The British parliament consists of the monarch, the House of Commons (Commons) and the House of Lords (Lords). However, in day to day activity, the term Parliament means just the Commons and the Lords. Parliament is elected roughly every five years and is dissolved by the Crown on the advice of the prime minister, who then calls a general election. The power of the Commons greatly exceeds that of the monarch or of the Lords. Although the monarch officially has the power to reject legislation passed by Parliament, no ruler has done so since the early 1700s. The Constitution of the USA provides for a government with three separate branches: the executive, represented by the President; the legislative, represented by Congress; and the judicial represented by the Supreme Court. In the British system the executive and the legislative are united but have a separate judicial branch, though with different powers than those of the US.
In the British parliamentary system the head of government and the head of state are different people. The Prime Minister is the head of government and the monarch is the head of state. The British monarchy stands for the continuity of British history going back to Anglo-Saxon times, and today it serves as a figurehead for the state. In theory, the British monarch has enormous powers, but in reality those powers are limited and the Crown follows the advice of the ministers in Parliament. The monarch also serves as head of the judiciary, commander in chief of the armed forces, and Supreme Governor of the Church of England and the Church of Scotland. Theoretically, the monarch appoints all judges, military officers, diplomats, and archbishops, as well as other church officers. In reality, the government carries out the duties associated with these functions. The President covers both these roles in the USA. The chief executive of the UK government is the prime minister.
