英美文化概况_British_Government

1、单击此处编辑母版标题样式单击此处编辑母版文本样式第二级第三级第四级第五级*British GovernmentKey PointsThe constitutionThe MonarchyThe Executive (The Prime Minister, the Cabinet and the Privy Council)The Legislature: ParliamentThe JudiciaryLocal GovernmentPolitical PartiesMembership in International OrganizationConstitutional MonarchThe

2、 United Kingdom is a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch. A king or queen is the head of state, and a prime minister is the head of government. The people vote in elections for Members of Parliament (MPs) to represent them.LegislatureParliament, the legislature, consists of the Hou

3、se of Lords, the House of Commons, and the monarch (the Crown). The House of Commons is far more influential than the House of Lords, which in effect makes the British system unicameral (the legislature has one chamber).Constitutional MonarchyHead of State: Monarch (hereditary title) Head of Governm

4、ent: Prime Minister Executive: Government (consists of ministers and others) Legislature: Parliament (659 in House of Commons, more than 660 in House of Lords) Highest Court: House of Lords (Lord Chancellor is head of judiciary) Voting Qualifications: All citizens age 18 and over ConstitutionThe UK

5、doesnt have a single, written constitution. But this doesnt mean that the UK has an unwritten constitution.In fact, it is mostly written but instead of being one formal document, the British constitution is formed from various sources including statute law, case law made by judges, and international

6、 treaties.There are also some unwritten sources, including parliamentary conventions and royal prerogatives.ConstitutionThe British constitution comprises multiple documents. The written part consists of the Magna Carta, written in 1215; the Petition of Right, passed by Parliament in 1628; and the B

7、ill of Rights of 1689. It also includes the entire body of laws enacted by Parliament, precedents established by decisions made in British courts of law, and various traditions and customs.The British Constitution is made up of statue law, common law and conventions.The Monarchy The Monarchy began t

8、o take shape at the end of the 15th century and at the beginning of the 16th century. The Constitutional Monarchy started at the end of the 17th century, the parliament established its rights, then the power gradually passed into the hands of ministers and a two-party system was developed. The Monar

9、chy is always there, above party quarrels, representing the nation as a whole, and lending dignity and significance to all things done in her name. This is what the British bourgeoisie try to convince the people. The mere fact that the Crown exists helps to conceal the fact of the dictatorship of th

10、e bourgeoisie. The vital power lies in the Prime Minister and his Cabinet. The MonarchyThe stability of the British government owes much to the monarchy. Its continuity has been interrupted only once (the republic of 1649-60) in over a thousand years. Today the Queen is not only the head of State, b

11、ut also an important symbol of national unity. Queen Elizabeth IIHer complete official royal title 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 the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith,

12、but she is usually referred to as Her Royal Highness or Queen Elizabeth.Queen Elizabeth IIElizabeth II became queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 1952 upon the death of her father, King George VI. Throughout her reign she has been a symbol of unity and continuity wit

13、hin the UK and the Commonwealth of Nations. Queen Elizabeth IIAccording to the law the Queen is head of the executive branch of the government, an integral part of the legislature, head of the judiciary, the commander-in-chief of all the armed forces of the Crown and the supreme governor of the esta

14、blished Church of England. Queen Elizabeth IIWhile that sounds like a lot of responsibility, the real power of the monarchy has been steadily reduced over the years to the point where the Queen is uninvolved in the day-to-day operation of the government. She is impartial and acts only on the advice

15、of her ministers.Queen Elizabeth IIShe is one of the longest-reigning British monarchs. Her reign of 60 years has seen sweeping changes, including the dissolution of the British Empire (a process that began before her accession) and the consequent evolution of the modern Commonwealth of Nations. Que

16、en Elizabeth IIThe real work of the monarchy consists largely of signing papers. The royal family endorses developments in Britain by performing such ceremonial functions as cutting ribbons, opening businesses, launching ships, and laying cornerstones. Queen and Her familyElizabeth married Prince Ph

17、ilip, Duke of Edinburgh in 1947. The couple have four children and eight grandchildren.The Queen, Prince Charles and the other members of the royal family take part in traditional ceremonies, visit different parts of Britain and many other countries and are closely involved in the work of many chari

18、ties. Princess DianaThe Rose of England The WeddingOf the CenturyFuneralBuckingham PalaceBuckingham Palace in Westminster is the official London residence of the British sovereign. Its interior, open to the public during August and September while the queen is on vacation, contains many elegantly fu

19、rnished apartments and noted collections of paintings. Funds raised from the summer visits go toward repairing Windsor Castle, a royal residence located just outside of London that was damaged by fire in 1992.The Executive The chief executive is the prime minister, who is a member of the House of Co

20、mmons. The executive branch also includes Her Majestys Government, commonly referred to simply as “the government.” The government is composed of ministers in the Cabinet, most of whom are members of the House of Commons; government departments, each of which is responsible to a minister; local auth

21、orities; and public corporations.The Prime MinisterThe chief executive of the government is the prime minister. He or she is the leader of the party that holds the most seats in the House of Commons. The monarch goes through the ceremony of selecting as prime minister the person from the House of Co

22、mmons who is head of the majority party. The prime ministerThe prime minister presides over the Cabinet and selects the other Cabinet members, who join him or her to form the government that is part of the functioning executive. Acting through the Cabinet and in the name of the monarch, the prime mi

23、nister exercises all of the theoretical powers of the Crown, including making appointments.Downing Street No. 10Guard at No. 10 Downing Street No. 10 Downing Street in London has been the official residence of the British prime minister since Sir Robert Walpole in 1732. The chancellor of the Exchequ

24、er lives next door at No. 11. Here, a guard stands in front of the prime ministers front door.Downing StreetNo. 10 Downing StreetThe CabinetThe Cabinet has about 20 members, or ministers, all of whom must be members of Parliament (MPs). Members of the Cabinet are leaders of the majority party in the

25、 House of Commons or, more rarely, members of the House of Lords. Cabinet ministers who head a particular government department, such as the Ministry of Defense, are known as secretaries of state. The CabinetThe prime minister has the power to move members of the Cabinet from post to post, or to dro

26、p individuals from the Cabinet entirely. Former Cabinet ministers may retain their positions as members of Parliament.Two key doctrines of Cabinet government are collective responsibility and ministerial responsibility. The Privy CouncilThe Privy Council is a large, and generally ceremonial, body of

27、 more than 450 members that developed out of the royal council that existed in the Middle Ages. By the 18th century the Privy Council had taken over all the powers of the royal council. The Privy Council comprises all current and former Cabinet members, as well as important public figures in Britain

28、 and the Commonwealth. The Privy CouncilThe council advises the monarch and arranges for the formal handling of documents. It has a large number of committees, each with a specific task, such as dealing with outlying islands, universities, or legal matters. The most important committee is the Judici

29、al Committee of the Privy Council, which is the highest court of appeal for certain nations in the Commonwealth, some church-related appeals, and for disciplinary committees of some professions.The Legislature: Parliament Parliament, Britains legislature, is made up of the House of Commons, the Hous

30、e of Lords and the Queen in her constitutional role.The UK Parliament is a sovereign parliament this means that the legislative body has absolute sovereignty, in other words it is supreme to all other government institutions, including any executive or judicial bodies.ParliamentParliament, consists

31、of the House of Lords and the House of Commons. Built between 1840 and 1850, the neo-Gothic complex of buildings is officially called the New Palace of Westminster.The House of CommonsThe Commons has 651 elected Members of Parliament (MPs), who represent local constituencies. The center of parliamen

32、tary power is the House of Commons. A. The members of the House of Commons are not appointed, but elected at the present time.B. The head of the House of Commons is the Speaker or President of the Chamber, who is chosen by a vote of the House.C. The House of Commons is divided in the light of politi

33、cal parties. The stronger party forms the Government and the weaker the opposition.D. The House of Commons can discuss “what the Government has done, is doing and intends to do.” Question TimeIt is about an hour, every day, in which Members are given a chance to ask questions, and Ministers answer t

34、he questions one by one. Question Time is the most widely known and the procedural device of the British House of Commons is admired by many other countries.House of Lordsthe oldest part of Parliament, evolving from a council. In 1215 King John signed the Magna Carta and gave some of his powers to t

35、he nobles.The 1688 “Glorious Revolution” established its status as part of the English Parliament through compromise with the House of Commons.The House of LordsThe House of Lords is made up of 1,185 hereditary and life peers and peeresses, and the two archbishops and the 24 most senior bishops of t

36、he established Church of England.A. The House of Lords is equal in power with the House of Commons except in matters of taxation and expenditure.B. No bill of Parliament can become law unless the House of Lords has been consulted.C. The House of Lords has no power to prevent the passing of legislati

37、on approved by the House of Commons.ranks of LordsDuke and DuchessMarquis and MarquiseEarl and CountessViscount and ViscountessBaron and BaronessParliamentLimitations on the power of the Lords (it rarely uses it power to delay passage of most laws for a year) are based on the principle that the Lord

38、s, as a revising chamber, should complement the Commons and not rival it. Once passed through both Houses, legislation requires the Royal Assent to become law.ParliamentParliament has a number of ways to exert control over the executive branch. However, ultimate power rests in the ability of the Hou

39、se of Commons to force the government to resign by passing a resolution of no confidence. ParliamentThe government must also resign if the House rejects a proposal so vital to its policy that it has made it a matter of confidence. The proceedings of both Houses of Parliament are broadcast on televis

40、ion and radio, sometimes live or more usually in recorded and edited form. ParliamentGeneral elections to choose MPs must be held at least every five years. Voting, which is not compulsory, is by secret ballot and is from the age of 18. The simple majority system of voting is used. Candidates are el

41、ected if they have more votes than any of the other candidates, although not necessarily an absolute majority over all candidates. Local governmentsLocal governments can be either councils or authorities at the county, borough, or district level. Local councils are controlled by laws and policies es

42、tablished by the central government, particularly concerning budgets and spending. Councils at the local level in Britain are responsible for police and fire services, roads, traffic, housing, building regulations, libraries, environmental issues, and schools paid for by direct grants from central a

43、uthorities.Political PartiesA. The division into two parties grew out of the establishment of a Protestant Church of England in the 16th century.B. The Whig and the Tory parties appeared during the revolution of 1688.Political PartiesC. Tory split and its name was changed to Conservative in 1833 and

44、 the Whigs became Liberals in 1860s, which were alternatively in office until 1922.D. The Labor Party, founded around 1900, gradually replaced the Liberal Party (the Liberal Democratic Party) to be one of the two major parties in Britain.The Conservative PartyA. It is the party of the Right which op

45、poses great changes in society and has a belief in private enterprise and freedom from state control.B. It is the party of the relatively rich and privileged.C. It enables monopoly capitalists and big land-owners to gain great profits.D. Neville Chamberlain, Winston Spencer Churchill, Margaret Thatc

46、her, John MajorThe Labor PartyA. It is the party of the reformist, non-revolutionary Left, which believes in the pursuit of greater social and economic equality, aims at the nationalization of the means of production, distribution and exchange and is the party of the relatively poor and underprivile

47、ged.B. It has become a bourgeois party marked by “socialism” and “nationalization”. C. It has few resources and relies heavily on the trade unions for financial help.D. The Labor prime ministers: Ramsay MacDonald, Tony BlairThe Central Criminal CourtThe Old Bailey court in London, which takes its na

48、me from the short street where it is located, is properly called the Central Criminal Court. This court hears criminal cases, but can also try offenses committed at sea. It is surmounted by the figure of justice holding a sword and scales, which is a popular tourist attraction.Criminal JusticeLaw en

49、forcement is carried out by 52 locally based police departments with about 160,000 police officers. The police are normally unarmed and there are strict limits to police powers of arrest and detention. Firearms must be licensed and their possession is regulated. In British criminal trials the accuse

50、d in presumed innocent until proven guilty. Trials are in open court and the accused is represented by a lawyer. Most cases are tried before lay justices sitting without a jury. The more serious cases are tried in the higher courts before a jury of 12 (15 in Scotland) which decides guilt or innocenc

51、e. Civil JusticeThe civil law of England, Wales and Northern Ireland covers business related to the family, property, contracts and torts (non-contractual wrongful acts suffered by one person at the hands of another). Actions brought to court are usually tried without a jury. Higher courts deal with more complicated