Westminster system

The Westminster system is a system of government that originated in the United Kingdom. It is a type of parliamentary democracy with elected representatives. Its major characteristics are:

• the collective and individual responsibility of ministers to Parliament (hence the term responsible government), from which they are drawn;
• a ceremonial head of state (in the UK, Queen Elizabeth II), distinct from the effective head of government (the prime minister);
• a judiciary independent of the executive and legislature.

The Westminster system is so named because the UK Houses of Parliament are situated in the borough of Westminster in London.

References

"Democracy: Key Terms – Westminster System", accessed 14 August 2008 from http://http://australianpolitics.com/key-terms/westminster-system