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Year 9 - Citizenship

What are the differences between the UK and US political systems?

How is the UK governed?

Unit Summary

Pupils explore the difference between local, regional and national governance and compare the political systems in the UK and US.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explain and compare some of the key differences and similarities between the UK and the US political systems.

Key Notes

  • The UK monarch is the Head of State and the Prime Minister is Head of Government.
  • The US President is both Head of State and Government.
  • The UK Parliament has two houses, but only the House of Commons is elected; both houses of US Congress are elected.
  • The UK Prime Minister is the leader of the largest party in Parliament. The US President is elected every four years.
  • The UK Parliament is sovereign. In the US, power is split so that no branch holds more power than another.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • government: the group of people with the authority to govern a country; in the UK, the Government is chosen and led by the Prime Minister (PM)
  • legislative: the lawmaking body of a state or country; this is Parliament in the UK
  • executive: the branch of the Government that is responsible for putting laws or decisions into effect; the Prime Minister is the leader of the executive branch in the UK

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Because both countries are democracies, the UK and the US political systems are the same.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain the lesson in two key points.

The UK monarch is the Head of State and the Prime Minister is Head of Government. The US President is both Head of State and Government.

2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'government'

the group of people with the authority to govern a country; in the UK, the Government is chosen and led by the Prime Minister (PM).

3. Correct this common mistake.

Mistake: Because both countries are democracies, the UK and the US political systems are the same. Correction: Both countries are democracies but they differ: for example, the UK has a parliamentary system where only the House of Commons is elected, while the US has a presidential system where voters elect both houses of Congress and the President separately.

More Lessons In This Unit

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