Higher Bodies of State Power in the United Kingdom

ex. 1.

Read properly the following names and terms:

Great Britain; the Prime Minister, number 10 Downing Street; the Houses o f

Parliament; Westminster, Parliamentary government; the United Kingdom;

government departments; ministers o f the Crown; local authorities; statutory boards; the House of Lords; the House o f Commons.

ex. 2.

Read and translate the following words paying attention to the international

root; economic; constitutional; apparatus; social; to concentrate; section; trusts; to

control; industry, finance; police; monarchy, absolute; to limit; the Prime Minister,

policy; committee; monopolists; parliamentary; politician; to dircct; department;

administration; operation; to nationalize; public services.

ex. 3.

Read the following word combinations after the speaker; then try to say them once again by heart: to have a majority in the House o f Commons; to take  policy decisions; to make the changes in the size o f Cabinet; to create new ministries; the power of the monopolists over the parliamentary government; by direct representation in Parliament; by direct influence over the Cabinet; by initiation, control and amendment of legislation; the bodies o f the legislature; the bodies of the executive; the bodies of the judiciary; the Queen in Parliament; ministers o f the Crown; to be responsible for, local authorities; government departments; statutory boards; particular nationalized industries; hereditary power.

ex. 4.

Open the brackets using the verb “to be” in a proper form:

1. The British state (to be) a capitalist state.

2. The entire constitutional and state apparatus (to be) concentrated in the

hands o f the capitalist trusts.

3. The economic power in Great Britain (to be) in the hands o f the tiny section

of rich property owners.

4. Government departments in Great Britain (to be) responsible for

administration at the national level.

5. The bodies o f government in the United Kingdom (to be): a) those o f the

legislature, b) those o f the executive, and c) those o f the judiciary.

6. The British constitutional system (to be) an expression o f the rule of

capitalism.

7. The Cabinet and other ministers o f the Crown (to be) responsible for

directing national policy.

8. The highest legislative body in Great Britain (to be) the Queen in

Parliament.

9. Great Britain (to be) a parliamentary monarchy. The Queen o f Great Britain

(to be) not absolute, but constitutional.

10.The powers of the Queen (to be) hereditary, not elective.

11 . The Prime Minister (to be) usually the leader o f the party that has a

majority in the House o f Commons.

ex. 5. Open the brackets using the verbs in a proper form o f the Present Indefinite

Tense:

1. The Prime Minister (to hold) Cabinet meetings at his or her house at number

10 Downing Street.

2. The Prime Minister usually (to take) policy decisions with the agreement of

his Cabinet.

3. The rich property owners (to control) the land, industry, finance, and trade in

Britain.

4. Men o f one and the same social class (to staff) the state apparatus, the

British armed forces, the police and the judiciary.

5. The real power in Great Britain (to belong) to great trusts and monopolies.

6. Monopolists (to initiate and control) legislation in Britain.

7. The executive bodies in Great Britain (to consist) of:

a) the Cabinet and other ministers of the Crown;

b) government departments;

c) local authorities

d)statutory boards.

8. The entire constitutional and state apparatus (to remain) firmly in the hands

of big monopolies.

9. The British constitutional system (to protect) the capitalist social order.

Ex. 6. Read the text “The Bodies o f Government in the United Kingdom” and answer the following questions on the text:

1. What kind o f state is Great Britain?

2. In what way do the monopolists achieve their power over the government in

Britain?

3. What arc the branches o f power in the United Kingdom?

4. What is the highest legislative body in the United Kingdom?

5. What do the executive bodies o f Great Britain consist of?

6. What kind o f organ is the House o f Lords?

7. Who is responsible for directing national policy in Great Britain?

8. Who is responsible for the operation o f public services in Great Britain?

9. What arc local authorities responsible for?

10. What can you say about the Prime Minister o f Great Britain?

Text:

The Bodies of Government in the United Kingdom

Great Britain is a monarchy, but the Queen o f Great Britain is no absolute, but constitutional. Her powers are limited by Parliament. But the power is hereditary, and not elective.

The power of the monopolists over the Parliamentary government in Britain is achieved in three main ways: 1) by direct representation in Parliament by

businessmen and by politicians supporting businessmen; 2) by direct influence over the Cabinet, the supreme organ o f the British Government which controls Parliament; and 3) by initiation, control and amendment o f legislation in which they arc interested. (“The British Political System” by J. Gollan)

The bodies of government in the United Kingdom arc: those o f the legislature, which consists of the Queen in Parliament and is the supreme authority of the country; those of the executive and those o f the judiciary.

The executive bodies consist o f 1) the Cabinet and other ministers o f the

Crown who arc responsible for directing national policy; 2) government departments, who are responsible for administration at the national level; 3) local authorities who administer and control many services at the local level; and 4) statutory boards, who are responsible for the operation o f particular nationalized industries or public services. The highest judicial body in the English judicial system is the House of Lords.

The Prime Minister is usually the leader o f the party that has a majority in the House of Commons. The Prime Minister usually takes policy, decisions with  the agreement of his Cabinet (a committee o f leading Ministers). Each new Prime

Minister may make changes in the size o f his Cabinet and may create new ministries or make other changes. The Prime Minister holds Cabinet meetings at his (her) house at number 10 Downing Street, which is very near the Houses of Parliament in Westminster.

(“Everyday English for Foreign Students” by S. Potter,

“The Encyclopcdia Britanica”)

Ex. 7. Make up 7 sentences and try to say each o f them by heart:

1. The executive bodies o f Great Britain consist o f

2. Local authorities

3. The bodies of the legislature consist of

4. The Cabinet and other ministers o f the Crown

5. The entire constitutional and state apparatus

6. The Prime Minister

7. The powers o f the Queen

a. the Queen in Parliament

b. usually takes policy decisions with the agreement of his Cabinet.

c. is in the hands of the tiny section of rich property owners.

d. arc hereditary, not elective.

e. 1) the Cabinet and other ministers of the Crown; 2) government departments; 3) local authorities and 4)statutory boards.

f. control many services at the local level.

g. direct national policy.

ex. 8. Say if it is right or wrong. Give a full answer:

1. The British state is a federal republic.

2. Both the economic and political power arc in the hands o f the tiny section o f

rich property owners.

3. The British constitutional system has developed as an expression o f the rule

of the working class.

4. Great monopolies control the land, industry, financc and trade in Great

Britain.

5. Businessmen represent the monopolists in Parliament, influence the Cabinet

and control the legislation.

6. There are two branches o f power in Great Britain: the legislature and the

executive.

7. The Supreme authority o f the United Kingdom is the Cabinet.

8. The Cabinet and other ministers o f the Crown direct national policy.

9. The highest judicial body is the House o f Lords.

ex. 9. Speak on:

1) Great Britain as a monarchy and the powers o f the Queen;

2) the Prime Minister and his (her) powers;

3) the legislative branch o f power,

4) the executive bodies;

5) the branches o f power in Great Britain.

ex. 10. Ask your mate questions on the topic “The Bodies o f Government in the

United Kingdom”. Mind the word in interrogative sentences:

Model:

General Questions:

Is the power of the Queen elective?

Does the Prime Minister change the Cabinet?

Special questions:

What kind o f state is Great Britain?

In what way do the monopolists achieve their power over the government?

Where does the Prime Minister hold Cabinet meetings?

Mind the interrogativg pronouns:

who, what, how, why, whose, where, when, what kind of...