Ap European Political System

754 Words4 Pages
Political Systems and Citizenship Political systems are instrumental in shaping the development of individual nations. These systems determine the policies that are to be followed by the government and the governed and aim to establish political stability. Their success at this, as well as their other policies, not only affect the strength of a nation, but societal contentment. The values each system embodies both reflect and influence the values of the nation where they exist. In Russia, communism has had a tremendous impact on the history of the country, while constitutional monarchy has been key to shaping the development of Great Britain. Communism, originally proposed by Karl Marx in his Communist Manifesto (1848), aimed to solve the mistreatment and poverty suffered by the industrial working class by creating a cooperative, classless society where all property and profit are shared equally. However, the communist ideal of peaceful societal change that would benefit everyone was not demonstrated in countries where it was implemented, the first of which…show more content…
A constitutional monarchy is a system of government where the monarch’s power is restricted by a constitution and a legislative body. Constitutional monarchies also protect the rights of individual citizens from abuse by the government. The monarch acts as the head of state, but in reality the legislative body makes the laws. Different constitutional monarchies grant different powers to their kinds or queens. Parliament, the legislative body of England, emerged in the late middle ages and ever since has had influence over the English monarchies. During the struggle with King Charles I over money and war, Parliament actually had the king executed. Parliament’s role in government was finally defined during the Glorious Revolution when King William and Queen Mary agreed to a limitation of their powers by the Bill of
Open Document