European
Governments
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Uses parliamentary democracy
Debates current issues
Lawmakers are elected every 5 years
Voting age is 18.
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Bicameral legislation
 House of Lords- legislative branch
designed for creating and changing
laws (Upper House). Appointed by the
Queen
 House of Commons- legislative branch
similar to a debate hall (lower house)
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The queen has authority to make
decisions, and is consider the
leader of the UK, but her only
active duty role is to appoint the
House of Lords.
The Prime Minister, the true leader,
oversees the legislative branch
known as Parliament.
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Political System- Federal Republic;
similar to United States
Government was a dictatorship
until World War II
Presidents is elected to serve a 5
year term; can be re-elected once
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Bicameral legislation
Upper House-Bundersat (Senate);
members are appointed by
President
Lower House- Bundestag (Federal
Assembly) members are elected for
4 years
Voting age is 18
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Political System-Federation system
Russia has a President and Prime
Minister
President is directly elected by citizens
in a popular vote, the President is the
true national leader
Prime Minister controls legislative
branch.
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Formerly Communist until the Cold War
ended
Bicameral legislation
 Upper house- Federation Council; members
are appointed by the President
 Lower house- State Duma; more powerful
branch, can send bills to the President
without approval from the Federation
Council; members are elected for 4 years by
citizens
Citizens can vote at age 18
Which of the three countries would you
like to live in? Why? How do you think
government in these three countries
can be improved? Would you rather
live in a country that allowed you to
vote for the President or one in which
the leader of the strongest political
party became the leader? Why?
1.
What political system is used by the United
Kingdom?
2.
The Monarch (Queen) doesn’t do a lot, but has
one very important power in the legislative
branch. What is it?
3.
What is the Upper House of the UK’s legislative
branch? What is the job of the Upper House?
4.
What is the Lower House of the UK’s legislative
branch called?
5. What is a bicameral legislative branch?
6. Who is the true leader of the UK’s government?
7. What type of political system does Germany use?
8. How long is Germany’s President elected?
9. What is the upper house of Germany’s legislative
branch called? What is the lower house called?
10. How are the members of Germany’s upper house
selected?
11. How are the members of Germany’s lower house
selected?
12. Who is the national leader of Russia?
13. What is the Prime Minister’s job?
14 Name the upper house of Russia’s legislative branch
and the lower house.
15. How are members of Russia’s upper house and
lower house selected?
16. All three of these countries have the same voting
age. What is it?
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The European Union (EU) is a group of
European nations who frequently trade
with each other.
It was originally a small group of
nations working to improve trade of
natural resources.
Today, the main goal of the European
Union is to maintain peace in Europe by
promoting free trade.
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The EU removes trade barriers in order to
make it easier to trade.
Member countries do not have quotas, pay
tariffs, or embargo each other.
To help maintain peace, the EU has a peacekeeping military. Their military’s main goal is
to help European regions threatened by war to
stay peaceful and free of war.
Most EU countries use the same currency.
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Currency=money
Most EU members use the same currency
known as the Euro.
By using the same currency it promotes free
trade by:
Making it easier to compare prices
2. Increasing competition
3. Making it easier for nations to trade with each
other.
1.
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The EU is referred to as a supranational
government.
Each country sends representatives based on their
population to represent their country in the EU’s
legislative branch. Countries with higher
populations have more representatives
Together, these representatives set rules for trade
and other issues that effect European nations.
Countries who do not follow the rules of the EU can
be expelled or subjected to trade barriers hurting
their economy.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What currency is used in most EU countries?
What is the main goal of the EU?
List 3 ways using the same currency promotes
free trade.
What can happen to countries that do not
follow the rules of the EUs supranational
government?
What is the job of the EU’s military?