1.Discuss the difference between the terms 'British Isles' United kingdom' Great Britain' and England The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include Great Britain, Ireland and over six-thousand smaller islands
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland which commonly known as the United Kingdom or UK is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK with a land border, sharing it with the Republic of Ireland.
Great Britain is an island lying to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom.It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental Europe.
UK economy
Recent History of British Economy
Economic decline
After World War II, the British economy experienced a period of great difficulty and relative economic decline.
Causes
Policies
“mixed economy”
an economy in which there is some public ownership as well as privately owned business
During the 20th century the
government has become involved in the economy through introduction of social welfare policies and laws to regulate industrial relations.
Policies (1945-1979)
In 1945 the Labor party carried out drastic reforms nationalize key industries (such as coal, steel and transport) laid the foundation for postwar British social and economic development
Result:
Britain’s economic growth fell behind that of western European countries
The British economy went through a particularly bad period in the 1970s. The oil price rises at that time led to very high rates of inflation (up to 25%). This caused many workers to strike for more pay. The fall in the value of the UK currency (The Pound) even forced the Labor (socialist) government to borrow from the International Monetary Fund.
Policies (1979-1997)
1.1979-1997 Conservative Party
2.Margaret Thatcher
Radical economic reform
sell back those industries to the private
sector beat inflation (primary objective)
Promote competitive spirit in economy
Social welfare reduced
Result: Britain’s economic growth still lagged behind
Policies (1997-2007)
In 1997 the Labor party Tony Blair
the “Third Way”: differ from the old the Labor party’s nationalization reform and the conservative party’s extreme individualism
made the Bank of England independent
emphasized on the minimum wage and supplementing low incomes
emphasized individual responsibility
National economies can be broken down into three main areas: "primary" industries, such as agriculture, fishing, and mining; "secondary" industries, which manufacture complex goods from those primary products; and tertiary industries, often described as services, such as banking, insurance, tourism, and the selling of goods.
Current British Economy
The difference between American political system and British political system
The American political system
The United States is a federal constitutional republic, in which the President of the United States (the head of state and head of government), Congress, and judiciary share powers reserved to the national government, and the federal government shares sovereignty with the state governments. Federal and state elections generally take place within a two-party system, although this is not enshrined in law.
The British political system
Britain is both a parliamentary democracy and a constitution monarchy.Although the king or Queen is the head of state,their powers are largely symbolic.The government is elected by people and governs according to British constitutional principles.
contrast between the American and British political system
The same:
1. both have a parliament
The difference:
1. Perhaps the most fundamental difference is the constitution - or the lack of one. The United States has a written constitution which is very difficult to change. The UK does not have a single document called the constitution but instead its constitutional provisions are scattered over various Acts of Parliament, any of which can be changed by a simple majority in the Parliament.
2. In the United States, the Democratic and Republican Parties absolutely dominate federal and state elections with independents securing only small proportions of the vote. In the United Kingdom, the two main political parties - Conservative and Labor - win a smaller and declining share of the total vote, with a growing share being taken by the likes of the Liberal Party and the UK Independence Party at national level and by the likes of the Scottish and Welsh Nationalist Parties at the devolved level.
3.Britain is a constitutional monarchy, the United States is The Democratic Republic Britain's head of state is King, there is no real power; President of the United States is the highest executive power and military power
