Text 2.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a constitutional monarchy. This means that the government of the United Kingdom consists of a hereditary sovereign, an elected House of Commons and a partly hereditary House of Lords.

The sovereign has the title of King (or Queen). The Sovereign has very few functions that really matter, such as the functions of the arbiter of last resort (арбитростанньої інстанції) in some matters. These matters can be the dissolution of Parliament (розпускПарламенту) and invitations to form a government when there is no clear majority. The Queen is Elizabeth II. The Queen Elizabeth II is the official Head of State and for many people she is a symbol of unity of the nation.

Queen Elizabeth II is not only the monarch of the United Kingdom but also of Australia, Canada and New Zealand, as well as many other countries in the Commonwealth (an association of States that were once ruled by Britain). She is also Head of the Church of England. However, the Queen has almost no power to influence the church. As Head of the Commonwealth, the Queen has more freedom from the government.

The supreme legislative power is vested in Parliament, which sits for 5 years unless dissolved sooner. Parliament has two chambers: the House of Lords with about 830 hereditary peers, 26 spiritual peers, about 270 life peers and peeresses, and the House of Commons. The House of Commons has 650 popularly elected members. The House of Commons is the real governing body of the United Kingdom. In order to become a law, a new bill proposed by the Cabinet must be approved by both houses of Parliament.

The Lords cannot veto a bill, but they can delay it for a maximum of one year. Financial bills cannot be delayed by the House of Lords.

The executive power of the Crown is exercised by the Cabinet, headed by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister, normally the head of the party commanding a majority in the House of Commons, is appointed by the Sovereign. The Prime Minister appoints the rest of the Cabinet. All ministers must be members of one or the other houses of the Parliament. They are individually and collectively responsible to the Crown and the Parliament. The Cabinet proposes bills and arranges the business of the Parliament.

Government in Britain since 1945 has alternated between only two political parties, the Conservatives (the Tories) and the Labour Party. No other party has been in office at all since 1945 and there have been no coalitions. The third long-established party, the Liberals, enjoyed moments of success, but no member of the Liberal Party has held government office since 1945.

Ex. 5.Дайте відповідь на запитання англійською мовою.

1. What does the term “constitutional monarchy” mean?

2. What body exercises the legislative power in the country?

3. How are the chambers of Parliament composed?

4. What body exercises the executive power?

5. How is the executive branch of the government formed?

6. What is the official opposition?

7. What does the judiciary branch of the government do?

8. Is there a written Constitution in Great Britain?

Ex. 6.Прочитатитекст та розповісти про політичніпартії Великої Британії.

<== попередня сторінка	\|	наступна сторінка ==>
Vocabulary Notes	\|	Text 3.

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