Why is the Queen our "Head of State" ?

[flamingjimmy]

the people never have any real power though no matter what the form of government.

 

You say that like its a good thing?

[andyofborg]

You say that like its a good thing?

 

it was more of a "that's how it is" thing

[flamingjimmy]

it was more of a "that's how it is" thing

 

Perhaps we should try and change it?

[andyofborg]

How would it be such a disaster if we had a system with a president?

 

it depends on what power the president has.......

 

there seems little point in replacing the monarchy with an elected president and him/her having exactly the same power that the monarch currently has. a president would be no more likely to terminate a bad government than a monarch would, and given that such a president would be essentially powerless who would stand?

 

the current situation means that the Commons can always claim supremacy because they are the only part which is elected, the monarch and house of lords understand this and act in a way that maintains the supremacy of the Commons.

 

any sort change to the structure of government to bring the elections into the selection of the head of state and/or second chamber will eventually lead to a challenge to the supremacy of the Commons. it may take several years but eventually the "but we're elected too" argument will be made and then there will be a catastrophic breakdown of government.

 

of course, we could merge the offices of prime minister and head of state, but if you wanted to do that then you would need to separate the executive and the legislature, which is what the americans do and for precisely the same reasons. it would also be a good thing for the him/her not to be the party leader either.

[andyofborg]

Perhaps we should try and change it?

 

plenty have tried over the years, but not much has changed

[flamingjimmy]

it depends on what power the president has.......

 

there seems little point in replacing the monarchy with an elected president and him/her having exactly the same power that the monarch currently has. a president would be no more likely to terminate a bad government than a monarch would, and given that such a president would be essentially powerless who would stand?

 

the current situation means that the Commons can always claim supremacy because they are the only part which is elected, the monarch and house of lords understand this and act in a way that maintains the supremacy of the Commons.

 

any sort change to the structure of government to bring the elections into the selection of the head of state and/or second chamber will eventually lead to a challenge to the supremacy of the Commons. it may take several years but eventually the "but we're elected too" argument will be made and then there will be a catastrophic breakdown of government.

 

of course, we could merge the offices of prime minister and head of state, but if you wanted to do that then you would need to separate the executive and the legislature, which is what the americans do and for precisely the same reasons. it would also be a good thing for the him/her not to be the party leader either.

I was thinking more along the lines of the US system, than a figurehead president. Or perhaps a figurehead president who is chosen by the commons, rather than elected by the people, which might deal with the problems you highlighted.

[andyofborg]

I was thinking more along the lines of the US system, than a figurehead president. Or perhaps a figurehead president who is chosen by the commons, rather than elected by the people, which might deal with the problems you highlighted.

 

if you want a US style president, then you are going to have to change the Commons and house of lords (or house of equally as common as it will become) as well. is the US government any more effective than ours?

 

a figurehead chosen by the Commons is hardly going to command the respect of the people or given what they are going to have to do to get selected, the respect of many in the Commons.

[andyofborg]

I was thinking more along the lines of the US system,

 

How are you going to set up the Electoral College which actually elects the US President?

[flamingjimmy]

Alas, I'm too ignorant when it comes to politics to really give any good answers to your questions.

 

I really don't see what's wrong with just scrapping the queen and leaving everything else how it is, let revolution be our recourse for tyrannical governance (which is probably how things actually are anyway). Don't quite know how you'd handle the army though, as skeptical that I am that the monarch would ever use them against the government, you got any ideas?

[andyofborg]

[quote=flamingjimmy;7009582

I really don't see what's wrong with just scrapping the queen and leaving everything else how it is, let revolution be our recourse for tyrannical governance (which is probably how things actually are anyway). Don't quite know how you'd handle the army though, as skeptical that I am that the monarch would ever use them against the government, you got any ideas?

 

beyond saying "your presidentship" instead of "your majesty" nothing would really change, so really, what would be the point?

 

it's quite hard to imagine a government where the head of state would need to call on the army to intervene. such a government would probably have fallen to a quick people's revolution long before then