Introducing to Culture and Society

Compare and contrast British politcal

system and American one.
 Group 6
1. Nguyễn Thị Quỳnh Tiên
2. Phạm Thị Xuân Mai
3. Ngô Hoàng Long
4. Hồ Xuân Ánh Ngọc
5. Nguyễn Anh Hoàng
 Content
1. The Constition
2. The Government
3. The Party system
4. The Elections
 4

1.The
Constition
 The US is a federal
The UK is an constitutional republic 5

constitutional monarchy + the written constitution

+ an ‘unwritten’ +The Constitution of the
1.The constitution United States of America is
Constition + an uncodified
the supreme law of the
United States
constitution
 6

The King or Queen are

2. The limited power.
Constution + In Britain, the Prime
Minister and his cabinet
holds most of the power 
similar the President in US.
+The Parliament holds most
power  similar to the U.S
Congress.
 7

2. The
Constution
 8

2. The
Constution
 9

2. The The Parliament ( The UK)

The Congress ( The U.S)
Constution + 2 bodies: House of Lords and
+ 2 bodies: The Senate and the
House of Commons.
House of Representatives.
+ create the law
+ pass the law
 10

THE POWER OF THE

2. The QUEEN
Constution 1. Head of State
2. Head of the Church of
England
3. Head of the Armed
Forces
The United 4. Represents the Nation
Kingdom
 ○ The US ○ The UK
+ The United States is a + The United Kingdom is a11
federal government – a constitutional monarchy-
government where power government where the
2. The is divided between power of the king (or
different branches. queen) is restrained by
Government Parliament.
+ Rules of government
stated in the
Constitutional
 12

2. The
Government
– The US
Structure

+This system is
designed “ balance the
power”.
+ System “ Check and
balance”
 13

2. The
Government
– The Uk
Structure
 14

2. The
Government.
Who is the
leader of the
government? British voters do not choose their
American are at least 18 ages can vote Prime Minister.He/she is voted
the president and he/ she is elected for within his/her political party.
through the Electoral College to a  The Prime Minister lives in
four-year term in the U.S Chequers
 The President lives in White House
 THE US THE UK
* The President * The Prime Minister 15

+ Head of government ( chief + The member of either

of state) commons or Lords
+ Commands the armed forces + The leader of a great
2. The (military) political party
Government + Forgeign policy + Inherited a majority in
+ Power to reject laws created the Commons
by Congress
 16
3 Branches of
2. The Government
Government
• Executive
1

• Legislative
2
What is the
different between • Judicial
US and UK? 3
 17

2. The
Government * Branches of Government * Branches of Government in
in the UK the US
+ Executive = Prime + Executive = President, Vice
Minister and Cabinet President and Cabinet
+ Legislative = House of + Legislative = Congress,
Lords and House of Senate and House of
Commons Representatives
+ Judicial = Court + Judicial = Supreme Court
How does a bill
18
become a law in the
US and the UK ?

2. The
Government
 The Cabinet of the 19
United States is a
2. The group of people The President’s
who advise the Cabinet is formed of
Government.
President on all the Vice President
US Cabinet vs and the heads of the
the different
UK Canbinet 15 executive
areas to do with
the job. Not just departments – from
anyone gets to be education and energy
in it though – it’s a to health and housing.
pretty exclusive
club.
 20
○ US Cabinet
2. The  They might be
US CABINET members of the
Government.
They let the same political
US Cabinet vs President know party as the
UK Canbinet what’s going on President – or
in each area and from the other
what needs to be side. He wants the
done next. best to advise him!
 21
The size of the American
2. The Cabinet is always fixed. It’s one
Government. Vice President plus 15 heads –
US Cabinet vs so 16 people in total. Whereas
UK Canbinet
the size of the British Cabinet
varies depending on what the
PM wants.
 22
The Cabinet of the UK CABINET
2. The United Kingdom is The people in the
Government. the Prime Cabinet are called
US Cabinet Minister’s top Ministers. They’re
vs UK team of MPs. The each given an area
Canbinet Prime Minister to look after and
picks the Cabinet have to make sure
from their own everything’s
.
party’s Members running smoothly.
of Parliament.
 23
○ The President
2. The doesn’t attend
○ THE US CABINET
Government. Cabinet
meets whenever it whereas the
US Cabinet vs needs to whereas the Prime Minister
UK Canbinet British Cabinet themselves
always meets once a leads Cabinet
week. meetings in
Downing Street.
24
 3 main parties in the 2 main parties in the US
UK 25

3. The party
system.
 PARTY SYSTEM DATE OF POLITICAL LEADER 26
FOUNDATION POSITION

In 1900 Centre – left Jeremy

Corbyn
3. The party
system. In 1834 Centre – Boris Johnson
right

In 1988 Centre to Ed Davey and

THE UK (1859 as center left Mark Pack
Liberal
Party)
 PARTY SYSTEM DATE OF POLITICAL LEADER 27
FOUNDATION POSITION

In 1824 Liberal, Chuck

3. The party left-leaning Schumer
.
system

In 1854 Conservativ Mitch

e McConnell
,
THE US right-leanin
g
.
 28

4. The
election
 4.1 TYPE OF THE ELECTION: 29
UK US
The General Elections The Electoral College
 The elections are held on the  Elections are held for
4. The same day in all constituencies government officials at the
election of their federal, state, and local levels.
Members of Parliament  At the federal level, the
(MPs) to the nation's head of state, the
House of Commons. president and the vice president
are elected indirectly by the
people of each state.
 4.2 MANNER & TIME OF THE ELECTION 30
UK US
 Adults vote for who they  Local election, state
want to be their member election, …are taken place
4. The of Parliament. before the presidential
election is done.
election
 General elections take  Presidential elections take
place every 5 years place every 4 years
 4.3 REQUIREMENT FOR VOTERS 31

UK US
 18 years old.  18 years old.
4. The
 To be a British citizen, or a  To be a US citizen.
election citizen of the Republic of
Ireland or one of the
Commonwealth countries
 4.4 ELECTORAL CAMPAIGN 32
UK US
 Being pretty quick.  Going on for long time.
 About 6 weeks.  Over 18 months.
4. The  The voters select the
election candidates, then lot of
states cover after all.
=> The Prime Minister => The President
 4.5 INAUGURATION 33
UK US
 The Prime Minister  Before taking over the presidency,
takes over immediately the new President waits about 2
4. The after being elected. months to be officially unveiled by
an inauguration ceremony at the end
election of January of next year.
 34

Thanks!
Q& A
 35

Question 1: In the case of a tied vote in the U.S. Senate,

is the deciding vote cast by …?
A/The vice president
B/The president
C/The Senate majority leader
D/The Senate parliamentarian
Answer: A
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Question 2: How is the number of terms a president

can serve determined?
A/There is no limit to the number of terms a president can
serve
B/The 22nd Amendment of the Constitution
C/Article II of the U.S. Constitution
D/Custom and precedent
Answer: B
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Question 3: The U.S. Electoral College is?

A.Is an assembly that formally elects the president
B.Trains those who run for political office
C.Supervises the presidential debates
D.Is another name for the U.S. Congress
Answer: A
 38

Question 4: Who drafted the U.S. Declaration of

Independence?
A/Abraham Lincoln
B/Thomas Jefferson
C/George Washington
D/King George III
Answer: B
 39

Question 5: Who wrote the American national

anthem?
A/F. Scott Fitzgerald
B/Francis Bellamy
C/Francis Drake
D/Francis Scott Key
Answer: D
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Question 6: Where did the U.S. Senate first meet,

before moving to Philadelphia and then to
Washington, D.C.?
A/New York City
B/Boston
C/Richmond
D/Trenton
Answer: A
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Question 7: What kind of government does the United

States have?
A/monarchy
B/democracy
C/republic
D/gerontocracy
Answer: C
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Question 8: How many members are there of the

U.S. Senate?
A/100
B/150
C/200
D/50
Answer: A
 43

Question 9: How many members are there in the

United States House of Representatives?
A/50
B/100
C/435
D/500
Answer: C
 44

Question 10: How many electoral vote are there?

A/150
B/253
C/538
D/435
Answer: C
 45

Question 11: How many amendments are there in the

United States Constitution?
A/20
B/24
C/27
D/30
Answer: C
 46

Question 12: How many votes are needed to pass a

bill in the Senate?
A/50
B/51
C/75
D/100
Answer: B
 47

Question 13: Do you happen to know which political

party currently has a majority in the U.S. Senate?
A/Republican Party
B/Democratic Party
Answer: A
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Question 14: Do you happen to know which political

party has a majority in the U.S. House of
Representatives?
A/Republican Party
B/Democratic Party
Answer: B
 49

Question 15: Which party’s logo is a donkey?

A/Democratic
B/Republican
Answer: A
 50

Question 16: Which is the older party?

A/Democratic
B/Republican
Answer: A
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Question 17: For 2018, which party had the most U.S.
presidents?
A/Democratic
B/Republican
Answer: B
 52

Question 18: Which party was the first to have a woman

on the presidential ticket?
A/Republican
B/Democratic
Answer: B
 53

Question 19: Which party held the presidency for the

longest stretch of time?
A/Democratic
B/Republican
Answer: A
 54

QUIZ ON THE UK POLITICAL SYSTEM

Question 20: How many Members of Parliament are

there?
A/460
B/570
C/650
D/740
Answer: C
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Question 21: The House of Lords is known as

Parliament's second chamber. What do the Lords do?
A/Revise and check new laws
B/Control taxes
C/Advise the Queen
D/Set budgets
Answer: A
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Question 22: Most Lords are appointed by the Prime

Minister. Approximately how many people belong to
the House of Lords?
A/500
B/600
C/700
D/800
Answer: D
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Question 23: What is the main job of the House of

Lords?
A/To help make new laws
B/To choose the Prime Minister
C/To advise the Queen
D/To support the Speaker
Answer: A
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Question 24: If the House of Commons and the House

of Lords disagree on whether a proposed Law should
be passed, who has the final say?
A/The House of Lords
B/The House of Commons
C/The Queen
D/The Prime Minister
Answer: B
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Question 25: Under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act

2011, how often does a general election have to be held
in the UK?
A/Every 2 years
B/Every 4 years
C/Every 5 years
D/At least once every 3 years
Answer: C
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Question 26: Which of the following are British

political parties?
A/Every 4 years
B/At least once every 3 years
C/The Liberal Democrats
D/The Green Party
Answer: A