1. United Kingdom, Germany, & Russia

3.  Parliament is an essential part of UK
politics.
 Its main roles are:
◦ Examining and challenging the work of the
government
◦ Debating and passing all laws (legislation)
◦ Enabling the government to raise taxes

4.  The business of Parliament takes place in two
Houses:
◦ 1. House of Commons
◦ 2. House of Lords

5.  It is the role of the citizens in the UK to vote &
elect the members of the House of Commons.
 The political party in the House of Commons
with the most votes chooses the Prime
Minister.
 The House of Commons is responsible for
making laws for the country.

6. • The House of Lords is the second
Chamber of the United Kingdom’s
Parliament.
• It plays an important part in revising
legislation and keeping a check on
government by scrutinizing its activities.
• The House of Lords has little power.
• Most members of the House of Lords are

7.  1. Prime Minister
◦ This role is the real head of government. He or she is the
leader of the Parliament and is the chief executive of the
country.
 2. Head of State (King or Queen)
◦ This role is only symbolic; the Head of State holds very
little political power. Although, the Queen is an important
symbol of national unity.

9.  Like
the United States,
Germany is a “federal republic”
◦ a national government and state
governments share powers.
 Technically,
it’s government is
a Federal Parliamentary
Representative Democratic
Republic…whew!

10.  1. Chancellor:
◦ This is the real head of government, similar to
the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
◦ He or she is chosen by Parliament, and is the
chief executive of the country.
 2. President:
• Germany’s president has very little power, and
mainly carries out ceremonial duties.

11. • President Bush welcomes German Chancellor
Angela Merkel to the Oval Office
• She is the 1st woman (and the first East German) to hold
this position

12.  1. Bundestag (Upper House)
◦ Mainly an advisory council, but must approve laws and amendments
◦ Holds little political power
◦ Representatives are members of the German state governments and
are not elected directly by the people
 2. Bundesrat (Lower House)
◦ The role of citizens in Germany is to vote for & elect members to this
House.
◦ Holds most of Germany’s political power.
◦ Members elect the Chancellor.

14.  After the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia
became a democracy.
 The role of the citizens is to freely elect
the nation’s leaders.
 Like the United States, Russia is a
“federal republic”
◦ the power is divided between national
and state governments with a president
who leads the nation

15.  The 1993 constitution created a dual executive
branch that consists of a Premier (appointed by
president with approval of Duma) and a President,
but the president is the dominant figure.
 The Russian president has more power than an
American president - elected by popular vote of
the citizens
 He or she can issue orders that become laws
even if they are not passed by the legislature!

16.  This is the Parliament of the Russian Federation.
 It consists of two chambers:
◦ 1. The Federation Council
◦ 2. The State Duma

17.  Russia has seen many changes since the break up of
the Soviet Union in 1991.
 Russians have to learn how to function in a democracy
instead of under communism where most decisions
were made for them by the government.
 Government officials need to learn that laws apply to
them just like they apply to all of the people.
 In the past, the Russian government punished those
individuals who criticized their decisions. Now, officials have to
learn to accept disagreements over government policies.