Vidas e Instituciones de U.K. y U.S.A.: Final Exam's Q&A

1. Outline the principal lines of policy usually supported by each of the three leading political parties in the UK?
The three most important parties in the UK are The Conservatories, The Labours, and the Liberal Democrats. The Conservative party places itself right of center, and therefore they support the idea of a marketplace with virtually no government involvement. The Labours are associated with a slight left placement from the center and they believe in more government policies controlling the economy. As regards the Liberal Democrats they have a central outlook, meaning they have both right-wing and left-wing ideals. Out of the three parties, the Liberal Democrats is the party that shows to be most concerned about environmental issues.

2. What is the difference between the expressions "cabinet" and "shadow cabinet"?
The cabinet is a body of government made up of the leading politicians from the governing party. Its function is to meet once a week and make decisions about new policies, the implementation of existing policies and the running of various government departments. The shadow cabinet, on the other hand, led by her Majesty's opposition is made up of the opposing party, and as such its members scrutinize their corresponding ministers in the government and develop alternative policies.

3. What are the main differences between a presidential and a parliamentarian system?
In the presidential system the government power is equally divided in three branches: the legislative branch, the executive branch and the judicial branch. The president is elected indirectly by the people and is the head of the executive branch. sssss

4. Which of the two Houses in the British Parliament is by far the most important and why? Can you make a contrast with the Houses in the American Congress?
The house of Commons is much more powerful than the Lords. They are the one that draft, compose and review bill proposals and the lords only discuss and spot inconsistencies in said bill proposals. The Lords lost its power in the beginning of the last century due to a king's retaliation against its members. The main difference between the Commons and the Lords with the Senate and the Representatives is that the power is equally balanced in the latter.

5. How are MPs and Lords elected?
The MPs are directly elected by the people in one of the 600+ constituencies the country is divided into. The Lords are elected through the life peerage system.

6. How does a bill become an Act of Parliament?
A bill proposal journey begins and ends in the Commons. MPs first draft the ideas of the bill in the "green paper." Later, it is passed in neat in the "white paper." Next, the MPs analyze the proposal in a first, second, and third reading, each with a increased level of scrutinize. After this, the reading process refers itself in the Lords, but suffers no modification as they have no power to do so. The last step in the taken by the Queen when she approves the law.

7. Why is the electoral system called "first-past-the-post?"
WRONG The term "first-past-the-post" means that the party that captures the majority of the votes is automatically considered as the winner.

8. What is a Court of Appeal?

9. What kind of degrees can be obtained from a British and American university? Is there any distinction?

10 Which is the political ideology of two of the most prestigious newspapers in the U.K.: The Times and the Guardian? 
RIGHT "The Times" has a tendency to support a right-wing political outlook, and "The Guardian" a left-wing outlook.

11. Which type of press predominates in the UK and the USA and why?

12. What is the Open University?
RIGHT The Open University is essentially a distance-learning university. Nowadays, students receive their lessons through Internet and have to attend short summer classes.

13. Under the American Constitution congress is made up of two houses: the House of Representatives and the Senate. What does each of them represent?
WRONG The House of Representatives represent a portion of the population, while the Senate represent the government.

14. "The British Prime Minister is the equivalent to the American President" Do you agree with this statement? Support your answer.
WRONG The PM is indeed the equivalent to the president as both occupy the most powerful position government. Needless to say, there are a lot of differences between the two, but still they are the equivalent to each other (no equals)

15. What was the eleven-plus examination?