The US and UK have very different ways of making laws, although both systems are democratic.
In the US, the Congress is the law-making part of the federal government and it consists of two houses, which are the House of Representatives and the Senate. Any Congressman can initiate new laws.
A Bill is introduced in the House of Representatives, then passed over to one of the standing committees that organizes a hearing and may approve, amend, or shelve the draft law. If the committee passes the Bill, it will them be considered by the House of Representatives. If it is passed at that stage, it goes on to the Senate for more committee hearings and debate.
If there is disagreement over a new Bill, the House of Representatives and the Senate confer on it. Once it is passed by the Senate, the Bill must be looked at by two more standing committees and can then be signed by the Speaker of the House and by the President of the Senate. Then it must be signed by the President, who can veto it if he so wishes. If the President does exercises his right to veto, it can still become law if it is passed by at least a two-thirds majority in both Houses in Congress.
In Britain, new laws usually start off in the House of Commons and go up to the House of Lords. In each house the Bill has three readings. The first one is a formality to introduce it and the second is when it is discussed. Then the Bill is examined by a committee.
After this, it is sent back to the House for any amendments to be made. Then it has its third reading and, if passed, goes to the other House.
Amendments made by the House of Lords must be looked at by the House of Commons. If the Commons disagrees then the Bill goes back to the Lords. This can continue for some time but if disagreement between the Houses continues, the will of the Commons prevails because its members are all elected and Britain is a democracy.
Finally, the reigning monarch gives the Royal Assent, but in recent times this has become a formality. Theoretically, the Queen could refuse her consent but the last time this was done was back in 1707 when Queen Anne vetoed the Scottish Militia Bill because she thought that they would be disloyal if allowed to form.
