Quiz answers part 2

BRITISH STATE SYSTEM

13. Name the main branches (bodies) of the British state system. What are their main functions?

The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy, which means that the powers of the monarch are limited the country constitution.
In theory the Constitution safeguards the separation of powers between the legislature, the executive and the judiciary.
The legislature, which consists of both Houses of Parliament and formally the monarch, is the supreme authority, the supreme lawmaking body.
The executive consists of the Government - Cabinet and government ministries (or departments) headed by ministers (or secretaries of state). The government is responsible for putting laws into effect and directing national policy and acts formally in the name of the monarch.

The judiciary is composed mainly of the judges of the higher courts, who determine the common law and interpret Acts of Parliament and decide on cases arising out of the laws. The judiciary is supposed to be independent of the legislative and executive branches of government. The organs of government are clearly distinguishable, although their functions often intermingle and overlap. The monarch is formally the head of executive, the legislature and the judiciary. A Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons and a member of the House of Lords may both be in the government of the day. A Law Lord in the House of Lords also serves the House of Lords as the highest appeal court.
The division of powers is shown below:

Legislature: Monarch - > House of Lords -> House of Commons

Executive : Government -> Cabinet -> Ministries

Judiciary: Judges -> Courts

The main functions of British Parliament today are as follow:
To pass laws 
To vote on financial bills so that the government could carry on this work
To discuss the government's administrative, educational problems, etc.
To debate important political issues of the day.

14. Why is it said that the Queen reigns but doesn't rule? What are the powers of a monarch?

She is a figurehead ruler, she has no absolute authority in a democratic society. No longer can she as a monarch do exactly as she wishes, because we no longer view royalty as having a divine right to rule, we now see it as only a birthright. She therefore does not rule, but she reigns as she represents a very old tradition, that of the monarchy, and the idea that structure like this can last is a comfort to those who need to look to a hierarchy.

The monarch's personal prerogatives are:

- The refusal to dissolve Parliament when requested by the Prime Minister.

- To appoint a Prime Minister of her own choosing.

- The dismissal of a Prime Minister and his Government on the Monarch's own authority.

- The refusal of the Royal Assent.

- The refusal of the "Queen's Consent," where direct monarchical assent is required for a bill affecting, directly or by implication, the prerogative, hereditary revenues—including ultimus haeres, treasure trove, and bona vacantia—or the personal property or interests of the Crown to be heard in Parliament.

It has long been established in the uncodified Constitution of the United Kingdom that political power is ultimately exercised by the Parliament of the United Kingdom, of which the Sovereign is a non-partisan component, along with the House of Lords and the House of Commons, and by the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Thus, as the modern British monarchy is a constitutional one, the Sovereign's role is in practice limited to non-partisan functions.

15. What is British Parliament? What is the difference between the two Houses? Which of the Houses is stronger politically and why?

The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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, with an upper house, the House of Lords, and a lower house, the House of Commons. The House of Lords includes two different types of members: the Lords Spiritual (the senior bishops of the Church of England) and the 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. Prior to the opening of the Supreme Court in October 2009 the House of Lords also performed a judicial role through the Law Lords.

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.

16. Who is the Lord Chancellor and what are his main duties? What is the historical seat of this officer?

The Lord Chancellor used to be the presiding officer of the House of Lords by right of prescription. The Constitutional Reform Act 2005 removed this function, leaving the choice of a presiding officer to the House of Lords itself. Ultimately, the Lords chose to elect a Lord Speaker, which title was already used in the Standing Orders. The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking after only the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign on the advice of the Prime Minister. Prior to the Union there were separate Lord Chancellors of England and Scotland.

The Lord Chancellor is a member of the Cabinet and, by law, is responsible for the efficient functioning and independence of the courts. Formerly he was also the presiding officer of the House of Lords, and the head of the judiciary in England and Wales, but the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 transferred these roles to the Lord Speaker and the Lord Chief Justice respectively. The current Lord Chancellor is Kenneth Clarke, who, as with his predecessor Jack Straw, is also Secretary of State for Justice.

17. Describe the work of the British Parliament (the location ,the beginning, a routine working day, "white papers" and "green papers").

The two Houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (the House of Lords and the House of Commons) are based at The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament, in London.

Parliament decides the laws and make decisions on running the UK. (Some issues in Scotland,Wales and Northern Ireland are now dealt with by their respective parliaments and assemblies.) There has been a parliament at Westminster since the 13th Century.

Green Papers are consultation documents produced by the Government. Often when a government department is considering introducing a new law, it will put together a discussion document called a Green Paper. The aim of this document is to allow people both inside and outside Parliament to debate the subject and give the department feedback on its suggestions. Copies of consultation documents such as Green Papers and White Papers which are produced by the Government are available on the related departmental websites.

18. What peculiarity of the British Constitution can you mention? Name three main sources of the British Constitution.

The British constitution is unwritten or, to be more precise, 'uncodified'. This means that, unlike in most modern democracies, there is no single document which explains how we are governed.

The British Constitution comes from a variety of sources. The main ones are:

Statutes such as the Magna Carta of 1215 and the Act of Settlement of 1701. Laws and Customs of Parliament; political conventions. Case law; constitutional matters decided in a court of law
Constitutional experts who have written on the subject such as Walter Bagehot and A.V Dicey.

19. Which two parties usually win and oppose each other in the UK? Give the main characteristics of them (nicknames, symbols, main aims).

A political party is an organized group of people who have similar ideas about how the country should be run. Their aim is to get their candidates elected to political power.

Major parties in the House of Commons

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). Most of the British Members of the European Parliament and the National Assembly for Wales represent one of these parties:

Conservative and Unionist Party, centrist to right-wing (traditionally centre-right and pragmatic; has always been a diverse and not always harmonious coalition) (306 seats in the House of Commons)

Labour Party, centrist to Left-wing (traditionally socialist; is now a broad socialist and trade unionist to social liberal and social democratic party) (258 seats) Co-operative Party (all Co-operative Party MPs are also Labour MPs as part of a long-standing electoral agreement) Liberal Democrats, centrist to centre-left (heavily influenced by social liberalism). (57 seats)

20. Give the main information about the present day monarch of the UK. What do you know about the Royal family? (draw the "family tree")

Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; born 21 April 1926) is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms, and head of the 54-member Commonwealth of Nations. In her specific role as the monarch of the United Kingdom, one of her 16 realms, she is also Supreme Governor of the Church of England. Her reign of 60 years is the second-longest for a British monarch; only Queen Victoria has reigned longer. Her Silver and Golden Jubilees were celebrated in 1977 and 2002; her Diamond Jubilee is being celebrated during 2012.

Name	Birth	Marriage	Children	Grandchildren
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales	14 November 1948	29 July 1981 Divorced 28 August 1996 Lady Diana Spencer 9 April 2005 Camilla Shand	Prince Harry of Wales Prince William, Duke of Cambridge
Princess Anne, Princess Royal	15 August 1950	14 November 1973 Divorced 28 April 1992 Captain Mark Phillips 12 December 1992 Commander Timothy Laurence	Peter Phillips Zara Phillips	Savannah Phillips Isla Phillips
Prince Andrew, Duke of York	19 February 1960	23 July 1986 Divorced 30 May 1996 Sarah Ferguson	Princess Beatrice of York Princess Eugenie of York
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex	10 March 1964	19 June 1999 Sophie Rhys-Jones	Lady Louise Windsor James, Viscount Severn