Miesiąc: grudzień 2024

The political system of the Republic of Poland is established by the Constitution of Poland (1997). Polish Constitution guarantees the freedom of individuals.

According to the Constitution Poland:
-is unitary semi-presidental representative democratic republic;
-is the state accomplishes the rules of independence, democracy, legal and civil rights of the citiziens along with pluralism and legalism.

*political pluralism – the existence of two or more political parties representing different programs and orientations
*legalism = rule of law (praworządność) – the legal principle (zasada, reguła ~ potwierdzona prawnie) that law should govern a nation, with everyone equal before the law (równi wobec prawa).

-carry out (=enforce – wprowadzać w życie, realizować) the separation of powers principle:
*Montesquieu’s separation of powers system = „tripartite system” – Montesquieu was a French political philosopher of the Enlightenment period, whose articulation of the theory of separation of powers is implemented in many constitutions in the world. He described three forms of distribution of political power.

1. Legislative branch –> a legistrature –> legislative power – two chambers of Parliamnet (Sejm and Senate).
2. Executive branch –> an executive –> the President and the Government (the Council of Ministers led by the prime minister).
3. Judical branch –> a judiciary (the courts of law and the Constitutional Tribunal – can annul laws that violate the freedoms guaranteed in the constitution ).

LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

Sejm:
-the lower chamber
-460 members elected for a four-year term

Senate:
-the upper chamber
-100 members elected for a four-year term

The National Assembly
-is formed, when members of the Sejm and Senate sitting in joint session
-on three occasions:
*taking the oath (ślubowanie) of office by a new president
*bringing an indictment against the president of the republic to the Tribunal of State
*declaration of a President’s permanent incapacity to exercise their duties due to the state of their health

Main office-holders
Marshal of the Senate -Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska (Civic Platform)
Marshal of the Sejm – Szymon Hołownia (Poland 2050)

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

President
-the head of state
-the supreme commander of the Armed Forces
-has the power to veto legislation passed by parliament
-can dissolve the parliament under certain conditions
-presidential elections occur every five years
-representative of the state in foreign affairs

The Council of Ministers
-the prime minister proposes, the president appoints, and the Sejm approves the Council of Ministers
-is responsible to the prime minister and the Sejm

Main office holders
President – Andrzej Duda – Law and Justice
Prime Minister – Donald Tusk – Civic Platform

JUDICAL BRANCH

common courts (sądy powszechne)
tribunals (trybunały)
administrative courts (sądy administracyjne)
military courts (sądy wojskowe)
appeal courts (sąd apelacyjny)
district courts (sądy okręgowe)
The Constitutional Tribunal (Trybunał Konstytucyjny)
The State Tribunal (Trybunał Stanu)
The National Council of the Judiciary (Krajowa Rada Sądownictwa)
The National Court Register (Krajowy Rejestr Sądowy)

Useful vocabulary:

Sejm Plenary Hall
Poland is divided in 16 provinces or Voivodeships
Electoral district – okręg wyborczy
Bicameralism – dwuizbowość

Lesson Objectives:
-How the Roman Republic became the Roman Empire?
-Discuss the causes of the crisis and the fall of the Roman Republic.
-Specify the role of Julius Caesar and Octavian Augustus in the formation of the new political system.

The crisis of the Roman Republic:
– the expansions of the state –> grown out of city and the structure of government was not suitable for a whole empire, but for a city.
-the governing of provinces –> people of the provinces could not get citizenship, but they had to pay the taxes (people dissatisfied)
-The civil wars started by the time of the Gracchi –> Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus were the first to attempt reforms.

The civil war was started between the Optimates and Populares – political groups.

The Optimates were the dominant group in the Senate – opponents of reforms
The Populares – reforms supporters.

Tiberius was selected to the tribune. He tried to give land to landless citizens (land reform 133 – 122 BC) but he was murdered. After his death his brother Gaius Gracchus also was elected to the tribune and passed into more radical reforms. He committed suicide.

-the Servile Wars – series of slave revolts

›How were slaves treated in ancient Greece?
›Where the position of a slave was better -in Rome or Greece?

instrumentum vocale – slave was a „speaking tool”

› Who were the gladiators?
›When and why did the War of Spartacus (Gladiator War or The Third Servile War) break out?

Gladiator was an armed slave fighting in an arena for the entertainment of people.

The Third Servile War was slave rebellions against the Roman Republic. The revolt began in 73 BC, with the escape of around 70 slave gladiators from a gladiator school in Capua. Spartacus died in battle and the rebels were crucified (ukrzyżowany).

Sulla’s Dictatorship
-Lucius Cornelius Sulla (dictator) won the first major civil war in Roman history and became the first man of the Republic to seize (sięgnąć =grab) power through force.

FIRST TRIUMVIRATE (60 BC):
-Julius Caesar (namiestnik Galii), 
-Pompey the Great (Hiszpania),
-Marcus Crassus (Syria)
In 53 BC triumvirate split after death of Marcus Crassus and Julius Cesar sized power. He defeated Vercingetorix (Wercyngetoryks, bitwa pod Alezją) and he crossed the Rubicon („Alea iacta est”).

JULIUSZ CEZAR
a. imperator – zwycięski wódz
b. dyktator – dożywotnio miał ten urząd
c. reformy:
–
–
d. idy marcowe –

Wojna domowa po śmierci Cezara :
a. II triumwirat (Second Triumvirate):
-Gajusz Oktawian (Octavianus – Caesar Augustus Octavianus)
-Marek Antoniusz (Mark Antony)
-Marek Lepidus (chcą ukarać sprawców)

KONTRA zwolennicy republiki (43 r. p.n.e. – 36 r. p.n.e.)

b. bitwa pod Filippi (The Battle of Philippi) – 42 r. p.n.e. – triumwirowie pokonali cezarobójców i podzielili między siebie władzę (Marek Antoniusz – Galia, Oktawian – Hiszpania, Lepidus – Afryka), a Italią mieli rządzić wspólnie.

Wojna domowa między członkami II triumwiratu:
a. rozpad triumwiratu – Lepidus usunięty przez Oktawiana i walka między dwoma pozostałymi
b. bitwa pod Akcjum (The Battle of Actium) – 31 r. p.n.e. – Oktawian wygrał, Marek Antoniusz samobójstwo.

KLEOPATRA – dynastia Ptolemeuszów (podział imperium Aleksandra), ostatnia królowa hellenistycznego Egiptu, z Cezarem miała Cezariona, romans z Markiem Antoniuszem.

GAJUSZ OKTAWIAN i ustanowienie CESARSTWA
a. pierwszy cesarz rzymski – Oktawian August (Imperator Caesar Divi Filius Augustus)
b. tytuły:
-August
-Cezar
-princeps senatus
-pontofex maximus
-uprawnienia trybuna ludowego, konsula i cenzora
c. reformy:

Ustrój cesarstwa:
Dzieje Cesarstwa Rzymskiego możemy podzielić na dwa okresy, biorąc pod uwagę system rządów, czyli ustrój:
-wczesne cesarstwo rzymskie – Oktawian August wprowadził ustrój pryncypatu, który polegał na zachowaniu pozorów republiki (komedia republiki)
-późne cesarstwo rzymskie – Dioklecjan w III w. wprowadził ustrój dominatu, czyli monarchię absolutną.