Compare and Contrast the Westminster Political System in...

A comparison of political systems is done to deepen our understanding of our own institutions, as well as to expand our awareness and views on other political alternatives. But what is a political system. David Easton (A System Analysis of Political Life, 1965) defined a political system as that behavior or set of interactions through which authoritative allocations are made and implemented for society. Simply put it’s a set of institutions and agencies that implement goals of a society. The Westminster system derives its name from the Palace of Westminster, the home of the British House of Parliament. It is a adversarial two party system that utilizes a single member plurality system. The plurality system is easy to†¦show more content†¦The House of Lords processes and revises legislation and acts as a check on the government and the House of Commons through oral and written questions and policy debates. The Peers’ expertise allows them to deal with br oad issues related to science, economy, and the constitution. The House of Commons The House of Commons is made up of 650 Members of Parliament (MPs), all of whom are elected by voters to represent them and their interests. No special training or background is necessary to become an MP, though any person running for a seat in the House of Commons must be at least 21 years old. The Executive The executive branch consists of the head of state, the head of Government known as the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. The Cabinet is composed of approximately 20 Members who are chosen by the Prime Minister from the House of Commons. It is this element that creates a fusion of power of the legislative and the executive. The functions of the Cabinet are to initiate and decide on policy, the supreme control of government and the co-ordination of government departments. The exercise of these functions is vitally affected since Cabinet depends upon majority support in the House of Commons. Majority governments based on a single party are typically stable, as long asShow MoreRelatedInternational Management67196 Words   |  269 Pagesby The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Previous editions  © 2009, 2006, and 2003. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the pri or written consent of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., including, but not limited to, in any network or other electronic storage or transmission, or broadcast for distance learning. Some ancillaries, including electronic and print components, may not beRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pagespublishing as Prentice Hall. All rights reserved. Manufactured in the United States of America. This publication is protected by Copyright, and permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or likewise. To obtain permission(s) to use material from this work, please submit a written request to Pearson Education, Inc., Permissions Department