Before you listen:
Work with a partner. Study the pictures.
Who are these politicians? What do you know about them? If you need hints, go to slide 2.
Discuss:
Work in groups.
Democracy in the United Kingdom began with the Magna Carta in 1215. The United States was the first country to build its system of government on the principle of separation of powers (1789).
Do you think the democracies in the United States and the United Kingdom are stable and robust?
Can you think of anything that threatens the stability of these democracies?
What are the main differences between a democracy and a dictatorship?
Vocabulary:
Do you know what these words mean? Discuss with a partner, look up words you are unsure of.
populism
elitism
blatant
robust
USA and the UK
After you have listened to the podcast:
Discuss:
Work in groups.
What do we mean when we say that the United States and the United Kingdom are 'mature democracies'?
In the podcast, it is said that Americans don't want politicians to have influence over their private lives. Do you think that is an accurate description of US politics?
Eirik Bergesen says 'populism is not necessarily a bad thing'. In what situations can populism be good?
How important do you think the American Constitution is for the country's democracy?
Do you agree that there is more openness around politics in the United States than there is around politics in Norway?
Do you agree that the United States is a robust democracy?
Find out more:
Work with a partner. Choose one of the two tasks. Use any sources you have available and write down your answers. Then share your answers with another pair of students.
Roe v. Wade is mentioned in the podcast. What was this Supreme Court ruling about? In the spring of 2022, documents were leaked that showed that the Supreme Court intended to overturn Roe v. Wade: is this an example of the American democracy not working as intended?
Bergesen mentions that the US government lied in order to justify their war against Iraq. Why did they want a war?
How do you think democracy is affected when the government is caught lying to the people?
Study:
Work in groups.
Study the Winston Churchill quotation. What do you think he meant by this?
'Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.'
Winston Churchill
Watch:
Work in groups. Choose one of the tasks.
The United Kingdom has a long tradition of political satire. Two of the longest running shows are Have I Got News for You and Mock the Week.
Boris Johnson has participated in six episodes of Have I Got News for You (as of 2022). Find an episode of Have I Got News for You hosted by Boris Johnson. Watch the episode and discuss whether appearing on the show is likely to have helped or hurt Boris Johnson's chances of becoming prime minister.
Find a recent episode of a satire television show. Watch the episode and discuss whether a show like this can help people keep informed about politics. Refer to specific examples from the show in your discussion.
You will find different episodes on YouTube or Vimeo.