1. Political Systems
USA, UK, Australia

2. Constitutions
A constitution is the system of rules about how a country is governed
America’s constitution was written in 1787
Australia’s constitution was written in 1901

3. British Constitution The constitution is not a single document:
laws (passed by parliament)
Common Law
conventions (unwritten rules)

4. Questions What is a constitution?
structure of government?
criminal laws?
a single document?
What form does China’s constitution have?

5. Changing the Constitution
America: three quarters of states
Australia: public vote
Britain: no different to changing any other law

6. Branches of Government
Legislative (“legislate” = make law)
two houses of parliament
Executive (“execute” = do something)
government departments, army
Judiciary (“judge” = make a court decision)
courts and judges

7. Legislative (all three countries)
Two houses: lower, upper
New laws need a majority vote in both houses
Laws may be first introduced in either house (but usually the lower house)

8. Lower House (House of Commons, House of Representatives)
Regions (with approximately equal populations) each elect one member

9. Senate
Original reason: small American states were worried that the big states would have all the power
America: each state elects 2 members
Australia: each state elects 7 memberss

10. House of Lords No elections
nobles with inherited titles
nobles with non-inherited titles (appointed by the Queen, on the advice of the Prime Minister)
No elections
Over 1000 Lords, but only about 250 attend regularly

11. Executive
In Britain and Australia, the party with the most seats in the lower house becomes the government:
Party leader becomes Prime Minister
Some members of parliament become ministers (control certain departments)
Queen has almost no real power (mainly symbolic)

12. Executive In America, the Executive is separate from the Legislative
the people elect the president
the president appoints people to certain positions (heads of departments, etc)
Presidential election every 4 years

13. Questions Does China have a legislative, executive, and judiciary?
Compare China’s system to America and Britain:
what is similar?
what is different?

14. Checks and Balances
Creators of the American Constitution worried that one person (such as the President) might become too powerful
They divided up the power
They provided ways for one part of the government to stop another part’s activities: “checks and balances”

15. Checks and Balances The legislative (Congress) makes laws, but…
the president must approve
the Supreme Court can decide the new law is unconstitutional
The president can sign treaties, but…
the Senate must approve

16. Checks and Balances
Balance power between state and federal governments
Separate the branches (legislature, executive, judiciary)
Two houses of parliament
Britain: legislative is the most powerful
executive is chosen from members

17. Checks and Balances New laws need the president’s approval
But laws with a 2/3 majority in both houses of the legislative do not
The Supreme Court can decide that a law is unconstitutional
Treaties made by the president need the Senate’s approval
The legislative can impeach (sack) the president or a Supreme Court judge

18. Two Party System (America, Britain, Australia)
Two major parties (plus smaller parties)
Therefore two choices for government/President/Prime Minister
Not imagined by the creators of the American Constitution