Chapter2　Government and Social Welfare

Chapter2　Government and Social Welfare

》》Key Words

■constitutional monarchy

■Parliament

■the House of Commons

■the House of Lords

■the Prime Minister

■the Cabinet

■the Judiciary

■local government

■political parties

■the Conservative Party

■the Labor Party

■Social Security

■the National Health Program

■Margaret Thatcher

■Tony Blair

The United Kingdom is both a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary democracy.It is a constitutional monarchy in that it has a reigning monarch as its formal and permanent Head of State whose function is regulated by the national constitution.But at the same time，it is a democracy because its Head of Government is a Prime Minister，who holds his position by virtue of support from a majority of the popularly⁃elected members of Parliament.