EXECUTIVE BRANCH, LEGISLATIVE AND PR

Politics Definition= The activity through which people make, preserve and amend the general rules under which they live 

Ancient Definition= Polis (city state) what concerns the Polis? This definition doesn't concern; rural areas, in the day (past) women or slavery 

Lenin Definition= 'Politics is the most concentrated form on economics'

Marx Definition= 'The organised power of one class for oppressing another'. Marx quotes means that politics is a way of oppressing the lower class with money (links with Lenin)

Executive Branch Definition= The body that exercises authority and executes and enforces the law. This is divided into three branches:

Executive: Applies the laws and the initial idea is first made - PM and cabinet

Legislative: Making laws and creating/passing them through - House of Commons/Lords 

Judiciary: Interprets laws and enforcing them to everyone - Judges, police, Supreme Court 

Absolute Monarchy/Ruler (Absolutism): Were the monarch (head of state) has full control over the power and land. However, their judgement may be swayed by the economic elite (rich), religion or the idea of anarchy/uprising of the middle/lower classes (majority!)

Presidential: A government system were there executive and legislative are separate and head of state can only be in the executive and in no circumstances be in both. Congress cannot 'remove' the president unless in extreme circumstances

Prime Minister/Minister: They are head of government in the parliamentary system and is chief of the cabinet/ministry which they usually choose themselves. The executive and legislative is fused together called the 'Fusion of Powers'. This means the PM is in both executive and legislative unlike the presidential. 

Consitution Monarchy with Prime Minister: Were the King/Queen is the head of state and is in charge of the military action, blocking laws and signing treaties but the power is given to this power on behalf of the King/Queen. If the PM has been appointed, the Queen/King offering the job is a formality. 

Prerogative Powers: The PM doesn't have any power that is formally listed in a constitution but holds prerogative powersThesese are a series of powers officially held by Queen Elizabeth II that have been passed to exercise on the Queen's behalf. The enable decisions to be taken without the backing off, or consultation with, Parliament. 

The Power of Patronage: Appointing her Majesty's Government: The ability to appoint 22 cabinet ministers and around 115 people to a government which must be inside the House of Commons/Lords and has the ability to demote and promote ministers. This helps them secure support within their own party and the votes necessary to pass legislation through parliament. Example: Theresa May appointing Boris Johnson as foreign secretary. Limitations? Has to think about own MP's possible removing them...

Commands Armed Forces: Makes the decisions whether to go to war or not. They don't necessary get to make decisions what happens on the battlefield (generals job), but does get to choose defence budget, capabilities etc... Example: David Cameron's ordered the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy into action in Libya to overthrow the Libyan dictator Colonel Gaddafi Limitations? YES! Gordon Brown reformed the Houses of Commons to ensure military action is under close scrutiny (though debate). This was after the case of the Iraq War to make sure nothing like this happened again.

Signing Treaties: The PM can sign, veto, withdraw and set foreign policy on behalf of the Queen. They oversee our relations with the EU, UN, NATO and G8. Example: Theresa May vowed to withdraw Britain from the UN stating 'Brexit means Brexit'. Limitations? Parliament must vote on any treaty that is signed. If parliament rejects it, the PM will not be able to continue with the policy.

The Power to create new Peers in the House of Lords: The PM can appoint people to the upper chamber (this means appointing friends and political allies) and then they are more likely to get executive ideas pushed in the legislature. There are no limitations on how many peers the PM can appoint. Example: David Cameron tried to make the Lords very Conservative by appointing 45 new peers which increased the Lords by 1/3. Limitation? The neutral House of Lords Appointment Commission must approve the recommendation and wouldn't accept a wide spread of 'cronyism'. 

The Ability to Chair Cabinet meeting each Thursday: The PM can decide which issues will be discussed during a cabinet meeting. This makes them very powerful as they control issues that HM's government focuses upon. This may include economy, welfare budget etc... Limitations? Within the cabinet, there are 'big beasts' who cannot be ignored, and the PM has to take account of their agenda otherwise, they may face leadership challenges.

-This is NOT part of the E.U. and many countries that aren't in the E.U. follows these laws 

-1949 the council of Europe was founded and was made up of 47 European countries

-In1950 the Human Rights were drafted and enforced in 1953. In 1959 the court of Human Rights was built and consists of 47 elected judges (one for each country)

-The European Court costs about £48M (6p per person) 

-The U.K. wins 99% of their cases which are on topics like justice, equality, privacy, seeking refugees and terrorism 

-Theresa May wants to scrap HR for The British Bill of Rights because of recent rulings while she was Home Secretary like; blocking deportation of radical cleric Abu Qatada 

-Because of Brexit lots of people don't want any attachment to E.U.  and feel we should leave the ECHR as it keeps us attached to E.U. because of newspapers like The Sun, The Mirror, Daily Express etc...

-We win most of our cases (99%) 

-Unites

-Decreases corruption 

-Have the lowest number of cases 

-Helps the innocent people

-Applies to every class 

-Judges from our country helped make the HR, so it does have our interest at heart

Example: U.K, Russia, Germany, Portugal, Ireland, France, Spain, Iceland and many more 

-Expensive (23M)

-Can overrule our court 

-Our country, our rules

-Not Democratic

-It's talking control of other aspects of our lives

- * 'Political engine of the E.U.'

- * 'Ordinary people don't believe in it'

- * 'What's right in one country isn't in another' e.g. Gay marriage. 

*= Quotes by Gerrard Batten UKIP