Informative Speech on French Culture
I. About France A. Background info
1. Location - Most people associate French culture with Paris, which is a center of fashion, cuisine, art and architecture, but life outside of the City of Lights is very different and varies by region. Historically, the French culture was influenced by Celtic and Gallo-Roman cultures as well as the Franks, a Germanic tribe. France was initially defined as the western area of Germany known as Rhineland but it later came to refer to a territory that was known as Gaul during the Iron Age and Roman era.
2. Population – Today, it is made up of nearly 66 million people, July 2013, “The World Factbook (France)”, CIA
3. Religious views – around 85% of which are Roman Catholic, “The World Factbook (France)”, CIA
II. Politics A. Political Views
1. The government of the French Republic is a semi-presidential system determined by the French Constitution. The president, currently Hollande, appoints a prime minister who then is in charge of the government themselves along with their cabinet. The nation declares itself to be an "indivisible, secular, democratic, and social Republic" B. Government policies
1. Taxes - The French have tolerated high taxes as the price of decent public services and a proper universal safety-net. All those fast trains, first-rate hospitals and schools do not come for nothing. While taxes may be high, they help the French receive more in the end.
III. Roles of Government
A. Health care
1. The French health care system is generally recognized as offering the best, or one of the best, services of public health care in the world. Above all, it is a system that works, provides universal cover, and is a system that is strongly defended by virtually everyone in France. The health care system in France is made up of a fully-integrated network of public hospitals, private hospitals, doctors and other medical service providers. It is a universal service providing health care for every citizen, irrespective of
1. Location - Most people associate French culture with Paris, which is a center of fashion, cuisine, art and architecture, but life outside of the City of Lights is very different and varies by region. Historically, the French culture was influenced by Celtic and Gallo-Roman cultures as well as the Franks, a Germanic tribe. France was initially defined as the western area of Germany known as Rhineland but it later came to refer to a territory that was known as Gaul during the Iron Age and Roman era.
2. Population – Today, it is made up of nearly 66 million people, July 2013, “The World Factbook (France)”, CIA
3. Religious views – around 85% of which are Roman Catholic, “The World Factbook (France)”, CIA
II. Politics A. Political Views
1. The government of the French Republic is a semi-presidential system determined by the French Constitution. The president, currently Hollande, appoints a prime minister who then is in charge of the government themselves along with their cabinet. The nation declares itself to be an "indivisible, secular, democratic, and social Republic" B. Government policies
1. Taxes - The French have tolerated high taxes as the price of decent public services and a proper universal safety-net. All those fast trains, first-rate hospitals and schools do not come for nothing. While taxes may be high, they help the French receive more in the end.
III. Roles of Government
A. Health care
1. The French health care system is generally recognized as offering the best, or one of the best, services of public health care in the world. Above all, it is a system that works, provides universal cover, and is a system that is strongly defended by virtually everyone in France. The health care system in France is made up of a fully-integrated network of public hospitals, private hospitals, doctors and other medical service providers. It is a universal service providing health care for every citizen, irrespective of