By Keaton, Mason,and Tim

 Not completely unwritten  Parts can be found it books and charters  No single document serves as the British constitution

 Has a hereditary ruler  Once ruled with absolute power  Now serve very small roles as figureheads  Queen Elisabeth II has been the queen since 1952, and is known as a constitutional monarch.

 Holds both the legislative and the executive powers of the nation.  With legislative powers parliament makes British laws.  It’s executive powers are exercised by some of it’s members chosen by parliament.  It is bicameral (with a house of lords and house of commons).

 House of lords members are either born into the position or appointed for life by the queen.  The house of lords holds limited legislative power.  The lower house, known as the House of Commons now has 646 members.  Members are called MPs- member os Parliament.

 The prime minister is appointed by the queen, and is responsible for the the House of Commons.  The Cabinets members are selected by the Prime Minister.  Cabinet members head the various executive departments.

 Play a much more direct role then the United States.  The party that wins a majority for the seats in the House of Commons forms the government.  Two major parties dominate British politics( the conservatives and the Labour party)

 In order to provide for the distinctive government needs of the people of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, the UK has recently undergone a process of devolution  Devolution is the delegation of authority from the central government to regional government 

 Local government bodies have been a feature of the British political landscape for much longer than have the recently established regional assemblies  Today, there are 470 local authorities of varying types in the UK  Local governments in the UK perform functions similar to that of local governments in the US

 The UK has 3 separate court systems  One in England and Wales, one in Scotland, and one in Northern Ireland  Civil cases are held in county courts -heard by judges or magistrates  Serious criminal cases are tried in the Crown Court -heard by judges and juries  Less serious criminal cases are tried in the magistrates’ court -heard by judges or magistrates

 Civil and criminal cases may be appealed through a hierarchy of appellate courts  House of Lords serves as the final court of appeal  Courts in the UK decide cases based primarily on parliamentary legislation and common law  Courts are not bound to uphold a constitution or bill of rights that stands higher than parliamentary law  Courts do not possess the power of judicial review  Even if the courts believe a law to be in violation of Britain’s unwritten constitution, the courts may not overrule Parliament