Kaarten: CHUKUS UK | Quizlet

cabinet

the committee of senior ministers responsible for controlling government policy

Lords Spiritual

the bishops in the House of Lords

executive

the branch of a government responsible for putting decisions or laws into effect

Secretary of State

the president's chief foreign affairs adviser

conventions

an agreement between states covering particular matters, especially one less formal than a treaty

manifesto

a public declaration of policy and aims, especially one issued before an election by a political party or candidate

devolution

the transfer or delegation of power to a lower level, especially by central government to local or regional administration

Tories

a member or supporter of the Conservative Party

'three-line whip'

a written notice, underlined three times to denote urgency, to members of a political party to attend a parliamentary vote

constitution

a body of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is acknowledged to be governed

magna carta

promised the protection of church rights, was signed by King John in 1215

civil servant

a member of the civil service: someone who works in a departments of a country's government

coalition

a temporary alliance for combined action, especially of political parties forming a government

Question Time

a period during parliamentary. proceedings in the House of Commons when MPs may question ministers

Oliver Cromwell

English soldier and statesman, who led parliamentary forces in the English Civil Wars and was lord protector of England, Scotland and Ireland

backbenchers

a Member of Parliament who does not hold office in the government or opposition and who sits behind the front benches in the House of Commons

constitutional monarchy

system of government that is rules by a king or queen whose power is limited by its country's constitution

The Speaker

the presiding officer in a legislative assembly, especially the House of Commons

royal assent

method by which a monarch formally approves an act of the legislature, either directly or through an official acting on the monarch's behalf

White Paper

a government report giving information or proposals on an issue

William of Orange

sovereign Prince of Orange from birth

The Troubles

a period of conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted about 30 years, from the late 1960s until the Good Friday Agreement in 1998

Statute

a written law passed by a legislative body

legislature

the legislative body of a country or state

sovereignty

supreme power or authority/ self-governing

secret ballot

a ballot in which votes are cast in secret

PR

Proportional Representation refers to any electoral system under which subgroups of an electorate are reflected proportionately in the elected body

Clement Attlee

leader of the Labour Party from 1935-1955, and serves as Britain's PM from 1945-1951

Privy Council

a body of advisers appointed by a sovereign or a Governor General

hung Parliament

a parliament in which no political party has enough seats to secure an overall majority,select committees

a small legislative committee appointed for a special purpose

sleaze

immoral, sordid and corrupt behaviour or activities

constituency

a group of voters in a specified area who elect a representative to a legislative body

Sir Robert Walpole

first British PM

precedent

an earlier event or action that is regarded as an example or guide to be considered in subsequent similar circumstances

whigs

a member of the British reforming and costitutional party that sought the supremacy of Parliament and as eventually succeeded in the 19th century by the Liberal party

Commonwealth

voluntary association of 56 independent and equal countries

decolonization

undoing of colonialism → gain of national independence of countries who were former part of the British Empire

referendum

general vote by the electorate of an single political question that has been referred to them for a direct decision

→ Brexit: referendum for leaving or staying

'special relationship'

relationship between US and UK: term by Winston Churchill unite against the growing threat of the USSR after WWII ⇒ guarantor of peace development of nuclear weapon technology

Maastricht Treaty

international agreement that was responsible for the creation of the European Union, was signed in 1992

EFTA

= European Free Trade Association

Intergovernmental organisation of Iceland

Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, set up for the promotion of free trade and economic integration between its members

euro

official currency of 20 of the 27 member states of the European Union

falklands

internally self-governing overseas territory of the UK in sthe South Atlantic Ocean

Trident

system of submarines, missiles and weapons is part of the UK's nuclear deterrent

supranational

a supranational organization is one whose authority or power, at least in some matters, is binding on its member nation-states.

single market

EU single market ensures free movement of goods, services, capital and persons within the EU

eurosceptic

political position involving criticism of the European Union and European integration

EEA

European Economic Area: links the EU member states and three of the four EFTA states into an internal market governed by the same EU laws

Treaty of Rome

1957: set up the European Economic Community (EEC), bringing together Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands to work together towards integration and economic growth through trade.

NATO

political and military alliance of countries from Europe and North America

Republic of Ireland

declared a republic in 1949

European Commission

EU's main executive body. It proposes legislation, upholds EU treaties, ...

European Council

defines the general political direction and priorities of the European Union

reservists

a person who is a member of a military reserve force

constitution of Clarendon

efforts to limit ecclesiastical power by Herny II

Civil war (1135-1153)

Triggered by the sudden death of King Henry I, which caused a bitter succession crisis between Empress Matilda and King Stephen.

Breakdown of central authority and rise of baronial power. Resolved by the Treaty of Wallingford and accession of Henry II, the first of the House of Plantagenet.

Domesday Book

A record of all the property and holdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1066 so he could determine the extent of his lands and wealth

Heptarchy

A group of seven governments. (seven Kingdoms)

Magna Carta

a document constituting a fundamental guarantee of rights and privileges. signed by King John in 1215

Great Charter

Another name for the Magna Carta

Hundred Years' War

War between France and Britain, lasted 116 years, mostly a time of peace, but it was punctuated by times of brutal violence (1337 to 1453)

Wars of the Roses

(1455-1485) Civil War for the English crown between the York (white rose) and Lancaster (red rose) families

Battle of St Albans

1455, the first major battle, resulting in a Yorkist vicotry and the capture of Henry VI

Battle of Bosworth Field

battle when Henry Tudor (supported by Lancasters) defeated York family (Richard III) in 1485

Act of Supremacy (1534)

Declared the king (Henry VIII) the supreme head of the Church of England in 1534.

Rebellion of Silken Thomas

Rebellion (1534) in Tudor Ireland led by Thomas Fitzgerald. Triggered by false rumors that King Henry VIII had executed his father, the revolt ultimately failed and ended with Thomas’ and his families execution.

Laws in Wales Acts (1535 & 1542)

The acts by which England annexed the princedom of Wales, under Henry VIII, creating the kingdom of England and Wales, in short the kingdom of England. Annexation process initiated in the Middle Ages. Which explains why the legal system of Wales and England are the same.

Act of Supremacy (1559)

1559, stated that Elizabeth was the absolute, sole ruler of England; basically, she wouldn't rule with a husband. This type of document was taken after her father

Act of Uniformity 1559

Re-established the use of the 1552 Book of Common Prayer

surrender and regrant

Henry VIII made an agreement with some Gaelic Irish lords whereby they agreed to surrender land, used English law, language and swear loyalty to the King in return for land and an English title.

glorious revolution

A reference to the political events of 1688-1689, when James II abdicated his throne and was replaced by his daughter Mary II and her husband, Prince William III of Orange.

Bill of Rights (1689)

A bill passed by Parliament following the Glorious Revolution, and accepted by William III and Mary II that limited the powers of British monarchs and affirmed those of Parliament.

The Battle of the Boyne

battle in Ireland where James II's forces gathered in Ireland were defeated by William of Orange and his forces, fought on 1/6/1960

Battle of Culloden

In 1746, battle in which George II's army defeated Bonnie Prince Charlie's attempt to take the throne. = defeat of the Jacobites

Act of Union 1707

unified England and Scotland; the Scots sought the benefits of trade within the English empire

Acts of Union 1801

Ireland joins Great Britain, now known as the United Kingdom

Parliament Act of 1911

Legislation that deprived the House of Lords of veto power in all money matters. (realistically curtails the power of the House of Lords).

Anglo-Irish Treaty 1921

creation of the Irish Free State

Statute of Westminster 1931

Recognised the independence of the British Dominions, marking the beginning of the modern Commonwealth

WSPU

Women's Social and Political Union, formed in 1903

Entente Cordiale

(1904) Britain gained control of Egypt. France gained control of Morocco. But not a written alliance only and agreement. Basically against Germany.

Anglo-Russian Entente (1907)

This was an agreement between Britain and Russia about spheres of influence in Asia.

Battle of the Somme (1916)

A major British offensive that began on July 1, 1916 in northern France. It lasted five months with only a few kilometers of territory captured by the Allies. The Newfoundland regiment took part in the battle on the first day and had 90% casualties- the highest of any Allied battalion. In September, the British used the tank for the first time in the history of warfare. There were some 1.25 million casualties suffered altogether on both sides.

Battle of Passchendaele (1917)

was one of the worst slaughters of World War I. During the summer and fall of 1917, Allied troops fought through endless rains across fields of deep mud, to capture the small town of Passchendaele in Belgium.

General Strike of 1926

British labor dispute after wages were lowered to make British products competitive in a global market. Began with Coal miners and joined by other industries.

Representation of the People Act 1918

1918 Gave the vote to women over 30 with minimum property requirements. Almost all men gained the right to vote

Treaty of Versailles (1919)

Treaty that ended World War I - most important part was the forced blame on Germany and other allies

Education Act 1902

restructured the education system in England and Wales

National Insurance Act 1911

provided benefits for workers in case of sickness and unemployment, to be paid for by compulsory contributions from workers, employers and the state. It provided pension for retirees over 70 and compensation for workers injured in the job.

Munich Agreement (1938)

An agreement permitting the Nazi German annexation of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland; it is widely regarded as a failed act of appeasement toward Nazi Germany.

Marshall plan

A United States program of economic aid for the reconstruction of Europe (1948-1952)

dynastic

A succession of rulers from the same family or line

free market

An economic system in which prices and wages are determined by unrestricted competition between businesses, without government regulation or fear of monopolies.

Brexit

The British Exit from the European Union

deference

to respect

consensus

general agreement

nostalgia

a longing for something past; homesickness (British Empire)