I didn't really know much about politics in the UK or how they work, so I found this chapter to be very informative. One bit I found interesting was how the system has changed and streamlined itself over time. It's gradually become more democratic over the centuries. Something that's mentioned in the chapter that should be noted is that Britain was never an absolute monarchy to begin with. There were several in the rest of Europe, but British lords and nobles managed to keep a lot more power than their equivalents in other countries. Granted, if I remember correctly, it took quite a bit longer for ordinary people to start having influence...but it did happen eventually.

I also noticed the part about the separation between the monarchy and the functional government. The textbook mentioned that this can be a good thing, because it means that the symbolic part of the country's leadership isn't affected by people's political opinions. Even if they have issues with the prime minister or the party in power, people will have a separate opinion of the Queen - one that tends towards the positive. In contrast, if the American President does something dumb, people lose faith in both him and the rest of the government.

The article I found relates to the British school system, and how many business owners believe that students are not adequately prepared for the real world when they leave school.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2546053/Firms-slam-illiterate-school-leavers-putting-Britains-economic-recovery-risk.html

This reminded me of the textbook's criticisms of the school system - that it's fragmented, unequal, and not as effective as it could be. Judging from this article, I think they might be right about that.