Unit 6 POLITICAL LIFE

THE PUBLIC ATTITUDE TO POLITICS

1. Politicians in Britain do not have a good
reputation. They just regard them with a high
degree of suspicion. They do not expect them
to be corrupt or to use their position to
amass personal wealth, but they do expect
them to be frequently dishonest.
THE PUBLIC ATTITUDE TO POLITICS
2. The lack of enthusiasm for politicians may be
seen in the fact that surveys. More than half
of the adults in Britain do not know the name
of their local Member of Parliament and
quite a high proportion do not even know the
names of the important government
ministers or leaders of the major political
parties.
THE PUBLIC ATTITUDE TO POLITICS
3. But the British were not always so
unenthusiastic. In centuries past, it was a
maxim of gentlemen’s clubs that nobody
should mention politics or religion in polite
conversation.
4. In British, it is generally accepted that politics
is a dirty business, a necessary evil.
THE PUBLIC ATTITUDE TO POLITICS
1. What do the British think about politics?
British think politics is a dirty business, a necessary evil.

2. What do the British expect from politicians?

They do not expect them to be corrupt or to use their
position to amass personal wealth, but they do expect
them to be frequently dishonest.

3. Why is it dangerous if people mention politics?

Because, in centuries past, it was a maxim of gentlemen’s
clubs that’s nobody should mention politics or religion in
polite conversation.
 THE CONSTITUTION
• Britain is a constitutional monarchy: country governed by
a king or queen who accepts the advice of a parliament.
• Monarch or a president has little real power.
• Parliament which has been elected by the people.
 THE CONSTITUTION

Constitutional governed by King or Queen

monarchy

Accepts the
- Own a lot of assets and properties advice of a
- Do not have to pay taxes parliament (PM)
- Always pay taxes since 1992
- Support the poor
- Support Military
THE CONSTITUTION
• Queen Elizabeth II
• 1926 – 2022
• Born in Mayfair,
London
• Married Philip
Moutbaten, prince of
Greece and Denmark
THE CONSTITUTION
• Philip Moutbaten, Prince
of Greece and Denmark
• 1921 – 2021
• Born in Greece
• Married Queen Elizabeth II
 THE CONSTITUTION
• Parliamentary democracy is controlled by
Parliament
• Parliament which has been elected by the
people.
Parliamentary Controlled by Parliament
democracy

Elected by the
people
 THE CONSTITUTION

TONY BLAIR DAVID CAMERON THERESA MAY

Prime Minister Prime Minister Prime Minister

1997 - 2007 2010 - 2016 2016 - 2019

THE CONSTITUTION
• Britain is almost alone
among modern states
in that it does not have
'a constitution' at all.
• There are rules,
regulations, principles
and procedures for the
running of the country
which are known
collectively as 'the
constitution'
 THE STYLE OF POLITICS
1. Although there are more than two parties in the country,
Britain is normally described as having a “two-party system”.

2. How does the origin of Britain political parties partly explain

the “two -party system”?

3. Illustrate the fact that political life in Britain is comparatively

informal.
 THE STYLE OF POLITICS
• Influenced by the traditional British respect
for privacy and love of secrecy.
• Comparatively informal
• Important decisions to be taken, not at official
public meetings, or even at prearranged
private meetings, but at lunch, or over drinks,
or in chance encounters in the corridors of
power.
 THE STYLE OF POLITICS
• The House of Commons was the most
exclusive club in London.
• Constitutional theory says that Parliament has
absolute control over its own affairs and is, in
fact, the highest power in the land.
• The main division in politics was not between
this party and that party but rather between
Parliament itself and the monarch.
 THE STYLE OF POLITICS
• Politicians arguing in the House of Commons
or in a television studio.
ÞYou might think that they hate each other.
This is rarely the case.
Þ They are good friends.
 THE STYLE OF POLITICS
• The advantage is that very little time is wasted
fighting about how political business is to be
conducted fairly.
For example, the order of business in Parliament
is arranged by representatives of the parties
beforehand so that enough time is given for the
various points of view to be expressed.
Borish Johnson 2019
 THE PARTY SYSTEM
• Britain is normally described as having a 'two-party
system'. This is because, since 1945, one of the two big
parties has, by itself, con- trolled the government, and
members of these two parties have occupied more than
90% of all of the seats in the House of Commons:
Liberals $ Labour
• Reasons:
1: The electoral system.
2: The nature of the origin of British political parties (its
parties were first formed inside Parliament, later
extended to the public at large.)
 THE PARTY SYSTEM
• During the eighteenth century Members of
Parliament tended to divide themselves into two
camps, those who usually supported the government
of the time and those who usually did not.
• During the nineteenth century the party which did
not control the government presented itself as an
alternative government.
• The leader of the biggest party which is not in
government receives the title 'Leader of Her
Majesty's Opposition'
 THE PARTY SYSTEM
• The two parties did not exist to promote
single, coherent political philosophies. their
existence was to gain power by forming effect-
ive coalitions of interest-groups and
individuals.
 THE PARTY SYSTEM
Conservative

Labor

Liberal Democrats
Party
National
Parties in Northern
Ireland

Other parties
 MORDEN SITUATION
1. What is Britain rated?
Britain is often rated as one of the poorest large
countries in Europe, the policies of its governments
have pulled in several different directions
2. What do British think about future?
People tend to be pessimistic about the future
3. What is increasing in the country? There has
been increasing pressure for a Freedom of
Information Act.
 Vietnam’s Political
1. How many parties are there in our country?
Vietnam is a one-party state with the Communist Party of
Vietnam (CPV) being the only legal party allowed to hold
effective power

2. In what sense could the Vietnamese attitude to politics be

described as “ happily cynical”?
The term “happily cynical” could describe a viewpoint where
Vietnamese people may be aware of self-serving behavior in
politics but remain positive, perhaps finding humor in the
situation and accepting it as part of the political landscape
3. How does the role of the political party in our
country?
The Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) leads
the country’s governance, guiding the political
system, and mobilizing the people to realize
goals of national independence, democracy, and
social progress
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