Comparative Political Systems: UK, USA, Switzerland, and China

Unit 1: The United Kingdom

Unwritten Nature: Unlike most modern states, the UK does not have a single codified document. It consists of statutes, common law, conventions, and historical documents like the Magna Carta.
Sovereignty of Parliament: Parliament is the supreme legal authority, which can create or end any law.
Unitary State: Power is concentrated in the central government, though some powers are devolved to Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Constitutional Monarchy: The Crown reigns but does not rule; the monarch acts on the advice of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Head of Government: The PM is the leader of the majority party in the House of Commons and the effective head of the executive.
Power of Appointment: They choose and dismiss Cabinet ministers and other government officials.
Liaison with the Crown: The PM is the primary advisor to the Monarch.

Written and Rigid: It is the oldest written constitution and requires a complex process for amendments.
Federalism: Power is divided between the national (federal) government and the state governments.
Separation of Powers: Clear division between the legislative (Congress), executive (President), and judicial (Supreme Court) branches.
Checks and Balances: Each branch has the power to limit the actions of the others to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.

Judicial Review: The power to declare laws passed by Congress or actions by the President as unconstitutional.
Final Arbiter: It is the highest court of appeal in the federal judiciary.

Referendum: Citizens can vote on laws passed by the legislature if enough signatures are gathered.
Initiative: Citizens can propose changes to the federal constitution directly.
Landsgemeinde: In some smaller cantons, citizens still gather in open-air assemblies to vote on local issues.

Plural Executive: Instead of one President, Switzerland is led by a Federal Council of seven members.
Collegiality: Members are equal in status, and the position of President of the Confederation rotates annually among them.

Leading Role: The Constitution identifies the CPC as the central leadership of the country.
Parallel Structure: The party structure exists alongside the state structure, with party officials often holding key state positions.

Highest State Power: It is the unicameral legislature of China.
Standing Committee: Since the NPC is very large and meets only once a year, its Standing Committee exercises legislative power year-round.

UK: Parliamentary system where the executive (PM) is part of the legislature and responsible to it.
USA: Presidential system where the executive (President) is independent of the legislature (Congress) and elected separately.

USA: Strong federal government with specific powers, while others remain with the states.
Switzerland: Highly decentralized federalism with significant autonomy for the cantons and a heavy emphasis on direct citizen participation.