Comparison of United States and United Kingdom Cultures

The culture in the United States and the United Kingdom varies greatly with some few similarities. Both are English-speaking countries, and one country colonized the other. Though English is a common language in both nations, the way the words are spoken, especially the intonations and accents have led to the different meanings associated with words that may be similar in wording. Some of the words in American English differ from those of United Kingdom. The social life in both countries varies considerably, and so does the culture and the politics of the country. As such, the countries have different ways of interactions at social places and at the office, which further define the societies and their systems of governance.

Politics

Both countries differ significantly in politics. The politics of the United Kingdom is different especially since it follows a constitutional monarchy where the monarch is the head the state while the prime minister heads government.at the moment the queen is the head of state (Buckner 260).  The government of Her Majesty carries out the executive arm of the government. On the other hand, the United States uses is led by the president who is both the head of government and state at the same time. There is power sharing between the judiciary and Congress in the United States political system. The state governments together with the federal government share sovereignty. The monarchy has stayed in place for an extended period and had ruled Britain according to the constitution while the presidential system in the United States has been there from the start after the US got independence.

Religion

Religion plays a great part in both Britain and America. The two countries are mostly Christian though a vast majority of the United Kingdom is Christian and associated with the Church of England, which is Anglican. Christians in Britain from the majority or the religious groups. The church in England has representation in the parliament of the UK where the monarch assumes the position of supreme governor. On the other hand, most Americans identify themselves with Christianity. Catholics and Anglicans from the major Christian groups, and most of the country consider itself Christian. Other religious groups from the minorities and include Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Some other religious groups have cropped like the new age movement and Christian Science. As such, the US has more religious due to its large population when compared with the United Kingdom (Smith et al. 433).

Education

Further differences exist in education in the United Kingdom and the United States. A high school in the United States is known as a secondary school in the United Kingdom. A secondary school in the United Kingdom is further classified as a junior school while in the united states its referred to as middle school which is usually the transition period to high school from elementary which takes two to three years. Public schools hold a different meaning in both countries. In the United States,  the government owns public schools and taxpayers provide the financial support. However, in Britain they are referred to as private schools that are independent and are supported by student fees. Concerning tertiary education, the United States considers a student as one who is studying or majoring in an individual subject at the university while the United Kingdom defines a university student as one who is either reading or studying a subject. As a result, the education systems in both countries are different and thus the various definitions from elementary to high school or secondary school have different definitions.

Get Your Custom Paper From Professional Writers. 100% Plagiarism Free, No AI Generated Content and Good Grade Guarantee. We Have Experts In All Subjects.

Place Your Order Now
Scroll to Top