European GOVERNMENTS UK Germany Russia Name Date Period

European GOVERNMENTS UK, Germany, & Russia

Name: ______________________ Date ________________ Period European Governments Anticipation Guide Directions: You will make predictions about the answers to the following questions BEFORE learning about this unit. Write the letter of the vocabulary term that matches the definitions below. A. State B. Presidential C. Democracy D. Germany E. Russia F. Legislature G. Autocracy H. Parliamentary I. Chancellor 1. _______ In this type of democracy, the leader works independently of the legislature. 2. _______ This branch of government makes the country’s laws. 3. _______ In this type of government, citizens play an important role because they are able to vote for leaders and laws. 4. _______ Who is Germany’s head of government? 5. _______ In this type of government, citizens have virtually no role because all the decisions are made by a single leader. 6. _______ This country was previously part of an autocratic system. 7. _______ The head of government is part of the legislature in which country?

Comparing European Governments Russian Federal United Federatio Republic of Kingdom Germany n Country Government System Leadership How is Head of Government Chosen? Legislature Role of Citizen & Freedoms

European Governments United Kingdom, Germany, & Russia © Brain Wrinkles

Government Types: How do citizens participate? • Autocracy - 1 person possesses unlimited power and citizens have a limited role in government. • Democracy – the people hold the ultimate power and vote to elect government representatives. Max News: Government Distribution

Two Types of Democratic Government: • Parliamentary– citizens elect members of Parliament, and then the members select the leader o Leader works with or through the legislature • Presidential--system of government in which the leader is constitutionally independent of the legislature; citizens directly elect leader o Leader works separate from legislature

United Kingdom

Parliamentary Democracy • The leader of the political party with the most members in the House of Commons is asked by the queen to become prime minister. • The prime minister is the head of the government (chief executive) and runs the day-to-day activities of the government.

Palace of Westminster (House of UK’s Parliament)

Leadership 1. Prime Minister: holds the most political power and is the powerful chief executive. • He or she leads Parliament in making and enforcing laws in the UK. 2. Monarch: is the official head of state (a symbol for the country). • Duties are mostly ceremonial with very little power. • Role is restricted by the constitution of the United Kingdom (constitutional monarchy)

Theresa May UK’s Prime Minister

Leadership 1. Prime Minister: holds the most political power and is the powerful chief executive. • He or she leads Parliament in making and enforcing laws in the UK. 2. Monarch: is the official head of state (a symbol for the country). • Duties are mostly ceremonial with very little power. • Role is restricted by the constitution of the United Kingdom (constitutional monarchy)

Queen Elizabeth II Her Royal Highness

How Leaders Are Chosen • Prime Minister: citizens age 18 and older vote to elect members of the two houses of parliament. The British Parliament then selects a prime minister from the elected legislature. • Monarch: position inherited through family line

Legislature • The Parliament is the country’s bicameral legislature (law-making body of politicians). • It consists of: 1. House of Lords – appointed officials 2. House of Commons – elected by the people

House of Commons • UK’s citizens elect these members. • 646 members total: 529 from England, 40 from Wales, 59 from Scotland, and 18 from Northern Ireland • This branch controls the country’s budget (has lots of power). • The leader of the political party with the most members becomes the Prime Minister.

Role of Citizens & Freedoms • Citizens are treated equally & have many personal freedoms like freedom of speech, press, religion, and assembly. • They also have the right to vote. • Men and women who are 18 years of age may choose to vote in national elections. • Citizens can choose representatives from many political parties. • Citizens do NOT elect the leader, only members of

Germany

Parliamentary Democracy • The chancellor is selected by members of the Bundestag. • The chancellor is the leader of the majority party in the Bundestag.

Germany’s Reichstag Building © Brain Wrinkles

Leadership 1. Chancellor is the powerful chief executive and head of the military. • He or she leads the parliament (Bundestag) in making and enforcing Germany’s laws. 2. President: is the official head of state and has very little power. • Duties are mostly ceremonial and is a symbol for the country.

Angela Merkel © Brain Wrinkles Germany’s Chancellor

Frank-Walter Steinmeier Germany’s President

How Leaders Are Chosen 1. Chancellor: citizens age 18 and older vote to elect members of one of the two houses of parliament. The German Parliament then selects a chancellor from the elected legislature. 2. President: A special committee of representatives from the legislature appoint the president.

Legislature • Parliament is the country’s bicameral legislature. • It consists of two houses called the Bundestag and the Bundesrat. • Germany’s constitution is called the Basic Law. • It states that Germany is a welfare state: government guarantees people certain

Bundestag • The Bundestag is the lower house and has the most power. • Citizens of each German state elect its members. • Members of this house elect the Chancellor (chief executive of Germany).

Role of Citizen & Freedoms • Citizens have same basic freedoms like those in the United Kingdom. • All citizens are treated equally and have the right to worship as they choose. • They have freedom of speech, right to a fair trial, the right to own property, and the right to security. • Citizens do not directly elect the leaders (only the Bundestag).

UK & Germany • UK and Germany are both very democratic countries. • Both are parliamentary democracies. • Citizens have many rights and freedoms. • People can participate in government by running for office, voting, and expressing opinions on important

Russia © Brain Wrinkles

Russia’s White House

Presidential Democracy • Russian citizens directly elect the president every six years. • In Russia’s presidential system, the executive branch (president) and legislative branch (Federal Assembly) are separate.

Leadership 1. President: holds the most political power • Is both the chief executive and the head of state • Directly elected by the people • Can issue orders without approval of the legislature • Appoints many government officials, including the prime minister 2. Prime Minister: helps in day-to-day running of government

Vladimir Putin Russia’s President

Dimitri Medvedev Russia’s Prime Minister

How Leaders Are Chosen 1. President: elected by popular vote for a six-year term. • There is a two-consecutive term limitation. 2. Prime Minister: appointed by the President

Legislature • The Federal Assembly is the country’s bicameral legislature. • It consists of two houses called the Federation Council and the State Duma. • Citizens vote to elect representatives to the State Duma, while members of the Federation Council are appointed by

State Duma Building in Moscow © Brain Wrinkles

Role of Citizen & Freedoms • Russia ratified a new constitution in 1993. • It guarantees human and civil rights for its citizens, such as the right to vote, equal rights, freedom of religion and speech, etc. • Other important rights granted, which were denied during Communist rule, include freedom of movement, mail correspondence, and right to private telephone calls.

Voting in Russia - 2012

Russia • Russia is different than the UK and Germany in that it is a presidential democracy. • Even though Russia is a democracy, the Russian government is often accused of violating citizens’ freedom of speech. • The government uses its power to manipulate the press and media. • Russians who criticize the government often face consequences, such as jail time.

Insta-Snaps Directions: In the “snap box”, draw and color a picture to represent one important aspect of each country’s government. (It could be the government type, citizens’ rights, how leaders are elected, legislature’s role, etc. ) In each caption box, describe what the picture is and how it is important to the country’s government. Don’t forget to include likes and a hashtag for the most important part (add an additional clever hashtag if you like!)

EUROPEAN GOVERNMENTS Advanced UK Compare and Contrast Germany Russia

Name ______________________ Date ____________ Period _____ Rate-A-Government Country: _____________ Advanced Government Description: Customer Reviews Date: ___________ By ___________ from ______________

Comparing European Governments Comprehension Check 1. Which part of government is responsible for making the laws for the United Kingdom? 2. Which house of the UK’s parliament has the most power? 3. How is the Prime Minister elected in the United Kingdom? 4. Describe the monarch’s role in the UK’s government: 5. What is Germany’s head of government called? 6. Why is Germany considered a parliamentary democracy? 7. What type of democracy does Russia have? 8. What is the name for Russia’s chief executive? 9. In Russia, what office do the people elect—the president or prime minister? 10. How has the role of the citizens in Russia changed since the fall of Communism and the Soviet Union?

Name: Crystal Ball Predictions Based on what we learned about UK, Germany, & Russia’s governments, what do you think each of their economies will be like?