The government is the name for the group of people who are elected to help run the country.
How politics works
Government

The name for the group of people who are elected to help run the country.
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The government has the power to make decisions that can affect the whole country and all the people who live here. They help make decisions about the European Union too.
The name for the group of people who are elected to help run the country.
Go back up to wordA group of 27 countries who have joined together to decide on policies and laws.
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The government also joins with the governments of other countries to make decisions that can affect people around the world.
The name for the group of people who are elected to help run the country.
Go back up to wordThe name for the group of people who are elected to help run the country.
Go back up to wordPoliticians are ordinary people who decide they want to help run the country. They become politicians by winning an election.
Go back up to wordYour MP is a politician who represents you when it comes to making decisions about things that affect the whole country.
You can vote to choose your MP at a General Election.
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We get to choose our government by voting for the people we want to become MPs and work for us in Parliament. This is called democracy.
The name for the group of people who are elected to help run the country.
Go back up to wordYour MP is a politician who represents you when it comes to making decisions about things that affect the whole country.
You can vote to choose your MP at a General Election.
Go back up to wordThe system that means we can all have a say in who runs the country and how it is run.
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The election to vote for the government is called the General Election and we usually have one about every 5 years.
The name for the group of people who are elected to help run the country.
Go back up to wordThis is the time when people choose Members of Parliament and the Government to help run the country.
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The government is made up of the political party who wins the general election.
The name for the group of people who are elected to help run the country.
Go back up to wordThis is a group of people who join together because they have similar ideas about things, like how to run the country.
Go back up to wordThis is the time when people choose Members of Parliament and the Government to help run the country.
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The political party that comes second in a general election is called the official opposition. It is their job to keep an eye on what the government does, and to say what they would do if they were the government.
This is a group of people who join together because they have similar ideas about things, like how to run the country.
Go back up to wordThis is the time when people choose Members of Parliament and the Government to help run the country.
Go back up to wordThis is the political party that comes second in a general election. It is their job to keep an eye on what the Government does, and to say what they would do if they were the Government.
Go back up to wordThe name for the group of people who are elected to help run the country.
Go back up to wordThe name for the group of people who are elected to help run the country.
Go back up to wordThis is a group of people who join together because they have similar ideas about things, like how to run the country.
Go back up to wordThis is the time when people choose Members of Parliament and the Government to help run the country.
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The Prime Minister is the head of the government. Once they are elected they get to live in the official house of the Prime Minister, which is 10 Downing Street, in London.
The name for the group of people who are elected to help run the country.
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The Prime Minister's first job is to choose the other people who will help run the government. This group of people are called Cabinet ministers and they help the Prime Minister.
The name for the group of people who are elected to help run the country.
Go back up to wordThe group that the Prime Minister chooses to run the Government. Each Cabinet minister runs a Government department, for example, the Minister for Health will run the Department for Health.
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The Prime Minister and government have the job of coming up with ideas and plans about how to run the country. These ideas and plans are called policies.
The name for the group of people who are elected to help run the country.
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The government needs to think of lots of policies and so to make this easier the government is split up into different offices, called departments.
The name for the group of people who are elected to help run the country.
Go back up to wordThe name for the group of people who are elected to help run the country.
Go back up to wordThe Government has lots of things to think about, like money, health, education, so to make it easier they set up different offices called departments. For example, the department responsible for people’s health is called the Department for Health.
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The Prime Minister chooses Cabinet ministers to run each of these departments. Together with the Prime Minister they make decisions about how they want to run the country.
The group that the Prime Minister chooses to run the Government. Each Cabinet minister runs a Government department, for example, the Minister for Health will run the Department for Health.
Go back up to wordThe Government has lots of things to think about, like money, health, education, so to make it easier they set up different offices called departments. For example, the department responsible for people’s health is called the Department for Health.
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Cabinet ministers are responsible for different areas of life. The department responsible for the country’s money is called the Treasury and the Cabinet minister who runs the Treasury is called the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
The group that the Prime Minister chooses to run the Government. Each Cabinet minister runs a Government department, for example, the Minister for Health will run the Department for Health.
Go back up to wordThe Government has lots of things to think about, like money, health, education, so to make it easier they set up different offices called departments. For example, the department responsible for people’s health is called the Department for Health.
Go back up to wordThe group that the Prime Minister chooses to run the Government. Each Cabinet minister runs a Government department, for example, the Minister for Health will run the Department for Health.
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This person lives next door to the Prime Minister at 11 Downing Street.

There are lots of other Cabinet ministers who run departments like the Department of Health, the Department of Transport, the Foreign Office, and the Home Office.
The group that the Prime Minister chooses to run the Government. Each Cabinet minister runs a Government department, for example, the Minister for Health will run the Department for Health.
Go back up to wordThe Government has lots of things to think about, like money, health, education, so to make it easier they set up different offices called departments. For example, the department responsible for people’s health is called the Department for Health.
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There are lots of other people who are not politicians who work in these Government departments. They are called civil servants and anyone can apply for these jobs.
Politicians are ordinary people who decide they want to help run the country. They become politicians by winning an election.
Go back up to wordThe Government has lots of things to think about, like money, health, education, so to make it easier they set up different offices called departments. For example, the department responsible for people’s health is called the Department for Health.
Go back up to wordThey work in Government departments but they are not politicians. For example, if a minister needs information about accessible transport, they ask a civil servant who works in the Department of Transport to find it for them.
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To find out more about the work of the government you can go to
www.direct.gov.uk (The website will open in a different window.)
The name for the group of people who are elected to help run the country.
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