Any other book available.

SEMINAR 4

British Institutions

1. Religion: Anglicanism, Catholicism, other churches popular.

Though each country that makes up the United Kingdom has a long tradition of Christianity with a link remaining between church and state in England and Scotland, in practice all have relatively low levels of religious observance and today are secular societies. A European Commission poll reports that the majority of citizens retain a belief in the supernatural, however: 38% of interviewees "believe there is a God", and a further 40% believe there is "some sort of spirit or life force". A United Nations report claims that in 2007 "two-thirds... either did not claim membership of a religion or said that they never attended a religious service". Many other religions have also established a presence in the UK, mainly through immigration, though also by attracting converts. After Christianity and the irreligious those religions with the most adherents are various forms of Islam and Hinduism. Other faiths include Sikhism, Judaism, Buddhism, the Bahá'í Faith, Rastafarianism and Neopaganism. There are also organizations which promote rationalism, humanism, and secularism.

What is the role of religion in the UK? What is the status of church in Britain? Can we speak of “the official church” of the country?

The hierarchy of the clergy.

How do the English treat people belonging to other confessions? What are the relations between Catholics and Anglicans?

Compare the situation in Britain and in Russian (concerning religion)

2. The Monarchy

What dynasties ruled throughout the history of Britain? Fill in the table

family name	years of reign	most prominent representatives	what are they remembered for (event, war, reform, etc)
West Saxon Kings
Danish Kings
Norman Kings
House of Plantagenet
House of Lancaster
House of York
House of Tudor
House of Stuart
House of Hannover
House of Saxe-Coburg
House of Windsor

PROJECT WORK: The Windsor family:

o the mystery of the family name: Windsor or Saxe-Coburg-Gotha?

o the family tree: who comprise the royal family today?

o the reputation of the Family members, scandals etc.

o what is the future of the Windsors?

the role of the monarch

o what are the duties and rights of the Queen?

o does she rule or reign? What’s the difference?

o what do the British need monarchy for?

3. Governmental institutions

The Constitution of the United Kingdom is the uncodified body of law and convention under which the United Kingdom is governed. The bedrock of the British constitution is the doctrine of Parliamentary sovereignty, according to which the statutes passed by Parliament are the UK's supreme and final source of law.

Britain is 1. a constitutional monarchy and 2. a parliamentary democracy. What does it mean?

State government and local government: the division of the responsibilities.

The three branches: legislative, executive, judicial

PROJECT WORK: Parliament: the House of Commons vs. the House of Lords

? geographical position, the interior of the chambers (benches, red lines, balconies, desks)

? who comprise the Houses and who preside over them? the status of the members.

? which House predominates? why?

? an MP’s life

? interesting traditions

Prime Minister and the Cabinet

? geographical position

? who comprise the Cabinet and who preside over it? what is discussed behind the closed doors? What is “the Prime Minister’s question day”?

? The “Shadow Cabinet” and the Opposition

the Court

The UK is a multi-party system. Though coalition and minority governments have been an occasional feature of Parliamentary politics, the electoral system used for general elections tends to maintain the dominance of the two parties

? history: the Tories and the Wigs

? why is the British party system unique?

? General Elections

? what is the present day situation? who is at power?

Make sure that you can interpret such notions:

The front / back benchers, the shadow cabinet, Lord Chancellor, the Woolsack in the House of Lords, the Chief Whip, Privy Counselors, royal prerogative, Lords Spiritual, Lords Temporal, Law Lords.

SOURSES: 1. Britain (the country and its people: an introduction for learners of English), James O’Driscoll, Oxford University Press, chapters 13, 6-9.

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