- •Language and area Lecture 1
- •Introduction
- •Brief geographical outline
- •Lecture 2 history of the united kingdom
- •Lecture 3 The Theme: national symbols of great britain and national characterisyics
- •The history and design of the union flag or union jack
- •2. The royal coat of arms
- •3. The british national anthem
- •4. National emblems
- •5. The patron saints of england, wales, scotland and ireland
- •National characteristics. National stereotype (part 2)
- •Lecture 4 religion in the united kingdom
- •Lecture 5 stratification in british society
- •1. Classification of the people of britain into classes
- •Lecture 6 the political system of the united kingdom
- •The united kingdom, a constitutional monarchy
- •2. The legislative branch of power
- •The House of Commons
- •3. The executive branch of power
- •4. Political parties
- •5. Judiciary Plan
- •2. Courts and crimes
- •Sentencing
- •Appealing
- •2. The comprehensive, selective and private systems of education
- •The Comprehensive System
- •3. Examinations
- •4. School year
- •Higher education
- •Lecture 8 traditions, manners, customs, special festivals, holidays
- •I. Britain round the calendar
- •5. St. Valentine’s Day – February 14
- •I’ll be your sweetheart, if you will be mine,
- •II. Festivals and fairs
- •III. Traditional ceremonies in london
- •IV. Engagements, weddings, births and funerals
- •1. Getting Engaged
- •2. Weddings The Forms of Marriage
- •VII. Manners
- •Lecture 9 cultural life in great britain
- •1. Various interests in great britain
- •2. Painting Painting in England in the 15th -17th centuries
- •Painting in England in the 19th and 20th centuries
- •3. Sculptures and architecture
- •4. Art galleries and museums
- •5. Cinema
- •6. The british theatre today
- •7. Music life
- •8. Folk music
- •Independent personal work texts for reading
- •I. Mass media
- •II. British youth
- •III. Environment
2. The legislative branch of power
Parliament is the supreme legislative authority and consists of three separate elements: the Sovereign, the House of Lords and the elected House of Commons. Over the centuries the balance between the three parts of the legislature has changed. That is why the Queen’s role is only formal now. The House of Commons has gained supremacy over the House of Lords.
The House of Commons
The House of Commons is a popular assembly elected by almost all adults. There are 659 Members of Parliament (MPs) – each member representing one of the 659 geographical areas (constituences) into which the country is divided. The country is divided for electoral purposes as follows: 532 for England, 38 for Wales, 72 for Scotland and 17 for Northern Ireland. If an MP dies, or resigns, a by-election is held to elect a new MP.
Leaders of the Government and Opposition sit on the front benches of the House of Commons, with their supporters (back-benchers) behind them. The House of Commons is presided by the Speaker. The main function of the House of Commons is to legislate.
The House of Lords
The House of Lords is presided over by the Lord Chancellor. It is probably the only upper House in the democratic world whose members (92) are not elected. It is made up of the Lords Spiritual and the Lords Temporal. The first consist of the representatives of the Church of England (the Archbishops of York and Canterbury and 25 bishops). The second comprise all hereditary and lifetime peers. Life peers are named by the Sovereign on the advice of the Prime Minister. They do not pass their title when they die. The House of Lords can revise Bills, which are sent to it by the House of Commons.
3. The executive branch of power
The leader of the party, which gets a majority of seats in a general election, is named Prime Minister. He (she) is formally asked by the Sovereign to recommend a group of ministers to form a Government. A number of ministers are invited by the Prime Minister to attend regular meetings to discuss policy and this group of ministers is known as the Cabinet. It is a rule for the members of the Cabinet to act as a single man. This means that a minister who cannot accept a Cabinet decision must resign. The main opposition party forms a Shadow Cabinet. This Shadow Cabinet may become a real Cabinet if its party comes to power.
4. Political parties
Historically, two parties have usually been predominant in Britain at different times. Tories and Whigs, Conservatives and Liberals. But since the 1930s the situation has changed and Labour became Conservatives’ rival.
The Conservative Party developed in the 1830s out of the Tory party, with the maintenance of existing institutions as its policy. The Tory (Pursuer) party supported the Anglican Church and the hereditary right to the throne. They upheld the hereditary of James II to the throne.
In 1830s it was remodeled by Robert Peel to form the Conservative Party. Peel and his successor Benjamin Disraeli (the first Conservative Prime Minister) together shaped modern Conservatism. The Conservative Party was originally the party of church, aristocracy and landed gentry. But with the course of time it came to be supported by large business interests. The Conservatives allied (1886) with the Liberal Unionists led by J. Chamberlain. The party is traditionally supported by the landowners. In home policy they are strongly against the nationalization of British economy.
The name Liberal was first adopted officially by the Whigs (Doubtful) in 1868. The Whigs opposed in 1679 the succession of James II on account of his Catholic sympathies. The party was associated with free trade. They remained strong up to the end of the World War I. The leader of the party Lloyd George (1863-1945) was Prime Minister during the World War I. He introduced many social reforms, including old-age pensions and National Insurance. After the war the party faded out. It was replaced by the Labour Party after 1922 as the effective force committed to reform
The Labour Party is a socialist party in Great Britain. It was formed by Keir Hardie in 1892 to represent the workers and was more or less the parliamentary wing of the Trade Unions. In 1900 it was founded by the trade unions and the Independent Labour party. It was a federation of trade unions and trade councils, cooperative societies and socialist organizations. The leadership of the party denied the class struggle. It formed minority government under James Ramsay MacDonald (1866-1937), who was the first socialist Prime Minister in 1924 and 1929-1931. It formed its first majority government under Attlee (1883-1967) in 1945-1951), nationalized many basic industries, and instituted the welfare state.
At present, in addition to the Conservative (Tory) Party and the Labour (Socialist) Party, the recently formed Green Party claims to be the nation’s third party.