Unit 2: The Government of

the United Kingdom

1. What are some of the characteristics of the British constitutional
monarchy?
 The head of state is the king
 The head of government is the prime minister.
 The title of king is hereditary and is held for life once crowned.
 Both the head of state and head of government are bound by the
constitution of their country.
 the reigning monarch does not make any open political decisions which are
taken by the government and Parliament.

How has the English monarchy evolved gradually to the present constitutional
monarchy? T40

 a long struggle for power between the Crown and the Parliament during the
sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
 In 1689, Parliament won that struggle, because it controlled most of the
national wealth. It agreed to allow the Crown to continue to function within
certain limits, and subject to Parliament's control.
2.How did the doctrine of the "divine right of kings", according to the author,
lead to the English Civil War?
 The divine right of the King means the sovereign derived his authority from
God, not his subjects could not therefore be held accountable for their
actions by any earthly authority such as a parliament. ( From ancient
doctrine of the “ Divine right of Kings ”).
  By the 16th and 17th centuries, however, the new national monarchs were
asserting their authority in matters of both church and state.
 King James I of England (reigned 1603–25) was the foremost exponent of
the divine right of kings.

What do you know about the causes of the English Revolution in the 17th
century? T43
 Charles I's unshakeable belief in the divine right of kings to rule.
 Parliament's desire to curb the powers of the king.
 Charles I's need for money to fund his court and wars.
 Religious differences between the monarch, Parliament, Scottish
Covenanters, and Irish Catholics.

3.What is the history of English parliament? T42

 The Parliament: is where politicians meet to decide laws and make decisions
for the United Kingdom. It is not the same as the Government (which runs
the country)
 The term “Parliament” (1236): describes the gathering of feudal barons and
representatives from countries and towns which the King occasionally
summoned if he wanted to raise money
 By the 13th century: King could not make ends meet from the quite small
groups
→ The Great Council (representatives of countries, cities, and towns) was
widened to contribute to the King's projects.
Includes:
The House of Lords (who were summoned “by name”)
 The House of Commons (representative of communities)
What role did the parliament play in the Civil War?
The effort to reassert the rights of Parliament that led to the civil war
 In the 17th century there was a civil war in England between republican
“roundheads” led by Oliver Cromwell, who wanted to abolish the monarchy,
and royalists who wanted it to continue.
 The Roundheads succeed in ousting the monarch, Charles I, in 1642 and
ruled for just 18 years before the monarchy was restored
 The next King, Jame II: succeeded to the thrones and tried to govern
without the consent of Parliament
 William of Orange( James's son-in-law): who replaced James II promised
representatives that he would declare governing without parliamentary
consent to be illegal
 1689: Parliament passed the "Bill of Right" which ensured that the King
would never be able to ignore Parliament

4. Discuss the major characteristics and the main content of the British
constitution. T47 ( statue law, the common laws, conventions)
1.unwritten: The Constitution of Britain consists of acts of parliament, Court
judgment, Conventions, and treaties.
2. flexible: it can be easily amended by the ordinary legislative process. The
Constitution can be passed, amended, and repealed by a simple majority of the
parliament.
3. Parliamentary Sovereignty: entails the supremacy of the legislative arm of
government.
4. Unitary System of Government: In the UK, all powers are concentrated at the
 centre and the centre only delegates such powers as it deems it necessary to
subordinate units. It is only the central government that legislates for the entire
country, as no other legislature exists aside it.
5. Parliamentary Government (Cabinet System of Government): system of
governmental administration in which the executive and legislative arm of
government is fused. There is a fusion of these two arms of government, such
that the executive arm is picked from the parliament.
6. Constitutional Monarchy: The British Monarch is the Head of State and does
not possess the powers to make laws as this power resides in the elected
parliament.
7. The Rule of Law:
5. Why does the author say that parliament is supreme in the British
state? T48

 Parliament is supreme in the British state because it alone has the power to
change the terms of the Constitution.

For example, the decision for Britain to join the European Union (EU)
required a constitutional change because it meant recognizing that EU law
would in particular cases be more important than British law.

 There are no legal restraints upon Parliament. It can make or change laws,
change or overturn established conventions or even prolong its own life
without consulting the electorate. However, it does not assert its supremacy,
but bears the common law in mind and acts according to precedent.

What functions does parliament have?

 passes law.
 provides the means to perform government work by voting for taxes.
  other roles are scrutinizing government policy, management and spending
and debates on key issues problems of the day.
What role does the Queen (King) and the Prime Minister play in British
government?
 The monarch remains the head of British state, the highest representative of
the United Kingdom on the national and international stage.
 The head of the British government, however, is the Prime Minister.
→ One serves as a symbol of the country and the other serves as the chief
executive of the government.

6. What kind of institution is the House of Lords? 798 members (t43)

the Lords Spiritual
the Lords Temporal

 the composition of the House of Lords is seen as being both sexist and elitist
because of the way the majority of peerages are passed down through
aristocratic patrilineal lines.
→It is very likely that efforts will be made to reform the House of Lords to
make it a more effective and modem institution in the next decade.

 sit in the Lords - have inherited the seat from their forefathers (male line)

- been appointed by Prime Minister

 speak and vote as individuals , don’t receive salaries and many do not attend
Parliament
 unelected. They are nominated experts in their fields. The Prime minister has
large say in who becomes a Peer
What role does it play in British government?
  No real power introduce
Amend
Reject
Supreme court
Doesn’t have judicial review

Unit 3: Politics, Class and Race

1. Who can stand for election as an MP in the UK?
Anyone who is eligible to vote can stand as an MP. It is necessary only to make a
deposit of 500 pounds (a quite easily obtainable amount in the UK) which is lost if
the candidate does not receive at least 5% of the vote.
Why are small parties and independent candidates powerless in the election
campaign for the formation of a government?
 A vote for an independent candidate effectively prevents the voter from
contributing to the competition between the big parties as to which of them
will form a government.

 people who want to make an impact in national politics must usually join
one of the big parties, and apply to be chosen as their candidate in one of the
constituencies.

2. What are the three big parties in the UK?

The Conservative party ,the Labour party and the Liberal Democrats
What are some of the similarities and dissimilarities between the three
parties?
Similar: Anyone can join any of these parties and so take part in their
internal politics: it's just a question of paying a small annual fee. All
 encourage people to join since it means more money for their campaigns,
and greater legitimacy for their policies.
different
The Conservative party : 1979-1997 4 elections in a row
It is seen as the party of the individual, protecting the individual’s right to
acquire wealth and to spend it how they choose ,and so favoring economic
policies which businessmen prefer, such as low taxes
The Labor Party : same
The Liberal Democrats :
not enough to form a government (20% VOTE)
it is a party of the “middle”, occupying the ideological ground between the
two main parties. It is flexible and pragmatic in their balance of the
individual and the social
3. What are some of the recent political trends in the UK?
the economic situation in the 1970s in the UK: the
economy did badly, with high inflation and low growth.
Widespread strikes
Are these trends more democratic or undemocratic? What is the
author's opinion?
4. How are people in the UK divided into different classes?
three main groups of classes: the Upper Class, the Middle Class, and the
Lower or Working class.
What are some of the main features in the division?
 British people grow up with a deep knowledge and understanding of
the class system
 Such class-division is not simply economic, but it is important to
 come from a particular kind of family ( family background).
 Social class is not only about behavior and attitudes an individual's
"life-chances" which group or class he or she is born into.
Is the class system similar to that of the United States?
The British class-system is a hereditary aristocracy or based on family
background. The American class-system is based on the finance.

Unit 4: The UK Economy

1. Please define "absolute decline and relative decline" in the UK
economy. How does the author explain the reasons for the
absolute decline and relative decline?
 By the 1880s, the British economy was dominant in the world,
producing one third of the world’s manufactured goods, half its coal
and iron, half its cotton.
 From 1945 until the present , the UK economy is usually thought of as
one of decline:
- 1, the country had gone heavily into debt in order to finance the
war
- 2, the Era of Empire was over. India, popularly known as’’
The Jewel in the Crown’’ of the British Empire , gained its
independence in 1947, only 2 years after the end of the war
- 3, Britain was still forced to maintain a substantial and
expensive military presence in many overseas locations
- 4, although Britain was quite badly damaged by German
bombing during the war,its industry survived comparatively
unaffected. British industry could continue with its older
 factories and pre-war products, and given its other economic
problems.
 In fact, this was not an absolute decline : Britain is not poorer, or producing
less than it was in 1945,but it is a lot wealthier and more productive than it
was then
 It has in fact been a period of steady economic growth and rapidly increasing
living standards
 British economy has improved, but other countries have improved more
rapidly( from being the2nd largest economy to being the sixth)
→ The UK has experienced economic decline but this decline is relative to
some other economies rather than absolute.

2.What are the three main areas in national economies? Describe the
development of each of the three areas in the UK economy.

 primary industries(agriculture, fishing, and mining)

- agricultural sector is small (producing 1.4% of the national
wealth) but efficient, producing 58% of the UK's food needs
with only 2% of its workforce.
-The fishing industry provides 55% of the UK demand for
fish. Scottish ports land the majority of the fish caught.
- Energy production is an important part of the UK economy,
accounting for 5% of the national wealth. Since the 1970s,
when oil and gas were discovered under the North Sea, Britain
has become a major oil and gas producer
The world's largest mining company, RTZ, is a UK company
which operates mines all over the world.
 secondary industries (complex goods)
 -manufacturing industry remains important, producing 22% of
national wealth.
- strong in pharmaceuticals (the British company Glaxo-
Wellcome is the biggest drug company in the world),
chemicals (ICI is the second largest paint manufacturer in the
world),
aerospace (overall the UK industry is third in size in the world)
food and drink (Scotch whisky being a major export).
-Britain has a big electronics industry (the fourth largest in the
world) but like the car industry (which includes Ford, GM,
Peugeot, Nissan, Toyota) this is in many cases foreign owned.
- Britain's last major independent car company, Rover, was
recently bought by the German company BMW.

 tertiary industries ( banking, insurance, tourism, and the selling

of goods)
-produce 65% of national wealth
-a major international provider of services, accounting for about
10% of the world's exports of such services. 70% of the UK's
workforce is employed in the service sector.
- The financial sector is an important part of this service
industry, as London is one of the top three financial centres in
the world

3.The author believes that Britain, like most developed economics, has seen a
relatively shrinking of the importance of secondary industry and a
spectacular growth in tertiary or service industries. Why is it so? Do you see
a similar growth in tertiary industries in Vietnam in the past 20 years or so?
How is this growth related to the reform and opening up to the outside
world?
 Unit 5: BRITISH EDUCATION SYSTEM
1. What are the purposes of the British education system? Please comment
on these purposes. What are the main purposes of the Vietnamese
education system? Are there any differences or similarities in the
education of the two nations?

- teaching children "the three R's"-"reading, riting and rithmetic"

(reading, writing and arithmetic).

→ to provide children with literacy and the other basic skills they will need to
become active members of society.

- to socialise children. Children are taught practical skills; but in

school they also learn the rules and values they need to become good citizens, to
participate in the community, and to contribute to the economic prosperity of an
advanced industrial economy.

2. How does the British education system reflect social class?

reflect the deeper divisions in British society as a whole.

- Britain is a society in which social class is still very important: class inequality
can be erased or continued according to educational policy.

-The Schools you attend are the marker that identifies your social class.

- In Britain, where you are educated is still very important to your future.
 3. What are the major changes that have taken place since World War II? Is
British education moving towards more progress or more equality? Pick
up some examples from the text to illustrate your points.

-When the Germans began dropping bombs on British cities, 750 000 school
children were "evacuated" to live in the countryside where it was hoped they
would be safer.

- Schools were closed or used for war purposes and education continued in the
countryside on an ad hoc basis.

→As a result of this disruption of the old system, the government, with the
assistance of the Church (a conservative force) and newly powerful trade unions (a
more socialist influence) began planning to reconstruct the education system.

-the new system would emphasize equality.

4. Why does the author say that universities in Britain have been rather
elitist?
-Universities, reflecting the trend throughout the education system, have
traditionally been rather elitist.
-Most students were from the middle classes, attended good schools, performed
well in their A-levels and received a fully-funded place in a university
.-In recent years, great efforts have been made to increase the numbers of and
kinds of people that pursue higher education. For example, whereas in 1980, 1 in 8
pupils went on to university, by 1990 it was 1 in 5, and by 2000 it was to be 1 in 3.
Access for mature students and students without traditional A-level qualifications
is widening.

5.What is the Open University in Britain? What do you think of this

system?

-The Open University offers a non-traditional route for people to take university
level courses and receive a university degree.

-People can register without having any formal educational qualifications

- They follow university courses through textbooks, TV and radio broadcasts,

correspondence, videos, residential schools and a network of study centres

Unit 6: BRITISH FOREIGN RELATIONS

1.What and how did the British empire end

The age of imperialism was over

- the British could no longer afford to maintain its empire; while Britain
had won the war, it had paid a terrible price in terms of lives and in terms
of economic destruction.

- the British realised that countries should be granted the independence and left
to run their own affairs.

- The end of the great British empire was surprisingly rapid

- In the 1940s, many countries were granted independence and left the
Commonwealth, refusing to recognise the British monarch as the head of their new
states and leaving Britain

2, the Foundations of Britain’s foreign policy

-the most important single factor which influences British policy-makers is its
history.

Because Britain lost its empire so recently, British policymakers frequently forget
that Britain is not as influential as it used to be in world affairs.

-A second decisive influence upon the way Britain conducts its external affairs is
geopolitical.

Britain is an island state, and this is considered an important psychological factor

as well as one which has influenced Britain's economic and military development

Britain quite naturally developed as a nation of seafarers who roamed the globe
looking for territory and economic opportunities

3. How Foreign Policy is Made

- The Prime Minister and Cabinet decide on the general direction of Britain's
foreign policy.

- The main government department involved is of course the Foreign and

Commonwealth Office (FCO)

- The Ministry of Defence is responsible for ensuring Britain's defence and

managing Britain's involvement in its military treaty commitments.

- The Department of Trade and Industry is concerned with formulating

international trade policy and managing British commercial relations with other
countries.

- The Treasury makes decisions on how much money other departments can have
each year.

- Since Britain is a parliamentary democracy, the government's foreign policy in

theory represents the desires of its electorate, but in fact British citizens are more
concerned about issues closer to home.

4. Why does the author say that the decision to join the EC was and remains
controversial in Britain?

the controversial and expensive decision for Britain to build and maintain its own
independent nuclear weapons capability to ensure it would remain superior to
most other states in terms of military capability.

Other signs of foreign policy conservatism lie in the continuing debate over how
much national sovereignty Britain should relinquish to the EU.

Unit 7: American Beginnings

1. How did modem development in Europe influence the settlement of North

American colonies? – The growth of capitalism

- The Renaissance

- The Religious Reformation

The settlement in Virginia (the first white colonists in America)

-In 1606, the first white Americans left England

- The first English permanent settlement was founded in 1607 in Virginia.

- When the colonists settled down, they did not grow food. Instead, a few
 laborers among them started to dig for gold and look for other riches while
those English gentlemen were idle, doing nothing

-Unfortunately, nothing was found. → they ran into the shortage of food

- When the second group of men was sent by the London Company with
supplies, Captain John Smith took the leadership. He imposed discipline by
making everyone work.

- A few years later, another colonist, John Rolfe began to experiment with
the West Indian Tobacco and this plant grew well in Virginia soil.

→They became successful by selling tobacco to Europe

- John Rolfe married the princess of an Indian tribe chief→ friendship

between the white and the Indians(native people)

- In 1619, two events took place in Virginia:

On July 30, 1619, in the Jamestown church, the delegates elected from
various communities in Virginia discussed the enactment of laws for thr
colony.

A month later, a Dutch ship brought in over 20 black slaves

2. In what way did Puritanism influence American culture?

Puritan New England

-In 1620, English puritans who separated themselves from the Church of England
took the ship Mayflower and left for North America . they landed in New England
- thought that the Church of England was too catholic and wanted to "purify" the
church

- Puritans were convinced that human beings were predestined by God before
they were born.

- Puritans believed that everyone had a calling, which was given by God.

- The success of one's work or the prosperity in his calling was the sign of being
God's elect. Therefore, everyone must work hard, spend little and invest for more
business. Working hard and living a moral life were their ethics.

- The Puritans believed that governments should enforce God's morality. They
strictly punished drunks, adulterers, violators of the Sabbath….

- The American values such as individualism, hard work, respect of

education owe very much to the Puritan beliefs.

3. What were some of the causes of the American Revolution? Explain the
Declaration of Independence.

a. American Revolution

- In 1756, England and France began to fight the Seven Years'

War, known in America as the French and Indian War

- The British government argued that Britain had spent large

sums of money to defend their American colonies in those
wars, →the colonist should pay a part of those expenses.
 -Forced the colonist to pay high taxes→unfair

- The colonists refused to obey the British laws→ British

soldiers were sent to America…

- On April 19, 1775, the American War of Independence began. →many

colonists felt that it was like brother fighting brother

- On July 2, 1776, the Congress finally resolved that "these United Colonies
are, and of right ought to be free and independent states."

b. Declaration of Independence

-Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, assisted by John Adams and Benjamin

Franklin, drafted Declaration of Independence, which the Congress adopted on July 4,
1776.

- The Declaration officially proclaimed the independence of 13 North

American colonies.

- The War of Independence came to an end in 1781 with the victory of

North Americans.

-The Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783 and Britain had to recognize the
independence of the United States. A new American nation was thus born.
-