advance, and the time is chosen by the governing party to maximise political advantage. The 2010 election was held on 6 May 2010. Parliament 3 elements of legislature The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland commonly known as the British Parliament, is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories. It is located in Westminster, London. Parliament alone possesses legislative supremacy and thereby ultimate power over all other political bodies in the UK and its territories. At its head is the Sovereign, Queen Elizabeth II.

The parliament is bicameral:

2

1. an upper house, the House of Lords 2. a lower house, the House of Commons.
The Queen is the third component of the legislature. The House of Lords Act 1999 (c. 34) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom The Act reformed the House of Lords, one of the chambers of Parliament. For centuries, the House of Lords had included several hundred members who inherited their seats; the Act removed such a right. However, as part of a compromise, the Act did permit ninety-two hereditary peers to remain in the House on an interim basis. Another ten were created life peers to enable them to remain in the House. The House of Lords includes two different types of members: 1. the Lords Spiritual (the senior bishops of the Church of England) 2. Lords Temporal (members of the Peerage) whose members are not elected by the population at large, but are appointed by the Sovereign on advice of the Prime Minister. The House of Commons is a democratically elected chamber with elections to it held at least every five years. The two Houses meet in separate chambers in the Palace of Westminster (commonly known as the Houses of Parliament), in London. By constitutional convention, all government ministers, including the Prime Minister, are members of the House of Commons or, less often, the House of Lords, and are thereby accountable to the respective branches of the legislature

Grobritannien (House of Commons)

Wahlsystem
Relative Mehrheitswahl in 650 (2010, 2005 646, davor 659) Einmannwahlkreisen: Jeder Whler hat eine Stimme fr einen Kandiaten im Wahlkreis. Gewhlt ist der Kandidat mit den meisten Stimmen im Wahlkreis.

Sonstiges

auch Mitglieder der kniglichen Familie drfen whlen ein Kandidat kann in mehreren Wahlkreisen antreten auf den Wahlzetteln befinden sich Seriennummern Ministerprsident Tony Blair hattte nach der Wahl 1997 eine Volksabstimmung ber das Wahlsystem angekndigt, die allerdings nicht stattgefunden hat. Inzwischen sagt die regierende Labour

Partei nur noch, dass eine Volksabstimmung der richtige Weg sei, um ber eine Wahlrechtsreform zu entscheiden. jeder nur ein Kreuz

Wahlkreise/Zahl der Abgeordneten

650 Wahlkreise (Wahl am 6. Mai 2010, 2005 waren es 646 Wahlkreise, da es seit 2005 weniger Wahlkreise in Schottland gibt, vorher waren es 659) davon:

533 in England (2010, 2005 waren es noch 529) 59 in Schottland (vor 2005 waren es 72, vor einer Neueinteilung der Wahlkreise [BBC] ab 2005 nur noch 59.) 40 in Wales 18 in Nord-Irland

Die Gre der Wahlkreise liegt zwischen 22.141 (Western Isles) und 103.480 (Isle of Wight) Wahlberechtigten. Die Wahlkreise werden von vier Wahlkreiskommissionen regelmig (alle 8 bis 12 Jahre) berprft. Electoral Commission Wahlkreiskommission fr England Wahlkreiskommission fr Schottland Empfehlung, den Wahlkreis Isle of Wight unverndert zu lassen

Wahlperiode
Die maximale Legislaturperiode betrgt fnf Jahre.

Aktives und passives Wahlrecht

Whlen darf, wer 18 Jahre alt ist und Brger des vereinigten Knigreichs, eines Commonwealth-Landes oder der Republik Irland ist sowie in einem der Wahlkreise wohnt. Vom Wahlrecht ausgeschlossen sind; Mitglieder des Oberhauses (House of Lords), verurteilte Inhaftierte, wer wegen Wahlvergehen fr 5 Jahre verurteilt wurde, Idioten und Irre. Whlbar ist, wer das 21. Lebensjahr vollendet hat und Brger des vereinigten Knigreichs, eines CommonwealthLandes oder der Republik Irland ist. Nicht whlbar sind Mitglieder des Oberhauses, Geistesgestrte, wer eine Freiheitsstrafe von ber einem Jahr absitzt, Verrter, einige Offizielle der Krone, Geistliche der Kirchen von England, Schottland, Irland und der rmisch-katholischen Kirche (diese Regelung soll gestrichen werden), wer des Wahlbetrugs in den letzten 510 Jahren fr schuldig befunden wurde. Ein Kandidat kann in mehreren Wahlkreisen antreten. Fr den Fall, dass er in mehreren Wahlkreisen gewinnt, muss er sich innerhalb einer Woche fr einen Wahlkreis, den er reprsentieren will, entscheiden.

Disproportionalitt des Wahlsystems

Mehrheitsumkehr
Bei der Wahl 1951 hatten die Konservativen eine absolute Mehrheit, obwohl Labour mehr Stimmen erhalten hat. Bei der Wahl 1974 hatte Labour mehr Sitze als die Konservativen, obwohl die Konservativen mehr Stimmen erhalten hatten.

Ungleiche Chancen
1983 erhielten die liberale Alliance mit 25,4 % der Stimmen 23 Sitze (3,5 %), whrend Labour mit 27,6 % der Stimmen 209 Sitze (32 %) erhielt.

Taktische Stimmabgabe
Das Wahlsystem zwingt die meisten Whler, wenn ihre Stimme Erfolg haben soll, sich zwischen den beiden aussichstreichsten Kandidaten im Wahlkreis zu entscheiden. TacticalVoter.Net versucht taktische Stimmabgabe durch Stimmentausch (Voteswapping) in verschiedenen Wahlkreisen zu organisieren.

Referendum
Ministerprsident Tony Blair hatte nach der Wahl 1997 ein Referendum ber das Wahlsystem angekndigt, welches aber bis zur Wahl 2001 nicht stattgefunden hat.

Jenkins-Report
Bericht der unabhngigen Kommission zur Reform des Wahlrechts zum britischen Unterhaus (Jenkins-Report). Argumentative Auseinandersetzung mit einer Vielzahl von Wahlsystemen.

Voting system in USA (source: www.englisch-hilfen.de)

General
Voting in the United States is a two party system. Every president since 1852 has been either a Republican or a Democrat. In the U.S., a "single-member district system" applies. The candidate who gets elected is the one who gets the highest number of votes in their respective state. Presidents are elected indirectly. The voters are really voting for electors in each state. In all states, the candidate who wins a plurality, receives all of that state's electoral votes. All together there are 538 electors (in the "Electoral College). It is very important to win in populous states. To win the presidential election, a candidate must earn an absolute majority at least 270 of the 538 electoral votes cast nationwide.

Who can run for President?

He must be a natural-born citizen of the United States, be at least 35 years of age, and have been a resident of the United States for 14 years.

How long is the President in office?

He is in office for 4 years.

Can the President be reelected?

Yes. He can be reelected once. Overall he can be in office for 8 years.

Who can vote?

Anyone who is 18 years of age. There is no national list of eligible voters, so a citizen must first qualify by becoming registered. Citizens register to vote in conjunction with the place they live, if they move to a new location, they typically have to register again. Registration system has been designed to eliminate fraud.

Is the President elected directly?

No. Voters are voting for electors who are members of a party.

When is election day?

Election day is the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

When is the Inauguration of the President?

The President will be inaugurated on January 20 in the year after the election. From this time he is in office.

What are primaries?

At the primaries the parties nominate their candidates. This takes place about 1 year prior to the election. There are

- closed / semi-closed primaries (e.g. Arizona) - open primaries (e.g. Missouri) - blanket primaries (e.g. Lousiana)

What are"caucuses"?
In some states (e.g. Iowa) there are three levels. 1st: local 2nd: district 3rd: state Voters are voting for electors here, too. (e.g. North Dakota)

What is "Super Tuesday"

At this day there are pre-elections in at least 8 states. The winner of the primaries is most likely the candidate for the elections.

Kinds of Voting Technology

Elections in the United States are administered at the state and local level, and the federal government does not set mandatory standards for voting technologies. 1. Paper Ballots 2. Lever Machines 3. Punchcards 4. Computer (push-buttons) 5. Marksense Forms 6. Electronic Voting

Electoral College
There is a total of 538 electors. In December the electors meet in each statess capitol to formally elect the President. The congress meets in joint session to count the electoral votes January 6.

Voting pattern in America

The turn out at the election is only 50%. The problem that has made worse the issue of voter representation is the fact that an individual must initiate voter registration well before election day.

The President will be inaugurated on January 20 in the year after the election. Many inaugural traditions have changed since President George Washington took the first oath of office on April 30, 1789. The longest inaugural address (two hours) was held by William Harrison in 1841. John F. Kennedy said the following memorable words in 1961: And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for youask what you can do for your country. The President-elect raises his right hand, places his left hand on the Bible, and takes the Oath as directed by the Chief Justice. This takes place on the West Portico of the Capitol. Here are the words: I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. George Washington added the following words: So help me God. These words were added by every president since.

The constitution of the USA said that the oath of office be taken on March 4 in the year after the election. This time gap was designed to allow enough time for counting the votes and travelling to Washington. In 1933 the date was changed to January 20 as it became easier to count the votes and travel to Washington. Even today there has to be enough time to count the votes (elections 2000/01). So it is improbable that there will be another change of the current date.

Vocabulary list Voting USA: ambassador blanket primary campaign candidate caucus citizen closed primary to contest election debate delegate election electoral register electoral system electorate electors eligible embassy federal general election government, the Administration impeachment inaugural address majority minority national convention open primary opinion poll party in government party leader party member policy politician politics presidential candidate primary Ronald Weise is the ambassador of the USA in Slovakia. 3 States presently have blanket primaries, while an additional 21 States have open primaries and 8 States have semi-closed primaries. He took a campaign tour of West Michigan last week. The party has put up a candidate . Caucuses are held in New Mexico and North Dakota. She's a citizen of the USA. 3 States presently have blanket primaries, while an additional 21 States have open primaries and 8 States have semi-closed primaries. In every southern state the Democrats contested elections. There's a debate about the political development. Delegates are to be elected. Any person qualified to vote may run for election. In the USA election in 2000, many voters were removed from the electoral register in Florida. Can you explain how the electoral system really works? Only 60% of the electorate voted in the last election. The electors can vote for any person at all and are not bound to their party. The elections process is provided to all eligible citizens. In Slovakia you can find the embassy of the USA in Bratislava. What are federal regulations? The General Election took place on 15th October 1964. The first White House Web Site was developed during the Clinton Administration. Clinton's impeachment was over before it began. The inaugural address is the statement of the beginning of a political administration. She is elected by a majority of two hundred votes. Most of the ethnic minorities did not have a written language. The candidate is formally nominated at the national convention. 3 States presently have blanket primaries, while an additional 21 States have open primaries and 8 States have semi-closed primaries. They've organised an opinion poll. He led the party in government from 1994 to 1997 . The election of the new party leader was connected with a number of scandals. Many local party members are optimistic about the campaign. We talked about the policy on education. Politicians are our servants not our masters. I told her I was going into politics. The Presidential candidate that gets more than half of the votes wins the election. Primaries are held in South Carolina, Arizona, Missouri, Delaware and Oklahoma.

progress public office regulations speech suffrage summit supporter the Electoral College the political process to cast a vote to defeat to nominate to run to support so. to vote turnout two-party system voter

The government has made progress in controlling mismanagement. Cleveland's motto was: "a public office is a public trust". This guide covers the rules and regulations. He made the announcement in a speech on the radio. The Fifth Amendment aimed to protect black suffrage. The Genoa G8 summit was held in July. He was a Kennedy supporter. The electoral college plays a huge role in the election process. The political process has reached a critical phase. They cast a vote for the first time. In 2000 Bush defeated Gore. The candidate is formally nominated at the national convention. Bill Clinton ran a second time in 1996. They support the two-party system. They have the right to vote. There was an article about the poor turnout for elections. The two-party system is often criticised. Now the voters can decide.