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Legislature: supreme authority is Parliament
The Executive consists of: the Government,
local authorities and public corporations
The Judiciary: the court system (hierarchy of
courts)
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The Queen is head of State and an important
symbol of national unity
Head of the executive
An integral part of the legislature
Commander-in-chief of the armed forces
The ‘supreme governor’ of the Church of
England
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Britain is governed by Her Majesty’s
Government in the name of the Queen
The Queen’s role: summoning, proroguing
(discontinuing until the next session without
dissolution) and dissolving Parliament; giving
Royal Assent to Bills passed by Parliament
Appointment of important office holders
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As head of State, the Queen has the power to
declare war and make peace, to recognise
foreign states and governments, to conclude
treaties
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The Queen – formal powers
The House of Commons – the supreme
legislative body
The House of Lords
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To pass laws
To provide, by voting for taxation, the means
of carrying on the work of government
To scrutinise government policy and
administration
To debate major issues of the day
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qs9B3FRXCA&index=1&list=PLj3mInRJqIekAQ6v
ggN7IpCySnv0IIOyV
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92 elected hereditary peers and peeresses
Life peers
The Archbishops and Bishops of the Church
of England
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An elected body
650 MPs directly elected by voters
General elections and by-elections
Annual salary and travel allowances
The chief officer is the Speaker elected by the
Members
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A maximum duration of five years
Dissolved by the Queen
The life of a parliament is divided into
sessions
Each session lasts for one year (beginning
and ending in October or November) – 160
‘sitting days’
Opens with the Queen’s speech, ends by
prorogation
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The Government consists of the ministers
appointed by the Crown on the
recommendation of the Prime Minister
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The Cabinet consists of a small group of the
most important ministers selected by the
Prime Minister
Today the number is 23
The Cabinet determines, controls and
integrates the policies of the government for
submission to Parliament
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The Prime Minister is the head of the
government and presides over meetings of
the Cabinet
He consults and advises the Monarch on
government business, supervises and coordinates the work of various ministries and
departments
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmGCwi
QvhH0