Presidental Election

At the beginning of November, there was an important event-the US Presidential election which saw Barak Obama re-elected for his second term in office. There was a great deal of media attention for this US election and it made me wonder about the differences and similarities between the American and British political systems. In the UK there is a prime minister, whereas in the USA, there is a president. In the USA, the candidate can be president for eight years maximum, however, in the UK the time limit is not as rigid. The elected prime minister can call an election whenever they like but cannot surpass a 5 year time period. The name of the prime minister is David Cameron. In the UK there are three main political parties: Liberal, Conservative, and Liberal Democrat, whereas in the USA, there are two main political parties: Democrats and Republicans. So, despite both countries’ historical ties, their political systems are different: the UK has a constitutional monarchy whilst the USA is a constitutional republic.