Activity #1

Economic Systems
The United Kingdom has developed its economy based on a strong rule of law and one of
the worlds most advanced financial sectors. During the heyday of the British Empire, the
UK was the largest and most influential economy in the world as the birthplace of the
industrial revolution.
UKs economy encompasses those of its home nations. The Isle of Man and the Channel
Isles have offshore banking. UK is a member of the EU. But, the UK still maintains its own
economy and has chosen to continue using the Pound Sterling as its national currency and
not the Euro. Agriculture is still considered an important part of the UKs economy, it
produces 60 percent of the UKs food needs. Also, manufacturing of goods is particularly
important for UK industries.
The service sector dominates the UK economy, contributing around 78% of GDP; the
financial services industry is particularly important and I think that London is the worlds
largest financial center. The British aerospace industry is the second or third largest
national aerospace industry. The Pharmaceutical industry plays an important role in the
economy and the UK has te third highest share of global pharmaceutical R&D. The
automotive industry is also a major employer and exporter. The British economy is boosted
by North Sea oil and gas production; its reserves were valued at an estimated 250 billion
in 2007. Government involvement in the British economy is primarily exercised by HM
Treasury, headed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the Department for Business,
Innovation and Skills.
Since 1979 management of the UK economy has followed a broadly laissez-faire approach.
The Bank of England is the UK's central bank and its Monetary Policy Committee is
responsible for setting interest rates. The currency of the UK is the pound sterling, which is
also the world's third-largest reserve currency after the US dollar and the euro, and also the
fourth-most-valued currency in the world, behind the Kuwaiti Dinar, Bahraini Dinar, and
Omani Rial, and the most valued currency outside the Middle East. The UK is a member of
the Commonwealth of Nations, the European Union, the G7, the G8, the G20, the
International Monetary Fund, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and
Development, the World Bank, the World Trade Organization, Asian Infrastructure
Investment Bank and the United Nations.
Now, talking about Canada, we can say that Canada is one of the wealthiest states of the
world, in purchasing power they are in 13th place. Canada is considered a developed
country, their economy is based by the service sector and the primary sector.
Canada has an abundance of natural resource and they exploit it; This state is the worlds

largest producer of zinc, uranium, nickel and other minerals talking about mining. Canada
is also Canada is one of the worlds largest exporters of agricultural products. They export,
mainly to the United States of America and Mexico by North American Free Trade
Agreement. For this reason Canadian economy is closely integrated with the American
Economy. The Canadian economic system is a mix between elements of private and public
Enterprise. The currency of Canada is the Canadian dollar.
Nowadays, USA is the wealthiest state of the world; The United States has a mixed
economy as a combination of a free market economy and a command economy. The United
States is often described as a capitalist economy, which a small group of people who
control large amounts of money, or capital, make the most important economic decisions.
the official currency of the United States is the US Dollar. The united states is the largest
exporter in the world of machines, engines, pumps. Also they are leading exporter of
electronic equipment and oil.
The US has abundant natural resources, a well-developed infrastructure, and high
productivity. It has the world's ninth-highest per capita GDP (nominal) and tenth-highest
per capita GDP (PPP) as of 2013. Americans have the highest average household and
employee income among OECD nations, and in 2010 had the fourth highest median
household income, down from second highest in 2007. The U.S. is the world's third largest
producer of oil and natural gas. It is the second-largest trading nation in the world as well as
the world's second largest manufacturer, representing a fifth of the global manufacturing
output. Of the world's 500 largest companies, 128 are headquartered in the US.

Government Systems
Talking about the UK form of Government, its mentioned that is a constitutional
monarchy, which combines a monarch head of state with a parliamentary system. The
monarch is head of state and the prime minister is the head of the UK government.
In the England form of government, there are two houses: The House of Lords and the
House of Commons. The House of Commons is elected by the citizens and the House of
Lords' members are appointed by the Queen.
The Prime Minister proposes new legislation in his or her Queen's speech. These proposals
are reviewed by the Parliament. Bills are approved by a majority vote in the House of
Commons.
Canada is a parliamentary democracy, where there shall be one Parliament for Canada,
consisting of three distinct elements: the Crown, the Senate and the House of Commons.
Canada is also a constitutional monarchy, in that its executive authority is vested formally
in the Queen, Every act of government is carried out in the name of the Crown, but the
authority for those acts flows from the Canadian people. The executive function belongs to
the Governor in Council, l acting on the advice of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet.
Canada has three levels of government, they are Federal, provincial or territorial and

municipal.
Finally, in USA the country is a federal constitutional republic therefore the constitution is
the supreme law of the land. Similar to Mexico, the government structure of the United
States of America is divided in three branches; the legislative, the executive and the judicial
branch. in the United States of America, the head of government is the president; he shares
his powers with congress and the judiciary system.
The legislative branch enacts legislation, confirms or rejects presidential appointments, and
has the authority to declare war. The executive branch carries out and enforces laws It
includes the president, vice president, the Cabinet. The judicial branch interprets the
meaning of laws, applies laws to individual cases, and decides if laws violate the
Constitution.

Education Systems
Beginning with UK, their education system is divided into four main parts, primary
education, secondary education, further education and higher education. Children in the UK
have to legally attend primary and secondary education which runs from about 5 years old
until the student is 16 years old.
Education in Scotland differs from the system used elsewhere in the United Kingdom.
Basically, there are two systems: one covering England , Wales , or Northern Ireland and
one covering Scotland . The two education systems have different emphases. Traditionally,
the English, Welsh and Northern Irish system has emphasized depth of education whereas
the Scottish system has emphasized breadth. Thus English, Welsh and Northern Irish
students tend to sit a small number of more advanced examinations and Scottish students
tend to sit a larger number of less advanced examinations.
The UK education system is divided into several stages:
-Primary school
Compulsory education starts at five years of age in grades one through six. They learn
subjects like English, Mathematics and Science.
-High school
Students enter secondary school at age 11 and is compulsory for five years. In the 10th
year, they will begin to prepare for the presentation of a series of tests - General Certificate
of Secondary Education (GCSE). Students are usually evaluated in nine or ten subjects.
-A-Levels exams
After passing the GCSE exams, students choose to leave school and start work, follow
training programs at technical colleges or two-year study for entrance exams to college "A-Levels". On average a student takes three to four subjects. The higher score, the better
the options to colleges the student has chosen.

-University degrees
At undergraduate level, students in the UK usually get the title after three years and submit
final exams for graduation. For entry of international students at least 6.0 is required
English IELTS, additional preparatory year, known as University Foundation Year or
competitive test scores A-levels.
-Masters, MBAs and PhDs
The Masters traditionally given in the area of Arts, Science or Business Administration
(MBA), usually last a year and require exams and a thesis to graduate. Some specialized
research and careers demand complete a doctorate or PhD, which lasts four to five years of
study and advanced research and a formal dissertation. For most international masters and
doctoral students must have a recognized undergraduate degree and a good level of English
(IELTS 6.5 level). In the case of the MBA, they will need at least 2 years of relevant work
experience. In the university education system in the UK there are three types of
institutions providing higher education: universities, colleges (colleges) and colleges of art
and music. These last two also provide advanced degrees and taught postgraduate studies.
The Tenth Amendment to the US Constitution establishes the principle that "the powers not
delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are
reserved to the States respectively or to the people". Therefore, in the United States
Governance it is quite decentralized and control of many public functions, such as
schooling, depends primarily on states and local communities.
Overall, the federal government has entered the field of education when states or localities
not serve a vital national interest, or when national leadership is required to deal with a
common problem. Usually, the courts have supported the federal role in education based on
the constitutional provision (Article I, Section 8), which gives the US Congress the power
to provide the "general welfare" of the nation, the Fourteenth Amendment which guarantees
citizens the due process of law, and other legal grounds.
States and local school districts have retained control of the content of curricula and
teaching methods; In fact, federal law prohibits the US government to interfere in these
reas.A broadly, we can say that the educational system of the US comprising 12 or
"degrees" from 1 to 12, prior to entering education higher education. Grade 1 to 6, students
attend primary; Grade 7 to 9, in secondary (equivalent to "basic cycle"); from 10th to 12th,
they enrolled the equivalent of high school.