Bill--- An elected senate is in no way comparable to an hereditary peerage. Neither is an hereditary monarch the same as a President. Peers are peers for life, and their sons (or closest male relative) will inherit that position with all its advantages for all of their life until death. For ever. Whilst there are some recent changes to the House of Lords it is still a house of inherited power. (Whist there are a only a very few inherited peerages that can be held by a woman, the monarch may be female (of course).)
Any one can (in theory) be a senator or a President (although there are birth issues for President). Then after (is it two terms?) the President is sacked! Definitely NOT the same as monarchy.
The American republic in victory modified the Westminster parliamentary system for their own society, but, as in Australia, the chosen model was in fact a federation of states-- and the states retained power and governors etc, This is not true of Britain, though in he last few years the devolution of Wales and Scotland, and earlier the break with southern Ireland has changed the political environment, Britain is still not a federation of states. It is a kingdom, until recently a United Kingdom. Now it is Great Britain!
Here in Australia we have the monarch of Britain as our head of state -her title is Queen of Australia. Her representative is the Governor General-- a largely ceremonial position. She is also represented in the states by a Governor. These are not elected positions but appointments by parliament --- but then we haven't had our Revolution yet! The Rev would understand as it is similar to Canada.
The victorious American colonialists drew up a constitution which is the foundation of the government today. Britain had no written constitution, they just muddled along without it, which was probably why the new government in America felt it was necessary to codify their ideals. Whilst they adopted many of the traditional rules of government they also adapted many of them and introduced new ones.They took as the basis of their ideology that representation in government was the right of every man (with some qualifications to start with, and if you were female --- forget it). That was an historic recognition of the concept of equality, and it was used in the Constitution.
They did a really good job, and it dos not give them enough credit to say they merely slid into place without altering things. America was changed completely by their fight, and probably for the better!
