Monarchy or Republic?

I think you have miss understood how constitutional monarchy works in the UK. A Constitutional Monarchy is basically a republic with a ceremonial Head of State who is hereditary. Our system is already very like Sweden and the only difference between it and the Japanese one is reserve powers. There is some discussion to change the House of Lords to an elected house however under are system it would create problems as it could then challenge the Commons which would mess up the complete balance of power and checks in our government. As for directly electing the executive it would again mess up our constitution as the PM is suppose to be part of Parliament and to hold its support.

It sounds like you think we should adopt the American Constitution but keep the Queen has a ceremonial figure head for the nation. I can tell you now that is not what monarchists want and it is not was republicans want either. All Republicans want is to keep our system pretty much how it is but replacing the Queen with a President fulfilling the role the Queen currently has but the PM would still be appointed by the Head of State this time a President.

In the United Kingdom's Parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy, the people vote for members of Parliament, and the leader of the party that has won the most seats is asked to form a government. The people therefore know whom they are choosing to be their next Prime Minister; it's not as though the Commons makes this selection without the people having voted, without any participation by the people. They have, in essence, voted for the PM.

The monarch does not run the government, that is the PM's job. Therefore, the job of the monarch is already almost wholly symbolic and ceremonial, with the technical powers of the monarch having been delegated to the PM, to Parliament, to other members of government.

The problem is that the republicans feel that the role of Head of State, despite being already symbolic and ceremonial, should not go to anyone merely by birth. They also object to the many unearned and inherited titles and privileges that a monarchy comprises, and they object to the cost, to the use of taxpayer funds to pay for a monarchy and for security coverage and other expenses even for other members of the royal family.

Keeping the monarchy while somehow altering the manner in which the Prime Minister is elected would not at all address these republican objections.

The monarch is only a figurehead. The Prime Minister who is head of the Government is not elected, he/she is normally the leader of the largest party in The House of Commons (which is elected using the first last the post system) although he is technically selected by the monarch, they cannot select who they want but must select the person who either has a majority or can hold a majority in the House of Commons.

The UK is a democracy, but we have a hereditary Head of State rather than a President. A majority of countries have ceremonial Heads of State whether Presidents or monarchs, America is unusual where the President is Head of State and Head of the Government.

That's exactly what we have now - a Monarch that is a leader symbolising unity, traditions and heritage, while the actual governing (ruling) is done by the Government.

The Queen is a constitutional Monarch and her powers are severely limited; he can't really do much without the Government's consent.

Britain hasn't been an absolute Monarchy for many centuries and was, in fact, one of the earlier European democracies in modern times; among others, it is the birthplace of Parliament.

It's system of Government is very much like that of Sweden, Norway, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark and other European Constitutional Monarchies.

The British Monarch holds a constitutional position of Head of State. According to convention, the Queen's powers are exercised upon the advice of her Privy Council (which includes the Prime Minister). In practice, political power is exercised today through Parliament, the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. The Monarch holds a weekly audience with the Prime Minister, as well as regular audiences with other members of the Cabinet.

In theory, the Queen has vast powers, however most of them haven't been used for decades, if not centuries. The following is a partial list of Queen Elizabeth’s Royal Prerogative Powers:

- The Queen alone, as Head of the Armed Forces, may declare war or peace

- The Queen alone may conclude treaties

- The Queen (as commander-in-chief) may choose and appoint officers of all ranks

- The Queen may convoke, adjourn, remove, and dissolve Parliament

- The Queen may appoint a Prime Minister of her own choosing

- The Queen may dismiss the Prime Minister and his Government

- The Queen can choose and appoint all judges, councillors, officers of state, etc.

- The Queen may initiate criminal proceedings, and she alone can bestow a pardon

- The Queen may refuse the Royal Assent

- The Queen may refuse to dissolve Parliament when requested by the Prime Minister

- The Queen can choose and appoint all Archbishops, Bishops, and ecclesiastical dignitaries

- The Queen may exercise the refusal of the “Queen’s Consent” (direct Monarchical assent is required for a bill affecting the prerogative, hereditary revenues or the personal property or interests of the Crown to be heard in Parliament).

- Since the Sovereign is “first in honour, dignity and in power--and the seat and fountain of all three,'' the Queen may bestow all public honours, including creating peerages or bestowing Orders of Chivalry

Arguably, her non-political, ceremonial roles are far more important than the political ones since they are the REAL ones. Those roles include:

- Perform the ceremonial and official duties of Head of State

- Represent Britain to the rest of the world

- Provide a focus for national identity and unity

- Provide stability and continuity in times of change

- Recognise achievement and excellence (by means of awards, medals or orders)

- Encourage public and voluntary service

- Support charities and foundations and highlight their causes

EDIT: The Prime Minister is not elected by the House of Commons.

The leader of the political party that gets most votes (conservatives, labour, liberals) is invited by the Monarch to form the new Government (become the Prime Minister). Theoretically, the Monarch may chose someone other than the leader of the party with most votes (appointing the Prime Minister is one of the Monarch's prerogatives), however that hasn't happened for centuries.

The House of Lords consists of 3 types of representatives:

1. The Lords Spiritual - 26 senior bishops of the Church of England.

2. Life Peers - they are appointed by the Monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister. The Monarch's role in this appointment process is rather symbolical.

3. Hereditary Peers - not all peers have the right to sit in the House of Lords; currently, of the 789 representatives of the House of Lords, only 90 are hereditary peers.

"I notice the continuing discussion of whether Britain should remain a monarchy or become a republic."

I don't. And I live there. We had a 'discussion' about that around about the time we got rid of Cromwell and the Puritans. Can't remember where they all went to after that...