Political System of England

Introduction

England itself does not have a formal government or constitution, it is part of the United Kingdom (UK), which includes Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Its political system operates as constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. Here's a video that explains how the Britain's political system works:

Geo195. (2020, December 5). Britain’s System of Government [Vídeo]. YouTube. 

Time to Review!

Click on the link to play a game about the political system of the United Kingdom.

Local Government

However, England has an informal local government which has a few legislative powers and act within the framework of laws passed by Parliament. They are responsible for a range of community services which include environmental matters, education, highways and traffic, social services, parks an recreation, sanitation, planning housing, and elections. 

Counties in England are geographical and administrative division used to organize local government. The shires, or historic counties, that developed during Anglo-Saxon times persisted as geographic, cultural, and administrative units for about a thousand years.

There are currently 27 administrative counties in England, which do not cover the entirety of the territory; moreover, their government structure is considered two-tiered, as they are subdivided into lower-level units known as districts, boroughs, or cities.

Political Process

Elections in England are contested at three levels: local, national, and supranational. All citizens of at least 18 years of age can vote to elect the authorities. 

Local councilors are elected for four year terms. All British citizens residing in England can participate in the local elections. Elections to the Members of Parliament are held at least once every five years. In this elections all British citizens vote, not only English, however England is the largest part of the UK and has the majority of the constituencies. The voting system used is called First-Past-the-Post, meaning voters choose one candidate, and the person with the most votes in each constituency wins the seat. After the election, the political party with more than half the seats (at least 326) typically forms the government, and its leader becomes the Prime Minister.

House of Commons, British Parliament.


In your opinion, how does their government system shape their cultural identity?

Bibliography

BBC Bitesize. (2025, February 7). Easy peasy politics: How it all works. BBC Bitesize. https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zxnwkty

Geo195. (2020, December 5). Britain’s System of Government [Vídeo]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/IAPIaaNViqM

Kellner, Peter, Thomas, & Harford, W. (2025, May 11). England | History, map, flag, population, cities, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/England/Government-and-society





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