Bri_unit3_The_Government_of_the_United_Kingdom

Unit 3The Government

The Monarchy

I. What is the British Monarchy?1. The British Monarchy is hereditary. 2. The King or Queen is the head of state. 3. The commander-in-chief of the armed forces. 4. The head of the Judiciary in the U.K.. 5. The temporal head of the established Church of England.

II. When and How to take shape?1. The Monarchy began to take shape at the end of the 15th century and at the beginning of the 16th century. 2. The Constitutional Monarchy started at the end of the 17th century, the parliament established its rights, then the power gradually passed into the hands of ministers and a two-party system was developed.

III. Crown’s constitutional rights1. The Queen appointed all ministers in the Government and every public official is her servant. 2. The Queen summons, prologues and dissolves Parliament. 3. In the new session she makes the opening speech and outlines her government’s programme. 4. She concludes treaties and declares war. 5.She gives her assent to Bills before they become law. 6. She confers peerages and other honors.

IV. Real importance1. It lies in its effect on public attitude, and it is also an unchangeable symbol of the whole nation. 2. The Monarchy is always there, above party quarrels, representing the nation as a whole, and lending dignity and significance to all things done in her name. This is what the British bourgeoisie try to convince the people. 3. Monarchy has no bias to classes and parties.

V. The present sovereign1. Queen Elizabeth II, 11th generation of the House of Hanover and the head of state of the country. 2. She came to the throne on Feb. 6th, 1952. 3. The present Queen’s title is “Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her Other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of Faith”

VI. The real controller of Britain1. The mere fact that the Crown exists helps to conceal the fact of the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie. The vital power lies in the Prime Minister and his Cabinet. 2. It is the supreme illustration of the way a British institution develops. 3. Crown is the only legal and constitutional link binding the members of the Commonwealth to the home country and to one another.

Constitutional MonarchyThe King or Queen seems to have an unlimited power, but practically everything he or she does is done on the advice of her ministers and everything has been decided in advance by parliament or the prime minister together with his cabinet. The United Kingdom is governed in the name of the Crown. The Crown is used as a symbol and it’s described as the representative of the people. Back

Unit 3Parliament

The Palace of Westminster, on the banks of the River Thames in Westminster, London, is the home of the House of Commons and the House of Lords

Parliament meets at the Palace of Westminster

I. Introduction

1. Basic features: A. The Britis

h Parliament consists of three elements: the Crown, the House of Lords, the House of Commons. B. The official head of Parliament is the Queen. C. The British Parliament is often referred to as “the legislature” .

D. The life of Parliament is fixed at five years. E. The House of Lords and the House of Commons share the same building of the Palace. F. The House of Commons also authorizes the payment of sums of money and the taxes.

II. The Process of Law-making in BritainWhen a bill is proposed, it first begins in the House of Commons for “three readings” . If the Commons and and Lords pass it, it must finally go to the Queen for her signature.