As a constitutional democracy, the United Kingdom is governed by a wide range of
institutions, many of which provide checks on each other’s powers. Most of these
institutions are of long standing: they include the monarchy, Parliament, (consisting of
the House of Commons and the House of Lords), the office of the Prime Minister, the
Cabinet, the judiciary, the police, the civil service, and the institutions of local
government. More recently, devolved administrations have been set up for Scotland,
Wales and Northern Ireland. Together, these formal institutions, laws and conventions
form the British Constitution. Some people would argue that the roles of other less formal
institutions, such as the media and pressure groups, should also be seen as part of the
Constitution.

The British Constitution is not written down in any single document, as are the
constitutions of many other countries. This is mainly because the United Kingdom has
never had a lasting revolution, like America or France, so our most important institutions
have been in existence for hundreds of years. Some people believe that there should be a
single document, but others believe that an unwritten constitution allows more scope for
institutions to adapt to meet changing circumstances and public expectations.

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