THEME 4. Political Systems

What is a constitution?

The _________ and __________ by which a country is ________ and from which people's ________ are derived. I

• In the US, it is a single written document defining the powers of national and state governments, the framework of government branches, and citizens’ rights.

• In the UK, it exists but is not written in one single document; it is made up of laws passed by Parliament, court judgments, and conventions developed over time.

principles, procedures, governed, rights

What is a constitutional monarchy?

A constitutional monarchy is a system in which a country is governed by a king or queen who accepts the _______ of __________.
The monarch is the official head of state but has _______ _______ _______ in practice.

advice, Parliament, little real power

What is a parliamentary democracy?

A parliamentary democracy is a system in which the government is controlled by a ____________ that has been _______ by the _______.
The highest positions in government are filled by members of the elected parliament.

parliament, elected, people,

What is a representative democracy?

A representative democracy is a system in which all government power ______ ultimately with the _______, who direct policies by voting for government representatives.

rests, people

What does “separation of powers” refer to? (US vs UK)

• Separation of powers refers to the idea that the executive, legislative, and judicial branches should be ____________ _____________, and ____ individual should hold powers across these branches.

• In the United States, separation of powers is a fundamental __________ __________.

• In the United Kingdom, there is n____ s_______ s___________; instead, the system is described as a “________ of powers”, where the executive is drawn from Parliament and power is balanced rather than strictly separated.

functionally independent, no, constitutional principle, no strict separation, fusion

What is a bill (dự luật)?

A bill is a _______ for a _____ _____.
It is drafted by lawyers, debated in Parliament (UK) or Congress (US), and must pass through several stages before becoming law.

proposal, new law

Describe the political systems of the UK and the US

United Kingdom

• Constitution: ________ ; based on statutes (quy chế), court judgments, and conventions

• Form of government: ___________ __________ and ___________ __________

• Branches of government:

  • __________ (hành pháp): The Crown and the Government (Prime Minister and Cabinet)

  • ____________ (lập pháp): Parliament (Crown, House of Commons, House of Lords)

  • __________ (tư pháp): Judges and courts (appointments made by the Crown)

• Political parties: Mainly a ____-party system; ______-party government is common

• Election:

  • Members of Parliament elected every _____ years

  • ____-____-____-_____ system: In each constituency, voters choose one candidate, and the candidate with the most votes wins, while all other votes are ignored.

  • Party with ______ _____ in the House of Commons forms the government: After a general election, the political party that wins the largest number of seats in the House of Commons forms the government and its leader becomes Prime Minister.

Unwritten, Constitutional monarchy, parliamentary democracy, Executive, Legislature, Judiciary, two, single, 5, First-past-the-post, most seats

Describe the political systems of the UK and the US

United States

• Constitution: _______ Constitution as the s_________ l______ of the land

• Form of government: R____________ d_________ (Dân chủ đại nghị) and f_________ r________ (cộng hòa liên bang)

• Branches of government:

  • l___________ (lập pháp): Congress (House of Representatives and Senate)

  • E__________ (hành pháp): President, Vice-President, Cabinet, and executive agencies

  • J________ (tư pháp): Supreme Court and federal courts

• Political parties: Two-party system ( D___________ and R___________)

• Election:

  • President elected every ____ years

  • Members of the House elected every _____ years

  • Senators (thượng nghị sĩ) serve six-year terms

Written, supreme law, Representative democracy, federal republic, Legislative, Executive, Judicial, Democrats, Republicans, 4, 2,

How are powers divided in American federalism (chủ nghĩa liên bang mỹ)?

Under federalism, power is divided between ______and ______governments (cphu liên bang & cphu tiểu bang):

• _________ (national) powers:
  Control i________ communication, borrow ________ , provide national _______, declare war

• _____ powers:
  Establish criminal justice systems, public schools, and marriage and divorce laws

• ___________ - happening or existing at the same time powers (shared btw the 2 govs):
  Taxation, establishing courts, and chartering banks

national, state, Federal, interstate, money, defense, State, Concurrent

Which definition BEST describes a constitution?
A. A document outlining a country’s foreign policy
B. A system of laws passed by the parliament each year
C. The principles and procedures by which a country is governed
D. A set of rules applying only to elected officials

C

The United Kingdom is considered a constitutional monarchy because ________.
A. the monarch has absolute political power
B. the monarch governs without parliament
C. the monarch rules according to a written constitution
D. the monarch accepts the advice of parliament

D

The term “separation of powers” refers to ________.
A. the division of powers between federal and state governments
B. the independence of executive, legislative, and judicial institutions
C. the rivalry between political parties
D. the balance between monarchy and democracy

B

The UK political system is often described as having a “fusion of powers” because ________.
A. the judiciary controls parliament
B. the executive and legislature are closely connected
C. the monarchy holds all powers
D. the constitution clearly separates all branches

B

In the United States, which body is part of the legislative branch?
A. The Supreme Court
B. The Cabinet
C. Congress
D. The Presidency

C

True or false

The United Kingdom has a single written constitutional document similar to that of the United States.

F

True or false

In a representative democracy, government power ultimately rests with the people.

T

True or false

In the US system, the executive branch is constitutionally superior to the legislature.

F

True or false

Both the UK and the US operate mainly under a two-party political system.

T

A proposal for a new law before it is passed is called a ____________.

bill

____________ refers to a system in which government is controlled by an elected parliament.

Parliamentary democracy

In the US, powers shared by both federal and state governments are known as ____________ powers.

concurrent

The US Constitution establishes ____________ separate branches of government.

3

General elections in the UK are usually held every ____________ years.

5

What is the main difference between a constitutional monarchy and a representative democracy?

A constitutional monarchy has a monarch who acts on parliamentary advice, while a representative democracy places governing power in elected representatives chosen by the people.

How are powers divided between the federal and state governments in American federalism?

In American federalism, powers are divided between the federal government, state governments, and shared concurrent powers defined by the Constitution.

1. While the United States has a single written document, the United Kingdom's constitution is derived from multiple sources, including laws agreed by Parliament, court judgments, and __________ principles.

Unwritten

2. In a __________, such as the UK, a hereditary monarch serves as the head of state, but real political power is held by the parliament.

Constitutional Monarchy

3. The UK system is characterized by a "__________," where the executive branch (the Prime Minister and Cabinet) is also part of the legislature.

Fusion of powers

4. A key tradition in the British government is __________, meaning all members of the government must publicly support every policy or resign.

Collective responsibility

5. In the United States, the principle of __________ is achieved by dividing authority between the national government and individual states.

Federalism

6. Powers shared by both the federal and state governments in the US, such as the power to __________, are known as __________ powers.

tax; concurrent

7. The US government is divided into three branches: the __________ (makes laws), the executive (carries out laws), and the __________ (evaluates laws).

Legislative; Judicial

8. To prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful, the US Constitution utilizes a system of __________.

Checks and balances

9. In the UK, the party that wins the most seats in the __________ forms the government, whereas the __________ is an unelected body that includes hereditary and life peers.

House of Commons; House of Lords