SECTION 1: UNITED KINGDOM

LESSON 1: Geography
NAME
Full name: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

1. Britannia: English + Wales

(Roman name => name of female embodiment of Britain)
2. Britain/Great Britain (3 countries): England + Wales + Scotland
3. The British Isles: Britain + Ireland + a group of islands
4. The United Kingdom (4 countries): England + Wales + Scotland + Northern Ireland + some small islands
5. The Republic of Ireland (Dublin: capital) = Eire (Irish name)
6. Northern Ireland = Ulster
7. Crown dependencies: Channel Islands + The Isle of Man (các lãnh thổ độc lập nhưng vẫn liên kết với Vương quốc
Liên hiệp Anh và Bắc Ireland. Các lãnh thổ này bao gồm Guernsey, Jersey và Isle of Man.)
8. Albion (poet): first name for Great Britain
(albus (Latin word) = white (Roman consider)

I. Overview of the UK
- United Kingdom (UK): Great Britain = Britain = England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland.
- English (especially England) is different from British (generally Great Britain).
- “Brittany”: smaller area in France -> people use “Great Britain” to distinguish.
- English domination:
+ Bank of England: ngân hàng trung ương của Vương quốc Liên hiệp Anh và Bắc Ireland. Nó được thành lập vào năm
1694 và được coi là ngân hàng trung ương đầu tiên trên thế giới.
+ Elizabeth II
+ Anglo-American relations

England Scotland Wales N.Ireland

Patron saint St. George St. Andrew St. David St. Patrick

Saint’s day 23 April 30 November 1 March 17 March

Capital London Edinburgh Cardiff (wettest city) Belfast

Color white blue red green

Animal lion unicorn red dragon

Plant red Rose Thistle Leek/ Shamrock

Daffodil

Motto Dieu et mon droit Nemo me impune lacessit: Cymru am byth (wales
(God and my right) “No one provokes me with forever)
impunity”.

Anthem Land of Hope and Flower of Scotland Land of my fathers Danny Boy
Glory/ God save the
King

Official RP English, Gaelic, Scots English, Welsh English + Irish Gaelic

language

Some more Medieval castles mountainous → live only moist climate →

features… Kilt, pipe South England nickname: “The
Haggis (traditional food, castle capital of the Emerald Isle”
 pudding) world Natural beauty:
Lochs, clans giant’s causeway

- Union Jack = National flag = Union Flag or Union Jack (Jacobus = James) = England + Scotland + Ireland

Geography
1. Position of the UK:
- Lies between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea
- Comes within (nằm trong phạm vi) 35 km of the northwest coast of France, separated by the English Channel.
- Northern Ireland shares a 360 km international land boundary with the Republic of Ireland.
- The Channel Tunnel bored beneath the English Channel, now links the UK with France.
+ Channel Tunnel = Eurotunnel, đường hầm nối Anh với Pháp.
+ English Channel: kênh đào nối nam Anh với bắc Pháp.
- Bordered by four seas:
+ To the south by the English Channel, which separates it from continental Europe
+ To the east by the North Sea
+ To the west by the Irish Sea and the Atlantic Ocean
2. Geography of the UK:
- The British Isles = Great Britain + Ireland.
- Lack of extremes (not too high mountains/ not too big rivers, etc.)
- No active volcanoes, few light Earth tremor (tremor = light earthquake)
+ South: mostly low-lying land with hills and agricultural land
+ North: mostly covered in moorland (đất ko trồng trọt) and mountains
3. Mountains and rivers:
- Most mountainous: Scotland and Wales
- Highest mountain: Ben Nevis (1345m in Scotland)
- Longest river: The Severn (354 km) (goes through Shrewsbury, Worcester, and Gloucester) > River Thames (flows
through Oxford, Reading, Windsor and London)
- Longest lake: Lough Neagh (in Northern Ireland) (396 sq.km)
- Largest lake (by volume): Loch Ness
→ Scotland is the most mountainous country in UK
4. Climate (rainfall, temperature, weather):
- The climate is temperate but fairly wet
- Temperature: Temperate climate (5-25°C)
- Weather: changeable, from day to day, hour to hour (same day: snow, rain, fog, sunshine) because of the air masses.
+ North: temperature is lower than in the South
● NorthEast: northeast England is the coolest in the country, relatively dry all year.
● NorthWest: Cool summers, mild winters, heavy rain.
+ South: Southern England offers the best weather with mild winters. The south coast of England -> the sunniest part
● Southeast: more temperature variations with warmer summers and cooler winters
● Southwest: warm summers, mild winters, rain all year especially winter
+ East: has less rainfall
+ West: warm summers, mild winters, heavy rain. Most rain falls over the mountains in the west, especially Snowdonia
in Wales and the Scottish Highlands.
-> The South is warmer than the North
-> The West: rain
-> The winter in the East is slightly colder than the West
=> Tổng kết khí hậu của Anh bằng 1 câu thơ: đông lạnh, tây mưa, nam ấm, và bắc tuyết
5. Wind:
- The reason for Britain’s weather being different North, South, East and West is because different air masses (5 cái)
(wind) come from each direction as follows:
+ North wind - Arctic very cold
+ East wind - Continental from Europe and Asia. The winds are cold and dry
+ South wind - Tropical warm
+ West wind - Maritime air (khí biển) has crossed Atlantic bringing cloud and rain. The winds are warm and wet.
6. Industrialization
 - 6 industrial areas are around London, Liverpool, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle (Coal & iron mines,
electricity, electronics, chemistry, shipbuilding)
- Oil production, transport, communication
- Coal fire heating forbidden
- Smog (smoke & fog)
- Water pollution (River Thames, Law passed in 1970s)
- Car: air and noise pollution
7. Energy sources
- Reduction of greenhouse gases
- New nuclear power: politically unpopular
- “Green” energy sources:
+ Solar power
+ Tidal & wave
+ Wind power energy

_______________________________________________
LESSON 2: The four nations
I. London: 1/7 total population of the England
- Largest city in western Europe
- Cosmopolitan (political, financial, cultural center, national TV network, and newspapers): Tourism and finance
- Most Londoners live in suburbs -> travel into the center each day to work
- ⅓ of the people in London were born outside Britain
- Headquarters of:
+ Government departments
+ Country’s parliament
+ Major legal institutions
+ Monarch (a person who rules a country, for example a king or a queen)
- The Square mile: a lot of people work there but actually fewer than 10,000 people live there
+ Original walled city
+ As known as “the City” - The city of London: home to the country’s financial organizations
- West End: theaters, cinemas, expensive shops, etc.
- East End:
+ Poorer residential area
+ Traditional home of Cockney
+ Home to immigrants
- Commuters: 1/5 total population of the UK lives in wider London area

1. Southern England
- Commuter land: the most densely populated area in the UK
- The county of Kent: “the garden of England” -> many kinds of fruit and vegetables
- The Downs (South of England): hills, sheep farming, white cliffs of the south coast -> retired people live in this coast
- Mainly in trade, services and light manufacturing
- Not much heavy industry -> not suffer the slow economic decline
- The West country:
+ Bristol City (once Britain’s most important port after London)
+ Farming, dairy produce (Devonshire cream), and fruit
- South-West peninsula (bán đảo): rocky coast, small bays, moorlands (Exmoor, Dartmoor, etc.) -> most popular
holiday area in Britain
- Cornwall: mild winter -> palm trees, tourist industry (the Cornish Riviera)
- East Anglia (north-east of London): rural, flat land + dry climate -> wheat, crops
- Norfolk Broads: waterways, no towns -> boating holidays
2. Midlands of England
- Birmingham (Black Country): West Midlands town in the heart of England
+ Major engineering center (Derby)
+ Converts iron and steel into a vast variety of goods
+ Car production
- Leicester, Nottingham: large industrial areas
- East coast (Grimsby): fishing ports, country’s major fish processing center
- Climate: cooler, wetter than in the South
- “Shakepeare’s country” (Stratford-upon-Avon, Coventry), Nottingham (Legend of Robin Hood): tourism
 3. Northern England
- Mountainous areas: Pennines - The backbone of England
- Coal + iron -> lead the Industrial Revolution
- Manchester (west): cotton goods, city of sport, 2nd most populous
- Bradford and Leeds (east): woolen goods
- Sheffield: steel goods
- Newcastle: shipbuilding
- Decline in heavy industry -> high levels of unemployment
- Climate: wetter in the west, snow in winter
- Places of interest: Roman Wall, Durham, York, Chester
- Wuthering Heights (Emile Bronte’s novel)
- Romantic poets: Wordsworth, Coleridge, and Southey
II. Scotland
- Southern upland: sheep farming
- North: central plain
- Highlands: mountains, deep valleys, small islands off the west coast
- Mountainous, highest peak Ben Nevis.
- Tourism is important -> the production of whisky
- Glasgow (third largest city): heavy industry + strong artistic heritage
-> Glasgow has received many immigrants from Ireland
NOTE: Aberdeen (east coast of Scotland): lack of light -> Seasonal Affective Disorders (SAD) -> residents become suicidal
- Edinburgh (capital of Scotland): scholarship, law, administration (Athens of the North)
- National dress: Kilt/ pipe: instrument
- Haggis (traditional food, pudding)
- Clans (a group of families, especially in Scotland, who originally came from the same family and have the same
name)
- Lochs (in Scotland, a lake or inlet of the sea or ocean)
- Medieval castles
III. Wales (Southeast of the UK)
- Southeast of Wales: heavily polluted
- South Wales: coal mines
- Cardiff (capital of Wales): industrial villages
Coal mining in South Wales: almost entirely ceased -> employment has been slow and painful
- Mostly mountainous -> difficult to travel between south and north (leo núi té lòi họng chứ gì)
-> bởi zậy cho nên những cái phần nhỏ của Wales thường xích gần với cđ England hàng xóm chứ tụi nó không connect với
nhau (vì núi chia cách chúng ta rồi)
- Mount Snowdon: beautiful, largest National Park of Britain
- High rainfall in western mountain
- East: dry

IV. Northern Ireland

- Belfast: linen (vải lanh), shipbuilding
- Largely agricultural
- North coast: Giant’s Causeway (rocks in this area look like enormous stepping stones)
- moist climate → nickname: “The Emerald Isle”

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LESSON 3: PEOPLE AND IDENTITY
A. Identity
I. Ways to identify
1. Scottish identity (St. Andrew)
- Language:
+ Names, Gaelic, distinctive way of speaking English (dialect & accent)
+ Modern form of dialect: “Scots” -> daily language of working classes in the lowlands
- Organization: education, law, welfare systems, politics -> are organized separately, differently (but same currency as
the rest of Britain)
- Symbols: Thistle, etc.
- Music, poem: folk songs, Burns suppers, dances, etc. with bagpipes (kèn túi)
- Ceremonies, festivals, etc.
- Traditional dress: kilt (dress for men)
 - Traditional food and drink: haggis (dạ dày cừu nhồi tim gan), whisky, etc.
NOTE: Historical cultural split between highland and lowland: Scottish Gaelic sense of cultural identity is only felt by tens of
thousands people in some of the Western Isles of Scotland
2. Wales (St. David)
NOTE: Similar to England -> residents do not consider themselves as Welsh -> it is regional rather than nationalistic
- Language: nearly 20% speaking Welsh as mother tongue -> learn at school, local newspapers, television channel,
public notices/signs in English and Welsh, Cornish
- Eisteddfod (an institution): festival of literature, music performance, etc.
- Industry: mines (coal)
- National hero: Owen Glendower
- Symbol of flag and plant: dragon and leek
3. England (St. George)
- Language: RP (BBC/Queen accent) >< Cockney
- Stereotype and change: bowler hat, big breakfast, tea, etc.
- Politics: monarchy (chế độ quân chủ), royal ceremonies
- National Anthem: God save the Queen/ King
- Food and drink: tea
- Sport: football, rugby
4. Northern Ireland (St. Patrick)
- Language: English + Irish Gaelic
- Traditional festivals, story telling, etc.
- Agriculture: fresh meat, fish, drink, etc.
- Religion (Catholic & Protestant) due to different ancestors: lowland Scotland or England >< native Irish (children mix
more now)
- Plant: Shamrock
- Shipbuilding
Catholic: Thiên Chúa, công giáo
Protestant: tin lành

THE IDENTITY OF THE NATIVE BRITISH

Race Ancestor Language Religion Identity & Lifestyle

English Germanic (Anglo English Anglican (Church Tea, sports,

Saxon) (Germanic origin) of England) aristocracy, etc.

Scottish Celtic Scottish Gaelic, Presbyterian Haggis, kilt, whisky,

English with (Church of Burns’ night, music
dialects, Scotland) and poems
distinctive accent

Welsh Celtic Welsh (spoken by Methodist Eisteddfod (poems and

20% of (church), songs)
population) Anglican, Kirk
English with Protestants Non-
accent conformist

Irish Celtic Irish Gaelic Catholic Shipbuilding, story-

English telling (stories,
legends and myths),
coffee

IDENTITY
EARLY SETTLERS
- Old Stone Age (500.000BC): Palaeolithic Nomads
- New Stone Age (4000 BC): Neolithic from Iberia (small, dark, long-headed people, dark barrows, stone hut, planted
trees to settle down, most famous Stonehenge)
- Bronze Age (2500 BC): The Beakers from Europe (round-headed, tall, bronze weapons)
- Iron Age (800 BC): Celts from mainland Europe (Maiden Castle, largest Celtic hills)
+ Two main trade outlets: London + Edinburgh
 + Currency: iron bars → Roman coins
+ Celtic arts

INVADERS
* ROMANS
- 55BC: Julius Caesar’s first visit
- AD43: Britannia
→ The Romans brought Latin language/ network of loads, villas, arts/ Christianity
- Reminders of Roman presence: Chester, Lancaster, Gloucester.

* AD410: Roman withdrew → Anglo-Saxons

- 450-750: Jutes from Jutland
Angles from South of Denmark
Saxons from Germany

* THE ANGLO-SAXON KINGDOM AD650

(The Celts moved to the West → Nowadays Celtic culture and language still exist in the West area of Scotland).
- Influence of the Saxons (greatest on British culture):
+ Days of the weeks: Germanic Gods
+ New place-names: reading, hastings (ing = family); Birmingham, Nottingham (ham = farm)
+ New farming methods
+ Country names
- England (= land of the Angles)
- Weallas or Wales (= land of the foreigners: Celts)

* SCANDINAVIANS (VIKINGS)
- 8-9th century
- Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Scotland
(Why good at fighting? → In their homeland the soil was bad → not plant anything → need to fight for survival → got
property from other countries)
- Vikings = Pirates
- 9th century: conquered all England, except Wessex (ruled by king Alfred).

* THE NORMANS
- 1066
- Duke William of Normandy
- Contributions:
+ The Tower of London
+ Oxford and Cambridge

SUMMARY
AD43: Romans
AD410: Anglo-Saxons
8-9th C: Scandinavians
1066: The Normans
→ Different races

II. Ethnic Minorities & Racism

- Ethnic minority communities in the UK: 5.7-7%
- Suffer from discrimination in class and status
- Worst-paid jobs, worst housing, encounter hostility, poor areas, ethnic separation, difficult to get jobs, loans, medical
care, education
- Mid 1960s: government 3 race relations acts to eliminate racial discrimination + law to restrict immigrants
- Margaret Thatcher (Britain’s first female prime minister): restriction on immigration
- Causes of racism in Britain: immigrants not welcomed, unskilled service personnel & labor)
III. Tendencies
- Mixed marriages, multi-racial partnerships
- New multiracial identity & multiracial homes
- Mixed cultural background -> problems
- Social contacts: pubs, clubs, work but are reduced due to widespread use of Internet today
- Neither politics nor religion is an important part of a person’s social identity
IV. British family
- Not large gatherings at family events such as weddings, births, funerals -> weak family identity
- Nuclear Family: Christmas gatherings
- Higher divorce rate:
+ Children born outside marriage (>40% of births)
+ Single parent family is not a social problem
+ Refer to have a “partner” (sexual partners) rather than “husband/wife”, “boyfriend”, or “girlfriend”
+ People over the age of 65 live alone (65%)
Nowadays:
- Small families delay having children
- Change attitudes towards marriage
- Longer life expectancy
- Generation gap: changed in 2002, teenagers get on better with parents, stay with parents more

V. Geographical identity: Northerners & Southerners

Northerners Southerners

Tougher Soft

More honest & warmer Hypocritical

Ignorant, uncultured Unfriendly

Beer-drinking

-> Northerners are proud to be identified

- Britishness: 75% proud to be British. but not normally actively patriotic (except being threatened from the outside: Brexit!)
- Personal identity: 2 qualities highly prized:
+ Bravery in the face of misfortune & modesty
+ Sense of humor connects the two
NOTE: People are more mobile today
- City identity: Liverpudlians (sport), Geordies (Newcastle), Mancunians (Manchester), Glaswegians (Glasgow), etc.
BRITISH SOCIAL CLASS:
- Super-class: aristocrats (thượng lưu)
- Upper-class: senior civil servants/ management, professional
- Upper middle class: Middle managerial
- Middle middle class: junior managerial/ clerical
- Lower middle class: non-manual workers
- Working class: skilled
- Working class: unskilled or semiskilled
- Underclass: jobless, homeless

NEW DIVISION
1. Elite (doctors, well-educated ppl, lawyers, directors,...)
2. Established middle class
3. Technical middle class
4. New affluent workers
5. Traditional working class
6. Emergent service class
7. Precariat (van driver, carpenter, shopkeeper,...)

NATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS
- Sense of humor (Charles Spencer Chaplin/ Rowan Atkinson - Mr Bean)
- Modesty (by using understatement)
- Politeness
- Conservatism
+ reluctant to change
+ christmas cards
- Being different
 + driving
+ double-decker bus
+ system of measurement
● length: inch, foot, yard, mile
● weight: ounce, pound, stone, quarter, hundred weigh
● capacity: gill, pint, quart, gallon, peck, bushel
- Love of nature
+ organizations to protect nature
+ opposition to GM plant
+ desire to live in the countryside
+ like gardening
+ garden and flower festival
- Love of animal
+ reputation of pet lovers
● 1st country in the world to start a welfare charity for animals
● RSPCA: royal society for the prevention of cruelty to animals
● Animal Right law
● Wildlife programmes
● Bird tables
● Hospitals for wild animals
● care animals as family members
- buy gifts for pets
- animal cemeteries
- Public-spiritedness
+ charity and volunteer work
+ world’s largest charities
● cancer research UK
● british heart foundation
● sightsavers international

BRITISH POLITICS
I - The public attitude towards politics
II - Style of politics
III - Political system
A. Legislature (lập pháp)
1. Monarch
2. House of Lords (viện quý tộc, k bầu cử, địa vị cao)
3. House of Commons (viện thứ dân, bầu cử)
B. Executive (hành pháp)
1. General Election
2. Government system
C. Judiciary (tư pháp)
IV - Political parties
- 2 main parties:
+ Conservative (365): party in power
+ Labour (202): party holds the opposition
British passports color: blue (same as American)
- Navy blue (1928)
- Burgundy red (1988)
- Navy blue (3/2019)

THE PUBLIC ATTITUDE

- Boring topic: they don’t want to argue, nature: like to compromise
- Public ignorance:
+ They don’t care who runs the country.
- Lack of generosity: they don’t expect politicians to have a good life.
- Politicians’ bad reputation: dishonest, cruel.
→ Politics: a dirty business, a necessary evil.
- Confidence in the stability of the system: they don’t like politicians but they believe in the political system → still
peace.
CITIZENS & GOVERNMENT

The citizens The government

- respect law - official secrets Art

- unenthusiastic about governing and + not allowed to reveal if you
lawmaking (good for the government) work for the government, keep
- No ID cards everything confidential.
+ bad for the government - free hand
+ they value their privacy - few rules

- >< The US freedom of speech press → journalists are free to give information related to the government.

TYPE OF DEMOCRACY
- People can choose:
+ WHO: to run the country → election
+ NOT WHAT: because the government has freedom/ power to choose.
>< THE US: choose who and what

STYLE OF POLITICS
Constitutional monarchy → constitution (chế độ quân chủ hòa hiến):
vua/ nữ hoàng đứng đầu, nhưng quyền lực bị giới hạn bởi hiến pháp.
vua/ nữ hoàng đại diện cho quốc gia và nd, còn quyền hành pháp, chính trị do cơ quan và chính phủ dân cử thực hiện.
vua k tgia trực tiếp quyết định chính trị nhưng vẫn đại diện quốc gia tgia sự kiện ngoại giao,...
- Parliamentary democracy → ppl can vote the members of parliament (chế độ dân chủ quốc hội)
quyền lực tập trung vào quốc hội
ng dân bỏ phiếu bầu đại biểu vào quốc hội
chính phủ = nghị sĩ trong quốc hội
chính phủ bị quốc hội kiểm soát
chính phủ duy trì quyền lực = sự ủng hộ của đại biểu
VN: Socialist Republic of Vietnam
- Parliament has the highest power
- Uncodified constitution: informal, no constitution to judge criminal
hiến pháp không được viết thành một tài liệu duy nhất
dựa trên các văn bản pháp lý khác, các truyền thống và quy định pháp lý đã phát triển theo thời gian.
các quyền và trách nhiệm có thể được điều chỉnh và thay đổi thông qua quyền lực chính trị và các quy định pháp lý tổ chức.
- Respect the privacy and love of secrecy.
- Informal (no need to have an official meeting/ conference to make a decision for the country)
- Cooperation of different parties: on TV, argument, drama >< in reality: cooperation
- “Two-party system”: 85% of all MP seats, 15% for ~ 400 parties left.

POLITICAL SYSTEM
A. Legislative - Parliament: makes law
- sovereignty
- house of lords
- house of commons
B. Executive - Government: puts laws into effect
- prime minister
- cabinet: bộ trưởng và quan chức cao cấp của chính phủ, được chọn bởi Thủ tướng, ra quyết định chính trị, hướng dẫn chính
sách của chính phủ, tổ chức họp thảo luận, quyết định vấn đề quan trọng của quốc gia
- shadow cabinet: bộ trưởng bóng, nhóm các thành viên của đảng đối lập, được bổ nhiệm bởi lãnh đạo đảng để giám sát và đối đầu với
các thành viên của Cabinet chính phủ. Shadow Cabinet thường có cùng số lượng và chức danh tương đương với các bộ trưởng và quan chức
chính phủ, và họ sẽ theo dõi và đưa ra các đề xuất chính sách thay thế cho các chính sách của chính phủ hiện tại. Mục tiêu của Shadow Cabinet
là tạo ra một bóng đối thủ chính trị, theo dõi và kiểm soát chính phủ, và chuẩn bị cho trường hợp họ được bầu làm chính phủ trong tương lai.
C. Judiciary - Law court: interprets laws
- criminal court: tòa án hình sự
- civil court: tòa án dân sự
● Functions:
+ legislation
+ scrutiny
+ debating
+ budget
● 3 parts:
 + monarch
+ house of lords
+ house of commons
1. Roles of the monarch
- Symbol of national unity
- head of state
- head of the executive, judiciary, legislative (hành pháp, tư pháp, lập pháp)
- supreme governor of the Church of England (thống đốc tối cao của nhà thờ hội thánh Anh): mang ý nghĩa biểu tượng và đại
diện cho quyền lực tôn giáo của nhà vua hoặc nữ hoàng trong hệ thống tôn giáo của Anh.
- commander-in-chief of the armed forces: tư lệnh tối cao, quyết định chiến lược và lãnh đạo quân đội trong thời chiến và thời bình.
- Symbol of stability and continuity: they will be the King/ Queen until they die.
● Other functions:
- final check on government
- regular meetings PM and foreign leaders: give advice to the PM
- dissolve Parliament (2022-now)
+ election → another government
+ under the request of PM
- ceremonial duties
ex: granting honours investitures: lễ trao tặng danh dự
- Entertaining
ex: Trooping the color for the Queen’s birthday.
Royal Garden Party at Buckingham.
● Head of Commonwealth
In law In practice

- absolute power - almost no power

- PM + minister: “servants of the Crown” - PM is the leader of the strongest party +
- approve Bills decides minister
- “HM Government”: “His majesty’s” - royal assent is automatic.
- resigns but does not rule.

THE HOUSE OF LORDS

- non-elected
- non-salary

LORDS TEMPORAL
+ hereditary peers (quý tước thừa kế)
KING > Duke > Marquess > Earl > Viscount > Baron
+ life peers: approved by PM, formalized by King (quý tước trọn đời/ quý tước không thừa kế), là một thành viên của Thượng
viện Anh có vị trí và tước hiệu được trao tới suốt đời, không được thừa kế. Khác với quý tước thừa kế, quý tước trọn đời không thể truyền vị trí
và tước hiệu cho người thừa kế của mình. Thay vào đó, các quý tước trọn đời thường được tôn vinh vì đóng góp của họ trong lĩnh vực chính trị,
xã hội, văn hóa hoặc kinh tế. Họ có thể được bổ nhiệm bởi quốc vương hoặc theo đề xuất của các tổ chức, và thường có vai trò đại diện, tư vấn
hoặc tham gia vào quá trình lập pháp.
+ senior judges (law Lords) ( thẩm phán cấp cao)

LORDS SPIRITUAL là một phần của Thượng viện Anh và bao gồm các thành viên có chức vụ tôn giáo, chủ yếu là các vị giám mục và lãnh
đạo tôn giáo khác.
+ archbishops (giám mục Công giáo Anh )
+ senior bishops

ROLES
- introduce and debate a bill (anyone can do) (thảo luận trong lập pháp)
- recommend changes
- delay non-financial bills for a year
- cannot prevent bills

THE HOUSE OF COMMONS

- power (the most powerful body)
- 650 MPs = 650 seats in P
- debating chamber: 370 seats
- the speaker
EXECUTIVE
1. GENERAL ELECTIONS
- Every 5 years (can be 3 years) (2010, 2015, 2017, 2019) (⅔ of MP approve → condition for snap election)
- snap election: for the whole country
- 650 constituencies: 650 MPs (constituencies: là một phần của Thượng viện Anh và bao gồm các thành viên có chức vụ tôn giáo, chủ
yếu là các vị giám mục và lãnh đạo tôn giáo khác)
+ MP resigns/ dies → by-election (for 1 or 2 constituencies)
- Polling station - secret ballot
“first past the post” (adj): get the most votes → get elected

CANDIDATES
- representatives of a party/ independent candidates
- over 18
- deposit (500£)
- not member of police forces/ armed forces/ civil servants/ judges/ felons (criminals)/ bankrupt
- are required to be neutral, not take side if they were allowed, they could vote for their favorite party → if their elected
party lost, they’d serve for the opposition.

VOTER (not EU)

- British, Irish
- Qualifying commonwealth citizens (living in the UK)
- 18/ over 18
- register
- not insane, member of the House of Lords (why?), prisoners
+ MPs are elected by the remainder of the estate of commoners → represent commoners in P
+ H of L can sit in P anyway
+ no case to vote to elect representatives
+ not belong to the estate of commons

EXECUTIVE AUTHORITY

● GOVERNMENT
a. Prime Minister: ppl vote to elect MP → leader of winning party → PM → PM isn’t elected directly
→ leader of the majority party
- head of the government
 b. Minister
- Senior minister (secretaries of states)
- junior minister (ministers of state)
(minister is not necessarily a minister, may be a deputy minister, which depends on “junior/ senior”)
c. cabinet
→ inner cabinet (only 2-3 ministers - top secret)
- about 20 senior ministers (appointed by the PM)
- collective responsibility (requires each minister to support each government decision)
- meet once a week.
d. Departments, agencies and public bodies
- 23 ministerial departments: Bộ Nội affairs (Home Office), Bộ Tài chính (Treasury), Bộ Y tế và Chăm sóc xã hội (Department of Health
and Social Care), và Bộ Giáo dục (Department for Education).
- 20 non-ministerial departments
- 414 agencies + other public bodies
- 14 public corporations
- 4 devolved governments
+ the scottish P
+ the welsh p
+ the N.I assembly
+ the london assembly (hội đồng thành phố london)

MI5: domestic intelligence (cơ quan tình báo/ cơ quan an ninh thường)
MI6: foreign intelligence (cục tình báo mật)
NHS: national health service

● Prime minister residences:

+ 10 Downing Street
+ official residence of the PM
+ cabinet official
- in Palace of Westminster
- the House of Parliament
- Chequers (country house retreat in Buckinghamshire)

● The Chancellor of the Exchequer: bộ trưởng bộ tài chính

OPPOSITION
- shadow PM
- shadow cabinet (shadow minister)

JUDICIARY
● British law
● How to judge criminals?: 3 sources
- Primary legislation: statutes passed by the legislative bodies.
- secondary legislation: case law (quy phạm hành chính) based on precedent
- legislation originating from the EU

LEGAL SYSTEM IN ENGLAND & WALES

court of appeal: tòa án phúc thẩm
crown court: Tòa án Crown, là một tòa án tại Anh và Wales có thẩm quyền xét xử các vụ án nghiêm trọng, có thẩm quyền xử
lý các tội ác nghiêm trọng như tội giết người, cướp, hiếp dâm và tội ma túy.
Magistrates courts: tòa án sơ thẩm

High court of justice: là một tòa án cao cấp trong hệ thống tòa án ở Anh và Wales. Nó có thẩm quyền xét xử các vụ án dân sự
và hình sự quan trọng, và đóng vai trò quan trọng trong việc áp dụng và tạo ra tiền lệ pháp lý. High Court of Justice có thể
được chia thành ba phân kỳ chính: Chambre of the Queen's Bench (Phòng tòa của Bộ trưởng Nội vụ), Chambre of the
Chancery (Phòng tòa của Thư ký Vương quốc), và Chambre of the Family (Phòng tòa gia đình). Mỗi phân kỳ có thẩm
quyền xét xử các loại vụ án cụ thể tương ứng với lĩnh vực của nó.
country court: xét xử các vụ án như tranh chấp hợp đồng, nợ nần, bất đồng lao động, và các vấn đề gia đình như ly hôn và
quyền nuôi con.

POLITICAL PARTIES
2 predominant parties:
- Tories and Whigs
- Conservatives & Liberals
- conservatives & labor (since 1930s)

TORIES
- conservatives
- aristocracy
- promote private property and enterprises, maintain a strong military.

WHIGS
- liberals
- orwellian protestants
- declined after 1918

LABOUR
- working class + some middle class
- emphasize social justice (increase tax → welfare)

LIBERAL DEMOCRATS
- middle class and university educated
- oppose brexit (british exit): the withdrawal of the UK from the EU

NATIONALIST PARTIES
- Scotland: scottish national party
- wales: plaid cymru
 - N.I:
+ protestant:
● ulster unionists
● democratic unionist
+ catholic:
● sinn fein: a political party in Ireland that advocates for the reunification of Ireland and the establishment of a
sovereign, independent Irish state
● social democratic and labor party
EDUCATION
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
- tradition of anti-intellectualism
- uniform:
+ 1960s-70s: abandoned uniforms
+ now: favor uniforms (cheaper, the way to show identity)
- public schools: for very rich people, private (not state school)
+ successful model of education
+ build character for the ruling elite (teach behavior, manner, speech,...)
- foreign language (good at English language)
+ don't need to speak another language
+ not good, except specialist
+ drop after 14 years old
+ the government didn’t encourage to learn another language
- little control by gov
+ curriculum: late, general
+ no national materials (select materials for students)
+ not decide hours, holidays
+ not manage school’s finance
- From 20th C: feel uncertain
+ learn little (spread most of time to play)
+ lack 3 Rs: reading, wRiting, aRithmetic
+ grade inflation: more and more students get higher grades with lower quality
+ “spoilt brats”: not to become a particular job, just to be happy
+ large class size
+ inequality: cannot afford university life
+ shortage of teachers: very serious problem (low salary, pressure from parents)
→ in UK: pupil increase, teacher decrease
→ CHANGES:
- receive national curriculum
- grading scheme: more scales (1-9, ABCD) → distinguish students better
- uni: accept disadvantaged students with poor exam results
- teaching awards: the ceremony for teaching heroes to encourage
- attract foreign students: school budget, fee

EDUCATION SYSTEM
SATs: statutory Assessment Tests: primary students, English + maths
- 6 years primary school (1-6)
- 5 years secondary schools (7-11)
- GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education): certificate to attend secondary.
- 2 years to participate college
- higher university - university: bachelor, master, doctorate (cử nhân, thạc sĩ, tiến sĩ)
Scotland:
- 7 years primary school
- 4 years secondary school

EARLY YEARS EDUCATION

- options for childcare
+ state nursery schools
+ primary schools
+ private nurseries
- entitlement:
 + 15 hours/ week for age 3-4
+ 30 hours (working parents)
- charging:
+ expensive (⅓ income)
+ meals, nappies, trips,...
- national curriculum (2002)
- system for children with SEN (special education needs):
+ medical
+ development
+ behavior
+ mental health
+ 1 teacher = 1 kid
+ government pays much expenses
- statutory assessment

PRIMARY & SECONDARY EDUCATION

- Both are compulsory
+ ulster: 4-16 years old
+ scotland: 5-16
+ england: 5-18 (2015)
if you leave from one to another like England → so you must obey learn (as your age)

THE NATIONAL CURRICULUM

- 3 core subjects (English, Maths, Science)
- foundation subjects
- religion & sex education

TYPE OF SCHOOL
- state schools (maintained schools): no fee
- based on entrance
+ comprehensive schools: non selective (local)
+ grammar school: selective (must take the tests based on own knowledge)
- base on control:
+ community schools: follow national curriculum, run by local authorities.
+ academics: freedom (don’t have to follow the NC, run by academy trusts) (charity organization come from
rich ppl)
+ faith schools: follow NC + religious subjects, all are free
44% independent schools: charge fees, except from NC
- public school + private school (fee) # the school boards: elected by the government, people are rich, ppl do business.
- home education: stay at home, take the exam (in VN do not accepted)
- UK: highest % (private school)
- boarding school for boys aged bw 13-18
- fee 2022: 48,50 pound/ year
- Harrow public school
- Rugby public school
TERMS:
- Autumn term: Sept - Dec, term break in Oct (1week), xmas holiday (2wks)
- Spring term: Jan-easter, term break in Feb, easter holiday (2 wks)
- Summer term: easter-July, term break in May, summer holiday (6wks)
WHAT IS GCSE?
GCSE → General Certificate of Secondary Education: vocational/ academic qualifications
Institution:
- sixth form college: person who learns to obtain A level certificate
- further and higher education college
- tertiary college
HIGHER EDUCATION
- Admission:
+ A level (all Universities A+ A B C D E U (uncertified)
+ cambridge pre-U (only in cambridge universities)
+ scottish higher education
+ international baccalaureate (IB) (general certificate for EU)
 - academic freedom: the right to accept students or not
- Fees for home students:
+ england: >9000 pound/ year
+ wales: 3900 pound/ year
+ N.I: 3500/y
+ scot: free
→ grants/ loans
UCAS: Universities and Colleges Admissions Service → connect ppl to uni
1. Undergraduate course: first degree
- Duration:
● Bachelor’s degree
+ 3 to 6 years (1 year sandwich course, gap year, placement year)
+ honours/ ordinary
● Foundation degree
+ 2 years
+ top up to a bachelor’s degree
- Majors:
+ BA (bachelor of arts)
+ BSc (B of science)
+ BED (b of edu)
+ BEng (B of Engineering)
POSTGRADUATE COURSE
- postgraduate diploma (PGDip)
- master’s degree → taught or research: 1 or 2 years
+ MA, MSc, MBA, Meng
+ Mphil
+ MRes (M of research)
- Doctoral degree: 3 years
+ PhD/ DPhil
+ DBA (doctor of business administration)
+ EngD (doctor of Engineering)
Host countries for the foreign students: US 1st, UK 2nd, France 3rd
Studying abroad students: China 1st, India 2nd, R of Korea 3rd, VN 9th
Top 20 best universities 2022: 1st Oxford, 2nd California Institute of Tech, 3rd Havard

EXAM BOARDS
England, Wales, Ulster
- Assessment and qualification alliance (AQA)
- Oxford, Cambridge & RSA Examinations (OCR)
- Pearson Edexcel
TYPES OF UNIVERSITY
- independent vs state-funded
- ancient, red brick, modern
- Oxford: most ancient/ oldest in UK
- cambridge, Oxf, uni of St Andrews, Uni of Edinburgh,...
- Oxonians: 28 British PMs, 30 international leaders, 55 Nobel prize winners (Tony Blair, David Cameron, Theresa
May, Boris Johnson)
- Red brick uni (1837-1901)
+ Uni of Birmingham
+ Uni of Bristol
- Modern universities
+ Civic & campus
+ Open university (distance training)
- started in 1968
- distance education
- short residential courses
- no government fund
- top uni for students

SECTION 2: UNITED STATES

 LESSON 1: Geography
1. Overview
- 50 states, 5 oceans: Atlantic (bw UK and USA) → Pacific → Indian → Arctic → Southern, 7 continents: Asia →
Africa → North America → South America → Antarctica → Europe → Australia.
- Calling code for USA and Canada: +1 → most advanced country → smallest number
- UK: +44, VN: +84, Cambodia: +8555
- Area: 9,372,610km2 (3rd largest country: Russia → Canada → USA → China → Brazil → Australia → India)
- Population: >333 million (3rd world, 1st: China, 2nd India) → Ppl live in coastal areas, city centers.
- Location: North America
- Surroundings: Canada (north), Mexico (south), territorial water borders – Russia (northwest), Florida and Cuba (southeast)
- Coastline: 84,000 miles including the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts, the Great Lakes, Alaska, Hawaii and Caribbean
islands.
- Capital: Washington D.C.
- 50 states, a federal district (đặc khu liên bang/ đặc khu Tw, là trung tâm hành chính, ở Mỹ là Washington D.C), 5 major
unincorporated territories, 9 Minor Outlying Islands, and 326 Indian reservations.
2. RELIGION
Protestant → Roman Catholic → Other Christian → Jewish → Buddhist → Muslim → Hindu
3. STATES
- 50 states: 48 continental states + Alaska + Hawaii (an archipelago in Pacific Ocean)
- 16 territories (in the Pacific and Caribbean), 5/16 territories are inhabited: Puerto Rico, Guann,...
- associated territorial waters and airscape
BIGGEST/ SMALLEST STATES:
● Area: Alaska >>> Rhode Island
● Population: California >>> Wyoming
● Population density: New Jersey (1218/mi^2) >>> Alaska (1,3mi^2)
CAPITAL?
- Washington D.C, D.C stands for District of Columbia
- The District of Columbia is not a state.
BORDERS
- Land border: North Canada, South Mexico
+ 4 states border Mexico
+ 13 states border Canada
NIAGARA FALLS:
- The American Falls
- The Bridal Veil Falls
- The Canadian “HorseShoe” Falls
- Niagara bw Canada and USA
2. Climate:
- Main climate: various climate types, mostly temperate, tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in Alaska and other states that
border Canada, arid in the southwest.
- Northwest: cool and dry, wet coastal area – thick snow in mountainous areas
- High Plains: warmer, with scorching hot summer – but freezing winter
- Midwest / Ohio Valley: unbalanced, winter turns rivers into glaciers – but summer, affected by moisture from Mexico Bay
and large lakes, is scorching.
- Northeast (New England / Mid Atlantic): cooler climate with a unique weather event – Nor’easters, a combination of rain,
hail and snow
- Southeast: similar to Southern Region – but with Atlantic Ocean, more pleasant and rainier
- South: pleasant with cold winter – storms and hurricanes in some states (Texas, Oklahoma...) in spring
- Southwest: dry and scorching climate – conversely, the freezing mountainous area all the time
- Mountainous areas: alpine climate
- Most of Alaska: subarctic or polar (long, cold winters and short, cool summers)
- Hawaii and southern Florida: tropical
- More high-impact extreme weather incidents than any other country
3. TOPOGRAPHY
- West: Areas further inland feature rolling hills, mountains; temperate and subtropical moist and wet forests. Parts of interior
Florida and South Carolina are also home to sandhill communities.
- Midwest: The five Great Lakes located in the north-central portion, four forming part of the border with Canada; only Lake
Michigan is situated entirely within the United States.
- South: A broad, flat coastal plain lines the Atlantic and Gulf shores from the Texas-Mexico border to New York City, and
the Florida peninsula are the widest and longest beaches, much of it composed of soft, white sands.
- Southeast: stretching from the Ohio River southwards, includes warm temperate and subtropical moist, dry and wet forests
nearer the Great Plains in the west of the region.
● MOUNTAINS:
East: Appalachian Mountains. Hills, low mountains.
West: Rocky Mountains (Alaska → Mexico), Cascade, Sierra Nevada. High rugged ranges.
Center: Great Plains (The BreadBasket of the USA → agriculture). Vast plain (Great Plains)
Coastal: Atlantic Coastal Plain + Gulf Coastal Plain
- The highest mountain: Denali (also known as Mount McKinley) in Alaska, 6,194 m
● RIVERS
- 3 main: Missouri, Ohio, Mississippi → 3 vùng chập lại và đổ ra Gulf of Mexico.
- The longest river: The Missouri River rising in the Rocky Mountains flows east and south for 2,341 miles (3,767 km)
- In the West: Colorado & Rio Grande
● LAKES
- The largest lake: Lake Superior, located in the northernmost and westernmost of the Great Lakes, is the largest freshwater
lake by surface area and the third-largest by volume.
- The biggest: GREAT LAKES (5 hồ share vs Canada)
● DESERTS
- 4 major deserts in the South-West:
+ Great Basin: north, extremely cold and dry, snow. Sierra Nevada Mountains form a shield → little rain)
+ Mojave: extreme elevations → wide range of temperatures. Death Valley lowest point.
+ Sonoran: in southern California Arizona and Mexico, the Colorado & Gila rivers run through)
+ Chihuahuan: along the border bw Mexico and the US, Rio Grande River cuts through.
GEOGRAPHIC ADVANTAGES
- largest mass of arable land in the world
- climate favorable for agriculture
- extensive internal waterways
+ drinking water
+ crop irrigation
+ transportation
+ hydroelectricity
+ industrial production
- long coastline
+ commercial (largest harbors)
+ tourism, sports, fishing
- Abundant natural resources
4. Ecosystem & Energy sources:
a. Ecosystem
- At least 7,000 species and subspecies
- Eastern forests: a mixture of softwoods and hardwoods (pine, oak, maple, etc.)
- The central grasslands in the interior of Hawaii: extensive forests of bamboo and ferns
- The lower slopes of mountains running up to the coastline of Alaska: coniferous forests
- Larger animals: bighorn sheep, mountain goat, black bear, and grizzly bear
- Small animals: red and gray foxes, raccoon, striped skunk, woodchuck, and squirrels
- The American buffalo (bison) is now found only on select reserves, elk and gray wolf, have been restricted to much smaller
ranges.
- Lakes, rivers, and streams: trout, bass, perch, muskellunge, carp, catfish, and pike; sea bass, cod; shellfish as lobster, shrimp,
and mussels.
- Garter, pine, and milk snakes in most regions, alligators in southern waterways
b. Energy sources
- Iron, zinc, copper, silver, phosphate
- Coal, Petroleum
- Electric power
- Nuclear power
* Industrialization:
- Manufacturing: computers, service industries, electricity, electronics, chemistry
- Oil production, transport, aircraft communication
- Banking, insurance
- Chemical industry
- High-technology industries
- Textile industries
—---------------------------------------------------------------------
LESSON 2: Nation
1. The national symbols:
- Flag:
+ 1st flag sewn by Besty Ross
+ 9 rows of stars staggered horizontally
+ 11 rows of stars staggered vertically
- Nickname:
+ Old Glory
+ The Stars and Stripes
+ The Star-Spangled Banner - National Anthem
- Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson: declared the independence (separation) of the 13 colonies from
England.
- Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence: signed by the delegates on July 4, 1776 - the Liberty Bell rang out in
the State House in Philadelphia → freedom and democracy
- The French gave the Statue of Liberty to the United States as a symbol of friendship - now a symbol of freedom for new
immigrants, Libertas = The Roman goddess
- The American bald eagle: the official symbol - appears on the Presidential flag and on some coins → freedom, long life,
great strength.
- The donkey and the elephant: political cartoons - symbols for the Democratic and Republican Parties.
- Uncle Sam – the initial U.S. – appeared in political cartoons, an unofficial symbol of the U.S. government.
- White House: residence and workplace of the president
- Golden gate Bridge: 1937, longest and tallest suspension bridge → represent technology and renovation at that time.
- Grand Canyon: 1.6km deep, 29 km wide.
* The thirteen original colonies & reasons for establishment
- Virginia: to find gold and to trade with Europe
- Massachusetts: for religious freedom
- Maryland: to make money from land sale
- Rhode Island: for religious freedom
- Connecticut: for religious freedom & economic reasons
- New Hampshire: for religious, political & economic reasons
- North & South Carolina: for economic reasons
- New York: for political reasons
- New Jersey: to make money from rent
- Pennsylvania: for religious freedom
- Delaware: for political reasons
- Georgia: for political & economic reasons
NOTE:
- For religious freedom: Massachusetts, Rhode Islands, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania
- For economic reasons: Connecticut, New Hampshire,North & South Carolina, Georgia
- For political reasons: New Hampshire, New York, Delaware, Georgia
—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LESSON 3: People
1. Identity:
i. American society: A nation of immigrants from various continents
- American people including:
+ Native American / Indian / Indigenous American → red-skinned
- 20.000 years ago from Asia, >500 tribes
- Since 15th C population declined (disease, warfare, slavery, removal, discrimination)
- Indian removal Act 1830, by Andrew Jackson.
+ African / Black
+ Northern Asian (Chinese, Korean, Japanese, …)
+ Southeast Asian (Vietnamese, Philippines, Cambodian, …)
+ The Middle-east
+ Southeast European / White (Italian, Spanish, Turkish, …)
+ Northwest European / White / Anglo-Saxon (English, German, French, Dutch, Swiss, …)
+ Others (Latinos, Hispanics)
- Top 3 countries of origin:
+ 1880: Germany, Ireland, United Kingdom
+ 1930: Italy, Germany, United Kingdom
+ 1960: Italy, Germany, Canada
+ 1980: Mexico, Germany, Canada
+ 1990: Mexico, Philippines, Canada
+ 2000: Mexico, China, Philippines
- From 9.6 million immigrants in 1970 to about 38 million in 2007 (mainly from Mexico, India, the Philippines)
- Reasons for immigrating: “the land of opportunity”
+ Political freedom, religious freedom à hard work & competition
+ Equality of opportunities, jobs, wealth, opportunities to get rich are self-reliance and American values: democracy,
competition, family, heroism, patriotism, wealth, prosperity, success, work hard, freedom, simplicity, tradition.
ii. The dominant culture
The White + Anglo-Saxon + Protestant
- The WASPs = White Anglo-Saxon Protestants (75% of the population in the early America): individual freedom, equality of
opportunity, higher material standard of living
- Strongest influences: from northern European cultures, most prominently from Britain, Ireland, and Germany
- American culture: traditions, ideals, customs, beliefs, values, arts, folklore and innovations developed via colonization and
immigration from the British Isles
2. Ethnicities:
- White: 63%
- Hispanic / Latino: 16.9%
- Black / African American: 13.1%
- Asian: 5.1%
- American Indian / Alaskan Native: 1.2%
- Native Hawaiian / Other Pacific Islander: 0.2%
- Two or more raise: 2.4%
EXPLORERS:
- Italian explorers:
+ 1492: Christopher Columbus
+ 1499: Amerigo Vespucci → The New World (Novus Mundus)
NAME OF THE NATION:
- Latinized name: Americus Vespucius
- America (1507) → by Martin Waldseemuller
- Other EUROPEAN explorers: British + French
MAIN LANGUAGE:
- in North: English
- in central: Spanish

SOCIETY
Two views:
- Melting pots: integration
- Salad bowl/ Mosaic: diversity, multiculturalism.
MOTTO
“E pluribus unum” = from many, one
→ In God we trust (since 1956)

VALUES - NATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS

- Individualism, freedom, self-reliance → privacy, confidentiality
 - Self-appointed, self confident
- equality
- informality
- competitiveness → progress
- materialism → hard work
- optimism → change
- humanity → charity
- Efficiency → speed
- directness

FAMOUS PEOPLE
Founding: George Washington
Growth: Thomas Jefferson
Development: Theodore Roosevelt
Preservation: Abraham Lincoln
a) George Washington
- 1st president (1789-1797)
- The Father of Our Country
- 1775 Revolutionary War at Massachusetts
- July 4th, 1776, the Declaration of Independence.
- 1783, America won with the help of France → The treaty of peace in Paris
- 1788, the US Constitution
b) Thomas Jefferson
- Author of the Declaration of Independence, which declared the American colonies' independence from Great Britain.
- 3rd president, 1801-1809
- Expanded the USA, bought Louisiana,founded the University of Virginia
- Died on July 4, 1826
c) Theodore Roosevelt
- “Teddy”
- After William Mckinley’s assassination
- 26th president, 1901-1909
- Youngest: 42
- instrumental in constructing Panama Canal
d) Abraham Lincoln
- 16th president (1861-1865)
- Civil War
- Abolished slavery (emancipation, proclamation)
- assassinated in 1865.
CIVIL WAR (1861-1865): 1800s: Northern and southern states

the North (union) The south (confederate)

- industry → no slaves - agriculture → slaves

- abraham lincoln - jefferson Davis

e) Alexander Hamilton ($10)

- one of the Founding Fathers of the United States
- 1st Secretary of the Treasury under President George Washington
f) Andrew Jackson ($20)
- 7th president
- The Indian Removal Act
g) Ulysses S. Grant ($50)
- 18th president (1869-1877)
- first president after the Civil War.
- protect African-American citizenship
h) Benjamin Franklin ($100)
- author, printer, political theorist, scientist, inventor, diplomat.
j) Franklin D. Roosevelt
- 32th president (12years: 1933-1945)
- Great Depression (1929-39) + WW1
→ New deal, relief, recovery and reform
k) John F. Kennedy
- Catholic
- Youngest elected president (43)
- against communism
- assassinated, 1961-1963
l) Sacagawea
- helped Lewis and Clark, expedition across the West
m) Martin Luther King (1929-1968)
- Civil Rights Movement leader
- “I have a dream” speech
- 1964, Nobel Peace Prize
n) Donald Trump
- 45th president (2017-2021)
- richest, Hall of Town
o) Joe Biden
- 46th, 2nd Catholic, oldest
CENT:
+ 1c: Abraham Lincoln
+ 5c: Thomas Jefferson
+ 10c: Franklin Roosevelt
+ 25c: George Washington
+ 50c: John F. Kennedy
+ $1: Sacagawea with her child

LESSON 4: POLITICS (CÁI NÀY CỦA BRITISH)

I. Constitutional monarchy
1. Legislature
a. Monarch:
● Figurehead -> bù nhìn
- Symbol of national unity: head of state
- Symbol of stability and continuity
- Representation of the nation
- Have limited powers
● Roles
- Non-political
- Ceremonial head
- Opening an closing the Parliament
- Dissolving Parliament of new elections
- Appointment of Prime Minister
- Preservation of Tradition and Cultural Heritage
- Head of Commonwealth

IN LAW IN PRACTICE

Absolute power Almost no power

PM & minister: “Servant of Crown” PM is the leader of the strongest party + decides
on ministers

Approval Bill Royal Assert is automatic

“HM Government”+ Her/His Majesty Reign but not Rules

Government

b. House of Lords vs House of Commons

Aspect House of Lords House of Commons

 Composition Appointed and hereditary members elected representatives called MP

membership appointed by the monarch or hold their elected by the public in general (bầu
positions by virtue of their hereditary (thừa cử)
kế, con ông cháu cha đồ đó)

Role review and propose amendments to initiate and database legislation, play a
legislation central role in making law process

Legislative Can delay or suggest final decision making however has to

influence follow the approval of both Houses to
become law

Party Affiliation không thuộc đảng nào hết member thường thuộc đảng chính trị
(Đảng viên) có thể có liên kết hoặc lịch sử chính trị

thời gian nắm giữ whole life MPs làm theo nhiệm kỳ
chức vụ 8,7 years: average length of service for
MPs

Executive - Government
650 constituencies = 650 MPs
Government system
- Prime Minister
+ Leader of the majority party
+ Head of the Government
- Minister
+ Senior ministers (Secretaries of State)
+ Junior ministers (Ministers of State)
Prime Minister and Ministers are MP as well
- Cabinet => Inner Cabinet (2-3):
+ about 20 senior ministers
+ collective responsibility
+ meet once a week
- Departments, agencies and public bodies
+ 23 ministerial departments:
HM Treasury: Chancellor of the Exchequer
Home Office: Secretary of State for the Home Department
+ Agencies: MI5 (domestic intelligence), MI6 (foreign intelligence)
+ Cooperation: BBC, Historic Royal Palaces
- Residence:
+ 10 Downing Street: official residence of the PM, cabinet office
+ Chequer: country house retreat of the PM in Buckinghamshire
+ 11 Downing Street: official residence of the Chancellor of Exchequer

AMERICAN POLITICS
Elephant: The Republic
Donkey: Democratic (người nghèo)
45 men & 46 presidencies
I - THE AMERICAN ATTITUDE
- apathy
- politics apart
- negative view of politics and politicians
+ harsh criticism
+ not from foreigners (because they have pride in their country)
+ proud of their political system → “rule of law”: everyone is equal
II- THE US CONSTITUTION
- 1781: Articles of Confederation (1st constitution): Philadelphia
- 1787: modified → a new Constitution: Philadelphia
- Short, few (27) amendments → proud
 + Bill of Rights (first 10 amendments)
+ 1st amendments: freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly (biểu tình), and petition (ký tên),...
III - THE POLITICAL SYSTEM
- Democratic Republic (dan chu cong hoa)
- Systems: 1 federal → 50 states → 89.470 local

A - FEDERAL GOVERNMENT (power is shared between the national government and individual states)

1. CHECKS AND BALANCES

- Ensuring that no single branch of government becomes too powerful by allowing each branch to limit the powers of
the other branches.

CONGRESS
 ● The Senate = The Upper House
- 2 senators each state
- elected every 2 years for 6-year terms
● The House of Representatives = The Lower House
- 435 Representatives
- 435 Congressional districts
- elected every 2 year for 2-year terms
● Bill = Law
- Both Houses + President
- President can veto bill
- ⅔ Congress can override
- The building of Congress → The Capitol = the Senate and the House of Representatives, in Washington D.C.
PRESIDENT (POTUS)
- “Mr. President” - Joe Biden
- “First Lady” - Jill Biden
- The White House
- 4-year term, no more than 2 terms in a row.
PRESIDENT POWERS
1. Executive powers
- Chief Executive: executes the laws, appoints key federal officials.
- Commander-in-Chief: sends troops, declares war
- Chief diplomat: negotiates with foreign countries.
2. Legislative powers
- Sends message to Congress
- Introduce, sign, or veto bills
- Issue orders (ordinance power) ~ temporary (ban hanh sac lenh)
3. Judicial powers
- Grant pardon
- Appoints Judges of Supreme Court (approved by Senate)
4. Financial powers
- Works with Congress on the budget
VICE-PRESIDENT (VPOTUS)
- Kamala Devi Harris
- elected - sometimes as P
- replaces president
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
CABINET
- heads of 15 departments - Secretary → Head of Justice Attorney General (bộ trưởng tư pháp)
- chosen by P with approval of the Senate
15 DEPARTMENTS:
Department of Agriculture (Bộ Nông nghiệp)/ Commerce (Bộ Thương mại)/ Defense (Bộ Quốc phòng)/ Education (Bộ Giáo
dục)/ Energy (Bộ Năng lượng)/ Health and Human Services (Bộ Y tế và Dịch vụ Nhân sinh)/ Homeland Security (Bộ An ninh
Nội địa)/ Housing and Urban Development (Bộ Nhà ở và Phát triển Đô thị)/ the Interior (Bộ Nội vụ)/ Justice (Bộ Tư pháp)/
Labor (Bộ Lao động)/ State (Bộ Ngoại giao)/ Transportation (Bộ Giao thông Vận tải)/ the Treasury (Bộ Kho bạc)/ Veterans
Affairs (Bộ Quân nhân và Hưu trí)
→ Independent federal agencies.
FEDERAL COURTS
- Jobs: review laws + explain laws + resolve dispute + decide if a law goes against the constitution
- 3 levels:
+ Supreme Court → 9 Justices
- appointed by P
- hold office for life
+ 13 Circuit Courts of Appeals (Appellate court)
+ 94 District Courts (Trial Court)
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
VOTERS
- American citizens at least 18 years old
- Register as voters
CANDIDATES
- President:
+ born in the US
 + minimum age 35 years old
+ US resident for 14 years
- Senators:
+ inhabitant of the state they represent
+ citizen of the US at least 9 years
+ at least 30 years old.
- House of member:
+ inhabitant of the state they represent
+ citizen of the US for at least 7 years
+ at least 27 years old.
STAGES OF A PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
● PRIMARIES AND CAUCUSES (bầu cử tiền tổng tuyển cử)
- Aim: to vote for party delegates at national conventions
- Primaries (bầu cử tiền tổng tuyển cử): elections run by government → bỏ phiếu công khai
+ Closed primary: party’s members (chỉ những thành viên đã đăng ký vào đảng mới được bỏ phiếu )
+ open primary: any voters
- Caucuses (hội nghị địa phương) : private events run by political parties.
● NATIONAL CONVENTION (Hội nghị Quốc gia)
- Aim: to nominate presidential and V.P candidates → media event
● CAMPAIGN
- begins in Sept
- high costs → 2 major parties: Democrats and Republicans.
● ELECTION & ELECTORAL COLLEGE
- 1st Tue of Nov
- Indirect: determined by electors of the Electoral College
- 538 Electors (435 Representatives + 100 Senators + 3 columbia) → winner >= 270 electoral voters
- “winner-takes-all” system (except in Maine and Nebraska: proportional representation) → win the popular vote but
lose the election.
- if no candidate gets 270 electoral votes:
+ president: elected by the house
+ VP: elected by the senate.
POLITICAL PARTIES
- Major parties: Democrats + Republicans (since 1854)
- Third parties: America First Party, Communist Party USA, Marijuana Party, Workers World Party,...
● Democratic Party:
+ oldest party in the US (1829) - DONKEY
+ associated with labor
+ oppose nuclear weapon and military spending
+ supported by the poor and minorities
● Republican Party
+ associated with business and industry
+ against social programs, conservatism, personal freedom.
+ more active role of central government
+ grand old party (GOP, unofficial name for dang cong hoa)
B - STATE GOVERNMENT
3 branches:
● Legislature: 2 chambers (except Nebraska)
- Senate
- House of Representatives/ Delegates/ Assembly
+ State senators and representatives: 2-year or 4-year term
● Executive:
- Head of executive: Governor (directly elected)
● Judicial:
- Constitution → 55 different sets of laws:
+ 50 states
+ 1 federal gov
+ 4 territories
FEDERAL GOV VS STATE GOV
 - FBI: federal bureau of investigation
- CIA: central intelligence agency
C - LOCAL GOVERNMENT
1. Counties
2. Municipalities (cities, towns, boroughs)
3. Districts
- Granted power by the state
- mayors, councils, sheriffs, judges, directly elected
- parks and recreation, housing, transportation, medical services, police and fire departments → well-being.

AMERICAN EDUCATION
HISTORY
- great concern since colonial times → 9 colleges & 4 revolutions
- 1636: Harvard - Massachusetts
- 1693: William and Mary - Virginia
- World’s 1st compulsory free education (Boston, from 1640s)
- 18th C: many academies
- Benjamin Franklin Academy in Philadelphia
- By 1850: free public schools in every state.
CONTROL OF EDUCATION
- decentralization (D.o.Edu → give $ to federal, each state has one D.o.E)
- Right & Obligation
+ School attendance laws (vary in each state)
+ everyone can go to school
→ Edu is a national concern, state responsibility, and local function.
GOALS
- university literacy
- Americanization: bring ppl together
- equal opportunity: american value
- life-long learning: T’s job is to arouse Ss’ interest “Once you stop learning, you start dying”
COURSE CONTENT
- Practical:
+ learn by doing
+ critical thinking → facts
- extracurricular activities → well-rounded people
- replace parents
+ home economy → help parents
+ health education
- bilingual education act 1968 → immigrant teaching
- special programs → children with physical & mental problems
- search talents
EDUCATIONAL PROBLEMS
- teacher’s status, salary, working conditions
- financial support (more $ on prison than school)
- politics & school administration
- decentralization → quality varies → hard to control
- well-rounded people → not so well-equipped
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS
 A. PUBLIC SCHOOL
- K-12
- Elected/ appointed school boards
- Co-educational & nonsectarian
- funded by property tax
- follow state guidelines (curriculum, teacher quality)
- build a common culture → low entrance rate
elementary → middle school → high school
elementary → junior high school → senior high school
B. PRIVATE SCHOOL
- 10% attend private schools
- parochial (catholic) >< non-sectarian – > inexpensive
- elitist: high tuition
- secular: respects diverse religious or non-religious perspectives.
ELEMENTARY & HIGH SCHOOL
- Grades: 1-12 (from age 6)
- school year: late August/ early Sept to mid Jun
- Vacations:
+ 2-week winter (xmas, new year’s holiday)
+ 1-week spring (easter)
+ 2-month summer
- uniform: 20% (mostly private school)
A - ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
- neighborhood
- subjects: language, social studies, mathematics, science, PE/arts, home economics.
B - HIGH SCHOOL
- larger community → school bus (yellow)
- dual commitment
+ prepare for higher education: advanced placement classes (AP) → college credit
+ compete → college
+ prepare for work: vocational courses
- subjects:
+ English, social studies, maths, science
+ foreign language (spanish, french, german)
+ arts, home economics, health education
+ other vocational courses
- extracurricular activities
- tracking system
- prom and graduation
COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY
A - UNDERGRADUATE LEVEL
- Admission: ACT/ SAT + GPA
- grading: A to F (no E)
- Prep for career + life
- public < private
- academic year (Sept-June): 2 or 3 terms
- Fee:
+ public: $10.000 → 80% attend
+ private: $15.000 → $50.000/year
- foundation: freshman sophomore
- major: junior/ senior
→ change majors → flexible