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1. GOVERNMENT AND INSTITUTIONS Britain is a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch. A king or queen is the head of state, and a prime minister is the head of government. The people vote in elections for Members of (MPs) to represent them.

Parliamentary Democracy and sovereignty 1. The UK is a parliamentary democracy. This means( significa) that:  members of the government are also members of one of the two Houses of Parliament (the House of Commons and the ) although(sebbene) there are rare exceptions to this rule.  Government is directly accountable(əˈkaʊntəbl, responsabile, che deve rendere conto) to Parliament on a day-to-day basis(quotidianamente) 2. Parliamentary Sovereignty  The UK Parliament is a ‘sovereign (ˈsɒvrɪn/ sovrano)parliament’ – this means that the legislative body(organo, corpo) has ‘absolute sovereignty’(ˈæbsəluːt/ ˈsɒvrəntɪ/, sovranità assoluta). In other words it is supreme to all other government institutions, including any executive or judicial bodies.  In the UK, it is still Parliament (and not the judges) that decides what the law is. Judges interpret the law, but they do not make the law.

CONSTITUTION Unlike( a differenza di) many other countries the doesn't have a single, written constitution (a set of rules of government). But this doesn't mean( non significa) that the UK has an ‘unwritten constitution’. The constitution is formed according to laws passed (approvate, emanate) by Parliament, decisions made in the Higher Judicial Courts(alte corti giudiziarie), and tradition. In fact, it is mostly written – but instead of being one formal document, the British constitution is formed from various sources including statute law, case law made by judges, and international treaties. There are also some unwritten sources, including parliamentary conventions and royal prerogatives

THE ORGANS OF GOVERNMENT The organs of government are divided on the basis of their functions and they are: 1. the Legislative Power which is vested in ( risiede nel ) Parliament; 2 . the Executive Branch ( ramo/sezione/ - potere esecutivo) which consists of the Government; 3 . the Judicial Branch ( potere giudiziario ) which is independent of both the Legislative and the Executive Power.

PARLIAMENT Parliament is the supreme legislative authority. The three parts which constitute Parliament are: the Queen, the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The main functions of Parliament are:  to pass laws;  to provide(fornire) the necessary means(mezzi) for supporting(sostenere) the work of Government;  to decide about the government policy and administration;  to propose about expenditure( ɪkˈspendɪtʃə(r)/ spese, investimenti)and ratification (ˌrætɪfɪˈkeɪʃn/ ratifica) of all important international treaties and agreements.

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House of Commons of the United Kingdom The three parts which constitute Parliament are: the Queen, the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Both Commons and Lords meet in the . The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members (since 2010 General Election), who are known as Members of Parliament (MPs).

House of Lords The House of Lords (commonly referred to as "the Lords", officially referred to as "the and Temporal" in Acts of Parliament, and also known as House of Peers for ceremonial purposes) is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, the United Kingdom's national legislature. The House of Lords, like the House of Commons, assembles in the Palace of Westminster. Unlike the House of Commons, membership of the House of Lords is not attained by election from the population as a whole, but by inheritance (ɪn’herɪtəns/ per successione), by appointment(nomina), or by virtue of their ecclesiastical role within the established church (Lords Spiritual). The Lords Spiritual are 26 senior of the Church of . The Lords Temporal make up the rest of the membership; of these, the majority are life peers (pari a vita)who are appointed by the Monarch on the advice (consiglio) of the Prime Minister. The number of members of the House of Lords is not fixed; as of 1 December 2010 the House of Lords has 780 members as against (contro)the fixed 650-seat membership of the House of Commons. The House of Lords as an Upper Chamber has the primary purpose of scrutinising( esaminare) Legislation proposed by the Lower House through the form of debate and through proposing amendments (emendamenti, rettifiche)to legislation.

2. THE MONARCHY In a monarchy, the king or queen is head of state. The UK is a 'constitutional monarchy', meaning that a king or queen reigns, with limits to their power, alongside ( a fianco di) a governing body, Parliament. The Queen rules the country by and with the of two Houses of Parliament: the House of Lords or Upper House and the house of Commons. The monarchy is the oldest institution of government in the United Kingdom. Most of the powers once(una volta) exercised( ˈeksəsaɪzd, esercitate) by the monarch have now been devolved (transferred) to ministers. In certain circumstances (/ˈsɜːkəmstənsìs,/, circostanze)however(tuttavia), the monarch retains the power to exercise personal discretion(mantiene il potere di esercitare la propria discrezione/il proprio giudizio) over issues such as( su questioni come) appointing( nominare) the prime minister and dissolving( sciogliere) Parliament, even though( anche se) these powers may never be used in practice, or may only be exercised symbolically. The monarchy's absolute power has been gradually reduced, custom(costume, uso, tradizione) now dictates that the Queen follows ministerial advice(/ədˈvaɪs/, consiglio). The Queen performs (esegue, adempie a) a range (serie)of important duties(compiti), such as:  summoning (da summon, pron ˈsʌmən/, convocare) and dissolving Parliament and giving (consenso, assenso) to legislation passed by the UK Parliament, the , the National Assembly for or the Assembly.  The Queen formally appoints the prime minister and other government ministers, judges, officers in the armed forces, governors, diplomats, bishops and some other senior (ˈsiːnɪə(r) clergy ( alto clero)of the .  She also grants( concede) peerages( pari: titolo nobiliare), knighthoods (ˈnaɪthʊds/, titoli di cavaliere) and other honours. 3

 In instances( nei casi) where people have been wrongly convicted(erroneamente condannati) of crimes, she is involved in pardoning them.  In international affairs, the Queen (as head of state) has the power to declare war and make peace, to recognise (ˈrekəg-naɪz, riconoscere) foreign states, to conclude treaties and to take over (prendere il potere, rilevare)or give up(cedere) territory.

The Privy( ˈprɪvɪ) Council ( Consiglio della corona) There are about 500 Privy Counsellors, whose appointments are for life. The Privy Council consists of all members of the Cabinet, other senior politicians, senior judges and some individuals from the Commonwealth. The prime minister recommends new members of the Privy Council to the sovereign. The Queen holds Privy Council meetings, gives audiences to her ministers and officials in the UK and overseas (əʊvəˈsiːz, d’oltremare, stranieri), receives accounts of Cabinet decisions, reads dispatches and signs state papers(firma documenti di stato). She is consulted on many aspects of national life, and must show complete impartiality in the advice she gives.

THE MONARCH In the United Kingdom, the monarch (Queen Elizabeth II) is head of state and the prime minister is the head of the UK government. is a Constitutional Monarchy. Therefore (pertanto), the Queen rules the country by and with the advice(consiglio) and consent (consenso) of two Houses of Parliament: the House of Lords or Upper House, and the House of Commons. The Queen alone appoints the Prime Minister, and all other ministers are appointed by her on the Prime Minister's recommendation

Queen Elizabeth II and the Royal Family Born in 1926 (the great-great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria), Elizabeth became Queen at the age of 25, on the death of her father, King George VI. She is the 40th monarch since William the Conqueror. Elizabeth II was crowned on 2 June 1953 in Westminster Abbey, despite having acceded to the throne on 6 February 1952 when her father died. British law states that the throne is not left 'vacant' and therefore the new monarch succeeds the old monarch immediately. The official coronation usually takes place months later, as it’s considered a happy occasion and not appropriate for the period of mourning.

The Royal Family The members of the royal family support the Queen in her public duties( doveri, compiti), nationally and internationally. Official duties are undertaken by members of the Queen’s close family. The royal family plays an important role in supporting and encouraging the public and charity sectors.

The Monarch and the Commonwealth The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of independent countries, nearly all of which were once British territories. There are 53 members including the United Kingdom, which co-operate in the common interests of their people. Principles and Aims The Commonwealth promotes international peace and security, democracy, liberty and equal rights, as well as economic and social development. It opposes all forms of racial discrimination. It represents nearly two billion people – almost a third of the world's population – from a wide range of faiths, races, cultures and traditions. 4

The Commonwealth does not have a formal charter or constitution. Its structure is based on unwritten and traditional procedures, but it is guided by a series of agreements on its principles and aims. These are Declarations or Statements which have been issued by Commonwealth Heads of Government at various summits. The Queen is Head of the Commonwealth. This is a symbolic and unifying role, which reinforces the links by which the Commonwealth joins people together from around the world. The Queen and other members of the Royal Family regularly visit Commonwealth countries. The Queen also has regular meetings with Heads of Government from Commonwealth countries, and attends the Commonwealth Day celebrations in London every year, on the second Monday in March. The United Kingdom’s current monarch is Elizabeth II. She is resident in and most directly involved with the UK (her oldest realm), although she is Queen (separately and equally) of 15 other independent states, their overseas territories and dependencies(territori dipendenti). The Queen is Head of the Commonwealth. In each country where she is Head of State, The Queen is represented by a Governor-General, appointed by her on the advice of the ministers of the country concerned, and independent of the UK government. Commonwealth realms, are: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Grenada Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, St Christopher and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands,Tuvalu.

3. THE CABINET The Cabinet is the central dominant organ of the Executive Government. It is presided over by a Prime (praɪm/ primo)Minister. The Cabinet is a formal body made up of (formato da) the most senior(alti, anziani) government ministers chosen by ( pass. e part. pass. di choose, scegliere – scelti da) the prime minister. Most members are heads of government departments with the title 'Secretary of State'. Formal members of the Cabinet are drawn exclusively from the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The Cabinet is the committee at the centre of the British political system and the supreme decision- making body in government. How Cabinet works Every Tuesday while Parliament is in session, the Cabinet meets in the Cabinet room at 10 Downing Street to discuss the issues of the day. Government Cabinets have met in the same room since 1856, when it was called the Council Chamber. The Prime Minister chairs(presiede) the meeting and sets(fissa) its agenda( impegni); he also decides who speaks around the Cabinet table, and sums up (riassume)at the end of each item (ˈaɪtəm, punto all’ordine del giorno). It is this summing up that then becomes government policy ( politica del governo).

4. THE PRIME MINISTER The Prime Minister presides over the Cabinet, is responsible for allocating functions among ministers and, at regular meetings with the Queen, informs her of the general business of the government. He/She is responsible for appointing and dismissing (destituire, dimettere)all the other Cabinet members. The Prime Minister's other responsibilities include recommending a number of appointments to the Queen. The Prime Minister oversees the operation of the Civil Service and government agencies, appoints members of the Cabinet, and is the principal government figure in the House of Commons. He/She is also, by tradition, the First Lord of the Treasury. 5

As head of government, his/her office includes providing policy advice, tracking the delivery of government commitments and initiatives, and ensuring effective communications to Parliament, the media and the public. By modern convention, the Prime Minister always sits in the Commons. The British Prime Minister has traditionally been referred to as( Tradizionalmente, ci si riferisce al Primo Ministro come) ‘primus inter pares’, which means( cioè) ‘first among equals’ and demonstrates that he or she is a member of the collective decision-making body of the Cabinet, rather than an individual who has powers in their own right.

Permanent and impartial Civil Service The UK has a civil service that acts impartially and doesn’t change when the government changes. Impartiality is not the same as neutrality. Civil servants work for ministers in the government of the day. Impartiality means that, while working for current ministers, civil servants retain the confidence of the opposition parties to work for them if they come to power.

UPDATE Resignation On Tuesday 11 May, Gordon Brown announced his resignation as Prime Minister, marking the end of 13 years of Labour government. This was accepted by Queen Elizabeth II, who then invited to form a government and become Prime Minister. Just after midnight on 12 May, the Liberal Democrats announced that the coalition deal had been "approved overwhelmingly ( straordinariamente, in modo schiacciante)", sealing(sigillando) a stable coalition government of Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. The United Kingdom general election of 2010 was held on Thursday 6 May 2010 to elect members to the House of Commons. The election took place in 650 constituencies(they were 651- one of them has been abolished) across the United Kingdom. None of the parties achieved the 326 seats needed for an overall majority. The Conservative Party, led by David Cameron, won the largest number of votes and seats but still fell twenty seats short. This resulted in a hung parliament (1)where no party was able to command a majority in the House of Commons. This was only the second general election since World War II to return a hung parliament, the first being the February 1974 election. 1. a hung( hʌŋ, pass. e part. pass, di Hang) parliament occurs when neither major political party (or bloc of allied parties) has an absolute majority of seats in the parliament (legislature ˈledʒɪsleɪtʃə(r)/).

David Cameron, is the current Prime Minister of the United and Northern Ireland. He was appointed on 11 May 2010. The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable( ritenuti responsabili) for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and ultimately to the electorate.

First Party Second Party Third Party David Gordon Leader Nick Clegg Cameron Brown Liberal Party Conservative Labour Democrat