英美国家概况(英国部分)Unit 3 Political system
英美政治制度
英美政治制度The Political Systems of the United States and United Kingdom (UK)The United States and the United Kingdom, two influential democratic countries with rich histories and global impacts, each have their own unique political systems. While both systems are built on democratic principles and have many similarities, there are also distinct differences between them.The United States, as a federal republic, operates under a system known as a presidential system. The country is divided into 50 states, each with its own government, and a central federal government. The President of the United States is the head of state and government and is elected by the citizens through an electoral college system. The president serves as the chief executive and has the power to veto bills passed by the Congress. The Congress, composed of the House of Representatives and the Senate, is responsible for making and passing laws. The members of the Congress are elected by the people through direct voting.On the other hand, the United Kingdom operates under a constitutional monarchy system with a parliamentary democracy. The monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II, serves as the head of state, while the Prime Minister is the head of government. The Prime Minister is appointed by the monarch and is the leader of the majority party or coalition in the House of Commons, the lower chamber of the UK Parliament. Members of Parliament (MPs) are elected by the people in their respective constituencies. The House of Lords, the upper chamber, consists of appointed members,including life peers and bishops.One key difference between the two systems is the role of the head of state. In the United States, the president holds both the ceremonial role as the head of state and the executive power as the head of government. On the other hand, in the United Kingdom, the queen or king serves as the ceremonial head of state, while the Prime Minister holds the executive power. This distinction allows the United Kingdom to separate the monarchy's symbolic role from the political decision-making process.Another difference lies in the election processes. In the United States, the president is elected by an electoral college, a group of electors from each state who vote for the president. This system was put in place to balance the interests of both the states and the population. In contrast, in the United Kingdom, the Prime Minister is not elected directly but is chosen by the majority party or coalition in the House of Commons. The citizens vote for their local MPs, who then choose the Prime Minister.The United States and the United Kingdom both have effective systems of checks and balances, ensuring the division of powers and preventing abuse of power. However, the specific mechanisms differ. In the United States, the Constitution sets forth a system of checks and balances between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The president's power to veto legislation and the Supreme Court's authority to interpret laws are examples of these checks. In the United Kingdom, the parliamentary system provides checks and balances through debates, questioning, and scrutiny by both the House of Commons and the House of Lords.In conclusion, while both the United States and the United Kingdom have democratic political systems, they differ in their governance structure and election processes. The United States operates under a presidential system, with the president holding both the ceremonial and executive powers. On the other hand, the United Kingdom operates under a constitutional monarchy system with a parliamentary democracy, separating the roles of the head of state and the head of government. Both systems have been effective in maintaining democracy and ensuring the separation of powers.。
Political_System 英美国家概况 教学课件
British government
• Government
– Queen’s, David Cameron’s, or Conservative government
• Whitehall Street
– executive agencies
• Downing Street
– prime minister’s residence
Chapter 3 Political System
Monarch (non-political) Formal Head of State and Commonwealth
Legislature Executive
Judiciary
Legislature Parliament (political) House of Commons chaired by Speaker. 659 elected MPs (semi-political) House of Lords(before reform) hereditary and life peers (after reform) Appointed and elected
Departments), all Prime Minster
MPs, form Cabinet House of Lords is Also Junior Minsiters the highest Court.
Civil Service (non-political) Permanent official employed by government. Advise ministers and implement policy. Top officials popularly known as mandarins.
英语国家概况Chapter3
A Guide to English-Speaking Countries
2.1.2
Queen
Queen Elizabeth II
Born: April 21, 1926 Queen since June 2, 1953
• • • •
the Bill of Rights (1689) the Reform Act (1832) the European Communities Act (1972) the European Communities (Amendment) Act (1986)
Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press
Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press
A Guide to English-Speaking Countries
2.1.2
Queen
In reality, she does everything on the advice of the Prime Minister, and her role is “ceremonial, unpolitical and symbolic”: State opening of the Parliament Royal assent to new law Meeting with the Prime Minister at Buckingham Palace Pay state visits to Commonwealth countries as head of state and non-Commonwealth countries on behalf of the British government
英美概况-英国政体
Literature of the Revolution Period
the Puritans two types of writers
two antagonistic(敌对的)camps:
the Royalists the Puritan type the Cavalier type
English literature of the Revolution and restoration period was very much concerned with the tremendous social upheavals of the time.
Important Points
• • • • • 1. Three kinds of poets. Puritan poet(清教徒派诗人), Cavalier poet(保皇派诗人), the Metaphysical poet(玄学派诗人). 2. Literary term: Metaphysical poetry (玄学派诗歌)
• The Civil Wars • James I (1603-1625) and the Parliament • Charles I (1625-1649) • Cromwell as Lord Protector • The new Parliament ——导火索
The English Civil War
The Civil Wars
The Civil Wars C. There were two sides to the argument: people who
supported the king (royalists) and people who supported the Parliament’s power (parliamentarians). D.The fundamental reason was the conflict between the economic interests of the urban middle classes represented by the Parliament and the feudal landowners represented by the Crown. E. But it wasn’t just a war over politics: it was a war between two systems of social ( Traditional system and New system ) a economic development. • Consequences : A. The English Civil War not only overthrew feudal system England but also shook the foundation of the feudal rule i
英美概况英国部分Word版
Chapter OneBritishSection one :the country and its people and position :name : The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (U.K)position：To the west and off the European Continent, containing the Great Britain and the northern part of Ireland.Territory proportion: approximately 240,000 square km.Population : 62.262millionThree political parts: England, Wales and Scotland England (capital city: London):the biggest ,the most developed as well as the most populated country in the U.K (capital city: London)Scotland (capital city:Edinburgh):Wales :smallest partIreland :Henry VIII was the first king to bring Ireland under control; gain its independence in 1927.2.Geographic Features:Northeast to the European Continent and east to the Atlantic, to its northeast is a channel called English Channel between the U.K and France. Neighboring country that share border : Ireland only Britain is an island country, more than1,000kilometres from south to north and 500kilometres form east to west.High Land zone：in north and westLow Land zone: in the south and east (including London).3.English TunnelFinished in 1994,was build up by private companies from U.K and France.4. Climate and Weather :Climate : maritime climate .Main character : abundant and evenly distributed rainfall. Autumn is the rainiestseasonInfluential factors: North Atlantic Drift(warm)Southwesterly wind(warm and wet.winter)Weather: changeable5.inland water :Longest river : Severn RiverMost important and second longest river: Thames River Lakes :in the Lake District6.People and languages :Main peoples: Celts and Anglo-SaxonsLanguages :English is overwhelming, some people in speaks Geltic Language7.Religion:The majority of the British people believe Christianity.Religious education and collective worship are required by British law.8.national flag :The Union Jack or Union FlagSection two : the British Government1.Political system：Constitutional MonarchyDefinition : it means the head ofstate is monarch withlimited powers.Themonarch reigns(统治), butdoes not rule（统制）ernment Component:Central government :consists of Monarch, Parliament and CabinetLocal governments3.Structure of the British government:The head ---- monarchLegislature institution : Parliament(consists House ofCommons and House of Lords)Executive Institution: Cabinet(consists of Prime Minister and Ministers of Civil service)Judicial Institution: court of appeal(supreme court)subordinate to House Of Lord4.Definations:The general idea of government :Technically speaking, British government or refers to the Cabinet(nuclear).This kind of government is called Parliamentary government or Cabinet government.The queen (Victoria ,Elizabeth….) ：Reigns but does not rulepersonifies the country,the symbol of unityAppoint the Prime Minister and other Ministers,the bills need her approval before going into effectThe parliament :Law making body ,need the approval of the monarchConsists of three parts: the monarch, the House Of Lord and the House of Common,It don’t have the executive power.The House Of Lord:The upper house of the Parliament ,unelected, consist of clergy(神职人员) and members of peerage.Debating place:the Palace of WestminsterBestowed with judicial power.The Lord Chancellor:the presider of The House Of Lord as well as a member in Cabinet, he works in Department for Constitutional Affairs.head of the judiciary of England and Wales,serving as the President of the Supreme Court of England and Wales.The house of common:The centre of the parliamentary powerMain function:to pass laws, bills and acts of Parliamentto scrutinize, criticize and restrain the actions ofthe governmentto influence the future government policyDefinition :democratically elected bodythe source of the vast majority of government ministers There is a elected speakerbills normally originate in the House of Commons. Only the House of Commons may originate bills concerning taxation or SupplyThe cabinet :responsible to Parliament for the administration of national affairs.The Cabinet is the most powerful and it serves as the nucleus of the Government.Debate place :Downing street.No 10 Downing Street is a historic building that is also a place of work. It is a symbol of Government and the home to the Prime Minister and his family. Establishment time：1856supreme decision-making bodyThe Prime Minister :monarch's principal advisorappointed by monarchNo 10 Downing Street is a historic building that is also a place of work. It is a symbol of Government and the home to the Prime Minister and his family.Local government :The English government is a three-tiered government: central government, county government and district government. The central government enforces laws through local governments.Section 3:British Laws and Politics Laws :judiciary &constitutionJudiciary :In the structure of the U.K central government, the Court of Appeal, which is subordinate to the House of Lord, is in charge of the judiciary issues.British judiciary consists of 2 branches-------civil law（citizen s’duties and obligations） criminal law(define and enforce obligations of a person)，It’s not necessary to pick up jury in the course of the civil trail while criminal trails have to be held in open court for the criminal law assume the innocent of the accused until he was proved to be guilty by a smoking gun.(reasonable doubt) In the process of the criminal trail by jury. The judge pass the result issued by the jury.Jury system(mostly used in criminal trial)Definition :In the United kingdom the court is open to the public and the jury is used during the trial.12members,random selection,obligation, chosen by both side(the plaintiff and the defendant)Unanimous verdictConstitution :No written constitution in U.K, it’s function is embodied by several separate lawsFour elements of the British legal ：acts of the parliament/Statutory Law（国内成文法）, common law(公民法),convention(惯例、习惯法),EU legislation（欧盟法）Barrister -------inn court, bar examinationPolitics :Politic system :a two-party political system.▪political parties:▪the Whig Party—Liberal Party▪the Tory Party—Conservative Partymajority seats in the Parliament means the power to form a government (government party, opposition parties )Government policies are initiated by whipsThere is no need to apply for membership in a party.The conservative party ----right wing---oldMain support----middle and upper-middle class. Advocation :privatization of the state owned firmsfree enterpriseadvocate :pragmatismindividualism.Margaret ThatcherThe labor party------left wing/the leftCreated by trade unionMixture of the two partiesDoctrine of SocialismMain support :Working classAdvocation :Establish a welfare stateNationalized industryExercise control over the private industries to revive the primary industryLiberal Democratic-----minority partyadvocates policies based on freedom of the individual and supports the adoption of Propositional Representation at elections(代议制选举)Election:Prime Ministers are elected from national Constituency (选区)Period： 5 yearsGovernment :the party has the majority seats of the parliament.Prime Minister :the leader of the majority party.Section 4:national economy and major cities1. General Survey :first country to start industrial revolution;comprehensive industry systemmineral production：mainly exhausted, others are mainly oil and gaseconomy model :one of the most essential market economy in the world.Industry :⏹comprehensive industry system⏹one of the seven major industrialized countries ofthe Western Worldfinance :London is one of the financial centre of the world’s businesstrade:long coastline ,limited domestic market ,inadequate raw material ,trading nation, petroleum tradeAs for Sino-British trade:China: raw materials, sideline productsBritain: technical equipmentBritain is China's 4th biggest European trade partnereconomic influence :one of the seven major industrialized countries of the Western World, the member of the G8 summitFramework of economy :Economy system : capitalism ,including Public Sector and Private Sector.GDP: The world’s sixth largest economyCurrency: sterlingMining :Oil(.self sufficient .North sea,1975) ,Gas, and Coal (be kept for future use)Manufacturing Industry:Iron and steel industry is the largest manufacturingindustry.A large auto-vehicle industry------Aston Martin,Land Rover, Dodge, and Rolls Royce.Agriculture :favorable condition : mild climate ,Highly mechanized ,Important department :Dairy farming and fishinganimal husbandryPoultry ['pəʊltrɪ]meatEnergy productionMajor Energy Companies: Shell, British Petroleum[pɪ'trəʊlɪəm](BP), British Gas (BG)TransportationWell-known merchant marineOne of the busiest railways in the worldDeveloped highways and airlines (the major airline are mainly operated by the British airways(state-owned) Communication (all state-owned)One of the largest and most developed in the world “999”for police, fireman and ambulanceLargest telecommunication provider-----BT(British Tele communication)FinanceCentral bank of the UK：controls the currency and actsmaintain the integrity and value of the currencyEconomy structuresServices industries, especially, business and financial services—the strongest performing sector in the UK economy with London being the most developed area in the whole country.major citiesLondon•南岸，伦敦眼摩天轮•杜莎夫人蜡像馆／天文馆（Madame Tussaud's/Planetarium）•伦敦塔•伦敦地牢•敞篷巴士伦敦观光游（The Original London Tour）•议会大厦（Houses of Parliament）夏季对外开放•西区和威斯敏斯特大教堂（Westminster Abbey）观光•达利的世界展览馆（Dali Universe）•汉普顿宫（Hampton Court Palace）•肯辛顿宫（Kensington Palace）BelfastManchesterCardiff EdinburgBirminghamChapter twoSection 5 :Origin of the English NationThe native Celt :Celt are considered to be the natives of Great Britain and the ancestors of the Scots, Irish and Welsh peopleOriginate from：Eastern and central EuropeRoman Conquest：Brought about Christianity.Occupied England until 410 A.DLater on, the Jutes and Angles landed, the Angles(the winner) gave the name to England and English people..Alfred the Great.First (Anglo-Saxon )king of (all) England“The father of the British navy.”The battle of HastingsHarold GodwinsonBrave and respectful, but not the direct heir of the throne. But he managed to crown himself the king by wining the support of the WitanWilliam the ConquerorEdward’s cousinSet out from Normandy to English south coast Battlefield :Build up a fort and camped in Hasting, southeastern England.Result : William won, battle abbey mourn for the dead Be crowned in Westminster on Christmas day of 1066,becoming the first Anglo-Norman king of England.Influence :Sped up the development of feudalism in Britain, after the war, the feudalism system was established. Build up the tower of LondonFeudal aristocracy was established.Open up a bi-lingual period in English historyLast invasion of England initiated by foreignersFeudalism system:Established by William the great.The throne provides the land and castlesThe monarch will need the support from the barons Definition :feudal system - giving land in return for service.Section 6: the decline of feudalism in EnglandHenry II and His Reform :William consolidated the feudalism and he took all kinds of measures to strengthen the king’s power, which intensify the conflicts between the monarch andhis baronsHenry the 2nd came into power and become the first king of Plantagenet (金雀花)dynasty.Measures：force the foreign mercenaries to leave the England, demolish the illegal castles built by the barons, abolish the land tax based on hidecreate the circuit courts and the jury systemthe king’s court have the right to try the guilty clerkEffect:Strengthen the feudal orderBring a period of security and prosperityThe course of the form was interrupted and left unfinished.The Great CharterWhen the king John ruled the England, the baronsforce the king to sign and swear to observe the Great Charter.The Great Charter ,or the Magna Charter is very critical in English history and it’s called the corner stone of English history.The content :The king must observe the rights of his vessels.No tax should be imposed without the consent of the Great Council.No free man will be imprisoned or banished without being convicted by a juryThe merchants are allowed to move about freely.Birth of the Parliament:Simon de Montfort(西蒙德孟福尔)brings changes to the organization of the Great Council.2citizens from a flourishing town,2 knights from each county can join the Great Council.Changed the name into Parliament.In the early years, Parliament met only by the king’s invitation. It’s role was to offer someadvice.Significance :The Parliament marked the decline of feudalism and the rise of the Bourgeoisie.The hundred year’s warReason:The conflict between these two countries over foreign markets and territory led to the Hundred Years' War.Definition :A series armed international conflicts over a116-year period between the England and France.Joan of arcThe effect:England lost its territory on the continent.The ruling Norman began to regard England as their homeEnglish replaced French and became the official language again.Gunpowder was used in the wars,Prepare the soil for the growth of the middle class Sped up the decline of the feudalism.Salutary to commercial development.The bourgeoisie became more powerfulThe PlagueEpidemic disease spread by rat fleasStart from Italy, then spread to France, German and England without warning and cure.Believed to be originated in Asia.Effect:Caused a large number of population lossBrought about economic disruption and bad influence on the development of the culture.(universities closed …)give occasion to the peasants uprising.The Peasants UprisingCauses:The natural disasters and social problemsDue to the lack of labor, the peasants are demanding better living condition and higher wagesThe first labor law, the Statute of Laborers, prohibited laborers from asking for more wages. Time and place:In Essex and Kent ,1381,and was led by Wat Tyler and Jack StrawThe king used a scam and suppressed the uprising, ultimately, the uprising was failedEffect :The poll tax was abolishedThe serf system was brought to an end in England afterwards.The Wars of the RosesDefinition :A series of civil wars fought between the house of Lancaster(red rose) and the house of York（white rose）.Major Causes:The dispute on the succession of the crownThe unpopular domination reign of Henry the 6th. Consequence :Both sides at war are the mounted knights and theirentouragesGive birth to the strong and centralized Tudor dynastyInfluence :Sped up the decline of the feudalism in England.Section 8:The English Civil War/RevolutionBriefing :A series of armed conflicts and political games between Parliamentarians and Royalist.Back Ground:The Wars of Roses weaken the feudal nobles,The peasants ,as a result of the peasant uprising and the Enclosure ,the free labors composed a new class------the proletariat (the peasants no longer have their lands)England further develop its foreign trade and expansion ,aiming to achieve its “primitive accumulation of capital”Meanwhile，the bourgeois ideology and morality is forming up.During the Elizabeth’s reign the relation between monarch and bourgeoisie was strained, the latter required the freedom of speechJames the first:Preach the Divine Right of KingsDied because of disease.Charles the first:The son of James the first.Advocate the Divine right of kings(君权神授) Provoked the conflicts between the Catholicism and Puritanism(The Bishops’ War---- enforce Anglican reforms onto Scottish church and was rejected,-----war ,long parliament which sowed the seeds for the civil war).Initiated the British Civil (rose his standard) War between Parliamentarian and Royalist.The First British War:Cause :The appearance of the Long Term Parliament.The tension between the king and Parliament Charles decided to arrest 5members of Parliament. Charles initiated the war by rising his standard in Nottingham .Result :Charles was failed and was capturedThe Second Civil War:Process:Although captured ,the king Charles the first ultimately escaped and negotiated new agreement withScots.The agreement led to the “second civil war”. but eventually, the Royalists were defeated by Parliamentarians.Other revolts were put down by Oliver Cromwell.The army marched on the parliament and conducted the “Pride’s Purge” Finally, the king was charged with high treason ,being “tyrant, traitor, murderer and public enemy” and executed.The third Civil war:Rebellion:Ireland(treaty) and Scotland agreed to support Charles the second.Process:Cromwell was unable to stop Charles the second, hecrowned a new king. Afterwards, Charles the 2nd fled to France, ended up the war.Significance:Overthrew feudal system in England.Pave the way for the development of capitalist production.Regarded as the beginning of the modern world history.Oliver Cromwell:Established the commonwealth of EnglandDestroyed the feudal system.Became the Lord ProtectorThe restoration :AnarchyIncompetent leader RichardFactionsGeneral George Monck marched south with his army from Scotland.Charles the 2nd was crowned the king of England, which was known as English Restoration.After the restoration, the parliament factions become two parties(later becoming the Tory and Whig)The Glorious Revolution:James the 2nd intended to restore the Roman Catholicism in England and conduct religious persecutionsTories and some of the Whigs decide to replace James the 2nd with his daughter Mary and her husband William of Orange(奥兰治亲王威廉)---both were protestants Finally ,James the second abdicatedMary II and William III jointly succeeded to the throne of EnglandSignificance:Regarded as the real beginning of constitutional monarchy ,which means the parliament become thesource of supreme power instead of the king Parliament pass the “Act of Union”and the name of Great Britain was officially adopted and came into use.Section 9:The Industrial Revolution Definition : the invention and appliance of various machines and British urbanization.Condition :The accomplished “primitive accumulation of capital” through plunder and expansion.The enclosure movement provide free labor.The church was deprived of their land and privilege The notorious triangular trade.Favorable geographical position for tradeHuge merchant marine.Pragmatism and mercantilismProtestant “work ethic” and laissez-faire(放任政策)People s’ adventure spiritProcess:The Industrial Revolution first started in textile industry.Iconic inventions:Flying shuttle,carding machine（梳棉机） ,spinning jenny,water framethe steam engine. Watt steam engine was first used to pump water from coal mine.First steam locomotive.(marked the new stage of Industrial Revolution).Achievements of IR:Thousands of miles of canalsA complete railway system.Steam boats and the largest commercial fleet made Great Britain a strong sea power.Social and Political effect:1.Britain became the “workshop of the world”.2.The Britain ‘s social structure was simplified: The middle class and proletariat emerged,The noble class could no longer compete with the middle class.The conflicts between proletariat and capitalism became the biggest social problem in Britain.The small farmers disappeared3.The centre of economy shifted to the central area and northern England.Big cities sprang up.Adam Smith：An evolutionary approach to guide the economy. Advocate the “invisible hand”and laissez-fair policy.The Chartist Movements:A radical campaign for parliament reform of the inequities.Effects :failed because of its weak and divided leadership, it did not have a political party to be a leader.started the history of the workers’ struggle for liberation.Queen Victoria（1819-1901） :Presiding the Industrial revolution and the expansion of the British Empire overseas.Value of the times: (emphasized) prudish gentility and repression.Section 10:The Rise and Fall of the British Empire.（the empire on which the sun never sets）Briefing :During the long 18 century, British rose to a dominant position in the world and became the first country to start Industrial Revolution.The mighty middle class provided a strong platform for settlement and commerce.Growth of the overseas empire:Prerequisite :Pioneering marine policy of king Henry the 7th . Establishment of the modern merchant marine system. Mercantile institution(重商主义体系)Henry the 8th and the rise of the Royal Navy:King Henry the 8th founded the modern English navy.The Elizabeth eraSir Francis Drake(弗朗西斯-德雷克)Circumnavigated the Globe（环游地球，England grew the interest outside the Europe.Established First colony in NewfoundlandWas seen as the formation of the British Empire England extend its influence overseas and consolidate its political development at home.Expend the empire by wars and colonization:First overseas colony Newfoundland.Successively establish colonies in North America, Australia and New Zealand.Free trade and“informal empire”The “salutary neglects”provoke the American Independence war. The period of first British Empire was over.British Empire in AsiaBritish East India company occupied nearly the whole of India.Later on Ceylon(锡兰，今斯里兰卡)and Burma (缅甸) was conquered .Initiated Opium war against China and prevailed .Break down of the Pax Britannica(英国强权下的盛世) The deterioration in the 19th century:Competition from other countries such as Germany and United States.The loss of the foreign market.Britain and the New Imperialism:New imperialism ：the European colonial expansion between 1870s and the outbreak of the first world war. Pursuit :“empire for empire’s sake” desire for territory(appearance of the racial superiority)Later on Britain conduct Home rule in its white settler coloniesThe impact of first world war:Millions of casualties and heavy economy strain (liquidated assets).(Allied power)The heavy cost of war destroy it’s capacity to maintain its vast empire.Its international standing was declining and replaced by the U.SDeclining foreign trade.Decolonization:Reasons:The rising anti-colonial nationalism movementschallenge the power of the empire.The end of the empire started with the outbreak of the World War Two and India independence movements(leader---mahatma Gandhi)The end of the British Empire:Reason: Due to the impact of the world war two and Economic crisis in1947,later on, Britain abjured its attempt to be a first-rank power.。
英语国家概况Unit3History1(UK)
countries Unit3history1 (uk)
目录
• Background of British History • The evolution of the British political system • The Development History of the British
Expansion of trade
Britain's economy became increasingly integrated with the global economy, with the country exporting manufactured goods and importing raw materials from around the world.
Development of constitutional monarchy
Over time, the power of the monarchy was gradually limited by laws and customs, leading to the emergence of constitutional monarchy.
Land ownership
Under feudalism, land was owned by the king and granted to noblemen in return for their loyalty and military service.
Rights and obligations
Modern Britain
• Industrial Revolution: The Industrial Revolution began in Britain in the late 18th century, transforming the country from an agrarian society to an industrialized nation.
4.Political system(2)英国政治系统,英美概况
The Lords Temporal (世俗贵族)
The hereditary peers
Duke (公爵) Marquis (侯爵) Earl (伯爵) Viscount (子爵) Baron (男爵)
The life peers a reward for public service
The House of Lords
Life Peers
Appointment
By the Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister Cannot pass the title on to his or her children
Qualification
For people’s outstanding careers
The Upper House The Lords Spiritual & the Lords Temporal Lords are not elected.
They have inherited the seat from their fathers. They have been appointed by the sovereign.
British Government
British government is controlled by a parliament which has been elected by the people. The highest positions in the government are filled by members of the directly elected parliament. That is, an MP (usually a member of an opposition party) puts forward a statement for the MPs to vote on saying that “This house no longer has confidence in the Government”.
英美国家概况
英美国家概况第一章Land and People英国的国土与人民I. Different Names for Britain and its Parts英国的不同名称及其各组成部分1.Geographical names: the British Isles, Great Britain and England.地理名称：不列颠群岛，大不列颠和英格兰。
2.Official name: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.官方正式名称：大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国。
3.The British Isles are made up of two large islands-Great Britain (the larger one) and Ireland, and hundreds of small ones.不列颠群岛由两个大岛—大不列颠岛（较大的一个）和爱尔兰岛，及成千上万个小岛组成。
4.Three political divisions on the island of Great Britain: England, Scotland and Wales.大不列颠岛上有三个政治区：英格兰、苏格兰和威尔士。
(1) England is in the southern part of Great Britain. It is the largest, most populous section.英格兰位于大不列颠岛南部，是最大，人口最稠密的地区。
(2) Scotland is in the north of Great Britain. It has three natural zones (the Highlands in the north; the Central lowlands; the south Uplands) Capital: Edinburgh苏格兰位于大不列颠的北部。
英语国家概况 Chapter 3
THE EXECUTIVE
• THE PRIME MINISTER IS THE LEADER OF THE MAJORITY PARTY IN PARLIAMENT. • THE CABINET IS AT THE CENTER OF THE BRITISH POLITICAL SYSTEM.
• THE CABINET WORKS ON THE PRINCIPLE OF COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY AND INDIVIDUAL MINISTERIAL RESPONSIBILITY.
COMMON LAW
COMMON LAW HAS NEVER BEEN PRECISELY DEFINED . IT IS DEDUCED FROM CUSTOMS OR LEGAL PRECEDENTS AND IS INTERPRETED IN COURT CASES BY JUDGES.
CONVENTIONS
Government and the Commonwealth
CHAPTER 3
I. Constitution II. Government III. Political Parties IV. Election V. The Commonwealth
I. CONSTITUTION
Britain is a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarchy.
The King or Queen is the head of state.
THE BRITISH CONSTITUTION
STATUTORY LAW
THE MOST IMPORTANT AND TAKES PRECEDENCE OVER THE OTHERS IF THERE IS A CLASH. STATUTES ARE LAWS THAT HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN PASSED BY PARLIAMENT.
英美国家概况(英国部分)Unit 3 Political system
Palace of Westminster (Houses of Parliament)
House of Lords
Red Chamber 红厅
House of Commons
Green Chamber
The Monarch -- Official Head of Parliament
• The life of parliament is divided into periods called “sessions” (A session lasts for 1 year).
• As with the PM, the members of the Cabinet are also members of the legislative who have the right, as an MP, to vote on issues.
Separation of Power
Separation of Power
bishops. Their eligibility to sit ends on retirement. 2. Law Lords: 12 Chief Judges 3. Hereditary Peers :
Duke, Marquis, Earl, Viscount, Baron (royal descendants) 4. Life Peers : The life peer is given a title by the Crown during his/her lifetime, in honor of his or her professional achievements. The title is NOT hereditary.
• On the day, the Queen travels from Buckingham Palace to Parliament in the State Coach , a golden carriage.
英美国家概况填空题
Chapter 11. The two main island of the Britain Isles are Great Britain and Ireland.2.Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland.3. Among the four parts of the United Kingdom , Northern Ireland is the smallest.4.English belong to the Germanic group of the Indo-European family of languages.5.The introduction of Christianity to Britain added the first element of Latin and Greek.6.The evolution of Middle English was reinforced by the Norman influence.7.Samuel Johnson ’ s dictionary was influential in establishing a stan d arform of spelling.8. At present ,nearly one-third of the world’ s population communicate in English. Chapter 21.The Germanic attack on Rome ended the Roman occupation in Britain in 410.2.By the late 7 th century , Roman Christianity became the dominant religion in England.3.The Norman Conquest marked the establish of feudalism in England.4.The end of the Wars of the Roses led to the rule of the House of Tudor.5.The direct cause for the Reformation was King Henry VIII divorce ’hiss wifeefort. to6.The English Civil War broke out in 1642 between the Royalists and the Parliamentarians .7.The Bill of Rights was passed after the Glorious Revolution.th8. The Industrial Revolution was accomplish in Britain by the middle of the 19 century. Chapter 31.The British government is characterized by a division of powers between three of the followingbranches EXCEPT the monarchy.2. The importance of the British monarchy can be seen in its effect on public attitude.3.As a revising chamber ,the House of Lords is expected to complement the House of Commons.4.The Cabinet is at the center of the British political system.5. The main duty of the British Privy Council is to give advice.6.Generally speaking ,the British Parliament operates on a two-party system.7.The policies of the Conservative Party are characterized by pragmatism and a belief inindividualism.8.In Britain ,the parliamentary general election is held every five years.1.The oil crisis in the early 1970s worsened an already stagnant economy in Britain.2.Of the following practices , reducing unemployment did not belong to Thatcher ’social welfarereform.3.The Blair government was successful in all the following aspects EXCEPT reducing inequality .4. Britain has devoted about 70% of its land area to agriculture.5.Britain's important fishing areas include all the following EXCEPTthe sea area between6. Coal mining industry in Britain provides one-third of the energy consumed in the country.7.The car industry in Britain is mostly foreign-owned .8.Of the following sectors in Britain, the service sector has experienced spectacular growth sincethe end of World War II.Chapter 51.In Britain, the division between grammar schools and vocational schools was ended by the introduction of comprehensive schools in the1960s.2. Over7%of British children receive primary and secondary education through theindependent system.3.Partially funded by central government grants, most of the British universities receive their remaining funds from all the following sources EXCEPT loans4.To be admitted to the Open University, one needs no educational qualifications.5.Among Britain's quality press, the following newspapers are regarded as the 'Big Three" EXCEPT The Observer.6.Life on Earth is a kind of documentary program produced by the BBC and is popular worldwide.7.BSkyB is Britain's top pay-television provider.8.The following Christmas traditions are particularly British EXCEPT Trooping the Color. Chapter 6l. The most significant achievement of the English Renaissance is drama.2.The Preface to Lyrical Ballads is viewed as Romantic Poetry's "Declaration of Independence".3. Of Dickens' novels,David Copperfield is considered most autobiographical.4. Thomas Hardy is a representative of English Critical Realism at the turn of the 19th century.5.Of the following books,Adam Bede is NOT written by Thomas Hardy.6. Oscar Wilde is NOT included in the modernist group.7.Of the following writers,James Joyceis NOT a Nobel Prize winner.8.Waiting for Godot is written by Samuel Beckett .1.The U.S. lies in central North America, with Canada to the north, Mexico to the south, the Atlantic to its east and the Pacific to its west.2.The continental United States has 48 states.3.The states of Alaska is the largest in area of all the U.S. states.4.The longest river in the U.S. is the Mississippi River.5. Some of the world-famous universities like Harvard, Yale and MIT are located in New England .6.San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego all belong toCalifornia7.The Immigration Act of 1924 restricted further immigration into the United States, particularly from Europe.8. The characteristics of the dominant American culture are English-speaking, Western European, Protestant and middle-class .Chapter 91.The first successful English colony in North America was founded at Jamestown in Virginia .2.The Seven Years' War occurred between the French and the British .3."No taxation without representation" was the rallying slogan of the people of the 13 colonies .4.In May 1775, the Second Continental Congress was held in Philadelphia and began to assume the functions of a provisional government.5.Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation to grant freedom to all slaves.6.The policy of the United States was neutrality at the beginning of the two World Wars.7.President Roosevelt introduced the New Deal to deal with the problems of the Great Depression.8.The Vietnam War was a long-time suffering for Americans, and it continued throughout theterms of Presidents Eisenhower, KennedY and Johnson.Chapter 101.The U.S. Constitution came into effect in 1789 .2.The Constitution of the United States tries to give each branch enough power to balance the others .3.The Bill of Rights guarantees citizens of the United States specific individual rights and freedom .4. The terms for a Senator and Representative are six and two years respectively.5.All the following can make legislative proposals EXCEPT the Secretary of State .6.The following are all powers of the President EXCEPT making laws .7.The Supreme Court is composed of nine justices.8. The President is directly voted into office by electors elected by the voters .1.America produces a major portion of the world's products in the following fields EXCEPT ore .2.The modern American economy progressed from a colonial economy to a farming economy and than to an industrial economy .3.Chartered companies were NOT granted the diplomatic authority by the British King or Queen.4. Alexander Hamilton urged the federal government to establish a national bank.5.The following inventions took place during the "second industrial revolution"EXCEPTrefrigerator .6.President Johnson tried to build a "Great Society" by introducing various programs like the following EXCEPTUnemployment Pension .7.The following statements are all true EXCEPT Agribusinesses maintain a balanced trade pattern between agricultural imports and exports.8. Employment in the service sector has been increasing in the U.S. since the 1970s.Chapter 121.Formal education in the United States consists of elementary , secondary and higher education.2.Of the following subjects, politics and business education are NOT offered to elementary school students.3. Higher education in the United States began with the founding of Harvard College.4.Of the following, research institutions are NOT among the categories of American higher education.5.To get a bachelor's degree, all undergraduate students are required to do the following EXCEPT working for communities .6.The New York Times is sold especially to the upper or upper-middle class and has a reputationfor its serious attitude and great bulk.7.Of the following, the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is NOT among the three major radio and TV networks in America.8.The National Day of the United States falls on July 4th each year.Chapter 131. Of the following writers, Benjamin Franklin and Jonathan Edwards are from the Colonial and Revolutionary Periods.2.Washington Irving is regarded as the "father of American literature".3.Of the following, Moby Dick is considered Herman Melville's masterpiece.4.Of the following, an idealistic view is NOT characteristic of Mark Twain's works.5. Of the following writers, Herman Melville is NOT included in the group of naturalists.6.F. Scott Fitzgerald's finest novel is The Great Gatsby, and its theme is about the American Dream.7. Of the following writers, Alice Walker is NOT a Nobel Prize winner.8. Toni Morrison is the first African-American winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature.。
英美国家概况(英国部分)Unit 3 Political system[精]
![英美国家概况(英国部分)Unit 3 Political system[精]](https://img.taocdn.com/s3/m/bdc09e85102de2bd9705885a.png)
Make all the UK laws; Scrutinize (审查) government policy & administration; Hear appeals (上诉) in the highest Court of Appeal in Britain;（The House of Lords) Debate the major issues of the day.
Think about these questions before we start:
1. What are the main functions of Parliament?
2. What is the role of the Monarchy in the British government?
3. What is a constitutional monarchy? When did it begin in Britain?
4. How did the Labor Party come into being?
5. Why and how did the English Parliament come into being?
• The PM is an active member of the legislative, yet also the leading member of the executive.
• The Lord Chancellor is a member of the cabinet and therefore of the executive as well as being head of the judiciary.
• The House of Lords also has a right to vote on bills so they’re part of the legislative but the Lords also contains the Law Lords who are an important part of the judiciary.
英美概况英国部分复习重点
●The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland●Full name （Official Name）:The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (U.K) ●Geographical name：The British Isles, Great Britain and England●Nick name ：John Bull●The Union Flag(米字旗) also known as the ―Union Jack ‖●The National Anthem----God Save the Queen (King)●The National Flower----Rose●Erithacus rubecula / Robin（知更鸟）Redbreast (红襟鸟)●British IslesGreat BritainEngland (S) -----The largest (60% & 85%) &most developed / Capital---LondonScotland (N) ------ The second largest (30% & 1/3) / Capital---EdinburghWales (SW) ----The smallest of the three (9% & 5%)/ Capital---Cardiff IrelandNorthern Ireland------Capital---Belfast●Position：Be Situated in Northwestern Europe, lying to the north of France and the west of Netherlands and Denmark.Be separated from the rest of Europe by the English Channel in the south and the North Sea in the east●Geographic Features :The Highland Zone in the north and westThe Lowland Zone in the south and southeastThe dividing line runs from the mouth of the River Exe埃克斯河in the southwest to near the mouth of River Tees蒂斯河in the northeast●The Highland Zone:a) The Highlands of ScotlandBen Nevis本尼维斯山, the highest mountain in Britain, stands in North Scotlandb) The Central Lowlands (Middle Valley) of ScotlandEdinburghc) The Southern Uplandsd) The Pennies奔宁山脉The Backbone of Englande) The Lake District of CambriaThe home of Lake Poets 湖畔诗人,Three English poets-----Robert Southey, Samuel Coleridge, William Wordsworthf) The Welsh Massif 高地The Lowland Zone●Climate and Weather1.Maritime climate海洋性（Moderated by the Atlantic Ocean）2.Changeable weather3.More than one half of the days are cloudy. More rainy days, less sunny days. More fogs &smog in winter.●Inland WaterThe largest river---the Severn River塞汶河(empties into the Bristol Strait布里斯托尔海峡）The second largest river & most important river---the Thames River泰晤士河（London issituated on it）Clyde River克莱德河---in ScotlandLake District---most important lakes●PeopleA population of 59.6million (2001)Urban areas---90%Rural areas---10%●Invaders ContributionIberians ?Celts/Gaels Scottish and Irish race and cultureBritons Welsh race and cultureRomans. Latin alphabet and civilizationAnglo-Saxons English race and languageDanes Some peculiarities of dialect in North and East EnglandNorman Final unification of England. Great administrative progress.(French-speaking) Foundation of aristocracy贵族●English people (P11)Welsh --- WelshScottish --- Gaelic languageIrish --- Gaelic language & Irish●CharacterExclusivenessConservativenessPolitenessLove of PrivacyStiff Upper LipSense of Humor (self-deprecating)•Official language---English•Indo-European language family•The development of English1. Old English (5th-12th century)2. Middle English (12th-15th centuries)After the Norman Conquest in 10663. Modern English (15th century-now)●ReligionThe British law protests religious freedomMajority believe Christianity基督教The first Christian church was established at Canterbury in 597The state has two established churches:the Church of England( the Anglican Church)英国国教/圣公会The Church of Scotland●The British Government●The seat of the British government is in the Houses of Parliament, officially the New Palace ofWestminster. (built in the mid-19th century)●It is the founder of the system known as the constitutional monarchy君主立宪制.（the head ofthe state is a monarch with limited powers. The monarch reigns, but not rule.）●The real power of government is invested with Parliament and elective officials.●It is a unitary country with its government composed of 3 tires-the central government (themonarch, Parliament, the cabinet), the county government, and the district government.●Basic Structure of UK Central Government：Monarch (non-political)⏹Legislature---ParliamentHouse of Commons (political)下院House of Lords (semi-political)上院⏹ExecutivePrime Minister& Cabinet (political)Ministers& Civil service (non-political)⏹Judiciary (no-political)Supreme CourtCourt of Appeal●Monarch (Sovereign, Crown)⏹Head of state,Armed forcesJudiciaryEstablished Church⏹Hereditary⏹Reign but not rule⏹Not be a Roman Catholic or marry a Roman Catholic⏹On the death of a monarch, The oldest male heir⏹The national day---the birthday of the Sovereign●Queen’s duties1.Opening each new session of Parliament2.Dissolving Parliament before a general election3.Approving Orders and Proclamations through the Privy council枢密院4. A living symbol of national unity●Buckingham Palace：The official London residence of the Britain sovereign. (open duringAugust and September)●The Queen‘s husband can get the title known as Duke of Edinburgh●The first son of the Queen, whose title is Prince of Wales●Parliament：A place for argument and debateParliament is the highest legislative authority in the United Kingdom –the institution responsible for making and repealing UK lawAnd it is also responsible for checking the work of the Government.●Functions of Parliament ：1.To provide (by voting for taxation) the means of carrying on the work of government2.To check government policy and administration, including proposals for expenditure支出3.To debate the major issues of the day4.To pass laws●Components of The Parliament：1. The monarch (King or Queen)2. The House of Lords (Upper House)3. The House of Commons (Lower House)Each parliament is five years which is divided into five sessions, each lasting one year.●The House of Lords：They are not elected, but appointedThey are only representing themselves not populationIt exercises the supreme judicial powerIt stands for the Aristocratic nobility贵族It composes of the lords temporal世俗的, the lords spiritual神职人员（26 church leaders）, the law lords高级法官.The full membership is 660.The person who presides over the debate of the house is known as Lord Chancellor●Currently there are 4 types of Lords:Life Peers(当世贵族、后封贵族) / Law Lords（chief judges) / Bishops(主教) / Hereditary peers(世袭贵族)●What do the House of Lords do?Making Laws / Checking the Government / Providing independent expertise专门知识/Carrying out judicial work●The house of Commons (Lower House)：1.The source of real political power2.The House of commons consists of 659 Members of Parliament (MPs) who aredemocratically elected by voters (the ‗electorate‘) to each represent an area of the UK known as a constituency选民or seat.3.The chairman who conducts debates in the Lower House is officially called Speaker, who iselected by the Commons4.The party that won the majority of seats in the House of Commons will form the government.5. A session of Parliament lasts for 5 years unless the prime minister dissolves Parliament.6.The political party which wins the most seats in the House of Commons at general election isknown as the government party and its leader becomes the Prime Minister. The second largest party is known as the Official. Opposition and its leader is the Leader of the Opposition. All other parties are known as opposition parties在野党(shadow cabinet) even though some of them will support the governing party.7.Theoretically the two Houses are equally important. But the upper house does not exercisethe dominant constitutional influence.8.The upper house has no power to prevent the passing of legislation or bills approved by theHouse of Commons.9.The work of Lords is largely complementary to that of the Commons: hold debates, putquestions to ministers, make proposals, examine and revise bills.●The Government & The Cabinet：Parliamentary government 议会政体Responsible to parliamentCannot govern without the support of the majority of parliamentNo. 10 Downing Street●The Cabinet：Members of the Cabinet are senior ministers chosen by the Prime Minister. Heads of government departments and senior figures such as the Lord Chancellor will be included in the Cabinet. There is no set number for the size of the cabinet but it must be large enough to include all senior ministers yet small enough to allow for constructive discussion.The Prime Minister lives and works in official residence, NO.10 Downing Street.The Cabinet: appointed by PMThe Cabinet Ministers: 15-20Shadow Cabinet: oppositionsCollective responsibility: the Cabinet acting unanimously全体一致的as a single unitMinisterial responsibility: the ministers responsible for the work of their own department and answerable负责to parliament about it（mistakes-resignation辞职）Cabinet ―reshuffles‖改组：PM reassigning responsibilities or dropping members●Civil Servants：Government employees. Permanent, well-educated elite精英，dominated byOxbridge(75%) & politically neutral●Three-tier system:Central government./County government (45)./District government●Local government:County郡level：education and social service (full-time specialist officials)District councils区自治会: rubbish collection, disposal (full-time specialist officials)Community or parish councils行政堂区委员会:may affect decisionsCouncilors议员:local council members（3years）Major: the chairman of a city council●Politics and Law●Political Parties：A two-party systemThe two major parties：the Conservative Party & the Labor PartyThe minor party●In the 1800s the Whigs merged结合with other parties interested in social reform to formthe Liberal Party自由党. The Tories took on the additional name of the Conservative Party 保守党in the 1830s in order to appeal to呼吁a broader electorate选区. The Liberal Party evolved into发展为the Liberal Democrat Party自由民主党, the third most popular party in Britain.●The Labor Party：Created by the growing trade union工会movement at the end of 19th century.The newest party and one of the two biggest partyA socialist party社会党(high taxes)They believe a society should be relatively equal in economic terms, and the part of the role government i s to act as ―redistributive重新分配agent‖Also they see the government as the right body to provide a range of public services available to all, such as health, education and public transportation.●The Conservative Party：Spend most time in power (1979-1997)Protect the individual‘s right to acquire wealth and to spend it how they choose, and so favoring economic policies which businessmen prefer, such as low taxes.●The Liberal Democrats：The 3rd biggest partyA party of the ―middle‖, occupying the ideological意识形态的ground between the two main parties.Comparatively flexible灵活and pragmatics in their balance of the individual and the social.Emphasizing the need to make government more democratic民主and accountable有责任.●What is a general election?The election of all Members of Parliament (MPs) for each constituency (local area) is called a general election.●General elections have to take place at least every 5 years and are called by the Prime Minister(the leader of the Government).●Justice and the Law：There is no single system in the United Kingdom.The English law comprises three elements:Acts of Parliament,Common law习惯法,The European Union law●The court systemCivil branch民事criminal branch刑事Supreme Court最高法院↑↑Court of Appeal上诉法院Court of Appeal↑↑High court高等法院Crown court↑↑County court Magistrates‘ court地方法庭●Police ForceBobby‖ ―peeler‖The police service for the United Kingdom is organized and controlled on a local basis. There are 43 police forces in England and Wales, 8 in Scotland and 1 in Northern Ireland.Scotland Yard苏格兰场（伦敦警察厅）or New Scotland Yard, is the headquarters of the London Metropolitan Police Service, responsible for policing Greater London.●National Economy and CitiesBy the 1880s, the British economy was dominant in the world, producing one third of the world’s manufactured goods, half its coal and iron, and half its cotton.But by 1900, the UK has been overtaken by both the United States and Germany.The second industrial revolution in the United States meant the US had begun to challenge Britain’s role as the leader of the global economy.The extensive war efforts of both World Wars in the 20th century and the dismantlement of the British Empire also weakened the UK economy in global terms, and by that time Britain had beensuperseded by the United States as the chief player in the global economy.From 1945 until the present, the story of the UK economy is usually thought of as one of decline.●North Sea oil and gas supply most of the UK’s energy needs●London is the world’s largest financial center with the London Stock Exchange, the LondonInternational Financial Futures and Options Exchange, and the Lloyd’s of London insurance market all based in the city of London.●London has the largest concentration of foreign bank branches in the world, with HSBC汇丰银行and Barclays巴克莱Bank relocating their head offices there.●The bank of England, the central bank of UK.●Cultural and Social Life●Traditionally speaking, the British culture has a reputation for its requirement of decency andcivility in doing things.●British society is considered to be divided into three main groups of classes:1.the Upper Class people with incomes from rents and property payments2.the Middle Class those who were educated and dealt with paper in business or in aprofession3.the Lower or Working Class those who did manual labour 体力劳动●The Upper Class：•The upper landed class----nobility & aristocracy•The lower upper class-----knights, squires, gentry & country gentlemen●The Middle ClassRelied on their knowledge and skills to make money, placed great emphasis on freedom an的the education of their children.●The British families patterns①the parents and married children live close together but in separate houses②the parents and married children live further apart③nuclear family— two adults and their unmarried children●Typical British family：It consists of a married couple. Neither of them has been married before.They have two or three children of their won. The husband works full-time but the wife probably does not. The wife does most of the housework although the husband may help occasionally. Lastly, all its members are happy.●According to the British law, no one is allowed to marry under the age of 16. Marriage between the age of 16 and 18 must have the parents’consent. But when one is over 18, he enjoys complete freedom of choosing a spouse.●British people like to drink tea.The laboring class-high tea with hot dishes at 5:00 pmMiddle class- light tea at 4:00 or 5:00 pm●British dinnerIt normally consists of three courses:•Soup and salad as a first course•Beef, mutton, carrots, peas and beans as the main course•The dessert or sweet as the last course.●The Literacy rate（识字率）in Britain is one of the highest in the world at over 99%.●Britain is the second largest exporter of intellectual property rights（知识产权）.●Britain's first Act providing for state-financed primary education was passed in 1870.●The education act of 1944 established free(完全免费) and compulsory(强制性) secondaryeducation.●The education reform Act passed in 1988 established a national curriculum(全国通用教材).●British education tends to segregate pupils on the basis of academic ability.【按学习能力分校】●British schools are required to provide religious education（宗教教育）and daily collectiveworship（日常礼拜）.●School-ages(5~16)●Those who get high marks in the “eleven plus”are admitted into grammar schools.●Grammar schools emphasize academic studies and require their students to study a wide range ofsubjects.●They have fine teachers and good equipment.●Grammar schools prepare pupils to get the GCSE at “A”level, which entitles them to highereducation.●Secondary Modern SchoolSecondary Modern Schools are suppsed to be of lower academic levels because the pupils are from among those who fail to get high marks in the “eleven plus”examination.They give students general education just as grammar schools do.They make a point of giving practical instructions.Then can legally leave school and look for full-time paid jobs.“A stream”aims to enable pupils to win the GCSE at “O”level (ordinary). Then students can transfer to grammar schools to study another two years to reach the “A”level.●Comprehensive Secondary SchoolsInstitutes before 1960, has developing rapidly.The “eleven plus”is no longer required.Then can legally leave school and look for full-time paid jobs.Then students can transfer to grammar schools to study another two years to reach the “A”level.●GCSE（普通中等教育证书）---General Certificate of Secondary Education●USA 公立学校public school私立学校free-paying school, private school●UK 公立学校state school, county school, council school私立学校public school （open to the public）●The old universities: Oxford & (founded before 1600)Cambridge※The four Scottish universities: the university of St. Andrews，Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh※The middle-aged universities: 1830-1930※The new universities：(founded after the Second World War)※Open universities●English universities are called private institutions.●The ratio of staff to students is about 1:9.●There are also many polytechnics.●Each university has its own governing council.●Chancellor who is usually prominent public person.●The effective chief is the Vice-Chancellor.●grants towards the cost of university education(大学教育费用资助金)●the university‘s halls of residence(大学生宿舍)●12 national daily newspapers●9 Sunday newspapers●More than 100 regional morning, evening & Sunday newspapers●Two types of national newspapers：Quality newspapers （broadsheets）严肃报纸、Popular●The Times --- the most famous & oldest /--- Conservative Party●The Guardian --- Labor Party●The Daily Telegraph --- Conservative Party●Daily Mirror --- Labor Party●Morning Star --- Communist Party●Financial Times --- Communist Party●The British Broadcasting Corporation (B.B.C)●The Independent Television Commission (I.T.C)●The Radio Authority●The BBC Broadcasts from: 2 national TV channels / 5 national radio services / 39 local radiostations / regional radio services in Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland●BBC World Service radio & TV●Sports: Cricket 板球– the most English House racing●Association football (soccer, football)英式足球●Rugby football橄榄Golf Fishing Shooting and Hunting●●●●●●●●Cave men & stone age men– Land bridge for Europe-(6000-5000B.C)Iberians- Mediterranean lands---(3000 B.C)Celtics- Europe- (750B.C)●The Native Celts：The Celts, who began to arrive about 750.BC, may originally have come fromeastern and central Europe including present-day France, Belgium and southern Germany.●The first – Gaels (750 B.C)盖尔人●The second – Britons (500 B.C) - numerous●The third – Gaul (100 B.C)高卢人Celtic tribes are ancestors of the Highland Scots, the Irish and the Welsh.●The Roman Occupation (55 B.C –410 A.D)：The Roman army commanded by Julius Caesar, invaded England in 55 B.C and 54 B.C.The successful invasion of England headed by the Emperor Claudius was in 43 A.D.They divided many of the native Celts into mountainous Scotland and Wales.They built two great walls, the Hadrian‘s Wall & the Antoine Wall.Significance：They introduced the Roman civilization into England.They introduced a system of organized government and built network of towns.They brought the new religion, Christianity, to Britain.●Anglo-Saxon Times(410-871) ：Jutes, Saxons, Angles are invited to defend against the Celts (Picts & Scots).King Arthur and the Excalibur圣剑Celts fled to Wales, Scotland and IrelandEngland – seven principal kingdoms –Heptarchy七国之乱829- Wessex- wonKing of Wessex (Egbert)- King of the EnglishSignificance：Increased the process of feudalismEstablished a strong monarchy in EnglandDoomsday Book: an extensive survey of the land and population (1086)Retained most of the old English customs of governmentBrought about changes in the churchFrench languageThe last invasion of England by foreigners●The Great Charter and Beginning of Parliament●Henry I (1100-1135)：Invaded FranceUnited Normandy and EnglandNo male heir●Henry II (1154-1189)：Henry I’s grandsonHis wife –a French princessFounder of the first king of the House of Plantagenet金雀花( House of Anjou)安茹王朝●Henry II’s reform：Strengthened the Great Council大议会Administrators & judgesChief member-ChancellorReplaced the traditional taxReform the law courtsEstablished Circuit Courts 巡回法院Established the Common LawEstablished the jury systemPlanned to reform the church courtsThomas Becket Archbishop of CanterburyChaucer-The Canterbury Tales●1189-1199 Richard I (Henry II’s son)：•Known as Richard the Lion-Hearted•Henry II’s eldest son•Crusader十字军战士•He was away in Europe leading the Crusades•Ruled for 10 years- but was only in England for 10 months●John I (Henry II’s youngest son)：John Lackland ―无地王约翰‖Most hated king in England history●1215.6.15-the Magna Carta (Great Charter)：Content：The Great Council of barons forced King John to sign the Magna Carta limiting his power.•The king was not to exact extra payments from the feudal vassals without their consent.•The laws were not to be modified修改by the arbitrary action of the king.•Should the king attempt to free himself from the law, the vassals had the right to force the king to obey it, by civil war or by otherwise.Significance：•The first step of constitutional experiment and rule of law•Tried to establish a legal relation between the king and his barons by defining their respective rights and obligations•Paved the way for new-born bourgeoisie to get political power•Laid down the basic rules for the English and American legal system•Represented a turning point in the development of English history●Henry III (John I’s 9-year-old son)•At first, controlled by noblemen. Later, took over the power and ruled in his own way. Like father, like son.•Tried to fight a war against France to regain his father‘s lost land but opposed by the Great Council because disobeying the Magna Carta.•In 1264, Simon de Montfort (King’s brother-in-law) fought with the King, the defeated his army, and imprisoned the King.●Beginning of Parliament1265 de Montfort and the Great Council made changes and established the first Parliament(called the All Estates各阶层Parliament)In addition to lords and nobles, 2 knights from each county and 2 citizens from each town wereinvited to join the discussionsLater they split into 2 groups Lords and Commons1295 Model Parliament Established2 Houses –House of Lords & House of Commons●Edward I (Henry III’s son )Long Shank (长腿爱德华) ,“苏格兰之锤‖, ―残忍的爱德华‖Conquered Wales 1284Gave his new-born son the title Prince of Wales●Decline of FeudalismFeudalism came into being in England with the Norman Conquest in the 11th century and showed clear signs of declining in the 14th century.The Normans mixed up with Anglo-Saxons.The English serf奴隶system came to an end.The English middle class (the bourgeoisie) grew strength.●The Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453)A war between France and England.Ups and downs for both sides.Ended in victory for the French.Cause: territorial disputes竞争/economic disputes /suspected France gave aid to ScotsDirect cause: the dispute over succession to the French throne.Edward III (grandson of Henry III)Claimed to be king of France because his mother was a sister of the late French King.The French nobles denied.England won the victories & naval victory1348 - the Black Death - almost ½of the population died- truce停战10years1356- England invaded again-put the French King into the prison1377- Edward died- English lost the land again- war stopped because both sides were exhausted.●the Black Death （1348-1349）Deadly bubonic plague 淋巴腺鼠疫Started in Italy then spread to the whole EuropeShortage of labour●1377-1399 Richard II (grandson of Edward III) became king at age of 11.●1381- Peasant Uprising- serf system came to an end●Causes: natural disasters and social problems●Wat Tyler-leader●1389- Made 15-year peace treaty with France and married King of France’s 7-year-old daughter.●1415- Henry V renewed the war●1420- he was recognized to the French throne●1422- turning point- Henry V died Good for France - Joan of Arc●1453- France had won back the land (with gunpowder火药)Significance:•Paved the way for the development of separate English and French national identities国家认同. Normans began to regard England as their home country & themselves as belong tothe English nation.•English as the official language.•Textile industry纺织业–more profitable•Sped up the decline of feudalism in England.●Wycliffe and the Lollards•Lollards (a group of Oxford reformers) Most are poor priests牧师and itinerant preachers 传教士•Wycliffe-leader-the equality of men before God•They produced the first English translation of the Bible and told believers to communicate with God by reading the Bible.•Pave the way for the appearance of Puritanism●The War of the Roses (1455-1485)Civil warsRival factions of nobles, returning from 100 Year War in France fight for powerHouse of Lancaster –red roseHouse of York –white roseMany nobles killedHouse of Tudor wonEnd of the Middle Ages & beginning of the modern world history●The Tudor Monarchy and The Rising Bourgeoisie●The New MonarchyThe Tudors (1485-1603)-a new monarchCapitalism replaces feudalismTextile industryEnclosure Movement-cheap laborForeign trade and colonialism growFound AmericaFound vacant land to plant new coloniesFought with Spain and Portugal over New World●Enclosure Movement: In the end of 15th century the manufacture woolen cloth in England becamean important source of wealth and major export. The cloth industry increased the value of wool.Raising sheep became more profitable. This encouraged the landlords to covert arable land and the ―Commons‖ into pastures牧草. Later some of land were fenced without any warning to the peasants.●Henry VII：First king of the Tudor MonarchForbad nobles to keep excessive powerGave England peace at home and abroadBuilt up navy and foreign tradeParliament – king had to consult if he wanted to get money●Henry VIII and The Reformation：Henry VIII-son of Henry VII (1509-1547)•Strengthened control over remote border areas and local government gentry---responsible to the king on friendly terms---France & Spain•Started the reform of the Church in England•The immediate cause-Henry VIII‘s divorce case●First Queen：•Marry Catherine of Aragon (1509)To maintain ties with SpainShe is his elder brother‘s widowAlso a Spain princess•Henry VIII decided to divorce Catherine.(she has given him only one child-a daughter (Mary).) he loves the 16 year-old Anne Boleyn who is the sister of his mistressSpain is becoming too powerful and he wants to team up with合作France VS. Spain●Founder of Church of England•1533-Ask pope for permission to divorce•The Pope is a friend with King of Spain (Catherine‘s uncle), so Pope refuses.•Henry issues Act of Supremacy最高权力法令Church of England is independent of Roman PopeKing of England is head of the Church of EnglandThe Catholic Church in England is reformed into the Church of England•As head of Church of England, Henry gave himself permission to divorce Catherine and marry Anne.●Second Queen:Marry Anne Boleyn in 1535They had a daughter (Elizabeth)。
Unit 3 UK Political system
Unit Three: The Rise and Fall the British EmpireUnit Three: Political System of UKI.The Constitution and the MonarchyA.The Constitution1.The Constitution of United Kingdom is usually described as unwritten. What is meant by “unwritten” is that it is not written down in one single document as “the British Constitution”.The Constitution of United Kingdom is made up of three main parts: Statutory Law (成文法), Common Law (判例法), and Conventions (习惯法).Statutory law is the most important and takes precedence over the others if there is a clash. Statutes are those that have actually been passed by Parliament Common law has never been precisely defined. It is deduced from custom or legal precedents and interpreted in court cases by judges.Conventions are rules and practices which do not exist legally, but are regarded as vital to the working of government.The Constitution can be altered or amended by normal parliamentary process.2.The Constitution of United Kingdom demonstrates the following characteristics:✧Constitutional monarchy. The United Kingdom, as the name implies, remainsa monarchy, but one with limited power.✧Parliamentary sovereignty. In formal terms, parliamentary authority in theUK is unlimited. In other words, Parliament can make or unmake law on any subject✧Representative democracy. People are entitled to voting rights and thePrime Minister and head of government should be a member of thedemocratically elected House of Commons, and normally the elected leaderof the majority party✧The rule of law. As a fundamental principle, people are subject to law, butnot to the arbitrary will of governorsB.The Monarchy1.The British Monarchy is the longest reigning monarchy in the world,claiming ahistory of 1,000 years. The British Monarchy or the monarchy of the United Kingdom is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories.The present monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, has reigned since 6 February, 1952.The current Queen’s title in the United Kingd om is “Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her Other Realms and Territories, Queen, Head of Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.”Her Majesty (HM) is not only the Sovereign of the United Kingdom, but also the Head of State of 15 other realms and Head of the Commonwealth.The appearance.From the evidence of written law only, the Queen has almost absolute power, and it all seems very undemocratic. Every autumn, at the state opening ofparliament, Elizabeth II, makes a speech.It is the Queen, and not any other figure of authority that embodies the law in the courts.In Britain people are legally described as “subjects” —subject of Her Majesty the QueenThe realityIn fact, the Queen cannot choose anyone she likes to be Prime Minister.In reality the Queen has almost no power at all.2.The role of the monarchyFirst, the Monarch is the personal embodiment of the government of the countrySecond, it is argued that the monarch could act as a final check on a government that was becoming dictatorialThird, the monarch has a very practical role to play. By being a figurehead (傀儡; 有名无实的领袖) and representing the country, Queen Elizabeth II can perform the ceremonial duties which heads of state often have to spend their time on3.The value of the monarchyThe monarchy is very popular with the majority of the British people.Occasions, such as the state opening of Parliament, the Queen’s official birthday, royal weddings, and ceremonial events such as the changing of the guard, make up for the lack of color and ceremony in most people’s daily livesThe glamorous lives of “the royals” provide a source of entertainment that often takes on the characteristics of a television soap opera4.The future of the monarchyFew people in Britain could be described as either “monarchists” (君主主义者) or “anti-monarchists”, in the sense in which these terms are often used in other countries. Most people are either vaguely in favor or they just do not care one way or the other. There is, however, a great deal of debate about what kind of monarchy Britain should have. It is, in fact, on the subject of money that “anti-royalist” opinions are most often expressed.II.ParliamentThe Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories. At its head is the Sovereign (君主), Queen Elizabeth II now.The parliament is bicameral (两院制的), with an upper house, the non-elected House of Lords, and a lower house, the elected House of Commons, of which the latter is the source of real political power in the United KingdomThe Queen is the third component of ParliamentIn theory, the main function of Parliament is to legislate, that is, to create, abolish or amend new laws for the entire nationBut, in practice, it normally passes bills that are often proposed by the government. In addition, Parliament also votes the taxation and expenditures of the government; examines government policies and administration; and debates major political issues of the day. Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster.1.House of CommonsHouse of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United KingdomThe House of Commons is a democratically elected chamber with elections to it, held at least every 5 years. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 646 members, who are known as “Members of Parliament” or MPs. Members are elected, through the first-past-the-post system, by electoral districts known as constituencies, and hold their seats until Parliament is dissolved (a maximum of five years between elections).The leader of the party with the majority of seats becomes the Prime Minister, i.e. head of the government. He or she then chooses an inner cabinet of key ministers and appoints junior ministers in various ministries.Similarly, the Leader of the Opposition, who is the head of the largest defeated party, appoints a Shadow Cabinet (影子内阁) of shadow ministers.The House sessions, which often involve questions and heated debates, are presided over by the Speaker, an MP of either party usually elected at the start of each parliamentThe House sessions, which often involve questions and heated debates, are presided over by the Speaker, an MP of either party usually elected at the start of each parliamentThe House of Commons was originally far less powerful than the House of Lords, but today its legislative powers exceed those of the LordsMoreover, the Government is primarily responsible to the House of Commons2.House of LordsThe House of Lords includes two different types of members: the Lords Spiritual (the senior bishops of the Church of England) and the Lords Temporal (members of the Peerage)Its members are not elected by the population at large (普遍) but are appointed by past or current governmentsAs of July 2008, the House of Lords have 746 members, a somewhat higher membership than the 646 seat House of CommonsThe full, formal title of the House of Lords is “The Right Honorable the Lords Spiritual and Temporal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament assem bled.”Because its members are not democratically elected, the power of the House of Lords has been much reduced todayIts main functions include debating the issues of the day and improving certain non-tax bills inadequately considered by the Commons before they are passed into lawIn addition, the House of Lords serves as the highest court of appeal in the United Kingdom, hearing appeals with the exception of criminal cases in Scotland ernmentHer Majesty’s Government (“His” when appropriate) is a t erm used to refer to the Government of the United KingdomIn UK constitutional law, executive authority is vested in the monarch and exercised through the ministersTraditionally, the British government is instituted at three levels, i.e. central government, county government and district government; with the latter two generalized as local government①Central Government●The UK government, officially known as Her (or His) Majesty’s Government, is centered on Whitehall in London, where its ministers and the Prime Minister’s official residence (10 Downing Street) are located●As mentioned earlier, the Prime Minister (PM) is the leader of the party that holds the most seats in the House of Commons, and for that reason, serves as the chief executive of the Government that performs the executive functions of the United Kingdom●By tradition, he or she is also First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service●Technically, the Prime Minister is only “first among equals”, but in reality, he wields tremendous power●The Cabinet, the major decision-making body in the government, is often associated with the office of the Prime Minister●Headed by the Prime Minister, the Cabinet mainly comprises about 20 senior ministers of important government departments, such as the Chancellor of the Exchequer (财政大臣), the Foreign Secretary (外交部长), the Home Secretary (内政大臣) and the Minister of Defense (国防部长)●In addition, the Cabinet includes non-departmental ministers who hold traditional offices (such as the lord president of the council, the paymaster general (海军生计总监), and the lord privy seal (掌玺大臣), and “ministers without portfolio (部长职务)”, who do not have specific departmental responsibilities but serve primarily as advisors at large or are assigned to specific tasks as needed●The Cabinet acts unanimously (全体一致地；无异议地) under the principle of collective responsibility, which means that if an important decision is unacceptable to a particular Cabinet member, it is expected that he or she will resign to signify dissent●Departments of UK government are staffed by the Civil Service, consisting of career administrators called civil servants●The classic method of controlling the civil service is based upon the doctrine of Ministerial responsibility②Local Government and Devolution●In most areas of England and Wales, local governments are divided between two authorities: county councils, and district councils●They include 53 counties which are subdivided into 369 districts. All districts and 47 of the non-metropolitan counties have locally-elected councils, but they are controlled by laws and policies established by the central government, particularly concerning budgets and spending IV.Political Parties and Elections1.Political parties●During the 200 or so years before the mid 19th century, British politics was dominated by the Whigs and the Tories●After 1815, the Whigs evolved into the Liberal Party while the Tories became the Conservative Party. From then on, the Liberals and Conservatives alternated in office until 1922 ●Since 1945, the British party politics has been a two-party system of government in the UK parliament with power being held by either the Conservative Party or the Labor Party①The Conservative Party●By and large (大体上；基本上), the Conservative Party is supported by those who have something to “conserve”, such as landowners and businessmen, often from the middle and upper-middle class●Economically, the Conservative Party supports free enterprise and privatization of state-owned enterprises. It is against too much government intervention, especially nationalization●Its policies are characterized by pragmatism and a belief in individualism②The Labor Party●The Labor Party was created by the growing trade union movement at the end of the 19th century. It quickly replaced the Liberal Party as one of the two largest political parties●It believes in an egalitarian (平等主义的) economy, wherein the function of the governmentis to act as a “redistributive” agent, transferring wealth from the rich to the poor by means of taxing the most affluent members of society and providing support for the poor in society③The Liberal Democrats●The Liberal Democrats, currently the third largest party in Parliament, was formed in 1988●It was the result of a merger of the Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party2.ElectionsParliamentary elections in the United Kingdom should be seen as a referendum (公民复决投票) on the performance of sitting MPs, not merely as a snapshot of nationwide opinion poll determining party voting weights for the next Parliament1)The System●In theory, the House of Commons is simply a gathering of people who each represent a particular place in the Kingdom●The country is divided into a number of areas of roughly equal population (about 90,000), known as constituencies●Anybody who wants to be an MP must declare himself or herself as a candidate in one of these constituencies●On polling day (the day of the election), voters go to polling stations and are each given a single piece of paper (the ballot paper) with the names of the candidates for that constituency (only) on it. Each voter then puts a cross next to the name of one candidate●After the polls have closed, the ballot papers are counted. The candidate with the largest number of crosses next to his or her name is the winner and becomes the MP for the constituency2)Formal Arrangements●In practice, it is the government which decides when to hold an election●The law says that an election has to take place at least every five years●When a party has a very small majority in the House of Commons or no majority at all, the interval can be much shorter●After the date of all election has been fixed, people who want to be candidates in a constituency have to deposit 500 pounds with the Returning Officer●To be eligible to vote, a person must be at least 18 years old and be on the electoral register3)The Campaign●British elections are comparatively quiet affairs. There is no tradition of large rallies or parades as there is in the USA●Formally, a different campaign takes place in each constituency●Nearly everybody votes for a candidate on the basis of the party which he or she represents, not because of his or her individual qualities or political opinions●It is at a national level that the real campaign takes place4)Polling Day●General elections always take place on a Thursday. They are not public holidays●People have to work in the normal way, so polling stations are open from seven in the morning till ten at night to give everybody the opportunity to vote●Each voter has to vote at a particular polling station●After the polls close, the marked ballot papers are taken to a central place in the constituency and counted. The Returning Officer then makes a public announcement of the votes cast for each candidate and declares the winner to be the MP for the constituency5)Election Night●The period after voting has become a television extravaganza (盛典, 盛事). Both BBC and ITV start their programs as soon as voting finishes●The first excitement of the night is the race to declare. It is a matter of local pride for some constituencies to be the first to announce their result●If the count has gone smoothly, this usually occurs at just after 11:00 p.m.●By two in the morning at least half of the constituencies will have declared their results●Some constituencies, however, are not able to declare their results until well into Friday afternoon6)Recent Results and the Future●Since the middle of the 20th century, the contest to form the government has effectively been a straight fight between the Labor and Conservative parties●As a general rule, the north of England and most of the inner areas of English cities return Labor MPs to Westminster, while the south of England and most areas outside the inner cities have a Conservative MP. Which of these two parties forms the government depends on which one does better in the suburbs and large towns of England●Scotland used to be good territory for the Conservatives. This changed, however, during the 1980s and the vast majority of MPs from there now represent Labor●Wales has always returned mostly Labor MPs●Traditionally, the Liberal party was also relatively strong in Scotland and Wales (and was sometimes called the party of the “Celtic fringe” (外围组织)●Northern Ireland always has about the same proportion of Protestant Unionist MPs and Catholic Nationalist MPs●In the 13 elections from 1945 to 1987, the Conservatives were generally more successful than Labor●Then, in the 1992 election, the Conservatives won for the fourth time in a row — the first time this had been achieved for more than 160 years●However, in 1997 the picture changed dramatically. Labor won the largest majority in the House of Commons achieved by any party for 73 years and the Conservative share of the total vote was their lowest in 165 years。
UK - Political System英语国家概况
Historical Summary
Medieval kings’ power came from God (‘divine right’), but gradually it was limited (first by the nobles: Magna Carta). Parliament was first created in the Middle Ages by kings who needed to raise taxes (for wars). Because they got control of tax, power gradually moved to Parliament, especially after the Civil War. However, Parliament itself was not democratic. So, by the 19th C, there was much pressure on the government to reform it so that ordinary people could vote. By the late 19th C, most men could vote, but only by the early 20th C (and ‘votes for women’) was modern democracy achieved.
英语国家概况英国Politics资料
John Major (约翰·梅杰) Tony Blair (托尼·布莱尔) Gorden Brown (戈登·布朗)
David William Donald Cameron4
John Major
Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Tony Blair Gordon Brown
Conservative Labour Labour
Conservative Conservative Conservative
Conservative Labour Labour Labour
A government cannot stand for longer than five years except in exceptional circumstances (it happened twice last century, when elections were delayed until the end of WWI and WWII.)
At the end of the session you should know:
British elections and electoral system The political parties
1. For how many years is a general election held once in the UK? Five years 2. Who can stand for election as an MP? Anyone who is eligible to vote can stand as an MP. 3. What are the three major parties? The Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrats 4. Which party is the party that spent most time in power? The Conservative Party 5. Which party does Tony Blair belong to? The Labour Party
英美概况英文课件美国政治
Federal system “Checks and balances” Respect for the Constitution
Introduction to British and American Culture
The Federal System
Definition
Power is shared between the central government and the state government
Introduction to British and American Culture
The Constitution
a single political document in1787 7 articles The Constitution follows three principles:
The Republican Party
The second largest party More conservative Ideology
A small government and free market Letting business compete with little or no government regulation in the marketplace Advocates strong national defense
Chapter 3 Politics
Part Two The Political System of the United States
Introduction to British and American Culture
英语国家概况Chapter 3【优质PPT】
A Guide to English-Speaking
Countries
2.1.2 Queen
Queen Elizabeth II
Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press
A Guide to English-Speaking
Countries
2.1.2 Queen
• from 705 to 666 (Mar. 1, 2004)
▪Final court of appeal—Supreme Court
Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press
A Guide to English-Speaking
Countries
2.1.4 The House of Commons
Countries
2.1.3 The House of Lords
❖The main legislative function of the House of Lords:
❖ Examine and revise bills from the House of Commons
The House of Lords meets in a lavishly decorated chamber in the Palace of Westminster
Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press
A Guide to English-Speaking
Countries
2.1.3 The House of Lords
❖The Lords Spiritual (上议院神职议员)
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The House of Lords also has a right to vote on bills so they’re part of the legislative but the Lords also contains the Law Lords who are an important part of the judiciary.
The PM is an active member of the legislative, yet also the leading member of the executive.
The Lord Chancellor is a member of the cabinet and therefore of the executive as well as being head of the judiciary.
Legislature Executive Judiciary
Legislature = Parliament
Parliament is the highest legislative authority in the UK – the institution responsible for making and repealing (废止) all the UK laws. It’s also known as the Legislature.
The beginning of a new session, called the “State Opening of Parliament” , takes place in the House of Lords.
It’s a tradition for the monarch to open Parliament in person.
Golden State Coach
From Buckingham to Westminster
The Throne in the Upper House
Black Rod
Knock 3 times
The Queen will then read out the Queen’s Speech, a document about 1,000 words in length prepared by the government.
On the day, the Queen travels from Buckingham Palace to Parliament in the State Coach , a golden carriage.
Once the Queen arrives at Parliament, the Union Flag is lowered and replaced by the Royal Standard.
3. What is a constitutional monarchy? When did it begin in Britain?
4. How did the Labor Party come into being?
5. Why and how did the English Parliament come into being?
Contents
1. Monarchy 2. Parliament 3. Government 4. Cabinet 5. Political Parties 6. General Election
1. Constitutional Monarchy
The King or Queen is the personification of the State.
As with the PM, the members of the Cabinet are also members of the legislative who have the right, as an MP, to vote on issues.
Separation of Power
Separation of Power
The House of Commons
The most powerful and important element in UK.
Three main functions: 1) Make laws; 2) Control and criticize the executive government; 3) Control the raising and spending of money
Basic Structure of UK Central Government
Monarch (non-political)
Legislature -- Parliament
Executive
Judiciary
(non-political)
House of Commons (political)
Which part is the most dominant one in the parliament?
When was the parliamentary system
instituted in Britain? (in the 13th century)
The English parliament developed out of the King’s council of the 13th century. The House of Lords is the oldest part of Parliament. In the 14th century, parliament was formally divided into 2 parts: Lords and Commons. Until the 17th century, parliament was ruled by the King. The Glorious Revolution in 1688 marked the decisive shift in power from monarchy to Parliament. Since 1832, the year of the first Reform Act, the House of Commons has become more important
There’s actually no separation of power between the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary.
This principle of dividing the functions of government is meant to ensure that there’s no excessive use or abuse of power by any small group of people.
Parliament consists of 3 constituent parts: Crown (Official Head) House of Lords (the Upper House) House of Commons (the Lower House)
What’s the meaning of “parliament”? (A place for argument and debate)
Function:
Make all the UK laws; Scrutinize (审查) government policy & administration; Hear appeals (上诉) in the highest Court of Appeal in Britain;（The House of Lords) Debate the major issues of the day.
What is the speech about?
In the document the government outlines its planned programmes and the policies it intends to follow.
When the one-week debates on the Queen’s speech are finished, Parliament is ready to begin the actual work of the new session.
House of Lords (semi-political)
Prime Minister &
Cabinet (political)
House of Lords
Ministers &
Civil service (non-political)
Court of Appeal
Separation of Power, British Style
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Unit 3
Political system
Warming-up Activities
The Constitution
Britain doesn’t have a constitution written down in a single document. The constitution flows from 6 sources:
1) The Royal Prerogatives 2) Statute Laws 3) Common Laws 4) Conventions 5) Authoritative Opinions 6) European Union Laws