GREAT BRITAIN - BASIC INFORMATIONS
Define the terms: the UK, Great Britain, British vs. English
the UK - United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Great Britain - an island lying to the northwest of continental Europe, territory of the UK
British - it is the adjective and demonymassociated with GB
English - something of, from or related to England, a constituent country of the UK
The four nations and their symbols
England - St, George’s Cross, Rose
Wales - Dragon of Cadwallader, Leek/ Daffodil
Scotland - St. Andrew’s Cross/ Lion rampant, Thistle
Ireland - St. Patrick’s Cross/ Republic of Ireland/ Shamrock
Population of the UK
1995 - 58,6 milions; mid-2008- 61,4 milions
383 people per square km
England - 51,4 milions
Scotland - 5,2 milions
Wales - 3 milions
Ireland - 1,8 milions
Explain why England has the dominating position in the UK.
The system of politics that is used in all four nations today is of English origin, and English is the main language of all four nations. Many aspects of everyday life are organized according to English custom and practise. For example, the supply of money in Britain is controlled by the Bank of England; or news talk about ‘Anglo-American’ relations refer to relations between the Britain and the USA.
Explain the dates
55 BC - The Roman general Julius Caesar lands in Britain with an extraordinary force, wins a battle and leaves. The first ‘date’ in popular British history.
1066 - 14.10.1066 - battle of Hastings
1534 - The Act of Supermacy declares Henry VIII to be the supreme head of the Church in England
1603 - James VI of Scotland becomes James I of England
1649 - Charles I is executed. For the first and only time, Britain briefly becomes a republic and is called ‘the Commonwealth’
1660 - The monarchy and the Anglican religion are restored
1688 - The Glorious Revolution
1707 - The act of Union joins the Parliament of Scotland with that of England and Wales
1708 - The last occasion on which a British monarch refused to accept the bill which has been passed by Parliament
1783 - After a war Britain recognizes the independence of the American colonies
1800 - The separate Irish Parliament is closed and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland is formed
1921 - Treaty between British and the Irish Parliament in Dublin is signed
1973 - Britain joins the European Economic Community
GEOGRAPHY
Location of the British Isles
The total area of the United Kingdom is approximately 245.000 sq km comprising of the island of Great Britain, the northeastern one-sixth of the island of Ireland and smaller islands. It lies between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, coming within 35 mk of the nortwest coast of France which it is separated by the English Channel. Great Britain lies between latitudes 49° and 59°N and longtitudes 8°W to 2°E.
Climate
The UK has a temperate climate with plentiful rainfall all year round. The temperature varies with the seasons but seldom drops below -10°C or rise above 35°C. The prevailing wind is from the southwest, bearing frequent spells of mild and wet weather from the Atlantic Ocean. Eastern parts are more sheltered from this wind and are therefore the driest. Atlantic currents bring mild winters, especially in the west where winters are wet, especially over high ground. Summers are warmest in the south east of England, being closest to the European mainland, and coolest in the north. Snowfall can occure in winter and early spring, though it rarely settles to great depth away from high ground.
Regions and their landscapes
England - accounts for just over half of the total area of the UK, covering 130.000 sq km. Most of the coutry consist of lowland terrain, with mountainous terrain northwest of the Tees - Exe line including the Cumbrian Mountains of the Lake District, the Pennines and limestone hills of the Peak District, Exmoor and Dartmoor. The main rivers and estuaries are the Thames, Severn and the Humber. England’s highest mountain is Scafell Pike which is in the Lake District 978 metres. England hase a number of large towns and cities.
Scotland - accounts for just under a third of the total area of the UK, covering 79 sq km including nearly eight hundret islands, mailny west and north of the mainland, notably the Hebrides, Orkney Islands and Shetlands Island. The topography of Scotland is distinguished by the Highland Boundary Fault which traverses the Scotish mainland from Helensburgh to Stoneheaven. The faultline separates two distinctively different regions, namely the Highland to the north and west and the Lowlands to the south and east. The more rugged Highland region contains the majority of Scotland’s mountainous terrain, including Ben Nevis, which at 1.343 metres is the highest point in the British Isles. Lowland areas, especially the narrow waist of land between the Firth of Clyde and the Firth of Forth known as the Central Belt are flatter and home to most of population including Glasgow- Scotland’s largest city, and Edinburgh- the capital and political centre of country.
Wales - accounts for less than a tenth of the total area of the UK, covering 20.758 sq km. Wales is mostly mountainous though south Wales is less mountainous than north and mid Wales. The main population and industrial areas are in south Wales, consisting of the coastal cities of Cardiff, Swansea, Newport and the south Wales Valleys to their north. The highest mountains are in Snowdonia and include Snowdon, which at 1.085 m is the highest peak in Wales. The 14 or 15 Welsh mountains over 3000 feet high are known collectively as the Welsh 3000s. Wales has over 1.200 km of coastline. There are several islands off the Welsh mainland yhe largest of which is Anglessey in the northwest.
Northern Ireland - accounts for just 14.160 sq km and is mostly highly. It includes Lough Neagh, at 388 sq km the largest body of water in the UK and Ireland. The highest peak in Northern Ireland is Slive Donard at 849 m in the Mourne Mountains.
POLITICAL SYSTEM/ THE MONARCHY
Describe the British attitude towards politicians and politics.
- suggesting a lack of trustworthiness
- regardem them with a high degree of suspicion
- except them to be corrupted or to use their position to amess personal wealth
- except them to be frequently dishonest
How is the law perceived in Britain?
British are said to have a high respect for the law.
Do the British have identity cards?
Citizens don’t have an ID.
What are the consequences of not having a Freedom of Information Act?
There is a law called the Official Secrets Act which obliges many government employees not to tel anyone about the detailes of their work.
Characterise the relationship between the individual and the state in Britain.
Britain don’t have an ID and a Freedom of Information.
To a large degree, the traditional assumption in that both should have each other alone asa much possible.
Does the British democracy involve participation of by ordinary citizens?
In Britain democracy involves less participation by ordinary citizens in qovering and lawmaking than it does in many other coutries. There is no concept of these things being done ‘by the people’.
What is the political system of Britain?
Britain is a constitutional monarchy.
Does Britain have a constitution?
Britain doesn’t have a constitution at all. There are rules, regulations, principles and procedures for the running of the country - all the things that political scientist and legal experts study and which are known collectively as ‘the constitution’.
Which features of the British system of government make it unique?
An unique feature of the British parliamentary system is its hereditary element. Unlike PMs members of the House of Lords (konwn as ‘peers’) are not elected. They are members of the right. In the case of some of them this ‘right’ is a result of their being the holder of an inherited aristocratic title. The House of Lords is therefore a relic of earlier, undemocratic times. The fact that it still exists is perhaps typically British. It has been allowed to survive the but it has had to change, losing most of its power and altering its composition in the process.
Present the mechanism of the pairing system.
The pairing system is an example of co - operation between political parties in Britain. In this system an MP of one party is paired with an MP of another party. When is going to be vote in the House of Commons and the two MPs know that they would vote on opposite sides neither of them bother to turn up for the vote.
Can you see any differences in the parliamentary style of politics in Poland and Britain?
In Britain law can be changed without the referendum. Ordinary citizens are not involved in law making.
Characterise the three main political parties in Britain.
Conservative Party - right of centre; stands for hierarchical authority and minimal government interferences in the economy, likes to reduce income tax, gives high priority to national defence and internal law in order. DAVID CAMERON.
Labour Party - left of centre; stands for equality for the weaker people in society and for services than to keep income tax law. GORDON BROWN.
Liberal Democrats - regarded as in the centre or slightly left of centre; has always been strongly in favour in the UE, place more emphasise on the environment than other parties, beliefs in giving greater powers to local government and in reform of the electoral system. NICK CLEGG.
Who is the current PM in the UK?
Gordon Brown.
What are the origins of the “two-party system” in Britain?
In 18th century MPs tented to divide into two camps, those who ussually supported the government of the time and those who usually did not. In 19th century the party which did not supported to government became the opposition.
Why is the position of the monarch in Britain a perfect illustration of the contradictory nature of the constitution?
Because in theory she has unlimited power but in practise she has to listen to the PM and government.
Enumerate the members of the royal family.
Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip Mountbalten, Princess Margaret, Prince Charles, Princess Diana, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, Prince William, Prince Harry.
Does the Queen have any power?
Power of the Queen is very limited. The Queen cannot choose anyone she likes to be Prime Minister. She has to choose someone who has the support of the majority of MPs in the House of Commons.
What does the role of the monarch consist in?
The monarch isthe personal embodiment of the government of the country, people can be critical as they like about the real government and can argue that it should be thrown out without being accused of being unpatriotic. The monarch could act as a final check on a government that was becoming dictatorial; the monarch could refuse the request and dismiss the Prime Minister. The monarch has a very practical role to play: Queen Elizabeth II can perform the ceremonial duties which heads of state often have to spend their time on.
What is the value of the monarchy to the British?
The monarchy is a symbol of continuity, expression of national pride, source of entertainment, something that ‘put colours in daily file and routine’.
What is the future of the monarchy in Britain?
The future role is not stable. On the one hand people want to have monarchy as a symbol of continuity but on the second hand they worry now about the problems in the royal family.
THE GOVERNMENT
What does the term “the government” refer to?
The term ‘government’ can be used to refer to all of the politician who have been appointed by the monarch to help run government departments or lake on various other special responsibilities such as managing the activities of Parliament.
Is the idea of coalition government viable in Britain?
No, because politican think it is bad idea. Britain has ‘single-party government’ so all members of the government belong to the same political party.
How does the idea of “collective responsibility” correspond with the government?
Every member of the government shares the responsibility for every policy made by government. No member can criticise government policy in public, any member who does so must resign.
What is the position of a British Prime Minister?
The PM appears not to have much power but in reality has a very great deal indeed. PM is the political leader of the UK and the Head of Her Majesty’s Government.
Where does the PM reside?
Number 10 Downing Street is the official residence of the Prime Minister.
What does the role of the civil service consist in?
The civil service remain even if the government change.
- civil servant are unknown to the larger public
- if somebody is a civil servant they will get a high salary and they will make a career
- it is often possible for top civil servants to exercise quite a lot of control over their ministers
- top civil servants power depends on their staying out of ‘politics’
- a criticism of the civil service rely on that civil servants come from rich class of society and they are good in humanities but not in economics or technology
How does the system of local government work in the UK?
Local government authorities only have power because the central government has given them power
- there are selected representatives - councillors which meet in a council chamber in the Town Mall or County Hall
- local councils traditionally manage nearly are public services
- taken together they employ three times as many an the national government do
What kind of tax are local councils allowed to collect?
Local councils are allowed to collect a tax based on property. It used to be called ‘rates’ and was paid only by those who owned property. Its amount variend according to the size and location of the property.
Define the following terms: county, borough, parish.
County - an area of county that has its own government to deal with local matters; counties are used for local government purposes.
Borough - a town or part of of a large city that is responsible for managing its own schools, hospitals, roads. Nowadays the name is used for local government purpose only in London.
Parish - they are smallest units of local government in England (is still used in the organization of the main Christian Churches in England).
What are the responsibilities of local governments?
- public hygiene and environment health inspection
- collecting of rubbish
- cleanig and tidying public places
- public libraries
- provision of public pools
PARLIAMENT
Where does the British Parliament work?
The British Parliament works in a huge building called the Palace of Westminister Houses of Parliament
Present the structure of the British Parliament.
The British Parliament contains:
- offices, committe rooms, restaurants and bars, libraries, some places of residence
- two lagre rooms - the House of Commons and the House of Lords
What is the layout of the House of Commons? How does it affect politics?
In the centre is the Speaker’s chair. There are just two rows of benches facing each other. On the right of the Speaker are the government benches, where the MPs of the governing party sit. On the left of the Speaker are the opposition benches. Over the Speaker is press gallery and over the benches are galleries for visitors.
There is no oppotrunity in this layout for a reflection of all the various shades of political opinion. According to where they sit, MPs are seen to be either ‘for’ to government (supporting it) or against it.
Do MPs have their own seats in the Commons?
They don’t have their own seats in the Commons because a candidate at a...
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