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The complexities of the Elizabethan England government
Complex is one word to describe the Elizabethan England government; the era that was ruled by Queen Elizabeth I. The Elizabethan government was a complex one and divided into national bodies, and then these bodies are again divided into regional bodies. And then there were the country and the community bodies and the court system of the Elizabethan government.
The government was ruled and headed by Queen Elizabeth I, the last ruler from the Tudor dynasty and was considered by many as England's best monarch. The government at that time was considered as a personal monarchy with ministers.
It was considered as a personal monarchy since the head selected the ministers that she wanted. And the monarch's personality played and determined the style of governance, the intensity and the efficiency of the government. Queen Elizabeth was more than a figurehead, she was the ruler.
And her standing in the government was further enhanced by the concept of the 'Divine Right of King' which gave the queen the standing of a 'demi-god'. Because Queen Elizabeth I was the ruler of the Elizabethan era, she was the ultimate decider of the issues every time the Parliament held their meetings.
And in order to dispense the right decisions on matters that ranged from education to war, the Queen was aided by various counselors on many subjects and issues. Laws that need to be passed always needed her consent, but the Queen has no authority to pass a law all by herself. In order to pass one, she needed to draw a Bill and have the bill forwarded to the Parliament.
Still the Queen during those times has the power to make laws called the Royal Proclamations, without the need for the consent of the Parliament. With these powers, the Queen was still not above the law.
The Privy Council worked for the Queen during the Elizabethan era. The council was a group of advisers that aided the Queen on many issues at hand. Routine administration on matters related to religion, security, economics and the welfare of the people are left on the hands of the council.
Matters of national and individual interests are covered by the council. The Privy Council was advisory in nature; as it only advised the Queen on most matters. The composition of the Council was the choice of the Queen.
The Parliament was another note-worthy feature of the Elizabethan England government. This body was divided into the House of Lords consisted of aristocrats and the bishops, and the House of Commons.
The Parliament during the era was the one tasked to deal with financial matters like taxes. The body also helped passed a number of laws. To be exact, the Parliament under Queen Elizabeth I passed 438 laws in all.
The Elizabethan Parliament was also tasked to advise the Queen, though the Queen never solicited the advice of the body. The Queen decided if the body was to be called, and throughout the reign of Queen Elizabeth I the Parliament was called ten times.
Regional governments were also created in order to help the Queen oversee other parts of England and Royal Representatives was appointed as well to ensure that laws were followed. Courts were created and the most important were the Great Sessions Courts or called the Assizes, and the Quarter Sessions Courts.
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