26 Politics 133 The British and the American political systems: what9s different? UK political system : The United Kingdom is a parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy with the sovereign s power limited by a constitution. Unlike other countries, however, the UK constitution has never been codified in a single document, but it is based on several written documents such as judicial decisions (criminal sentences), Parliamentary Acts, and international treaties and conventions. The monarch is in charge of opening sessions, summoning or dissolving Parliament, signing bills , appointing the Prime Minister, and representing the country s unity. The main legislative body is the Parliament, which has two chambers: the House of Commons, made up of elected members, and the House of Lords, mostly consisting of life Peers appointed by the monarch. Legislation must be approved by both Houses before passing into law. The executive branch is the Government, led by the Prime Minister, leader of the majority party in Parliament. He forms the government and appoints the Cabinet, a committee of senior ministers responsible for implementing government policy. and executive powers overlap , the USA political system involves the separation of powers: each government branch has its own distinctive power and responsibility. The executive branch is headed by the President. He or she chooses a Vice President and 15 secretaries (including the Secretary of State, who advises the President on matters of foreign policy) to form the Cabinet. Together with some federal agencies like the CIA and FBI, they cooperate to enforce the laws written by the Congress. The Congress, holding the legislative power, consists of two Houses, the Senate and the House of Representatives. Bills have to be approved by both houses before being signed into law by the President. How the General Election works in nearly 60 seconds posted by UK Parliament 2 statements are true or false. Correct the false ones. 1 General Elections are held in the UK every three years. 2 The UK is divided into 650 constituencies . 3 Before Election Day voters have to register for a polling card . 4 Voters can only place their vote by going to a polling station. 5 The majority party leader is given the task of forming the new government. 6 A <hung parliament= is an election with a clear winner. US political system : The USA is a constitutional, federal, and presidential republic with the President as the Head of State. Unlike the UK, where the legislative 1 READING WRITING Prepare a table to compare the two systems of government. 3 glossary bill: disegno di legge constituency: collegio elettorale to implement: rendere effettivo to overlap: sovrapporsi 154 Peer: Pari (titolo nobiliare inglese) polling card: tessera elettorale to summon: convocare WRITING Watch the video and decide whether these 4 T WRITING SPEAKING CIVIC EDUCATION Which of the two systems of government is more similar to the Italian political system? Prepare a presentation to highlight similarities/differences. 134 LISTENING WRITING SPEAKING PAIR WORK You will hear an expert talking about the American electoral process. After listening, write down eight true/false statements to challenge your classmates. F