Westminster system

The Westminster System is a system of government modelled after that of the United Kingdom. It is a series of procedures for operating a legislature. Aspects of the Westminster system include: an executive branch made up of members of the legislature; the presence of opposition parties; two houses of parliament -- one that is elected and the other hereditary or appointed; a ceremonial head of state who is different from the head of government.

In a Westminster system, the head of government is elected from the legislature and must be able to control a majority of seats within the elected legislative chamber. One consequence of this is that Westminister systems tend to have extremely well-disciplined legislative parties in which it is highly unusual for a legislator to vote against their party.

Countries that follow the Westminster system include the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

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