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Health care, education, the environment, international aid, crime.

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Issues affecting all our lives are shaped and driven by Parliament.

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But how did it all begin?

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What does Parliament do all day and how do you fit in?

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Parliament has evolved throughout its long history to become what it is today,

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changing over time to meet the needs of the people.

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Two key historical events began this process.

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In 1215, King John put his seal on Magna Carta,

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and agreed to a list of 63 rules set out by a group of barons.

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This ensured for the first time that no one, not even the king, was above the law.

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50 years later, Simon de Montfort, for the first time,

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invited representatives of the towns and shires to his 1265 parliament.

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These events established the foundations for the representative democracy we have today,

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and from this point onwards, the power to make decisions for the nation passed,

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over time, from the monarch to parliament.

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Let's take a closer look at the UK Parliament today.

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Parliament is made up of three parts – the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the Monarch.

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The House of Commons is the elected chamber of Parliament. It debates big issues,

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proposes laws, amends existing ones and challenges the government's work.

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There are 650 Members of Parliament, or MPs, who each represent a constituency in the UK.

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They belong to either a political party or are independent,

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and are elected by constituents of the area they want to represent.

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The leader of the party that has the most MPs elected after a general election

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becomes the Prime Minister and heads up the government.

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They choose a cabinet made up of 20 senior ministers,

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who coordinate each government department's work.

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Parties not in power are called the opposition.

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MPs from the opposition and government question the government on policy and proposed laws.

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The Speaker keeps the House in order by chairing these debates.

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The House of Lords is the second chamber and shares the making and shaping of laws with

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the House of Commons. It has around 800 members and it's made up mostly of life peers and

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also includes hereditary peers and bishops. Lords are selected for their knowledge and

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experience and hold government to account by using their expertise to look at laws and

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issues in detail. The monarch's role is mainly ceremonial. They meet the Prime Minister once

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a week to hear what's going on in Parliament and formally agree every new law. But that's

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not all. There are also people working behind the scenes who support the work of parliament.

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Clerks, librarians, researchers and many more. The government has been elected to run the country

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and parliament holds the government to account for us, the public. But how? Prime Minister's

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questions and ministerial questions give MPs and Lords the opportunity to challenge the

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government's policies. It's in these debates that they can share the views of their constituents

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and the public and how new policies may affect them.

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Another important way Parliament can scrutinise or look in detail at the work

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of government is through select committees. Select

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committees analyse and scrutinise policy. They're made up of either MPs, Lords or a

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mixture of both. Together committee members look at a

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particular subject and make recommendations on improvements.

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Witnesses with expertise in the area under scrutiny are called to give

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evidence which is used to help shape the committee's enquiry. Members of the public,

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like you, with a view on the subject can also give evidence for consideration.

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At the end of an enquiry a committee writes a report with recommendations that the government

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usually responds to within 60 days. Both Houses in Parliament share responsibility for making

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and shaping laws, but where do laws come from in the first place? A bill is a proposal for a new

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law, or to change an existing law, and comes from lots of places, like governing and opposition

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parties, public inquiries, civil servants or campaign groups. So how does an idea get turned

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into a law? Imagine the government wanted to place greater controls over the internet.

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A proposal called a Green Paper is published, which presents the government's ideas for future

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policy. This is open for public discussion, with interested groups like internet service

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providers and others likely to be affected. Once findings are gathered, a white paper

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is published which outlines a firmer plan for government policy. Cabinet ministers must

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agree whether the proposal is taken forward. Once agreed, a bill is drawn up and the minister

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responsible for the policy introduces the bill to Parliament for debate.

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MPs and members of the House of Lords comment on, debate or amend the bill through several

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stages, and at the end of the process, apart from very rare circumstances, it must be agreed

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by both houses.

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It's then passed to the monarch, who gives formal approval, or royal assent, and the

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bill becomes law, called an Act of Parliament.

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In the UK, we live in a democracy, which means power is in the hands of the people through

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our right to vote. Throughout history, lots of people in the UK have campaigned for the

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voting rights we have today. There are lots of different types of elections to vote in

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general, local, European. Let's take a closer look at how MPs are elected to the

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House of Commons through the general election. General elections take place in

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the UK usually once every five years and every seat is up for grabs. On polling

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day voters make a choice from a list of candidates. The candidate with the most

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votes then becomes that constituencies MP. Okay but how would I know who to vote

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for? Before elections candidates need to campaign to get people to vote for them.

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one. Campaigning can involve handing out political leaflets, speaking in public debates, talking

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to people during door-to-door visits and party political broadcasts.

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Parties standing for election publish a declaration of their policies during the campaign, called

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a manifesto.

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Once elected, an MP represents all their constituents, even the ones that didn't vote or voted

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for a different candidate. The party with the most MPs elected forms the government

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and their leader becomes Prime Minister.

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And if there's a hung parliament, where there's no clear winner,

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then a minority government or a coalition government may be created,

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or a fresh election held.

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One way to have a say in how the country is run is to use your vote.

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You have to be 18 or over to vote in general elections,

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but you can register from the age of 16.

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There are lots of other ways to get involved and have your voice heard,

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whatever your age.

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Remember, MPs represent all of their constituents.

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But how? You can visit an MP in their local constituency office, or you can even travel

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to their Houses of Parliament to lobby them in central lobby.

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Lords have knowledge and experience in specific subject areas. You can look them up by policy

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interest on the Parliament website.

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Anyone can contact any Lord or their local MP by letter, phone or email to discuss an

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issue that's important to them or their community.

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Sometimes though, there's strength in numbers, so to get your voice heard, you could join

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the youth section of a party, or the UK Youth Parliament.

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If you're passionate about an issue, you could start a petition for a cause either

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on paper or online, or join an existing campaign, pressure or protest group to influence decision

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making.

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These groups use different methods to get their voices heard, from lobbying to peaceful

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protest, all designed to bring about change.

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And don't forget, you can get your voice heard in school or college too, by joining

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or starting a student council, a bit like a mini parliament.

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So Parliament sits at the heart of UK democracy, debating the big issues of the day, making

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and shaping laws, and holding the government to account.

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By voting, petitioning, campaigning and more, you can also get involved with the work of

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Parliament.

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What will you do?