- •Unit 1 form of government
- •Vocabulary
- •Combine the sentence halves so that they match syntactically and semantically
- •Render the text in English. Великобритания: Система государственного управления
- •Describe Russia’s form of government; compare it with the usa and Britain.
- •Read the text dealing with the question of British unwritten constitution.
- •The People versus the Crown
- •2.1 Vocabulary
- •Insert words from the box into the sentences
- •2.3 Translate the text into Russian.
- •The Role of the Monarchy
- •2.4 Find information and prepare individual presentations about different aspects of British monarchy.
- •Why we keep our royal family
- •2.7 Render the text in English.
- •Станет ли принц Уильям следующим британским монархом?
- •2.8 Prepare a talk about any monarchy in the world.
- •3.1 Vocabulary
- •3.2 Render the text in English.
- •Политическая система сша
- •Fill in the gaps in the text with the words and expressions given below
- •Is the United States a democracy?
- •Express your ideas about the following issues concerning democracy:
- •Unit 2 elections
- •Vocabulary
- •1.2 Compare the two systems of parliamentary elections. Which of them you think to be more effective and why? Speak about the electoral system that Russia has.
- •Voting Systems
- •Match the terms with their definitions
- •1.4 Read the text about election fraud.
- •How to steal an election
- •2.1 Vocabulary
- •2.2 Read the texts about elections in Britain and discuss the following issues:
- •Voting Process
- •Voting in person
- •Voting by post
- •Voting by proxy
- •2.3 Choose a party from the list:
- •Visit their official website and find some additional information about the party in any other sources. Prepare a presentation about the party of your choice, covering:
- •2.4 Fill in the gaps in the text with the words and expressions given below
- •House of Lords reform
- •2.5 Render the text in English.
- •3.1 Vocabulary
- •3.2 Read the overview of the election process in the usa and answer the following questions:
- •Elections in the United States
- •3.3 Find the relevant information and speak about the last presidential elections. Try to cover the following questions:
- •Split in two groups and choose a party: Democratic/ Republican. Find information about
- •Unit 3 state structure: administrative and territorial units
- •1.1 Vocabulary
- •Advantages and disadvantages of federal, confederate and unitary systems of Government
- •Render the text in English
- •Государственное устройство Российской Федерации
- •2.1 Vocabulary
- •2.2 Read the introductory text about European Union. Speak briefly about the stages of European integration.
- •The history of the European Union
- •2.3 Fill in the gaps in the text with the words and expressions given below
- •Economic Problems of European Union
2.1 Vocabulary
The Plantagenets; The Lancastrians; The Yorkists; The Tudors; The Stewarts; The Hanoverians; Saxe-Coburg-Gotha; The House of Windsor
The Act of Settlement; line of succession to the British throne; primogeniture; Glorious Revolution; Bill of Rights
figurehead
abdicate (the throne in favour of someone); abdication
subjects, sovereign
heir apparent
10 Downing Street, the headquarters of Her Majesty's Government
Whitehall, a metonym for overall British governmental administration
Commonwealth, Commonwealth realms, Dominion
State Opening of Parliament; Speech from the Throne/ Queen's Speech; Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod (or just the Black Rod); Coronation; Trooping the Colour; Royal Ascot; Holyrood Week; Garden Parties; Garter Day
Royal household; Royal assent
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/royal_prerogative.htm
Royal prerogatives, The Queen reigns but does not rule:
The Queen has the right to appoint and dismiss a Prime Minister. However, in the 21st century this is convention as opposed to reality. In fact, after an election, the Queen chooses the leader of the majority party to lead the Commons. However, what happens if the Prime Minister refuses to quit after losing a vote of no confidence is unclear – as it has never happened in recent political history. Theoretically, the monarch can exercise powers of appointment and dismissal. How this would fit in with a democracy is difficult to decide.
The monarch has other powers of appointment (ministers, peers, senior C of E officials, head of BBC, senior civil servants, etc.) In reality these are chosen by the Prime Minister; only the Order of the Garter and the Order of Merit are at the personal disposal of the Queen. Therefore, a vast amount of power with regards to senior appointments rests with the Prime Minister.
The Queen opens and dissolves Parliament. She also approves all statutes of law. In reality, the date of a general election is set by the Prime Minister and the Queen, in the State Opening of Parliament, simply reads out the proposed bills for the next 5 years of a government and plays no part in deciding them. No monarch has refused to give the Royal Assent to a government bill (passed at this stage by both the Commons and Lords) since 1707. Now it would appear to be completely untenable that the Queen would refuse to sign a government bill that had passed the Commons, select committees, the Lords etc. It would spark off a major constitutional crisis.
In theory, the monarch has the right to grant pardons and input some sentences. In reality this power is exercised by the Home Secretary; a classic example was when Jack Straw stated that Myra Hindley’s life term meant life.
The monarch, via proclamations or Orders in Council, may declare war or treaties, without the input of the Commons/Lords. In reality, the declaration of war and the signing of treaties is done by the Prime Minister acting on behalf of the Crown. The 2003 declaration of war against Iraq was done by a Prime Minister and not by the monarch. One is a democratically elected politician accountable to the electorate via an election; the other is in the position by a quirk of birth.
The monarch is above the law and has crown immunity. The legal immunity conferred by the Royal Prerogative may extend to institutions and servants of the Crown. Cabinet ministers may try to use crown immunity to avoid the release of parliamentary documents as they are servants of the Crown. This remains an issue that lawyers discuss and analyse to this day – can ministers of the government use the Royal Prerogative to stop an investigation in to the work that they do on certain issues?