What are the differences between the UK and US political systems?
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain and compare some of the key differences and similarities between the UK and the US political systems.
Key learning points
- The UK monarch is the Head of State and the Prime Minister is Head of Government.
- The US President is both Head of State and Government.
- The UK Parliament has two houses, but only the House of Commons is elected; both houses of US Congress are elected.
- The UK Prime Minister is the leader of the largest party in Parliament. The US President is elected every four years.
- The UK Parliament is sovereign. In the US, power is split so that no branch holds more power than another.
Keywords
Government - the group of people with the authority to govern a country; in the UK, the Government is chosen and led by the Prime Minister (PM)
Legislative - the lawmaking body of a state or country; this is Parliament in the UK
Executive - the branch of the Government that is responsible for putting laws or decisions into effect; the Prime Minister is the leader of the executive branch in the UK
Common misconception
Because both countries are democracies, the UK and the US political systems are the same.
Both countries are democracies but they differ: for example, the UK has a parliamentary system where only the House of Commons is elected, while the US has a presidential system where voters elect both houses of Congress and the President separately.
Teacher tip
Encourage pupils to debate which system they think is more democratic by analysing the political systems. Use a structured discussion to help them justify their opinions with evidence.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is the best definition of democracy?
Q2.In the UK, there are two houses of Parliament: the House of Commons and the House of ...
Q3.Which of these is not one of the three main branches of power of UK state?
Q4.General elections in the UK must happen at least every years.
Q5.Match the term to its definition.
Q6.Rearrange these words to form a sentence about how the US gets its leader.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the term to the statement.
Q2.In the US, who serves as both Head of State and Head of Government?
Q3.Which of the following statements is true about the US election system?
Q4.Which of the following best describes the UK's legislative branch?
Q5.Put these steps in order as they happen when voting for the President of the USA.
Q6.A is like a rulebook for a country. It explains how government works, what each part is responsible for and what rights and freedoms people have. It can be codified or uncodified.
To help you plan your 9 citizenship lesson on: What are the differences between the UK and US political systems?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 9 citizenship lesson on: What are the differences between the UK and US political systems?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 citizenship lessons from the How is the UK governed? unit, dive into the full secondary citizenship curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.