Chapter 9 ~ Western Europe

Lesson 1~ The United Kingdom~ Democracy and Monarchy

  1. Regions of the United Kingdom
  2. Great Britain: the nation that is made up of England, Scotland, and Wales.
  3. United Kingdom: the nation that is composed of four regions: ______, ______, ______, and ______.
  4. The United Kingdom is shortened to UK.
  5. Each region in the UK has its own culture, traditions, and customs.
  6. The British government unifies them all.
  1. A Democratic Heritage
  2. Today, the UK is headed by ______. She is the country’s monarch and a symbol of Britain’s past and its customs.
  1. The Magna Carta
  2. ______was the first written document written in 1215 that required the king to follow the laws of the land.
  3. The name Magna Carta means ______.
  1. Parliament
  2. ______is the lawmaking body in the UK.
  3. Parliament is the place where officials discuss laws and other government business.
  4. Parliament is made up of two parts: the ______and the ______.
  5. Members in the ______are not elected but are high ranking clergy, judges or people who are distinguished in the British society. These members have ______power in making the laws.
  6. Members in the ______of ______are elected. These members govern the nation and have more power in making laws.
  1. A Changing Monarchy
  1. A Constitutional Monarchy

1.While Parliament gained power, the power of the British monarchs lessened.

2. The UK is now governed by a constitution.

3. A ______is a set of laws that describes how a government works.

4. The British constitution is different from the US constitution.

a. It is not one written document

b. It is made up of laws passed by Parliament, important court decisions, and certain legal practices.

c. Parliament can change the constitution as necessary.

5. The British government today is a ______. This means a government in which the power of the king or queen is limited.

a. Kings and queens must obey the laws

b. The laws are made by Parliament, not by the monarch.

  1. Devolution
  2. ______is the process of moving lawmaking power from the national level to the regional level.
  1. The Importance of Trade

As an island nation, the UK has limited natural resources. It must trade with other nations for resources.

  1. The British Empire
  2. In the 1500’s trade enabled the British to begin building a large empire.
  3. The many British colonies helped the UK become a world economic power.
  1. A European Union Member
  2. The UK has many strong industries: Example oil from the North Sea.
  3. However, the UK is not as strong a world power as it once was.
  4. The UK no longer relies on its colonies to boost its economy.
  5. In 1973, the UK joined the ______. This is a group of countries that promotes trade and other forms of cooperation among its members.
  6. The UK today is a leading member of the EU.