chapter 22: comparative political systems section 4 · 2014-02-07 · chapter 22: comparative...

Chapter 22: Comparative

Political Systems

Section 4

Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 2 Chapter 22, Section 4

Objectives

1. Examine elements of the United

Kingdom’s parliamentary democracy.

2. Describe regional and local government

in the United Kingdom.

3. Analyze the federal government of

Mexico.


Key Terms

• coalition: a temporary alliance of parties to form a government

• ministers: the members of the cabinet of the United Kingdom

• shadow cabinet: members of the opposition party who watch the real cabinet and are ready to take its place

• devolution: the delegation of authority from the central government back to regional governments


Introduction

• What form does democratic government take in

the UK and in Mexico?

– The UK has a unitary, parliamentary government with

power concentrated in a legislative branch that

appoints executive officials and rules in the name of

the monarchy.

– Mexico has a federal government with a judiciary, a

strong executive, and a weak legislature. It also has

individual state governments.


The United Kingdom

• The UK is a democracy with a unitary

parliamentary government that rules in the

name of the monarchy.

• The UK has no one written constitution.

– The written “law of the constitution” consists of

historical documents and the acts of Parliament.

– The unwritten “conventions of the

constitution” include both common law based

on court decisions and centuries of customs.


The United Kingdom, cont.

• Form of Government - Constitutional Monarchy

• Constitution - Unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice

• Chief of State - Queen Elizabeth II

• Head of Government - Prime Minister David Cameron

• Executive Branch - Prime Minister is head of majority party in House of Commons

• Legislative Branch - Bicameral Parliament consists of House of Lords and House of Commons

• Judicial Branch - The Crown Courts


• Parliament is the key representative body in British government.

• The monarch cannot veto acts of Parliament nor dismiss its members.

• Parliament is divided into the House of Commons (the lower house) and the House of Lords (the upper house) .

Parliament


Parliament, cont.

• The House of Commons has 646 elected MPs—members of Parliament.

– The majority party controls the House of Commons, choosing the prime minister and cabinet. Bills are voted on by the entire House.

• Most members of the House of Lords are appointed by a special commission.

– This house can reject bills passed by the lower house and serves as the final court of appeals for civil and criminal cases.


The Prime Minister

• The prime minister, or PM, is the executive leader who represents either the majority party or the ruling coalition of Parliament.

• There are no term limits on this post.

• The PM selects the ministers of the cabinet, who each head an executive department, such as Defense. – Each opposition party appoints a shadow cabinet ready to

replace the main cabinet if the opposition party wins

power.


The Courts

• The UK has separate court systems for England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

• Serious criminal cases are tried in the Crown Court and other cases are tried in the magistrates’ courts.

– Judges and juries try serious cases, while judges or magistrates hear most civil and minor criminal cases.

– Courts cannot overrule Parliament, and they decide most cases based on common law, precedent, and Parliament’s laws.


The Election Process

• Checkpoint: How are governments formed in the UK?

– A general election for all seats in the House of

Commons is held at least every five years.

– If the current government loses the support of the House of Commons, Parliament is dissolved and a new general election called.

– Otherwise, the PM calls for an election when it favors his or her party.


Political Parties

• MPs are elected from single-member districts. Voters tend to vote along straight party lines.

• The Conservative Party has strong support from the middle and upper class. It favors less government involvement in the economy.

• The Labour Party favors more government involvement and is supported by the working class.

• The Liberal Democratic Party blends views from both sides.


Regional and Local Government

• All power belongs to the central government, which may grant powers to lower governments.

• Through devolution, the central government has given some power back to regional governments like Scotland.

• Local governments handle many functions.


Mexico’s Federal System

• Mexico has a federal

government with an

executive, judicial, and

legislative branch.

• The president appoints

judges, officials, and

top military officers and

can propose

constitutional

amendments.


Mexico, cont.

• Form of Government - Federal Republic

• Constitution - Adopted February 5, 1917

• Chief of State - President Felipe Calderón

• Head of Government - President Felipe Calderón

• Executive Branch - President elected by popular vote for single six-year term

• Legislative Branch - Bicameral National Congress consists of Senate and Federal Chamber of Deputies

• Judicial Branch - Supreme Court of Justices


The General Congress

• Mexico’s legislature consists of the 64-

member Senate and the 500-member

Chamber of Deputies.

– Two senators serving six-year terms represent

each of Mexico’s 31 states and the federal

district.

– Deputies serve one three-year term. Some are

directly elected from districts and the rest are

appointed by parties.

– The legislature meets only four months a year

and is weaker than the U.S. Congress.


Judiciary and Local Governments

• Mexico’s judiciary has state and federal court systems, with a federal and state Supreme Courts.

– Most criminal trials have judges but no juries.

• Each Mexican state has a governor, a unicameral legislature, and state courts.

– Governors serve six-year terms and appoint state judges.

– Legislators serve three-year terms.


National Politics

• Checkpoint: What are Mexico’s main political parties?

– Mexican politics was once dominated by the

Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), but economic problems undercut its power in the 1980s.

– In the 1990s, the conservative National Action Party (PAN) and the leftist Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) won political offices.

– In 2000, PAN candidate Vicente Fox won the presidency, the first presidential defeat for the PRI since 1929.


National Politics, cont.

• In 2006, PAN candidate Felipe Calderón narrowly won the presidency over the PRD candidate, leading to protests of election fraud.

• Unfair elections have been a problem in Mexican politics dating back to the era of PRI rule.


Review

• Now that you have learned about what

form democratic government takes in the

UK and in Mexico, go back and answer

the Chapter Essential Question.

– How should you measure different

governments?

chapter 22: comparative political systems section 4 · 2014-02-07 · chapter 22: comparative...

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