Political power of Queen ojf the UK

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, YOUTH AND SPORTS OF UKRAINE

NATIONAL PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY. M.P. DRAGOMANOV

 
Abstract 
Speciality 8.040301 "Political Science" 
Topic: "The power of the Queen in the UK" 
 
 
 

                                              Fulfilled: 
                                                                        Student groups of 14 – Pol.

                                                     Shmatko Kate 
                                                Instructor:

                                                        Korpenko Olga 
 
 

Kyiv – 2011

Plan

1. Introduction
2. Monarchy of the United Kingdom
3. Constitutional role

1. Appointment of the Prime Minister

2. Queen-in-Parliament
3. Dissolution of Parliament

4. Royal Prerogative

1. Definition
2. History
3. Prerogative powers:

• legislature

• judicial system
• foreign affairs
• other
• use
• limitations
• judicial review
• reform

5. Modern status 
    
    
    
    
   

Introduction

The British monarch or Sovereign - head of state in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories. Current britanskayamonarhiya can trace its roots to the Anglo-Saxon period. In the IX century, Wessex came to dominate, and in the X century England was collected into a single kingdom. Most British monarchs in the Middle Ages, ruled as absolute monarchs. Often, their power is limited to the nobility and later the House of Commons. The powers of the monarch, known as the royal prerogative, is still extensive.Most of the prerogatives of the ministers realized in practice, such as the power to regulate the civil service and the authority to issue passports. Some of the prerogatives of the monarch performed nominally, on the advice of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, according to the constitutional convention. Example of powers - the power to dissolve parliament. According to the parliamentary report, "The Crown can’t introduce new prerogatives." 
The Constitution of the United Kingdom legally non-existent long maintained that political power ultimately by Parliament (in which the Sovereign does not belong to political parties), the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 
In the present monarch - Elizabeth II, the reign of February 6, 1952. Its successor is the eldest son, Prince Charles. The Prince of Wales performs ceremonial functions, as well as husband of Queen, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. In addition, there are a five members of the royal family : children, grandchildren and cousins.

The British monarch is also head of the Commonwealth, as well as separately for each monarch of the Kingdom of the Commonwealth, each of which (including the United Kingdom), sovereign and independent from the others. 
Britain in political terms is a constitutional monarchy. The order of succession to the throne determined by the Act of Succession (1701 g). Sons inherit the throne of the sovereign order of seniority, in the absence of sons, the throne passes to the eldest daughter. Have the right to the throne only by Protestants. The monarch is the head of state, commander in chief, the head of administration and the secular head of the official Church of England. Monarch - an important symbol of national unity. Oath of loyalty uttered crown ministers, civil servants, police and armed forces, state control is the name of Her Majesty. 
In the earliest times the Sovereign was a key figure in the enforcement of law and the establishment of legal systems in different areas of the UK. As such the Sovereign became known as the 'Fount of Justice'.

The Queen is the supreme bearer of executive power, the head of the judiciary, the supreme commander of the armed forces, the secular head of the Anglican Church, has the formal right to convene parliament session. The monarch is an integral part of Parliament, along with the House of Lords and the House of Commons, is entitled to an absolute veto on any law passed by Parliament, but the last time this law was applied in 1707, has been dubbed the "sleep power", the monarch has the power to appoint anddismiss the prime minister and ministers, but by following the established 200 years of constitutional tradition, the president appoints the prime minister the leader of the party that wins the election, and Ministers - on the proposal of the Prime Minister.

 
Only the monarch has the right to prematurely dissolve the House of Commons, but in reality, under the constitutional tradition is always done by the decision of the Government and the Prime Minister.

 
Queen heads the Commonwealth, which consists of 54 states. The Queen is the head of a number of Commonwealth countries (islands of Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, islands of Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Lucia, the island of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu), where the queen represents the governors-general. Order of succession to the crown is determined by case law and a number of legislative acts.

Monarchy of the United Kingdom

The monarchy of the United Kingdom (commonly referred to as the British monarchy) is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom and itsoverseas territories. The present monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, has reigned since 6 February 1952. She and her immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial and representational duties. As a constitutional monarch, the Queen is limited to non-partisan functions such as bestowing honoursand appointing the Prime Minister. Though the ultimate executive authority over the government of the United Kingdom is still by and through the monarch's royal prerogative, these powers may only be used according to laws enacted in Parliament, and, in practice, within the constraints of convention and precedent.

Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, born 21 April 1926) is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands,Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Kitts and Nevis. As Head of the Commonwealth, she is the figurehead of the 54-member Commonwealth of Nations; as the British monarch, she is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.

Elizabeth was born in London, and educated privately at home. Her father ascended the throne as George VI in 1936 on the abdication of his brother Edward VIII. Elizabeth began to undertake public duties during the Second World War, in which she served in the Auxiliary Territorial Service. When her father died in 1952, Elizabeth became Head of the Commonwealth and queen regnant of seven independent Commonwealth countries: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon. Her coronation service in 1953 was the first to be televised.

During her reign of over 59 years, currently the second-longest for a British monarch, she became queen of 25 other Commonwealth countries as they gained independence. Between 1956 and 1992, half of her realms, including South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon (renamed Sri Lanka), became republics. Her Silver and Golden Jubilees were celebrated in 1977 and 2002; planning for her Diamond Jubilee in 2012 is underway.

In 1947, she married Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, with whom she has four children: Charles, Anne, Andrew, and Edward. In 1992, which Elizabeth termed her annus horribilis ("horrible year"), Charles and Andrew separated from their wives, Anne divorced, and a severe fire destroyed part of Windsor Castle. Revelations continued on the state of Charles's marriage to Diana, Princess of Wales, and they divorced in 1996. The following year, Diana died in a Paris car crash, and the media criticised the royal family for remaining in seclusion in the days before her funeral. However, Elizabeth's personal popularity rebounded after she appeared in public and has since remained high.

Constitutional role

In the uncodified Constitution of the United Kingdom, the Monarch (otherwise referred to as the Sovereign or "His/Her Majesty", abbreviated H.M.) is the Head of State. Oaths of allegiance are made to the Queen and her lawful successors. God Save the Queen (or God Save the King) is the British national anthem, and the monarch appears on postage stamps, coins, and banknotes.

 The Monarch takes little direct part in Government. The decisions to exercise sovereign powers are delegated from the Monarch, either by statute or by convention, to Ministers or officers of the Crown, or other public bodies, exclusive of the Monarch personally. Thus the acts of state done in the name of the Crown, such as Crown Appointments, even if personally performed by the Monarch, such as the Queen's Speech and the State Opening of Parliament, depend upon decisions made elsewhere:

• Legislative power is exercised by the Crown in Parliament, by and with the advice and consent of Parliament, the House of Lords and the House of Commons.
• Executive power is exercised by Her Majesty's Government, which comprises Ministers, primarily the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, which is technically a committee of the Privy Council. They have the direction of the Armed Forces of the Crown, the Civil Service and other Crown Servants such as the Diplomatic and Secret Services (the Queen receives certain foreign intelligence reports before the Prime Minister does).
• Judicial power is vested in the Judiciary, who by constitution and statute have judicial independence of the Government.
• The Church of England, of which the Monarch is the head, has its own legislative, judicial and executive structures.
• Powers independent of government are legally granted to other public bodies by statute or statutory instrument such as an Order in Council, Royal Commission or otherwise.
• Apart from members of parliament and local authorities, no public officers are elected.

The Sovereign's role as a constitutional monarch is largely limited to non-partisan functions, such as granting honours. This role has been recognised since the 19th century; the constitutional writerWalter Bagehot identified the monarchy in 1867 as the "dignified part" rather than the "efficient part" of government. It has also been claimed that "the UK needs a head of state for the very occasional crisis."

Appointment of the Prime Minister

Whenever necessary, the Monarch is responsible for appointing a new Prime Minister (who by convention appoints and may dismiss every other Minister of the Crown, and thereby constitutes and controls the government). In accordance with unwritten constitutional conventions, the Sovereign must appoint an individual who commands the support of the House of Commons, usually the leader of the party or coalition that has a majority in that House. The Prime Minister takes office by attending the Monarch in private audience, and after Kissing Hands that appointment is immediately effective without any other formality or instrument.

In a "hung parliament", in which no party or coalition holds a majority, the monarch has an increased degree of latitude in choosing the individual likely to command most support, but it would usually be the leader of the largest party. Since 1945, there have only been two hung parliaments. The first followed the February 1974 general election when Harold Wilson was appointed Prime Minister. Although Wilson's Labour Party did not have a majority, they were the largest party. The second followed the May 2010 general election, in which the Conservatives (the largest party) and Liberal Democrats agreed to form the first coalition government since World War II.

Queen-in-Parliament

The Queen-in-Parliament (or, during the reign of a male monarch, King-in-Parliament), sometimes referred to as the Crown-in-Parliament or, more fully, as the King in Parliament under God, is a technical term of constitutional law in the Commonwealth realms that refers to the Crown in its legislative role, acting with the advice and consent of the lower house and upper house in the case of a bicameral parliament, or the legislature in the case of a unicameral parliament. Bills passed by the houses are sent to the sovereign, or Governor-General, Lieutenant-Governor, or Governor as her representative, for Royal Assent, which, once granted, makes the bill into law; these primary acts of legislation are known as acts of parliament. An act may also provide for secondary legislation, which can be made by the Crown, subject to the simple approval, or the lack of disapproval, of parliament.

The concept of the Crown as a part of parliament is related to the idea of the fusion of powers, meaning that the executive branch and legislative branch of government are fused together. This is a key concept of the Westminster system of government, developed in England and used across the Commonwealth and beyond. It is in contradistinction to the separation of powers typical of presidential systems such as that of the United States or France, where the President is in no way a part of the Congress. The specific language of "the Crown" "the King" or "the Queen" in parliament used in the Commonwealth realms of also alludes to the constitutional theory that ultimate authority or sovereignty rests with the monarch but is delegated to elected officials. This contrasts with the concept ofpopular sovereignty used in most republics, even those influenced by the Westminster model, such as India or Nigeria. In federal realms of the Commonwealth, the concept of the Crown-in-the-Legislature only applies to those units which are considered separate divisions of the monarchy, sovereign within their own sphere, such Australian states or the Canadian provinces. This is the basis of the legal distinction between a province and a territory in Canada, for example. The legislature of territory does not receive its authority directly from the monarch, but it is delegated by the federal parliament. Similarly, with city councils and other local governments in the Commonwealth, the idea of the Crown-in-the-Council is not used, as the authority of local governments is derived from a charter or act that can be unilaterally amended by a higher level of government.