Unit 3 government of britain
Part 1. Sovereign and Constitution
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a parliamentary monarchy. Officially the head of the state is the Sovereign (King or Queen) .
The hereditary principle upon which the monarchy is founded is strictly observed and the Crown is passed on to the Sovereign's eldest son or daughter if there are no sons. Officially, the Sovereign, be it king or queen, is the head of the executive, legislative and judicial power, the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, the head of the Commonwealth and the head of the Church of England. For many people it is the symbol of the unity of the nation. In practice, the sovereign's central role in state affairs is mainly displayed through ceremonial functions: opening and closing Parliament and giving honours such as peerages, knighthoods and medals. The power of the sovereign in England is not absolute but constitutional.
Practically speaking, there is no written constitution in the country. The term English Constitution means the leading principles, conventions, laws and statutes which had never been given up, though had undergone modifications, extensions and adaptаtions in agreement with the advance of civilization. These principles are expressed in such documents of major importance as "Magna Charta,"¹ Habeas Corpus Act². "Bill of Rights"³, the laws deciding the succession of the royal family as well as a lot of separate laws and agreements. The Constitution has three branches:
Parliament, which makes laws, the Government, which executes laws, and the law courts, which interpret laws.
Vocabulary
a) advance, affair, agreement, armed forces, constitution, constitutional, convention, crown, executive, extention, government, hereditary, judicial, honour, legislative, law, law court, monarchy, parliament, parliamentary, power, separate, sovereign, state, statute, succession, unity.
b) to decide, to display, to execute, to express, to give up, to interpret, to mean, to observe a principle, to undergo.
Notes on the text
1. Magna Charta (лат.) – Великая Хартия Вольностей
2. Habeas Corpus Act (лат.) – закон (акт) о неприкосновенности личности
3. Bill of Rights – закон о правах
Exercises
1. Practise the pronunciation of the following, words: Parliament [`pRlqment], monarchy[`mOnqkI], sovereign `sOvrIn], hereditary[hI`rFdItqrI], executive [Ig`zFkjutIv], legislative [`leGIslqtIv], judicial [GH`dISl], commonwealth [`kOmqnwFlT], affair [q`fFq], peerage [`pIqrIG], knighthood [`naIthud], law [lL], Magna Charta [`mxgq`kRtq], Habeas Corpus Act [`heIbIqs`kLpqs`xkt], separate [`sFprIt], execute [`FksIkjHt], court [`kLt].
2.Say whether the following is true or false.
1. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a federal republic.
2. Officially the head of the state in Great Britain is Prime Minister.
3. The power of the Sovereign in the country is not absolute but constitutional.
4. There is no written constitution in Great Britain.
5. The constitution has two branches: Parliament and the Government.
6. The head of the Commonwealth is Prime Minister.
3.Answer the following questions to obtain the summary of the text.
1. What kind of state is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
2. Who is officially the head of the state in Great Britain?
3. What principle is the British monarchy founded upon?
4. Who is the Crown passed on after the death of the Sovereign?
5. What are the functions of the Sovereign in Great Britain?
6. Is the direct power of the British Sovereign considerable in reality?
7. Who is the symbol of the unity of the nation in Great Britain?
8. Is there a written Constitution in the country?
9. What does the term "English Constitution" mean?
10. Have the main principles of the "English Constitution" undergone any changes in the course of time?
11. What important documents are these principles expressed in?
12. What are the three branches of the Constitution?
4.Give a brief description of:
1. The British parliamentary monarchy and the role played by the Sovereign in the life of the nation.
2. English Constitution.
5.Read the following text and answer the questions.
When was Wales united with England?
When was Scotland united with England?
When was Ireland conquered by England?
Why was Ireland partitioned into two parts?
What does the Union Jack symbolize?