Population profile, households, families

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The population of the UK is about 60 million. England- 51, 5 million, Scotland 5 million, Wales – 3 million, Northern Ireland - 1, 8. The UK is one of the most urbanized of the world’s larger nations. The majority of people live in England. The population density in England is highest – 395 inhabitants per square kilometer. The UK has an ageing population. Since 1971 life expectancy in UK has been increasing and now it is 74 years for a man and 79 for a woman. Life expectancy is long due to rising standarts of living and new developments in medical technology. Each year more boys than girls are born. There is a gender imbalance in the UK. Households and families. In 2000 there were about 310.000 marriages in the UK, one of the lowest numbers in the 20^th century. The number of households in Great Britain has risen, at the same time average household size has fallen. The birth rate in the UK is not high – it reflects a preference for smaller families compared with the past. Many women are postponing having children until their late 20s and 30s, having first established themselves in a career.

American constitution, the Bill of Rights

In May 1787 delegates of the Constitutional Convention designed a new form of government for the USA. The plan for the government was written in a document called The Constitution of the United States. The Constitution set up a federal system with a strong central government. A federal system is one in which power is shared between a central authority and its constituent parts. The Constitution is composed of the preamble and 7 articles. The preamble makes it clear that the government is set up by “We, the People” and its purpose is to “promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity”. Article 1: is dedicated to the legislative branch, which is made up of elected representatives from all of the states and is the only branch that can make federal laws. All legislative powers are vested in the Congress, which consists of two groups, called houses: the House of Representatives and the Senate. Article 2: is dedicated to the executive branch. The chief executive is the President of the USA. Article 3: is dedicated to the judicial branch, which is headed by the Supreme Court. Article 4: is dedicated to the relations between the federal government and the state governments. Article 5: is dedicated to amendments to the Constitution. Article 6: declares the Constitution the Supreme Law of the Land. Article 7: says that for establishment of the Constitution the ratification of the Conventions of 9 states is sufficient. Many Americans feared that a powerful central government would trample on the liberties of the people, and in 1791, 10 amendments – the Bill of Rights – were added to the Constitution. The Bill of Rights consists of 10 very short paragraphs. Each paragraph is an amendment to the original Constitution. In the Bill of Rights, Americans are guaranteed freedom of religion, of speech and of the press. They have the right to assemble in public places, to protest government actions and to demand change. They have the right to own weapons if they wish. Because of the Bill of Rights, neither police nor soldiers can stop and search a person without good reason. Cruel and unusual punishment is forbidden. There are 17 other amendments to the Constitution. That is not many changes considering that the Constitution was written in 1787. One forbids slavery and three others guarantee citizenship and full rights of citizenship to all people regardless of race.

Tutorial system

Tutorial system in the UK. Tutorial system is an educational system of Oxbridge, in which college tutors are responsible for the special supervision of students individually or in small groups. Tutor in Oxbridge is a college teacher or teaching assistant ranking below a professor; and instructor. Oxford and Cambridge consist of a number of colleges which are governed by deans.

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Migration, national, ethnic group and religion in the UK

Migration. Population movement, or migration, occurs within the UK as well as internationally. The most mobile age-group within the UK are young adults in their 20s, when many young people leave their parental home to study, work or set up their own home. Besides, There is emigration and immigration. About 10 million people emigrated from the British Isles in the second half of the 19^th century. The reasons were the impoverishment of peasants, craftsmen, great famine in Ireland in 1845-1849, when half of the population died of hunger and the colonial policy of Great Britain. In the 30-40 of the 20^th century immigration grew, many British citizens came back home from the former colonies. National and ethnic groups. British citizens are: British, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Irish, African, Asian. British citizenship is acquired automatically at birth if his or her mother or after is a British citizen or is settled in the UK. A child adopted in the UK by a British citizen is also a British citizen. Requirements for naturalization include 5 years residence. The members of ethnic minority groups are heavily concentrated in the most populous areas of England. The highest concentration was in the London borough of Brent, where nearly 45% of local populations were from non-white groups. Religion. Everyone in the UK has the right to religions freedom. Religious organizations and groups may conduct their rites and ceremonies, promote their beliefs within the limits of the law, own property and run schools. There is no religious bar to the holding of public office. Christianity is the predominant religious tradition in the UK. There are also large Muslim, Hindi, Jewish and Sikh communities. There also Bahais, Buddhists, Jains and Zoroastrians. Of all believers Christians are 72%, Muslims- 3%, Hindi- 1%. There are 2 official churches: Church of England and Church of Scotland.

Higher education in the USA

Higher education. The system of higher education in the United States is complex. It comprises four categories of institutions: 1. The university, which may contain several colleges for undergraduate students seeking a bachelor’s degree and one or more graduate schools for those continuing in specialized studies beyond the bachelor’s degree to get a master’s or a doctoral degree; 2. The four-year undergraduate institution – the college – most of which are not part of a university; 3. The technical training institution, at which high school graduates may take courses ranging from six months to four years in duration and learn a wide variety of technical skills, from hair styling through business accounting to computer programming; 4. The two-year, or community college, from which students may enter many professions or may transfer to four-year colleges or universities. Many universities and colleges, both public and private, have gained reputations for offering particularly challenging courses. The factors determining whether an institution is one of the best or one of lower prestige are:

· quality of teaching faculty;

· quality of research facilities;

· amount of funding available for libraries;

· special programs;

· the competence and number of applicants for admission.

SAT – the Scholastic Aptitude Test in mathematics and Verbal ability used since 1947. The SAT is taken in the 11^th degree of high school. Americans place a high value on higher education. This is an attitude that goes back to the country’s oldest political traditions. People in the United States have always believed that education is necessary for maintaining democratic government. They believe that it prepares the individual for informed intelligent political participation, including voting. In American university, each college and graduate school has its own curriculum. At the undergraduate level, there may be some courses that every student has to take. Typically, an undergraduate student has to earn a certain number of credits (about 120)in order to get a degree at the end of four years of college. One credit usually equals one hour of class per week in a single course. About 25% of all schools of higher education in the United States are privately operated by religious organizations. There are old and new universities in the USA. Harvard university was founded in 1636; William an Mary College in 1693; Yale in 1701 are the oldest. There are large and small universities in the USA. Some small American colleges have less than 100 students. But the larger universities tend to keep attracting larger numbers of students.

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