The United States and Great Britain have a long shared history. The relationship between the two powers has not always been cordial as is clearly shown by the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. In recent years, building upon a common heritage and fighting common enemies, the two countries have developed a rapport that is far exceeds any animosity in the past. One of the most important aspects that allow these two former bitter enemies to be such close friends is the incredible similarity and success of their respective governments. In spite of these similarities, the differences between the structures and operations of the two governments are vast.
Both countries are among the first countries to establish democracy as a viable and workable form of government on a large scale. Greek city-states had attempted democracy, but never beyond the reaches of a single city. European countries could not establish a viable democracy because they were “obliged…to make the best of the past and adapt it to their present circumstances.”1 Great Britain, unlike the rest of Europe did have a democratic tradition; after a fashion. In the United States, however, democracy established itself firmly from the start. Whether for good or for ill, the United States was the first; in fact the model; of many other democracies. Most of the remaining democracies were modeled in the British system or an admixture of the two systems.
This paper examines the early histories leading up to the current political systems of the United States and the United Kingdom. The two systems of democracy; though from incredibly similar backgrounds; have diverged form each other and formed two distinct democratic systems; the presidential and the parliamentary. The main question is “How did they get where they are?” This paper focuses on that question.
1 Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America, vol.1, trans. Henry Reeve, with an introduction by Daniel Boorstin, (New York: Vintage Books), 1990. p. 234. Hereafter referred to as Democracy.