The British System of Government

Politics is all about power - about winning power and using it to do what you think is right. In a modern society we arrange our democracy through representatives, who sit in parliament. The crucial event is when the people choose their representatives.

The Parliament is made up of the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The House of Commons is often simply called the Commons, or the Lower House, while the House of Lords is referred to as the Lords, or the Upper House. Both Houses meet in the Palace of Westminster, so people often talk of "Westminster" when they mean Parliament.

The system of government is divided between the Prime Minister and the Parliament, and the Parliament is again divided into the Commons and the Lords. The Prime Minister is the leader of the strongest party, and is therefore the leader of the government. The Parliament makes laws, passes the budget and "watches" the government. The Commons has much more power than the Lords.