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Us And UK Constitution Compared

            "Because the US constitution is written and codified it is superior to the UK constitution" Do you agree?.
             The American people made the conscious decision that they didn't want an evolved constitution held together by traditions and statute law, like they had witnessed in England. They sought something better and came up with a codified constitution. One question remains; is the US constitution the improvement that they sought?.
             One clear difference between the two constitutions is the fact that one is codified and the other isn't. There are implications regarding the flexibility of the constitutions according to whether or not they are codified. The English constitution is flexible in the sense that there are no special majorities or arrangements needed to change the constitution, it can be done via the normal legislative process. In direct contrast to this the American constitution is rigid, it is entrenched against the whims of subsequent government who may want to change it, as it requires a substantial majority to make any amendments.
             With theses varying degrees of flexibility come both strengths and weaknesses. The strengths of the US constitution being entrenched are that it is clearly outlined and it cannot be subject to abuse. The strength of the UK constitution is in its flexibility the fact that it is evolved and has been able to change with the circumstances, for example the recent devolution in both Scotland and Wales. However such an crucial strength comes an equally important weakness, the fact that the constitution is not entrench and can be changed so easily leaves it vulnerable to abuse. Having said that though realistically no government is going to make constitutional changes without the backing of the political nation in the knowledge that they have to face re-election within five years. The government also have to get majority support in the house of commons which may not be as fourth coming from MP's who know their constituents are against such changes.


Essays Related to Us And UK Constitution Compared

1. UK and US Constitution Compared

"Because the US constitution is written and codified it is superior to the UK constitution" Do you agree? The American people made the conscious decision that they didn"t want an evolved constitution held together by traditions and statute law, like they had witnessed in England. They sought something better and came up with a codified constitution. One question remains; is the US constitution the improvement that they sought? One clear difference between the two constitutions is the fact that one is codified and the other isn"t. There are implications regarding the flexibility of the constitu...

  • Word Count: 1978
  • Approx Pages: 8
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

2. Compare and contrast the British Parliamentary System with t

... . Because the House of Commons is involved in both the legislative and executive branches of the British government, there is no separation of powers between executive and legislature as there is in the United States. The latter has the President as the chief executive compared to the UK's Prime Minister. When drafting the Constitution, the founders gave the president fewer specific powers than they extended ... pending legislation to suit the president's preferences. The president also exercises important legislative authority by issuing executive orders that have the force of law. As r...

  • Word Count: 2945
  • Approx Pages: 12
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3. UK and us constitution compared

The Sources of State Authority (1) Objectives This lecture has four objectives: (1) to define what is meant by constitutionalism; (2) to provide an overview of the basic propositions that underpin the established British and American constitutional doctrines; (3) to review the constitutional pressures which have challenged those doctrines; and, (4) to highlight the contrasts and similarities between the two systems. (2) Defining Constitutionalism We will employ Fred Ridley's (1988: p. 317) broad definition of a constitution as: ...the whole system of government of a country, the collection of ...

  • Word Count: 1384
  • Approx Pages: 6
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4. Compulsory Voting in the UK

Universal Suffrage has been the right of every person in the UK over the age of 18 for 45 years. Over the last 15 years, voting numbers in Britain have seen a sharp decline. In 1992, 77.7% of the electorate voted, compared to just 65.1% in 2010, (Commission, 2013). As a result of ... an unrepresentative political system, 'so voting for it is tacit complicité' (Brand, 2013) The recent Scottish independence referendum has shown us that when the electorate feel engaged with an issue they will come out to vote, according to organisers a record 3.6 million (Newsbeat, ... -24 year olds are t...

  • Word Count: 1001
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5. Comparing America and Britain

... 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 ... 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 constituenc...

  • Word Count: 1140
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

6. Comparison between the US and UK separation of powers

THE UNITED STATES Government The national government The United States Constitution defines a federal system of government in which certain powers are delegated to the national government and others are reserved to the states. The national government consists of executive, legislative, and judicial branches that are designed, through separation of powers and checks and balances, to ensure that no one branch of government is able to subordinate the other two branches. All three branches are interrelated, each with overlapping yet quite distinct authority. Since its ratification in 1788 there ha...

  • Word Count: 3105
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7. Discrimination and Equal opportunities for Mauritius

... human right culture to the Mauritians, The Constitution of Mauritius guarantees to all Mauritians the right to equal protection and benefit of the law without discrimination and this, in order to maintain and strengthen an environment conducive to equal opportunities and equality for our people. The concept of ... Another issue is age discrimination is that is not given enough importance. As we age, we accumulate experience that can make us even more valuable at work. But that's not how most employers perceive it. Older workers do encounter age discrimination that makes it ... the emplo...

  • Word Count: 1056
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Grade Level: Graduate

8. Ideal Investment: Business in Denmark & Ukraine

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  • Word Count: 3824
  • Approx Pages: 15
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9. Parliamentary vs Presidential

... to speak. Parliamentary governments originated in Great Britain in the 18th century. It is a form of government that is widely found today in countries such as Canada, Australia, Germany, Japan and Great Britain (UK). The executive has two parts in a parliamentary system, each with its own head. Usually the symbolic representative of a parliament system is a monarch ... the British North America Act (BNA), 1867 which was renamed in 1982 to the Constitution Act of 1867. The BNA act cannot be compared to the American Constitution because it was established as a framework for admitting col...

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