Political Structure
Britain is geographically located in Northern Europe, unlike the United States in North America. Nevertheless, both countries utilize English as the official language, which tends to differ in pronunciation. The United Kingdom, which represents Britain, gained independence in 1707 compared to the United States, which attained independence in 1776. The United States tends to be a republic, whereas the United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy. America’s parliament system works in conjunction with the other branches of government, unlike in Britain, where parliamentary supremacy is supreme. In the United States, the President holds ultimate power compared to Britain’s King and Queen. However, the British government is headed by the Prime Minister.
In contrast, the American government is headed by the President. in the USA, citizens play a significant role in selecting their respective leader compared to Britain. Electoral colleges are responsible for choosing the President in the United States, whereas the members of the majority party vote for the Prime Minister in Britain (Leston-Bandeira & Thompson, 2018). Despite both governments having two houses, the US contains the House of Representatives and the Senate, whereas the British are composed of House Lords and House of Commons. Furthermore, the democracy of the United States relies on a two-party democracy compared to the multi-party system in the UK. Parliamentary elections in the United Kingdom are held every five years, which differs from the United States, where the Senate is often elected after six years. In contrast, the House of Representatives is elected after two years.
Governance
Equally, the President and the Prime Minister are not directly voted by voters, which promotes professional opinions due to the voting through electoral colleges and the majority party in the US and the UK, respectively. Moreover, the President of the US cannot hold office for more than two terms, which constitutes four per term before an election is held. On the contrary, the head of the UK government can rule as Prime Minister for life as long as he or she controls the house of commons. Similarly, the President and the Prime minister have the mandate of selecting their Cabinets. Unlike the Prime Minister, who constantly discusses with the cabinet, the US president does not interfere with its operations. Lack of balance is evident in the UK’s legislature and executive, which often affects the implementation of laws and policies that play a significant role in the economy and business operations.
Nonetheless, the availability of the Queen or King, the house of lords, and the house of commons makes the UK parliament sovereign, simplifying the constitutional amendment process (Leston-Bandeira & Thompson, 2018). Meanwhile, the US constitutional amendment process is very difficult, for it requires a vote by more than a two-thirds majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Conversely, the UK constitution fails to separate the powers of the various branches of the government, unlike the US constitution, which clearly defines the responsibilities of the various branches of government.
Healthcare Systems
The UK healthcare system offers universal healthcare coverage through the National Health Service (NHS) that is deducted from every citizen based on their varying levels of income (Gulland, 2017). On the other hand, the healthcare system in the UK is very complex in which employers tend to offer various diverse cover plans for the employees. Nevertheless, the US healthcare system is the most expensive in the world due to its reliance on the private sector system, unlike the UK, which accounts for the largest public sector system. In the United States, eight-four percent of the population acquires healthcare coverage due to their private insurance and eligibility for Medicare and Medicaid programs. Thus, the remaining sixteen percent of the population often rely on their financial ability to carter for their medication, unlike in the UK, which utilizes a low-cost system that provides equal coverage to all citizens. The healthcare system of the United States is very responsive compared to the public healthcare system of the UK. Citizens in the United States must purchase insurance plans in the marketplace either through their employer or individually, whereas the UK utilizes a national health care approach. The US Department of Health and Human Services(HHS) is a federal agency tasked with managing public health programs such as Medicaid and Medicare. Both US and UK have different insurance strategies. For instance, Medicaid and Medicare account for the public health insurance programs in the US, whereas the UK utilizes a socialized insurance program. Financial risk is shared between the insurer and the respective individuals in the US healthcare system through a contract agreement, unlike in the UK healthcare system.
Economic Policies
Business regulations play a significant role in ensuring businesses can operate smoothly. Nonetheless, the UK tends to have strict regulation policies in comparison to the US, for it requires Businesses to comply with the regulations of the European Union. On the other, businesses in the United States need to only comply with the respective laws in each state and the federal regulations (United States Trade Representative). European Union tends to offer a vast marketplace for businesses that operate in the UK that minimizes the cost of advertising the products that pave the way for attracting ideal customers. Nonetheless, the cost of doing business in the UK is cheaper than in the United States due to free trade agreements that pave the way for crossing borders to European Union member countries. More than seven thousand business firms in the US have branches in Britain due to the suitable environment for performing business activities within the two countries. On the other hand, the US commercial service under the department of commerce plays a significant role in equipping companies with information that paves the way for international trade.
Equally, the US foreign direct investment (FDI) in the United Kingdom was $851.4 billion in comparison to the United Kingdom’s FDI in the United States, which is approximately $505.1 billion (United Kingdom.) The business that operates in the United States tends to pay minimum wages for holiday leave compared to businesses that operate in the UK. Businesses in the UK employ workers via employment contracts, unlike the ‘at-will’ doctrine available in the United States, which allows employees to quit free will. Corporate taxation is very high in the United States compared to corporate taxes in the UK.
In conclusion, both countries are a significant force in the globe. However, their power distribution and economic policies are unique, which tend to influence the entire business operations of the respective countries. Additionally, the two countries have always been at the forefront of maintaining their consistency and unique historical culture.
References
Gulland, A. 2017). UK has best health system in the developed world, US analysis concludes.
Leston-Bandeira, C., & Thompson, L. (Eds.). (2018). Exploring parliament. Oxford University Press.
United Kingdom. United States Trade Representative. (n.d.). Retrieved October 30, 2022, from https://ustr.gov/countries-regions/europe-middle-east/europe/united-kingdom
United States Trade Representative. (n.d.). Retrieved October 30, 2022, from https://ustr.gov/
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