Both the governments of Great Britain and the United States are unique when compared with the rest of the world but originate from a similar plan; a constitution. The British constitution, unlike most countries, is not made up of one single written document, but is made up of historically significant charters, laws, and acts of Parliament court decisions, or common law. The constitution of the US, however, is a single written document, which is also made up of government decisions and laws, but only took about fifteen years to create.

Written articles such as the Magna Carta of 1215, the Petition of Right of 1628, and the Bill of Rights of 1689, which were all originally written to limit the power of the English Monarch and promote the concept of due process of law are known as the law of the constitution. All unwritten parts of the constitution are called the conventions of the constitution and these include British customs and practices used by politics, such as the power given to the lower house of Parliament to force the government to resign. T

Parliament holds both the executive and legislative powers in Britain. The US consists of a separate Legislature and Executive branch. In Britain, while passing the laws, several of its members are chosen with the prime minister to administer the executive powers for each of the nation’s departments. The Parliament is also bicameral, with the House of Lords being far overpowered by its lower part, the House of Commons. The House of Lords consists of life peers to serve in the final court of appeals, or ‘law lords’, all other life peers, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, the Bishops of London, Durham and Winchester, and the 21 senior bishops of the Church of England. The House of Commons consists of MPs-members of Parliament and each is elected from single-member districts, or constituencies, across the UK. The MPs are chosen in a general election that is held at least once every five years and a special by-election is used to fill a recently emptied seat in the House of Commons. This is similar to the US houses, the House of Representatives and the Senate, which relate more to the House of Commons, in that there is an election held every six years and each state elects its representatives.

In Britain, the Prime Minister's unique position of authority comes from majority support in the House of Commons and from the power to appoint and dismiss ministers. By modern principle, the Prime Minister always sits in the House of Commons. The Prime Minister presides over the Cabinet, is responsible for the distribution of functions among ministers and informs the Queen at regular meetings of the general business of the Government. The Prime Minister is very unlike the p

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