step
Ruling
the move
the UK and the USA
10 On
The political system
in the UK
The UK is a parliamentary democracy with a
constitutional monarch. The Head of State is the
Monarch, now Queen Elizabeth II. She is also queen
of other 16 countries known as Commonwealth
Realms (such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand,
Jamaica). In theory her powers are vast, in practice
she never intervenes in political matters. She is also
an important symbol of national unity. The
government is led by the Prime Minister who
selects all other Ministers. Parliament is made up
of the House of Commons, The House of Lords and
the Queen in her constitutional role. The House of
Commons has 651 Members of Parliament (MPs).
They represent the people. They are in fact elected
from every party at the elections. The House of Lords
is made up of representatives that are not elected:
they are 1,185 hereditary and life peers and
peeresses, two archbishops and the bishops
of the established Church of England. The centre of
parliamentary power is the House of Commons.
Here they debate the country’s main problems and
pass laws. The House of Lords has limited powers.
Essentially, it is based on the principle that it should
not oppose the decisions of the House of Commons
but support it. Once passed through both Houses,
legislation requires Royal Assent to become law.
General elections to choose the Prime Minister
take place at least every five years. Voting, which is
not compulsory, is by secret ballot and is from the
age of 18. There are several political parties
represented in the British Parliament. But the three
main parties are:
• the Conservative Party (centre right party)
• the Labour Party (centre left party)
• the Liberal democrats (centre to centre left
party).
realm: regno
to be made up of: essere costituito da
peers and peeresses: i pari
archbishop: archivescovo
bishop: vescovo
compulsory: obbligatorio
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1Complete about the British Government.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Form of government: ...........................................
Head of State: .......................................................
Head of the Government: . ...................................
Parts of the Parliament: House of .......................
and House of . .......................................................
5. General elections: every ............................. year.
6. Main parties: ........................................................
...............................................................................
Queen Elisabeth
The complete official royal title of Queen Elizabeth 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 the Faith”, but she is usually
referred to as “Her Royal Highness” or “Queen Elizabeth”.
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2
unit
The political system in the USA
The government of the United States is based on a written
Constitution. It is the shortest in the world! It consists of a
Preamble, seven Articles, and 27 Amendments. From this
document, the entire federal government was created. It is a
‘living document’; its interpretation has changed over time.
Following the Constitution there are three separate
branches of government. Each branch has its own powers
and areas of influence. The three branches are:
• t he Legislative Branch consists of the Congress and is
responsible for making federal laws. The Congress consists
of two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives;
• t he Executive Branch lies with the President of the United
States. He has the power of executing, enforcing, and
administering the laws and government. Bureaucracy is
part of the Executive Branch;
• t he Judicial Power is represented by the Supreme Court
and the federal courts. Their job is to interpret and apply USA
laws through cases brought before them.
The two major political parties in the USA are:
• t he Democratic Party, socially liberal, is generally considered centre-left in USA.
It is one of the oldest political parties in the world. Barack Obama is the 15th
Democrat to hold the office of President of the USA;
• t he Republican Party was founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854,
it is often called the GOP (Grand Old Party). It reflects American conservatism and
it is generally considered centre-right.
2Complete this chart about the American government.
Constitution
Legislative
Executive
Judicial
1. ..........................
2. ..........................
3. ..........................
4. ..........................
5. ..........................
3Answer the following questions.
1. What is the government of the
United States based on?
............................................................
............................................................
2. What are the major parties in the
USA?
............................................................
............................................................
3. Which party is centre left?
............................................................
............................................................
4Adesso che conosci la forma di
governo dello UK e degli USA,
svolgi in rete una breve ricerca
sul governo in Italia. Se vuoi, lavora
con un tuo compagno / una tua
compagna.
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