10.

Political institutions of Britain

 Constitutional Monarchy without a consitution

 The Crown

 Whitehall - The Cabinet

 Palace of Westminster

I.Constitutional Monarchy without a consitution:

-form of the government: Constitutional Monarchy without a consitution

-system of government: monarch shares power with a constitutionally organized government

-monarch: -head of the state

-ceremonial leader

-role of the queen:

 ceremonial

 has absolutely no actual power

 head of the state of Great Britain

 not head of the government

 Act of setlement 1701:

-no chatolics

-only legitimate children

-no spouses

-male primageniture

 line of succession: ( Charles, William, George, Sharlott, Louis, Harry)

II. the Crown:

-Monarchy:
 Britain oldest secular institution

 origins go back to the 10th century

 the monarchy is hereditary ( the oldest male/female child)

 one limitation : Act of Settlement

 the reigning monarch    is Queen Elizabeth II.

-2 most famous residence: Buckingham Palace in London, Winsdor Castle in Berksire

-in theory:

 the monarch has enormous power

 head of:    -the state

-executive

-judicary

-church of England

-practice:

 since 1689 (Bill of Rights) the monarch powers have been limited

 The English Bill of Rights was an act signed into law in 1689 by William III
and Mary II, who became co-rulers in England after the overthrow of King James
II. The bill outlined specific constitutional and civil rights and ultimately gave
Parliament power over the monarchy.
 the monarch reigns but does not rule

 Prime Minister tells her:    P.M.--> Theresa May

-when parliament should be dissolved

-who should be appointed for positions in the gov.

 -when declare war, when to make peace

 she gives her assent to the laws passed by the parl.

-Queen's birthday:

Trooping the Colour is a ceremony performed by regiments of the British and Commonwealth
armies. It has been a tradition of British infantry regiments since the 17th century, although its
roots go back much earlier. On the battlefield, a regiment's colours, or flags, were used as
rallying points

Since 1748, Trooping the Colour has also marked the official birthday of the British sovereign.
[1] It is held in London annually on a Saturday in June at Horse Guards Parade by St James's
Park,[2] and coincides with the publication of the Birthday Honours List. Among the audience
are the Royal family, invited guests, ticket holders and the general public. The ceremony is
broadcast live by the BBC within the UK and is also shown in Germany and Belgium. Since 2018,
Associated Press has provided live streaming of the event to viewers across the world on the
Time magazi

 Trooping the color: ceremony performed by regiments Briths and Commonwealth Armies

 held in London in st. James Park

 the Queen's birthday is on 21 April (1926)

 also mark the offical birthday of the British sovereign

III. Whitehall - the Cabinet:

-Whitehall: road running from Trafalgar Square to Parliament

 political centre of London

 10 Downing steert :    - the Prime Min. and his family live on the top floor

-meetings of the cabinet are held here

-Cabinet: the body of leading ministers

 ministers are choosen from the party which has the majority

 chief min. --> Prime    Minister

 P.M. choose all the other ministers he wants to work with ---> they form the cabinet

 20 people, sitting on the right side

 collective responsibility:
 -works on the principle of collective responsibility

-all minister are responsible    for any gov. policy no matter whether they
have taken part in making it

IV. Palace of Westminster: The British Parliamnet

 bicameral

 consist of 2 houses

-House of Commons

-House of Lords

 not equally important

 lower house (Commons) has more power

 Constituencies: UK is divided into special districts

-there are 659 constituencies

-each of elects one member of parl. (MP) to represent  

the area in the house of commons

The shape of the Debating Chamber, House of Commons

 dif. from most Eu. legistlative chambers, not like a slice of pie

 life peer

 headed by elected leader

 fixed number of members

 dominant pol. power

 a long hall with five raws of benches on each side, at the end the speaker's chair

 the speakers presides over the commons

 majority party sit on speaker's right, opposition on the left

 front benches: for members of the cabinet and for the leaders of the oppositions
(shadow cabinet)

 behind the cabinet and the shadow cabinet ---> backbenchers

 backbenchers: MPs who have no leading position in their own party

 speaker: chosen by the house, is required to be absolutely impartile between parties and
individual MPs

House of Lords: upper house of Parl.

 no elected members

 no fixed numbers

 it is presided over the Lord Chancellor member of the cabinet

 members who are entiteled to sit in the house of lords belong to 3 categories

1. hereditary peers

2. life peers

3. the lords spiritual

 Hereditary peers:

-dukes,earls,barons,viscounts

-inherited their titles

-they held their seats by the right of succession

 Life peers:

 received peerages with the right to sit in the House of Lords

 peerages from the Crown or the recommendation of the PM

 members until their death, children don't inherit it

 special group: law lords- senior retired judgesof England and Wales function as the
highest court of appeal

 Lords Spiritual:

 Archbishops of Canterbury and York

 24 most senior bishops of the church of England, they are members until they are die

 Legistlative process:

1. Bill

2. First Reading (formal announcement)

3. Second Reading (debate in the House)

4. Committy Stage (deatailed discussion of possible amendmants)

5. Third Reading (final vote,called the division, aye or no)

6. House of Lords (the bill is passed)

7. Royal Assent (bill is sent to the Queen)

8. Act of Parliament