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Section # 5 – England (1603 – 1714)

The U.K. Parliament Today:

U.K. Parliament started out as the English Parliament. Over the course of history England added neighbors Wales, Scotland, and the northern tip of Ireland (Northern Ireland) to its territory to become what the world knows today as the United Kingdom (U.K.). The U.K. Parliament is somewhat similar to the Congress of the U.S. Both are legislative (law) making government groups that are elected by the people in popular elections. The Congress of the U.S. consists of two groups, the House of Representatives and the Senate. Both groups are elected to serve for a set amount of time. The U.K. Parliament is a little different in comparison to the U.S. Congress. Like the U.S. Congress the U.K. Parliament consists of two groups, the House of Commons and the House of Lords. One group is completely elected while the other is partially elected and appointed. Members of the House of Commons are all elected by the U.K. people to serve in office for 4 years. Members of House of Lords are both appointed and elected in numerous ways. Members of the House of Lords have the option to serve for life if they choose to do so.

The U.K. Prime Minister Today:

The leader of the U.K. Parliament is the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is the leader of the majority (biggest) party in Parliament. Once Parliament is determined based on appointments and the popular vote of the U.K. people, the majority party in Parliament elects a leader. He or she becomes the Prime Minister of the U.K. The Prime Minister is responsible for running the U.K. on a day to day basis. The U.K. still has a monarch (king or queen), but they are only in place for traditional purposes. The only real power the U.K. monarch has today is that he or she can order Parliament to meet.

Section # 5 Questions (Part I)
1.	What four areas presently make up the United Kingdom (U.K.)? 2.	What two groups make up the U.K. Parliament? 3.	Of the two houses that make up the U.K. Parliament, which house is completely elected by the U.K. people and which house is partially elected and appointed? 4.	How long do members of House of Commons serve in office? 5.	How long to members of the House of Lords serve in office? 6.	Who is the leader of the U.K. Parliament and how does he or she come to be in that position? 7.	Who runs the U.K. on a day to day basis? 8.	If the U.K. monarch has virtually no power, why does the U.K. continue to even have a king or a queen?
 * Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland
 * House of Commons and the House of Lords
 * Members of the House of Commons; Members of the House of Lords
 * 4 years
 * Life if they want
 * The Prime Minister, once Parliament is determined based on appointments and the popular vote of the U.K. people, the majority party in Parliament elects a leader.
 * The Prime Minister
 * For traditional reasons