English politics

Election campaigns are in full swing here, so I thought I'd compare US and UK government. Since much of American politics is based on England, you would think the differences would be fairly superficial, but they aren't:

- In the US, a national election is held every 2 years, where the public votes for the entire House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate. Every other election is a Presidential election.
- In the UK, a general election is held when the current Parliament is dissolved by the Monarch at the request of the Prime Minister. The dissolution occurs either when Parliament has passed a "no confidence" vote, or within 5 years after the last election.

- In the US, the House of Representatives has 435 members, apportioned to the states based on population, so California has 53 Representatives while Alaska has 1. Each state is divided into "districts," with roughly equal population, which then elect a single representative. Each member represents approximately 700,000 people, and is referred to as a "Representative" or "Congressman."
- In the UK, the House of Commons has 646 members, which are elected by parliamentary constituencies, which are based on wards, which are based on boroughs. Each member represents approximately 70,000 people, and is referred to as a "Member of Parlliament" or MP.

- In the US, .the party with the most seats in the House of Representatives elects the Speaker of the House, who is third in line for the Presidency. The Vice-President is also a member of the House, but only votes in the case of a tie.
- In the UK, the leader of the political party that gets the most seats in the House of Commons becomes the Prime Minister. Although not directly elected, he usually represents the party during the election. He remains leader until Parliament is dissolved, and there is a new election, or he resigns, and the party elects a new leader.

- In the US, Senators are elected by the public for 6-year terms. There are two Senators per state, regardless of population. Before legislation can be sent to the President to become law, it must pass both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
- In the UK, the House of Lords consists of 704 members: 587 are appointed for ife, 92 are hereditary, and 25 are religious appointments. (Before 1999, there were 1,330 members, most of whom inherited the seat.) House of Lords may debate a bill, add amendments, or delay it by up to one year, but they may not block it.

- In the US, the President sits for 4 years, and can be re-elected once. The President is commander-in-chief, and signs all bills into law. He has full veto power over legislation, although Congress can override a veto with a two-thirds majority in both houses. If he dies or resigns, the Vice-President assumes the office.
- In the UK, the Queen is commander-in-chief, but must act according to the Prime Minister's recommendations. The Queen has no authority over legislation, and must remain politically neutral. At the beginning of each Parliamentary session, the majority party writes "The Queen's Speech" outlining the goals for the session, which the Queen must read to the public.

- In the US, the Supreme Court established the power of "judicial review" in 1803, which allows the court to strike down laws it deems as unconstitutional.
- In the UK, the Supreme Court was established in 2009. (Yes, last year.) It is unclear if it has judicial review powers. (Before 2009, the House of Lords acted as the court of last appeal.)

In summary, then, the famous "checks and balances" enshrouded in the US government and based, ironically, on English law, no longer exist in England. Through 1,000 years of history, power has passed from the House of Lords, to the Crown, and now to the House of Commons. The Prime Minister, who isn't elected, acts as party leader and controls all bills, dictates policy to the Queen, and effectively acts as commander-in-chief. It is, by all accounts, a complete shame.

The last election was held in 2005, with Labour winning a third consecutive term under Tony Blair. In 2007, Blair resigned and Gordon Brown became the new leader of the Labour Party, thus inheriting the role of Prime Minister. A new election must occur by June 3, although Brown has not yet set a date. (Update: It is expected to be set for May 6.)

There is concern that no party will achieve a majority of seats, resulting in a "hung parliament," which last occurred in 1974. If that occurs, the Queen will likely invite Brown to form a "coalition government" -- in which he tries to convince members of other parties to support him -- or a "minority government," in which case he will not have the votes to pass most bills. What is likely to happen then, will be a vote of no confidence to be passed, Parliament will be dissolved again, and a new round of elections will occur.

One final note: The name House of Commons does not originate from 'common' people but 'common' land. (Think Boston Commons.)

If you'd like to read a great (yet brief) overview of English government over the past 1,000 years, click here.