Question 11:

How did the British Empire end? How is the British foreign policy formed?

The age of imperialism was over.

·        On the one hand, the British could no longer afford to maintain its empire; while Britain had won the war, it had paid a terrible price in terms of lives and in terms of economic destruction.

·        On the other hand, the British realised that countries should be granted the independence and left to run their own affairs.

·        The end of the great British empire was surprisingly rapid.

·        In the 1940s, many countries were granted independence and left the Commonwealth, refusing to recognise the British monarch as the head of their new states.

How Foreign Policy is Made

·        The Prime Minister and Cabinet decide on the general direction of Britain's foreign policy.

·        The main government department involved is of course the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).

·        The Ministry of Defence is responsible for ensuring Britain's defence and managing Britain's involvement in its military treaty commitments.

·        The Department of Trade and Industry is concerned with formulating international trade policy and managing British commercial relations with other countries.

·        The Treasury makes decisions on how much money other departments can have each year.

·        Since Britain is a parliamentary democracy, the government's foreign policy in theory represents the desires of its electorate.

Question 12:

How do the British celebrate Christmas? What are the three traditions of Christmas in Britain?

·        Christmas, December 25th, is the biggest and best loved British holiday.

·        Schools close for the holiday period, as do shops and offices, so people can spend time at home with their families.

·        Christmas is celebrated by most Britons by exchanging gifts and Christmas cards, preparing holiday foods, and decorating homes and workplaces with coloured lights, Christmas trees and ornaments .

·        Three Christmas traditions are particularly British: one is the Christmas Pantomime, a comical musical play.

·        Another British Christmas tradition is to hear the Queen give her Christmas message to her realm over the television and radio.

·        She usually talks about the year that has passed and expresses her hopes for the future.

·        A third British tradition, which is also celebrated in countries with British heritages, is Boxing Day, which falls on the day after Christmas.

·        Traditionally, it was on Boxing Day that people gave Christmas gifts or money to their staff or servants.

·        A new Boxing Day custom is shopping. Shops open up to sell off all their Christmas stock decorations, food, cards and gift items at low prices.

·        For most people, Boxing Day is a day for visiting, eating and relaxing.

Question 13:

What do you know about the first white colonists in America? Why did they go there? In what way did Puritanism influence American culture?

The Settlement in Virginia

·        In 1606, the first white Americans left England.

·        The first English permanent settlement was founded in 1607 in Virginia.

·        When the colonists settled down, they did not grow food. A few laborers started to dig for gold and look for other riches while those English gentlemen were idle, doing nothing.

·        Unfortunately, nothing was found → they ran into the shortage of food.

·        When the second group of men were sent with supplies, only 38 of the first arrivals were dead → Jamestown was in a great crisis.

·        When Captain John Smith took the leadership, he imposed discipline by making everyone work.

·        A few years later, another colonist, John Rolfe began to experiment with the West Indian Tobacco and this plant grew well in Virginia soil → They became successful by selling tobacco to Europe.

·        John Rolfe married the princess of an Indian tribe chief → friendship between the white and the Indians (native people)

·        In 1619, two important events took place in Virginia:

- On July 30, 1619, in the Jamestown church, the delegates elected from various communities in Virginia discussed the enactment of laws for the colony.

- A month later, a Dutch ship brought in over 20 black slaves.

Puritan New England

·        In 1620, English puritans who separated themselves from the Church of England took the ship Mayflower and left for North America → they landed in New England.

·        The Puritans believed that governments should enforce God's morality

→ They strictly punished drunks, adulterers…..

·        The American values such as individualism, hard work, respect of education owe very much to the Puritan beliefs.

Question 14:

What do you know about the Articles of Confederation in the USA? Why did the Articles fail? What is the making of the USA Constitution?

Articles of Confederation

·        When the War of Independence was over, the United States was not one unified nation.

·        Each new state had its own government and was organized like an independent nation → had its own laws and handled all of its internal affairs.

·        During the war, the states worked together by sending representatives to a national congress.

·        The Congress would raise money to pay off debts of the war, establish a money system and deal with foreign nations in making treaties → the Articles of Confederation.

·        The Articles of Confederation failed because the states did not cooperate with the Congress or with each other.

·        Many Americans worried about the future → They believed that the Congress needed more power.

·        The Congress asked each state to discuss the changes which would be necessary to strengthen the Articles of Confederation.

Constitution

·        The Constitution of the United States: federal system with a strong central government.

·        The Constitution also called for the election of a national leader, or president.

·        Federal laws would be made only by a Congress made up of representatives elected by the people.

·        It also provided for a national court system headed by a Supreme Court.

·        Government consisting of three parts, or branches: the executive, the legislative, the judicial.

·        States were allowed to run their own governments as they wished, provided that their governments were republican.

·        Government is set up by “We, the People" and its purpose is to “promote the general welfare and secure the blessing of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.”

Question 15:

What do you know about the executive and legislative branches in the American Constitution? How does the system of “Checks and Balances” work?

Legislative Branch

·        The legislative branch is made up of elected representatives from all of the states → the only branch that can make federal laws, levy federal taxes, declare war or put foreign treaties into effect.

·        The Congress is divided into two houses:

the Senate

the House of Representatives

·        The House of Representatives: 435 representatives serving two-year terms (435 representatives)

·        The Senate: serving six-year terms (two senators/state) → only one-third of the Senate is elected every two years → experienced senators in Congress after each election.

·        The main duty of the Congress is to make laws

Executive Branch

The chief executive: the president. A president can be elected to only two terms (4 years/term). The powers of the presidency are formidable, but not without limitations. The President’s roles are to:

·        propose legislation to Congress.

·        veto any bill passed by Congress.

·        influence public opinion regarding issues and legislation that he deems vital.

·        appoint federal judges as vacancies occur, including members of the Supreme Court.

·        issue regulations and directives regarding the work of the federal government's many departments and agencies.

·        appoint the heads and senior officials of the executive branch agencies.

·        The president is primarily responsible for foreign relations with other nations → appoints ambassadors and other officials, subject to Senate approval → formulates and manages the nation's foreign policy.

Checks and Balances

·        The system of "checks and balances" works to keep serious mistakes from being made.

·        Congress proposes a law → the president can veto → the proposal return to where it is originated → if two­thirds of the members of both houses vote → it becomes the law.

·        If Congress passes a law → it is challenged in the courts as unconstitutional → Supreme Court has the power to declare the law unconstitutional → it is no longer in effect.

·        The president has the power to make treaties with other nations and to make all appointments to federal positions, including the position of Supreme Court justice.

·        The Senate must approve all treaties and confirm all appointments before they become official → the Congress can prevent the president from making unwise appointments.