Upon returning from break we'll be examining the British Government and modern politics in the United Kingdom. In brief, the leader of Parliment is the Prime Minister, and it is he or she who is essentially the exectuive leader of Great Britain. The Queen, however, remains the Head of State of the United kingdom and over a dozen independent commonwealths. Your blog this weekend asks you to analyze the changing and contested role of the British Monarchy in the modern world.
Directions: Actively read the articles below:
The British Government: An Overview
http://www.britannia.com/gov/gov4.html
How the Commonwealth sees the Queen:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4922394.stm
The Queen admits monarchy must evolve to survive:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/the-queen-admits-monarchy-must-evolve-to-survive-650187.html
2. Summarize the structure of government in Great Britain and the UK.
Reference each article and explain what powers and influence the Queen has on British politics and culture.
3. Based on the articles, how has the Queen's political and cultural role and influence changed in recent history? Refer to at least three nations and multiple perspectives in your response.
Due Wed. 4/7 at the begining of class
According to the brief overview of the British government, Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state and monarch of it's parliamentary democracy. The constitution is made up of combination of laws and practices in Britain. The Queen is head of state and is a symbol for national unity of Great Britain. The Queen is head of the Executive branch, head of the judiciary and commander in chief of all armed forces. The responsibilities of the Queen has decreased over the years, she only acts on the advice of her ministers. Britain's legislature is made up of the house of commons there are 651 elected members.
ReplyDeleteIn Australia, the Australian republican movement have a sense of affection toward the Queen because they believe she has provided great stability and keeps others from total power.
In the Caribbean people see the queen as a rare point of stability in a region that has changed since WWII. The Queen had a lot of respect. She is a symbolic figure of unity but the Caribbean think its too much work and liability on the shoulders of just one woman rather than an institution.
In Kenya, Princess Elizabeth learned that she had become Queen in February 1952. Although Kenya didn't know much about Britain's monarch they still had affection for the queen.Some Kenyans look back on the past ten years of British rule under Queen Elizabeth with anger.
Samantha Wong
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4/3/10
According to the article; The British Government: A Brief Overview, Britain’s government is ‘parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch’. This monarch being the queen. Although this might sound like a form of dictatorship, it is not. The queen has power in the government but she isn’t a dictator. She is more of Britain’s mascot than a ruler, but this doesn’t mean she doesn’t command public respect or have devout followers. In the BBC news article the queen wanted to ‘refresh’ more than ‘change’ Britain’s monarchical form of government into a ‘homegrown’ head of state.
ReplyDeleteSome follow behind her decision believing she has led them all this way without trouble, so she can’t fail now. Others don’t like the way she is ruling and believe change is the way to go. The last of the articles; The Independent goes into more detail as to what exactly the queen wants Britain’s government to change into. The queen says ‘Change has become a constant; managing it has become an expanding discipline. The way we embrace it defines our future.’ The queen wants change for the people and most of her people believe change is a good thing. Others believe that their government is fine the way it is.
The queen, while big in Britain since she rules there, is a little less famous in other countries. In Canada for instance, she is pretty well known and her birthday is acknowledged by the people. The news, as stated in the article, will just pass by.
India’s opinion about the Queen is similar and consistent. According to the article ‘Many believe that India owes some of its enduring institutions including parliament, the legal system, the bureaucracy and its communication and transport systems to Britain.’ This being said, some people in India really do respect the Queen for inspiring their own country. However, others believe that Britain’s rule over India should be forgotten. Kenya’s people also have mixed feelings about the Queen. It was in Kenya that the queen actually became the queen. Most don’t even know who she is there. While the older generation remembers her becoming queen on their soil, some remember her only because of the harsh British rule the Kenyan’s were under, and how many of their people lost their lives. Even in other countries that Britain used to rule, the queen is still not very popular, and those that do remember her only remember being under Britain’s rule for too long.
Shawn Cybulska
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4/4/10
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ReplyDeleteIn Britain there is the power of the Parliament or democracy and the power of the queen or the monarchy. The passage The British Government: An Overview states that the queen is “an important symbol of national unity” basically says that the queen who at one point had complete rule over england, currently has no say in most aspects of British government. The queen who is a 'symbol' to the citizens of Britain may be holding up a position that has been practiced in Britain for many centuries, but also has a huge credibility to tourism. Even if the queen hold tradition in the government her estates and privileges leave a gapping hole in the British economic which is to be filled with tax payers money. Were as the real government of Britain is just as corrupt as their national symbol, the house of lords and the house of commons. The house of lords is appointed by the prime minister, just as the cabinet is appointed by the president in America, but British citizens can also pay their way into the legal system at the price of one millions dollars, unappointed and unvoted for millionaires can make legal decisions in the British system. The house of commons is democratically elected into office but has less power then those in the house of lords.
ReplyDeleteThe queen is seen as a symbol is regarded as a idol in places such as India, who owe most the there economic development and government succession to Britain, even though the citizens are glad to be free from Britain's colonization they are profiting from what Britain started in their home land. Were as in other colonized nations such as Kenya they are not as greatful towards the queen, due to the fact that Britain used Kenya and its people to obtain gold then left, and it was not turned into an economically thriving country such as India but left in worse conditions then before Britain had come to colonize it. Whether or not the queen is seen a point of tradition or a point of tourism in Britain she symbols much more then she is given credit.
Katie McSherry
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Great Britain and the UK are both run by a parliamentary democracy, and with a constitutional monarch. As stated in the first link, The British Government: A Brief Overview, Queen Elizabeth II is the Head of the State. The British Constitution is made up of an arrangement of laws that aren’t legally enforced but are regarded as guidelines. The Queen is more important then she seems. She is the symbol of national unity. The Queen is supposed to be the head of the executive branch, an essential part of the legislature, head of judiciary, commander-in-chief of all the armed forces of the Crown. She is also known as the Supreme Governor. But all these labels are according to the Law. Now things are very different, she does not participate in any events as far as the Government is concerned. She only acts upon the advice that she is given to by her ministers. The Queen and the other members of the royal family attend traditional ceremonies, participate in many charities and carry lots of respect.
ReplyDeleteParliament is made up of the House of Commons, House of Lords and the Queen. The center is the House of Commons. The Political Party system is a very important part of the constitution. The Queen appoints the leaders of the Government.
According to the second article, How Commonwealth sees the Queen, The Queen is viewed as very important and borderline special. Specifically stated in this article, “they believe Her Majesty has provided great stability.”
The Queen’s political and cultural role and influence has changed in recent history. Back then, years ago, the Queen of Britain held a lot of power. But slowly decreased over time, but still holds respect from most people. As for India, some people respect her for the motivation she gave on their own country. In Australia they believe that the Queen has provided stability for them, she is greatly appreciated. In Nigeria, her reputation isn’t as good or as important. People focused on superficial things such as “It’s nice that she grew old and looks so fit”. People definitely questioned what importance she has to Britains’ government.
Jazmin Roman
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According to "The British Government: a Brief overview" the British form of government is a parliamentary democracy. With Queen Elizabeth the second as head of state. The British constitution is not a written document unlike most nations, and is a combination of laws and traditions.
ReplyDeleteQueen Elizabeth acts as the glue unifying Britain. The Queen acts as the head of the executive branch, judiciary branch, and commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the crown. Although the Queen does not play a significant role in day to day goverment business, as stated in the first link.
Austrailia seems to view the Queen as a figure head, and nothing more than a symbol of respect and affection in britan. These feelings of respect and affection towards the Queen have unified britan, and she keeps others from maintaining total power in accordance to the second link.
Contrary to the Australians view, India's opinions of the Queen and her role in British government are distorted due to England's colonial past. Many say that India's development is due to English colonization, others say the exact opposite.
2. According to “The British Government: An Overview,” Britain is different from America considering it is controlled by a queen and has a Parliament. The Parliament is a monarchy composed of the House of Lords, House of Commons, and the Queen. They have control over the executive branch. The Queen appoints the Prime Minister, who is head of the government. The Queen is head of the executive, judiciary, legislative branch, the commander-in-chief of all the armed forces of the Crown and the 'supreme governor' of the established Church of England.
ReplyDeleteAccording to BBC News “How Commonwealth sees the Queen,” the Queen is being respected for she is soon to crown Prince Charles and for her republican movement. She has the power to provide great stability especially to charities and people in Australia.
According to the third article “The Queen admits monarchy must evolve to survive,” the Queen wants what is best for Britain. She realized that the world is in the 21st century and a changed is needed. The Queen has the power to change the monarchy and Parliament, which she intends on doing.
3. The Queen political and cultural role and influence changed in recent history. The Queen changed the views of the Australians because she gave them a republican democracy. This showed that the Queen could provide people with a steady lifestyle. Also, in India, the Queen is seen as an idol because she helped their country with development in pars they were weak such as political and economical. On the other hand, in other places such as Kenya, the Queen and Britain is not given respect because the British were sent to Kenya to obtain gold from their land.
Dana Pistilli
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The British government is defined by a parliamentary government with a constitutional monarch. The current monarch is Queen Elizabeth II; the queen does not seem to be an essential part of running the country. The power of the Monarchy has been diminishing over time and only acts on the will of the Queen's ministers. The British Parliament consists of a House of Commons and the House of Lords. Checks and balances allows the House of Commons to overrule laws being passed by the House of Lords. Every part of Parliament is balanced between the House of Lords House of Commons and the executive branch which is Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen seems to me as an Ambassador connecting the government with the people instead of being two separate bodies. The Queen also symbolizes the connection Britain has with its Commonwealth. Many of the British Commonwealths venerate the Queen and regard the Queen as a person who has brought on a period of prosperity. Though some Commonwealths are not pleased with foreign rule still highly respect Queen Elizabeth II. Many countries though may not enjoy the presence of a foreign monarch many nations cope with the idea due to the Queen. Many nations have the notion when the monarch changes so to will the commonwealths. Many nations stay under the monarchy due to the Queen so many critics believe that When Prince Charles becomes King many governments will change to republics. Many of the commonwealths will not allow the continuation of British rule in its current form. Commonwealths include India, the Caribbean, Canada and more; countries such as these will most likely remain under current British rule after Elizabeth's reign ends. The Queen today is under appreciated in many of the commonwealths’ teenagers nor recognize the Queen as a real institution. In the past the Queen has helped stabilize economies in India as well as the Caribbean. That is when she most likely had more political power than currently. In recent history the Queens powers have obviously diminished. It seems as though the Queen is only kept around in order to keep the treaty with Commonwealth nations. Although her political power has taken a blow Queen Elizabeth's cultural influence is still kept intact. Nations such as Canada, Australia and the Commonwealth of the Caribbean will mostly change the relationship with the Monarchy after the rule of Queen Elizabeth II. Australia are affectionate to the Queen which shows their respect and therefore will most likely stay a commonwealth but, when Charles becomes King that respect will be lost. The respect in many perspectives is what keeps a nation a commonwealth under British rule. In Canada many older generations respect the Queen dearly but due to her age many younger generations forget that she is partially responsible for the nation. The dying power of the Monarchy shows the separation that is forming between the British Monarchy and Canada. In the Caribbean many critics do not see the monarchy continuing due to the dying admiration for the monarch. In the past these Caribbean Island nations depended on Brutish rule made clear by Debbie Ransome with the quote "However, the kind of dependence and the kind of feeling that we were part of the British Empire, that has gone." Many countries feel the Monarchy does not serve much of a purpose in new age Politics. This is reasonable because, the idea of a Monarch does not clearly show the advancement of a nation.
ReplyDeleteHo Lee
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From reading The British Government: A Brief Overview, the structure in Great Britain and the UK is of a Parliament and a monarchy. The monarch being Queen Elizabeth, who is seen more like a symbol compared to a leader. In this article, the Queen is described as head of the executive branch of the government, similar to our leader being the president, as well as commander in chief. However, it also states that as each year that passes, the Queen becomes less involved with daily operations of the government. Parliament of the UK is composed of the House of Commons. The Commons has six hundred and fifty one elected members; each member represents local areas and residents.
ReplyDeleteThe Queen’s political and cultural role as well as her influence has waned in recent history. In the article, How the Commonwealth sees the Queen, the author writes about several countries and their perspective of the Queen as of recently. In Australia, the Queen is still considered an important figure based on its political history. There, the Queen is still supported heavily and believe that she has contributed in keeping stability in Australia. In contrast, Canada perceives the Queen as a “passing news story”. Canadians do not support that Queen as much as Australia does, and are not as loyal to her. When a reporter asked a young man on the street what does the queen mean to them, they responded with “She’s on our money?” and laughed. As each generation passes, there is less and less attention toward the queen. Another country to be considered is India. India believes that its government is based off the British rulings. However, it’s still a subject that many citizens wish to forget and move on from. Depending which region the reporters asked came different responses, meaning that she means different levels of importance in modern society. The queen is fully aware that she must modernize and change monarchy in order to keep this type of government alive. The article, The Queen admits monarchy must evolve to survive, Queen Elizabeth states herself that “Change has become a constant.” She is aware that to stay in control and important and not just a symbol she must be able to adapt.
Allison Lee
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The government in England consists of many things. There is a democratic side, which would be parliament, and then the monarchy side, which would be the queen. According to the article The British Government: An Overview the queen is “an important symbol of national unity” the current queen, Queen Elizabeth II, doesn’t really have any power. She is more of a tourist attraction than an enforcer in politics. The queen who is a “symbol” to the citizens of Britain is more for show than politics. The queen may not really have any power in politics but she still commands respect and has loyal followers. According to the BBC news article the queen would like to ‘refresh’ more than ‘change’ Britain’s monarchical form of government into a ‘homegrown’ head of state. This means she would like to update an outdated form of politics not completely abandon it. Some citizens remain loyal to the queen and believe she has done a good job and will continue to do so. Others don’t agree with what she has done and want the queen out entirely. The last article “The Independent” goes into great detail about what the queen picture of Britain’s future really is. The queen states in the article ‘Change has become a constant; managing it has become an expanding discipline. The way we embrace it defines our future.’ The queen wants change for the people and her nation and most of her people believe change would do nothing but benefit their nation. Others fear the change of their government and believe it is good the way it is. According to the article many people believe that India owes everything it has to England because of the bases they laid down for many of its modern day political and economical institutions. Many people in India even like the queen because of all the great things England has done for India. However, others believe that Britain’s rule over India was horrible and should not be praised. The people of Kenya also share love and hate for the way England ruled their nation. The current queen became Queen of England in Kenya. This is the reason some older Kenyans know who she is. Others know whom she is because of the travesties done to their people and nation under English rule. Many nations England used to rule still do not get along with England’s politics or its Queen.
ReplyDeleteLouis Ferrara
4/6/10
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The Government in Great Britain is different from that of America because it is controlled by both a parliament and a monarchy. According to “The British Government: A Brief Overview” the queen is the head of the executive branch. Her duties do not consist of much and she remains uninvolved in the day-to-day operations of Government. Meanwhile the parliament makes the laws and has the ability to take over any branch of government that they need to. According to “How Commonwealth sees the Queen” the Queen still has quite a bit of influence over the people. Around the time of her birthday, there will still be several people who celebrate the Queen. However people assume that once Prince Charles is pronounced King this tradition will cease to exist. In other words people still respect the Queen but only because she has been in her position for so long. According to “The Queen admits monarchy must evolve to survive” many people called for a change to the monarchy system once it was questioned by the queen. This shows that the queen still holds a lot of influence. The Queens political and cultural role has completely changed in the past several decades. Being the King or Queen used to mean that you were in a position of supreme power over the country. In today’s world the Queen is used more as an ambassador for the country as opposed to a political leader.
ReplyDeleteJoe Santangelo
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Britain is a monarchy and is run by Queen Elizabeth. Queen Elizabeth is now the face of politics in England, and she will be succeeded by her son Prince Charles. The queen is more of a figure head in government and does not actually control the British government. In the UK there is something called parliament, which is who really controls Britain and its policies. Although many people believe that the queen is involved in the making of policies because it’s her face that is always in the public. The commonwealth seems to like Queen Elizabeth; she pays attention to all class systems in all different nations. The queen respects different people’s cultures and politics. She does not try to impose on the politics of other countries; although, they say she does try to make it better for the people there. The people of Australia say that Queen Elizabeth has “provided great stability”. The article says that she pushed for the republican movement for Australia. She does not impose on people, but she does support them. This is why people from all different nations probably support her.
ReplyDeleteFrom reading The British Government: A Brief Overview, the structure in Great Britain and the UK is of a Parliament and a monarchy. The monarch is Queen Elizabeth, who is seen to be more of a symbol of Britain than an actual leader with power. In this article, the Queen is described as head of the executive branch of the government, similar to the president of the United States, and the commander in chief. It also states that each year that passes, the Queen becomes less involved with daily operations of the government. Parliament of the UK is composed of the House of Commons. The Commons has 651 elected members; each member represents local areas and residents. The Queen’s political and cultural role as well as her influence has continued to decrease in time. In the article, How the Commonwealth sees the Queen, the author writes about several countries and their perspective of the Queen. In Australia, the Queen is still considered an important figure based on the political history. The Queen is still supported and people believe that she has contributed in keeping stability in Australia. Canadians do not support the Queen as much as Australia does, and are not as loyal to her. As each generation passes, there is less attention toward the queen. Another country considered is India. India believes that its government has derived from the British rulings. However, it’s still a subject that many citizens wish to forget and move on from. Depending on which region the reporters asked came different responses, meaning that the Queen means different levels of importance in modern society. The queen should be fully aware that she must modernize monarchy in order to keep this type of government alive. The queen must realize that she has to change in order to keep monarchy alive and she cannot just continue to be a symbol, she has to modernize.
ReplyDeleteCory Moser
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Britain’s Parliament is an ethnic system compromised of a Queen, the House of Commons and Lords as well as other positions that focus on both traditional and innovative ideas. The Queen’s significant role in the English government demonstrates the authority that she has as being Head of State and power over the branches of the nation’s government. In today’s society the Queen of England is Elizabeth II and she has shown her role in the country by keeping the traditional ceremonies of visiting countries around the world while contributing to her own country. In the British government there is a monarchy and Parliament in which the Queen has much of a say and set of responsibilities to carry out. Servicing as Commander in Chief, head governor of England’s Church, and leader of Parliament are just some of the obligations the Queen faces as being leader of a nation. As notified in the BBC article many countries have much respect for Queen Elizabeth II for her calming manner and outreaching to other countries. Demonstrating a carrying personality by taking out a considerable amount of time visiting other nations, many individuals have shown that the Queen of England is a remarkable woman. According to Susan Ryan from the Australian Republican Movement, “there is a sense of affection towards the Queen”. Countries, for example India, the Caribbean, and Canada are nations that demonstrate liberation from Britain regime and have believe that having a Queen is an honor to tradition but could be withholding the nation’s progression into reformation. These nations support the Queen and her visits to these countries because as said in the Caribbean she is a sign of peace and steadiness to countries who have been involved in conflict. Although it is true that the Queen has authority, some believe that it is in the hands of the government to manage the nation and establish the rules essential in making the nation a great place. The Queen herself admits that change in England is acceptable and useful; however it is also an importance to keep tradition alive.
ReplyDeleteRacquel Wood
The British government, officially classified as a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarchy, is more similar to a democratic nation than a monarchy. In the passage “The British Government: A Brief Overview” the role of the royal family, although head of the state, is seen merely “an important symbol of national unity.” Queen Elizabeth II has only a symbolic form of power. “The real power of the monarchy has been steadily reduced over the years.” Most of the countries decisions are made by the Parliament, consisting of the Prime Minister, House of Lords, and House of Commons. Members of Parliament gain their powers through elections. The Prime Minister is the leader of the political party in charge. The House of Lords consists of over 1,000 people of high stature to advise the House of Commons in their legislative Duties. Members of The House of Commons are elected while members of the House of Lords are appointed. The Prime Minister also appoints 20 ministers to be in his cabinet.
ReplyDeleteBecause of the UK’s powerful influence on the world in the past and present, many people have different opinions about the Queen. For example, Canada, one of Britain’s former colonies, has the Queen printed on their money. They even celebrated her 80th birthday. On the other hand, “for the majority of Canadians, the event will simply be a passing news story, generating neither feelings of intense loyalty, nor much of a debate about why Canada still has a head of state from a foreign country.” Many people wish not to be nostalgic. Likewise, in India, many believe their past ties with England are dreadful and should be forgotten. The Queen just doesn’t have relevance to an abundance of people’s lives anymore. There are citizens in Nigeria, Kenya, and Malaysia who don’t even know who she is. Now, the queen is seen as a symbolic idol to few. The haters fail to realize that their current government and economy are all influenced by their past connections with Britain. This influence may lead the country into success like in Canada, or poverty like in Kenya. Conclusively, the role of the monarchy is seen as tradition that shouldn’t be removed. On the other hand, the Queen herself said that changed must be made in the current form of government to uphold the powers and responsibility of Prince Charles, or any other future royalties.
Britain is a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, as head of the State. The system of government in Britain is different than those in most countries. The British constitution isn't set out to a single document. Instead, it is made up of a combination of laws and practices which are not legally enforceable, but which are regarded as vital to the working of government. As far as the monarchy goes, the stability of the British government owes a great deal to them. Today, not only is the Queen head of State, but she's an important symbol of national unity. According to the law, the Queen is head of the executive branch of the government, an integral part of the legislature, head of the judiciary, the commander-in-chief of all the armed forces of the Crown and the 'supreme governor' of the established Church of England. The Queen is impartial and acts only on the advice of her ministers. The Queen and other members of the royal family take part in traditional ceremonies, visit different parts of Britain and many other countries and are closely involved in the work of many charities. Britain's parliament is made up of the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the Queen in her constitutional role. The Commons has 651 elected Members of Parliament (MPs). The House of Lords is made up of 1,185 hereditary and life peers. The center of the Parliament is the House of Commons. General elections to choose MPs must be held at least every five years. The political party system is essential to the working of the constitution. The government is formed by the party with majority support in the Commons. The Prime Minister appoints about 100 ministers. About 20 ministers make up the Cabinet. The second largest party forms the official Opposition, with it's own leader called the 'shadow cabinet'. As far as the legal system goes, England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland all have their own legal systems. The Lord Chancellor is the head of the judiciary branch. The administration of law is in his hands. Everyone basically sees and perceives the Queen differently. We all see how important her role is in the British government. People believe she has provided great stability and is full of wisdom. Ricky Singh, a veteran Caribbean journalist says, "Whether you belong to a rapidly dying breed of monarchists or militant advocates for constitutional republics, it is simply difficult not to admire the Queen for her perpetual calming and enduring presence." The Queen says herself that change is necessary and useful and she plans on keeping the tradition alive.
ReplyDeleteAngela Matrone
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In reference to the British Government overview, Queen Elizabeth II is the Head of State while Britain is a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch. The British constitution is made up of a combination of laws and practices that are not legally able to be enforced, but they are regareded as a vital piece to the the function of the British Government. The Queen is not only Head of State but she is also a significant symbol of national unity. Her royal title is "Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith", but she is mostly known as Her Royal Highness or just plainly Queen Elizabeth. The British law states that the Queen is Head of the executive Branch of government, part of the legislature, head of the judiciary, and the commander in chief. The only real power she holds based on monarchy is that she relies advice to her ministers. Britain's parliament is composed of the House of Commons, the House of Lords, and the Queen. When electing MPs, elections are generally held every five years. British government is composed oby the party with help from the House of Commons and the Prime Minister appoints about 100 ministers. While the Lord chancellor is the head of the judiciary branch, the administration of law is in his power and control. The Queen wants to keep tradition going and thinks that in order for Britain to continue with it's usual that change should occur.
ReplyDeleteBethany Greenman
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The British government is classified as a parlimentary democracy with constituional monarchy. in the passage "The British Government: A Brief Overview" the role of royal family is in other words jsut an important symbol of national unity, although they are head of the state. Queen Elizabeth II is only a symbol for power. Most of the countries desicions are made by the Parliament. Parliament consist of the Prime Minister, House of Lords, and the House of Commons. The Memembers The Prime Minister is the head/ leader of the main political party. The House of Lords consists of 1,000 people of high achievement, who advise the House of Commons in thier legislative duties. The House of Commons members are elected and the House of Lords are appointed. As for the Prime Minister, who appoints 20 ministers to be in his cabinet.
ReplyDeleteUnited Kingdom's population have a lot of different opinions about the Queen, because of its Powerful influence on the world in the past and present. The Queen political and cultural role and influences changed in recent history. The Queen improved the Views in Australia. The Queen is supported and they believe she has contributed in keeping Australia stable. Canada, one of Britians former colonies, has the Queen printed on thier money. The people celebrate her birthday, meanwhile the majority of Candians this will be passing a new story, creating neither fleeings of strong loyalty nor is t an agruement of why they have a head of state from a foreign country.
Vanessa Cucuzza
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To what extent do appointment and election procedures reflect democratic government?
ReplyDeleteEvery 4 years the people elect officials into the house of commons, since they are elected, it is known what the people want.
The house of commons is elected, but British Government isn't a complete democracy, since the house of lords are appointed, and have a bigger say in the law making procedure of parliament
Do you think the British or American legislature is more likely to make informed legislation?
The house of lords are closer to the people than the other houses, since they're citizens like everyone else, their say is close to what the people want. Since the government knows more than us, and has more experience, they know who's best for what job to appoint to the house of lords, and save money on the election process by just appointing them.
There is also plenty of corruption in the government, where they use people to make the decisions they can bend to their will.
Neutral experts would be hard to find.
According to "The British Government: a Brief overview" the British form of government is a parliamentary democracy. In the british government there is a prime minister,two houses and a queen. The prime minister is the majority party leader from the party that wins the most seats in the house. Even though people think that the queen has power it is the opposite. The queen does has some power but the majority power is with the prime minister. The queen is there just because of tradition. The role of the queen has changed greatly due to the fact that Britian has now become a democracy. Britian used to be a monarchy. This meant that the king and queen made all the decesions and all the laws. Now the houses and the Prime minister. Many countries still celebrate the queen for all she has done. In Canada they celebrate her birthday as a holiday. Also austrailla is big on the queen. They like her because she supports them and keeps the country stable. This is how the role of the queen has changed and is presently used.
ReplyDeleteTo what extent do appointment and election procedures reflect democratic government?
ReplyDeleteThe house of commons has all elected officals which would repersent a democracy. However the conterversy comes from the house of lords which is made up of appointed officals which have been appointed vy the government. The house of lords role in parliament is they can provide input to the house of commons and although they can not reject a law they can revise it. I feel freat btiatan is still a strong democracy because the appointment of office for the house of lords is a tradition. And Britian takes great pride in its tradition.
Do you think the British or American legislature is more likely to make informed legislation?
I feel that britian is more likely to make an informed legislation because the house of lords is made of experts in all types of subjects. And in america the politicans are voted in which doesnt mean they are necassarly the best choice but they are the most popular.
Based on the article, Britian is a parliamentary democracy ruled with a constitutional monarch. What makes the British constitution different from others is that the constitution is composed of different practices and laws. These laws are not legally enforcable which means they cannot be enforced, but is regarded as vital to the working of the government. Queen Elizabethll is the head of state. Not only is she the head of state, but she is the head of the executive branch of the government. Britians legislature which is parliament, is made up of the house of commons, the house of lords and the queen.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the second article,Queen Elizabeth has been a key figure in Australia's recent political history. They believe her majesty has provided great stability. The Queens cultural and political role and influences have definetely changed in recent history. The Queen somewhat improved the views of Australians. In countries like Canada, her birthday is considered as a holiday. Canada seems content to remain a constitutional monarchy with Queen Elizabeth II. Stated in the article, the Queen herself says that "change is necessary and useful and she plans on keeping the tradition alive".
Ashley Suechee
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According to the article, Queen Elizabeth is the head of the state and there is a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch. None of Britain's constitution is written on document. Britain's stability is owed a lot to the monarchy. In Britain the Queen is a important symbol of national unity and she is the head of state. According to the law of Britain, the Queen is head of the executive branch of the government, an integral part of the legislature, head of the judiciary, the commander-in-chief of all the armed forces of the Crown and the 'supreme governor' of the established Church of England. Even though it seems like a lot the Queens power has been reduced lower over the years. She is now not involved in day to day activity in the government. Britain's legislature , Parliament is made up of the House of the Commons, House of Lords and the Queen. General elections to choose MPs must be held at least every five years. In Australia's recent political history Queen Elizabeth has been a key figure. The respect she has enjoyed has stifled the republican movement. The Caribbean sees the Queen as a rare point of stability in a region that has changed rapidly since World War II. If you were born before the pre-war west indies you were a citizen of Britain.
ReplyDeleteGreat Britain and the United Kingdom is a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch Queen Elizabeth as head of state. The Parliament is composed of the House of Lords and House of Commons. Checks and balances allow the House of Commons to overrule laws that are passed by the House of Lords. Although, the queen is head of state, she acts as a connector to the government and the people. Also she symbolizes the relationship between Britain and its commonwealths. According to “How the commonwealth sees the Queen”, many countries have a great amount of respect for the queen. Countries, such as India, the Caribbean and Canada, that have shown liberation from Britain’s Regime believe that having a Queen honors tradition but could hinder the nation’s road to reform. However, these nations support the Queen because a constant answer from all the commonwealths is that she is a sign of peace and steadiness countries who have been involved in conflict. It seems as though the official monarch is not needed as much as an ambassador to the people. However, even the Queen has agreed that “Parliament and the monarch must evolve if they are to serve the needs of Britain in the 21st century.”
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Jackie King
ReplyDeleteAccording to “The British Government: a Brief Overview” Britain’s government is a Parliamentary Democracy. The queen is basically the most important symbol in British government. However, Queen Elizabeth II does not have much power at all. The queen does have some power but the most power is with the prime minister. The queen is just tradition. Due to Britain becoming a democracy, the queen no longer holds all the power. The BBC news article basically says what the queen would like to do in Britain. She would like to refresh rather than change Britain’s monarch form of government into a head of state. Also meaning the queen would like to update outdated form of politics and policies. The article “The Independent” describes the details about the future of the queen and Britain. The queen is definitely looking for change. She wants to help her people mostly. Some fear that the change of government would destruct the nation. Throughout history the queens political and cultural role has changed dramatically. In previous years, the queen of Britain held the most power. But now she no longer holds as much power. In India, the queen holds respect and pride for the nation. In Nigeria the queen is barely noticed or respected. In Australia the queen is the main cause of stability for the nation.
The British Government:A Brief Overview, describes the structure of Great Britain and UK as a Parliament and monarchy. The monarch consists of the Queen, who isn't actually the leader of Britain. She is more of just a symbol.In the article, it describes the Queens role in British politics as a symbolic member of the British, who has no power. When there is a leader of the majority party in Parliament, he/she is invited by the Queen for dinner. He/she is then appointed Prime Minister.
ReplyDeleteIn the How the Commonwealth sees the Queen, the author describes several countries opinion and perspective on the Queen, as of recently. Furthermore, Australia has great reverence, and love for the Queen. She is still considered an important figure simply based on its political history. In Australia, the Queen is considered the bind that has held Australia at its current stability. However, there are very contrast views in Canada. Canadians believe the Queen to be a "passing news story." The loyalty to the Queen could be questioned in Canada. When a reporter asked a young man on the street what does he feel the queen means to him, he responded with “She’s on our money?” and laughed. The Queen is becoming less and less appealing to each generation. She is losing interest and responsibility in Britain and its commonwealths. Nevertheless,there is another country to take into consideration,India. India believes that its current government is based off the British rulings. Moreover, it really depends on which region you ask,the levels of loyalty to the Queen will vary. In the article, The Queen admits monarchy must evolve to survive, Queen Elizabeth states herself that “Change has become a constant.” She is aware that to stay in control and important she must be able to adapt.
Darlene Akanmu
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ReplyDeleteGreat Britain and the UK are both run by a parliamentary democracy, and with a constitutional monarch. As discussed in “The British Government: A Brief Overview” Queen Elizabeth is the Head of State and “and important symbol of national unity. “ The Queen who had former control over Britain has no say in most aspects of the British government. The Queen can appoint Prime Minister, who is head of the government. As well as doing so the Queen is also the head of the executive, Judiciary, legislative branch, the commander in-chief of all the armed forces in the Crown and the “Supreme Governor” of the established Church of England. The Queen who has power to change monarchy states that, “In order for monarchy to survive is must evolve” The queen understands that change is needed. She wants what is best for Britain. “How Commonwealth sees the Queen” a BBC news article states that the Queen is being respected. She is soon crowning Prince Charles and is greatly respected for her charities and stability for the people in Australia.
ReplyDeleteIn India Queen Elizabeth is a role model to all their people. The Queen helped their development political and economically. In Australia the Queen gifted them with a republic democracy.
Katerina Mitilineos
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