England's economy is one of the top in the world-- Of course, this stature is due to the fact that the UK (The actual sovereign state) is composed of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.England is rich in natural resources, thus making it a major player in trade. Their economy was the most powerful on the planet at a time-- even enjoying a "century of unchallenged rule." But, like the U.S. the UK has also experienced a great recession-- their greatest since the 1930s. England is rich in natural resources, thus making it a major player in trade. Their economy was the most powerful on the planet at a time-- even enjoying a "century of unchallenged rule," up until the rise of both U.S. and Germany. In 2010 Philip Aldrick, a journalist from The Telegraph, said: "Britain has emerged from its worst recession since the 1930s, contracting 6.6pc, and is not expected to return to pre-crisis output levels until 2012." But even here in 2012 we see that the economy is still on the "bumpy road"--what the English economy was characterized as-- presented in the Aldrick article. The politics of of it all have been laid out, but what does this mean for the average citizen? Well according to The Daily Mail, in 2011 the financial crisis wass making direct impact with paychecks, reporting "The cost of living is increasing by 5.1%, [and] the average worker is suffering a 3.3% drop in their wages." 

Production sector, which includes manufacturing, declined 1.4 percent.

(England is a major exporting country)

Aldrick, Philip. "UK Economy Could Contract in 2011, Warns Bank of England's Paul Fisher." The Telegraph, 22 Dec. 2010. Web. 23 Feb. 2012. <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/8220185/UK-economy-could-contract-in-2011-warns-Bank-of-Englands-Paul-Fisher.html>.

"Economy Watch - Follow The Money." England Trade, England Exports, England Imports. Web. 23 Feb. 2012. <http://www.economywatch.com/world_economy/england/export-import.html>.

"Feeling the Squeeze: British Workers Facing £750 Cut in Annual Salary." Mail Online. 17 Feb. 2011. Web. 23 Feb. 2012. <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1357824/British-workers-facing-750-cut-annual-salary.html>.

"Over to You, George." The Economist. The Economist Newspaper, 18 Feb. 2012. Web. 23 Feb. 2012. <http://www.economist.com/node/21547817>.

"PressTV - British Economy Shrinks 0.2% in Q4 2011." Press TV. Web. 23 Feb. 2012. <http://www.presstv.ir/detail/228440.html>.

Government

     The government in England is called a Parliamentary Monarchy. It has one legislative body, and the head of this body is the equivalent to our President; This body is known as parliament and its chief executive is the Prime Minister. The prime minster, amongst other things, is also the head of their party. Like the United States' legislature, England's Parliament is composed of two houses: The House of Commons and the House of Lords. Members are elected to five-year terms and are then dissolved by the Crown (The acting Head of State-- monarch) on advice of the prime minister. While the Crown is theoretically in charge of a number of appointments and departments, all decisions are made on "advice" from the prime minister. Unlike the U.S., however, it does not have three institutions in place that serve as checks and balances. Their major political parties consist of: the Conservative Party and the Labour Party. The political ideologies of the Conservatives promote maintenance if of traditional institutions and advocate for very little change in society. The Labour Party, however is a more left, and currently describes the selves as a "Democratic socialist party".

Bernie Grant
Credit: TheLatest.com

     A CNN corespondent reported that although the number of Blacks in Britain were no where near the number of Blacks in the U.S., they faced some of the same oppressive and racist obstacles. Bernie Grant, a black former British Parliament member, once said, "Racism is an international phenomenon", and British institutions have serious barriers that prevent Blacks from advancing. 


Article link: http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9510/mmm_britain/index.html



     "How We Work | The Labour Party." A New Generation for Change | The Labour Party. Web. 14 Feb. 2012. <http://www.labour.org.uk/how_we_work>.
     "Conservatism (political Philosophy) -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia." Encyclopedia - Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Web. 14 Feb. 2012. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/133435/conservatism>.

Welcome

     England, in relation to the diaspora, is a major actor. There's research and scholarship that illustrates the presence of peoples of African origin and decent during the time of Roman, and pre-Roman, Britain. Black history in Britain both correlates to, and deviates from, that of the United States. On the one hand there are a number of experiences held by Blacks in Britain that are parallel to those of Blacks in the U.S., such as the slave trade, pan-Africanism, and a long and exhaustive fight for civil rights. One thing that it holds that is comparatively unique to it, however, is the immense amount of historical content-- Seeing as how the U.S. is a product of England and was established far after.

"England Large Color Map." World Atlas including Geography Facts, Maps, Flags - Worldatlas.com. Web. 6 Feb. 2012. <http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/europe/lgcolor/ukecolor.htm>.