Questions assigned as homework Flashcards
What is the relation between the CID and the MET?
CID stands for Criminal Investigation Department, which is part of the Metropolitan Police (MET).
What is meant by the New Scotland Yard?
It is the building which is the headquarters of the MET’s Criminal Investigation Department
What are the popular nicknames for the police?
fuzz, cops, pigs, boys in blue, Mr Plod, The Sweeney. Bobby comes from Robert Peel, founder of the MET.
In what sense do the police in England differ from the Dutch police?
There is no national police force for Britain. All police employees work for one of the 50 or so separate forces, each with responsibility for a certain geographical area. They don’t carry guns: “violence breeds violence”.
What kind of court is the Magistrates court and who presides over it?
The Magistrates court is one of the two kinds of court and deals with more than 90% of all cases. Every town has a magistrates’ court. A panel of magistrates (ordinary lay people, not trained lawyers) passes judgement. There is no jury and the magistrates don’t get paid.
What is the difference between this court and a Crown Court?
Serious cases go to crime court after they have been heard in a magistrates’ court. In Crown Court a professional lawyer acts as a judge.
What is the highest court of appeal in Britain and under what circumstances can you appeal to it?
It is Supreme Court. This court only does cases of national interest, e.g. Brexit.
What is the function of the judge in a crown court?
To act as a referee between prosecution and defence, to decide what evidence can be taken into account by the jury and to impose a punishment on those found guilty.
What is the function of the jury? How does a Scottish jury differ?
The jury takes the decision regarding guilt or innocence. A jury has 12 members, but in Scotland sometimes 15. There is a third verdict possible: guilty, not guilty, not proven.
What is the difference between a solicitor and a barrister?
A solicitor is a lawyer who deals with the public, can be found at High Street. They handle most legal matters for their clients, including the drawing up of documents (wills, divorce papers, contracts etc.) and present their client’s case in a magistrates’ court. A barrister (member of the bar, Q.C.) presents cases in higher court. They are ‘senior’ to solicitors and mostly self-employed.
Who appoints the judges, magistrates and other legal officers?
Justice Secretary as the big boss, job done by Judicial Appointments Commission.
bail
a condition on which a person who has been charged with a crime can go free until the time of trial. Typically, this is a sum of money guaranteed on behalf of the charged person. He/She has to hand in the passport.
defendant
the party against whom a claim is brought in a criminal court case (the person accused of a crime)
verdict
the decision of the court
sentence
punishment
probation
set free, but regular meetings with a social worker must take place.
What was the position of Canada and Australia in the British Empire at the time of the Versailles treaty (1919)?
They represented themselves as independent countries. It was the beginning of the end of the Empire.
How does the Suez affair (1956) illustrate the deterioration of Britain’s power in the world?
Britain and France were forced to give up the fight. This was a humiliating. Britain lost face and therefore part of its power.
Why do Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands prefer to remain dependent on Britain?
They are afraid of being swallowed up by their neighbours. Remaining part of the empire guarantees safety and financial support.
What is the Commonwealth?
It is an international organization, composed of 52 countries that used to be part of the British Empire. Some of these countries have even kept the British monarch as head of state. They hold annual meetings.
Can you guess why the Irish Republic does not belong to the Commonwealth?
It was excluded because of the way they became independent.
What are the three branches of the British armed forces?
The Royal Navy (most senior), The Royal Air Force (RAF) and the army.
In what ways are British attitudes towards the European Union ambiguous (onduidelijk)?
Should Britain act alone in military cases or only on behalf of the EU? Britain is afraid of losing identity and becoming part of a Federal Europe. Being part of the EU is only an economic necessity. They are not enthusiastic.
What was the outcome of the 1975 referendum on British membership of the European Community?
two-to-one majority (67%) to continue, but without enthusiasm. They just saw it as a necessary evil.
What elections were held in Scotland and Wales in May 1999?
Whether to become independent or not. The Scottish Parliament came back (disappeared in 1707). Britain has a Welsh devolution, which is not the same as the Parliament.
Names used for people from Northern Ireland who are loyal to the United Kingdom
Loyalists
Unionists
Orangemen
Names used for people from Northern Ireland who are for an independent Ireland
Republicans
Nationalists
Who are Martin McGuinness and Arlene Foster?
They both have been First Ministers of Northern Ireland. McGuinness was a member of the IRA.
What is the present political situation in Northern Ireland?
Stable, relative peace.
What is the established church in England?
Anglican, but about 40% isn’t religious.
What is the difference between the ‘high’ church and ‘low’ church?
The ‘high’ Anglo-Catholic church has high church services: colourful, organ music, elaborate priestly clothing. The ‘low’ evangelical church prefers plain services with a minimum of ceremony.
Name the two archbishops of the Church of England.
Canterbury and York
In what sense does a Catholic priest differ from an Anglican priest?
The Pope is head of the Catholic church, the Queen of the Anglican Church.
A Catholic priest is not allowed to marry. An Anglican priest can.
Catholic priests are men. Anglican priests can be women since 1992.
What are the influences of religion on British politics?
There are 26 bishops in the House of Lords and the Queen is head of the Anglican Church.
What are nonconformists?
They don’t accept the authority of the Anglican church (Wales!). Nonconformists place great importance on finding the truth for oneself in the words of the Bible and on living a life of hard work and self-sacrifice. No worldly pleasures as theatre, drinking, gambling etc. No hierarchy.
What do a verger, a warden and a sexton have in common?
They are all lay persons in church.
What is the established Church of Scotland and who is head of this church?
The established Church of Scotland is the Presbyterian Church (kirk). Its head is the ‘Moderator’.
Explain the sentence: ‘The Anglican Church was disestablished in Wales’.
Wales used to be part of the Church of England. For that reason it was the established church, but it had only few followers. Disestablished means, that the establishment has come to an end.
Methodist
follows the teachings of John Wesley, an 18th century preacher. They focus on the needs of ordinary people to spread the Christian message. The Salvation Army grew out of the Wesleyan movement.
New Age
a range of beliefs which can involve elements of Christianity, eastern religions and ancient pagan belief all mixed together.
rector
a priest or minister who is in charge of a church or parish.
chaplain
a priest or other religious leader who performs religious services for a military group (such as the army) or for a prison, hospital, etc.
Episcopalian
official name for the Anglican church in Scotland and the USA and the official term used to denote all of these churches, including the Church of England, as a group.
Explain: ‘Public means private’ and mention some characteristics of public schools and mention some famous public schools.
Private schools are called public schools because they are independent and not funded by the government. They were boys-only boarding schools, divided in houses, place great emphasis on sports. This has changed. Famous public schools are Eton, Harrow, Rugby, and Winchester.
For what kind of education does a public school prepare their pupils and what kind of exams must be taken to get there?
The emphasis was on ‘character building’ and the development of ‘team spirit’ rather than on academic achievement. They prepare their students to take up the higher positions and to pass Matric exams.
What is the role of the Local Education Authority (LEA) in English Education?
They decide about the exact dates of the holidays, the exact hours of the school day and school finances. As many details as possible are left up to the LEA.
What is meant by the National Curriculum and what would be the Dutch equivalent?
What should be learned at school (set of subjects). Dutch: kerndoelen.
How is the school year divided up?
There are three terms: autumn term, spring term and summer term. Each term has a half-term (half-term holiday).
At what age do you take the GCSE exams, who sets them and who are allowed to take them?
It’s a secondary education exam, taken at the age of 15 or 16 years and set by different examining boards. Marks (A-G) are given for each subject separately.
Explain the term sixth form, what kind of pupils study here?
Children older than sixteen, preparing for A levels to go to university.
Mention the university degrees, what would be the Dutch equivalent?
Bachelor’s Degree, Master’s Degree, Doctorate.
What is the difference between Oxbridge and the ‘redbrick’ universities?
Oxbridge (Oxford (oldest one) and Cambridge) was founded in medieval times and has the lowest student/staff ration in Britain. There are a lot of facilities. Redbrick universities were founded during the 19th century and started to prepare students for London University degrees. Nowadays they are universities themselves.
What kind of universities are the newer civic universities?
Technical colleges set up by local authorities. They have become universities. Known for their flexibility.
What is the importance of exam league tables in education?
They show how schools perform.
What was the difference between a grammar school and a secondary modern school and how has this system been changed?
Conservative children from the upper-class and upper middle-class went to grammar school. Labour lower class children went to secondary school. Now, all children go to local comprehensive schools because of equality of chances. Those were set up to replace poor-performing secondary schools. They got better results and there for a better reputation.
What is the difference between white collar workers and blue collar workers?
Blue collar workers are manual workers. White collar workers are non-manual workers.
Read the context of this quotation from page 141:
‘…certain organizations of professional workers, such as the National Union of Teachers (NUT), have never belonged to the Trades Union Congress’.
What are professional workers?
A member of a profession or any person who earns their living from a specified professional activiy.
What was Thatcherism and what economic changes were influenced by Thatcherism? (state companies, local government services, distribution of wealth, income tax).
Thatcherism was a conservative way of thinking: de-nationalisation / privatizing from state companies. Local government services were encouraged to contract out their responsibility to commercial organisations. Rich people got richer, the poor didn’t.
industrial action
any action taken by a union, e.g. a strike or slow-down.
off-licence
special shop that sells alcohol to drink somewhere else.
pub = on-licence, customers are allowed to drink it there
footsie
popular name for the list of the 100 largest British companies
high street bank
banks which have a branch in almost every town in Britain, e.g. Barclays, Lloyds, TSB, HSBC, Royal Bank of Scotland.
guid
the pound
ofwat, oftel
ofwat monitors the privatized water companies. Ofcom monitors the privatized communications industry (tv, radio, telecommunications)
shop steward
an employee of an organization who represents fellow workers in discussions with the management and is also a labour union member.
the square mile
City of London, UK’s trading centre
