Narrator: Politics… it's not just a big ongoing argument; it's about power, debate, protest and compromise. In the past it was much simpler. Decisions were made by whoever could wield the most power. The only problem with that system was that it was hard to stop them making very bad decisions…
Narrator:…So democracy was invented.
Narrator: Democracy is a form of governing where, in theory, all people are equal, and hold power collectively. In the UK, we have representative democracy, where voters elect councillors to govern at a local level, and members of parliament to govern at a national level.
Narrator: Every constituency in the country is represented by one MP in the House of Commons. Parliament’s the beating heart of democracy in the UK. It’s made up of the House of Commons and the House of Lords - who constitute the legislature - plus the Sovereign.
Narrator: A government is formed when one party has a large enough group in parliament to command a majority. If they haven’t won enough seats to do that, they have to form a coalition with other parties, or if need be, form a minority government.
Narrator: The leader of the party becomes the Prime Minister. But first they have to ask the King or Queen for permission, as it’s the Monarch who is officially in charge of the country – the government’s just appointed to manage things for a while.
Narrator: Confusingly, the Monarch doesn’t really exercise much power, although they are required to sign off bills. In most ways though, it’s just a symbolic role. The head of state could, in theory, be replaced by a cheese and pickle sandwich, although it probably wouldn’t inspire so much loyalty and national unity…
Narrator: Once a government is formed, they still can't change laws, or make new ones - not unless Parliament votes to approve the measures. And then they have to be scrutinized, and voted on, by the House of Lords, who have the power to change or even block, any bill, if they don't think it's in the interests of the country.
Narrator: Overall then, politics is a slow, complex business, involving a lot of debate, and compromise. It’s designed to allow everybody some sort of input into the decision making process.
Narrator: There are certain times when direct democracy is exercised – when an important decision is put directly to the people, in a referendum, such as the Brexit vote.
Narrator: Some people believe that more issues should be decided this way, as it makes the public more involved. Others argue that it undermines representative democracy and the power of Parliament, and reduces complicated issues to simple yes or no questions.
Narrator: Today there are also other ways in which active citizens can try to influence the political process - such as creating a petition on the UK parliament website. If a petition is signed by more than 100,000 people, it will most likely lead to a debate in parliament, which could then lead to MPs proposing a new bill.
Narrator: A range of petitions have been registered, some more serious than others. Petitions to legalise cannabis, and to ban Donald Trump from entering Britain, have both resulted in full parliamentary debates. Whereas the petition to make Jediism an officially recognised religion didn’t get too far…
Narrator: It’s quite common to hear people say that there’s no point voting, because ‘they’ - the politicians – just make the same decisions anyway. But actually there is no ‘they’ - there are only ordinary people who’ve chosen to try and get elected.
Narrator: And in recent years, small parties and grassroot movements have seriously changed the political landscape.
Narrator: What does that mean for the future of politics? Well it all depends on how many people choose to get involved.
A summary of the key aspects of political power, including the history, forms and ideas that make and maintain it.
While the film serves to provide an overview of the general concepts, it largely focuses on political power in the United Kingdom.
Through a series of engaging animations, it provides an explanation of subjects as they pertain to modern day life, including representative and direct democracy.
Please note that this video was created in 2018.
Teacher Notes
This short film could provide a springboard for a class research project and discussion on the merits of representative democracy versus direct democracy, and versus other forms of governance.
Curriculum Notes
This short film covers the following aspects of all UK curricula:
- Parliamentary democracy and the key elements of the constitution of the United Kingdom, including the power of government, the role of citizens and Parliament in holding those in power to account, and the different roles of the executive, legislature and judiciary and a free press.
- The different electoral systems used in and beyond the United Kingdom and actions citizens can take in democratic and electoral processes to influence decisions locally, nationally and beyond.
- The legal system in the UK, different sources of law and how the law helps society deal with complex problems.
- The different ways in which a citizen can contribute to the improvement of his or her community, to include the opportunity to participate actively in community volunteering, as well as other forms of responsible activity.
- Other systems and forms of government, both democratic and non-democratic, beyond the United Kingdom.
More from How Government Works:
British law and the constitution. video
An animated overview of the foundation of British law and the constitution.
Citizenship and politics in Northern Ireland. video
An animated summary of citizenship in Northern Ireland, including national identity and the independence movements.
Citizenship and politics in Scotland. video
An animated summary of citizenship in Scotland, including national identity and the relationship with the European Union.
Citizenship and politics in Wales. video
An animated summary of citizenship in Wales, including national identity and Wales' relationship with the European Union.
Dinasyddiaeth a Gwleidyddiaeth yng Nghymru. video
Ffilm animeiddiedig fer yn crynhoi materion dinasyddiaeth a pha mor berthnasol ydyn nhw i Gymru.
