UK

first past the post/ single member district

  • whoever gets to the majority of electorate votes get the seat

  • one person to represent the seat

proportional

  • voting for party rather than a person

  • how many seats you win in legislative branch= 60% of votes= 60% seats

if a party doesn't win a majority, they would have to form a coalition government

  • party A=30%

  • party B=20%

  • party C=40%

  • party D=10%

  • … they dont have a majority and so they would have to join forces (example: party B and C joining)

vote of no confidence= parliament votes out the prime minister because they do not find them fit for the role

referendum is when a prime minister calls a meeting on a specific topic to get a general opinion…

house of lords is a hereditary position (exemplifying class cleavage existing in the UK)

house of lords delays legislation

house of commons has the power of legislative branch (cabinet, pass legislations, treaties, has real power of government behind it)

the executive comes out of house of commons

bureaucracy execute laws that come out of legislative branch

impeachment is one way for the removal in the presidential system

referendum and vote of no confidence is how you remove someone out of executive office

the legislature can reinforce legitimacy by restricting powers of the executives (can be in favor of the people, or to restrict them from having TO MUCH power)

common law is passed down from cases that came before

code law is like our constitution (courts interpret)

Political Institutions

  • they must create, enforce, and apply laws

  • the three main are executive, judicial, and legislative

  • the bureaucracy exists to support these branches to do their jobs

  • EXECUTIVE= ENFORCE

  • LEGISLATIVE=CRAFTS

  • JUDICIAL=INTERPRETS

  • there is presidential, parliamentary, or semi-president and what separates them is the relationship between executive, legislative, and judicial

  • in parliamentary legislative and executive are merged into one

  • in semi-presidential two leaders are enforcing the law (dual executive)

  • if the branches are seperated, they can have checks and balances and it can prevent corruption but also slow down the passing of laws

  • in presidential, people are voting for an individual, but in parliamentary people are voting for a party that then selects their candidate

Executive Branch

  • Head of State= executive leader with ceremonial powers and represents the nation

  • Head of Governemnt= leader who enforces law and creates a vision for the country

  • president or prime minister creates a cabinet to conduct important duties

  • example of checks in balances could be term limits or rules such as impeachment or vote of no confidence

Legislative Branch

  • places to debate are called chambers or houses depending on country

  • a house with a unicameral will have greater ease with passing laws but will lack check and balance system

  • bicameralism gives better representation

Judicial Branch

  • main job is to judge individuals based on past laws

  • make sure the executive and legislation are abiding by law (judicial review)

  • The UK does not have judicial review because all the laws passed in the parliament are legally constitution

  • common law is interpretation and civil law is based literally on what the law says


Some social cleavages in the UK include class divisions, regional differences, and ethnic diversity. Class cleavage is particularly significant, exemplified by distinctions such as the hereditary positions in the House of Lords, which reflects social class structures. Additionally, regional disparities exist, such as those between the wealthy South and the economically struggling North. Ethnic diversity has also brought about social cleavages, particularly in urban areas where different communities interact, creating varying political and social dynamics.