Britishgovernment解读.ppt

1、Parliament and government,Learning focus,The Parliament The Monarchy The House of Commons The Prime Minister The Cabinet,Pre-reading activities,Warm up Q1: Who is the official head of the Chinese government Q2: Who is the official head of State in Britain? Q3: Who is the official head of government

2、in Britain? Q4: What is the political system in Britain?,The parliament,It is one of the oldest representative assemblies in the world The first country to establish parliament England has been called the mother of parliaments“.,Parliament,structure,Parliament history,The word “parliament” “to parle

3、y”, that is, to discuss or talk The development of the parliament 12th century: kings held meetings with wealthy barons 13th century: the word “parliament” was used. 14th century: the House of Commons and the House of Lords had been developed.,Henry (1216-1272)and the birth of Parliament,Significanc

4、e a crucial time in the history of English constitutional development laid the foundation for the development of the English Parliament. Reason the contradiction between the king and the lords became acute,the birth of Parliament,To enlarge the membership of the Great council In 1265 the House of Co

5、mmons (2 knights/ county 2 citizens/town the House of Lords (nobles and clergyman) All Estates Parliament,the birth of Parliament,In 1295, Edward summoned the “All Estates Parliament” more than 400 members in all, which was followed as a model Model Parliament,1272-1307,The Glorious Revolution of 16

6、88 Reason: the expansion of the kings power soon clashed with the interests of the bourgeoisie. Result: It put power solidly into the hands of Parliament. No law could be passed, no tax collected, no army maintained without Parliaments consents. By this time , Following the Glorious Revolution, the

7、House of Commons began to assume more power than either the king or the House of Lords.,the birth of Parliament,Parliament,structure,Parliament today,Parliament today,Functions to make laws to provide money for the government by raising tax and to approve government budget(supervise the finance) to

8、scrutinize, or examine the government policy,The Monarchy,Definition a government led by a king, a queen , an emperor, an empress and so on The present sovereign Queen Elizabeth The future monarch Prince Charles is the heir to the crown,The British monarchy has been a hereditary position since the 9

9、th century. Primogeniture（长子继承权）, the passing of the throne to the eldest son when a monarch dies, has been the rule of succession, and when there are no sons, the eldest daughter ascends the throne. According to the Act of Settlement (王位继承法）of 1701, only Protestants are eligible to succeed to the t

10、hrone. A regent may be appointed to rule for the sovereign if he or she is underage.,The Queens powers,The head of the executive branch The head of the armed forces Has the power to declare war Every law of the state is done in her name All ministers are appointed by her,The Queen,Real importance: t

11、raditional and symbolic Most important job: to represent U.K. at home and abroad Sets standards of good citizenship and family life,National festival,The Queens birthday On the second Saturday in June “trooping the color” around Buckingham Palace,The House of Lords,The president: the Lord Chancellor

12、 The Upper House It consists of two groups of members: a religious group and a secular group The religious group is called The Lords Spiritual, which includes two archbishop and senior bishops. The secular group is known as the Lords Temporal, which includes hereditary peers, life peers , peeresses

13、and the law lords.,Lords are not elected, they have inherited the seat from their fathers They have been appointed by the sovereign,The House of Lords,Function: it only compliments the work of the House of Commons delaying rights (more) the highest court of the UK,Suspensive veto终止性否决权/Delaying righ

14、ts 延搁权，拖延权,The law-making power of the House of Lords is limited to delaying of bills passed by the House of Commons. However, it has to give prompt consent to money bills during one year. The House of Lords may not alter a financial measure, nor can it delay for longer than one year any bill passed

15、 by the House of Commons in two successive sessions.,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 peoples outstanding careers Famous people Winston Churchill $ Margaret Thatcher,The House of Lords,Judicial C

16、ommittee of the Privy Council,Court of Appeal,Civil division Criminal division,High Court CD, FD, QBD,County Court,Tribunal,Crown Court,Magistrates Court,Justice of the Peace, stipendiary,The House of Commons,President: Mr. Speaker The Lower House, the center of the parliament Members of Parliament

17、(MPs) elected from the 651 constituencies of the U.K. Term: 5 years,Mr. Speaker,Duties,Preside over the House and enforce the rule of order Be impartial Have a fair hearing More powers than Lord Chancellor Ranks only next to the Prime Minister,Functions to draft new laws, known as Act of Parliament

18、To scrutinize the actions of the government (Question time or Select Committee system) To supervise, or oversee finance (Supply Day拨款日),The House of Commons,Question time (议会的质询时间) Parliament has the power to supervise the government. The House scrutinize the work of the government by questioning th

19、e ministers and the Prime Minister in the House Chamber or through the Select Committee System. Usually, ministers are questioned by MPs four times a week, each time lasting 55 minutes, while the Prime Minister has a question time of 30 minutes once a week.,Supply day 英下院中的请求批准预算日,Parliament has the

20、 power to supervise finance. The government cannot legally spend any money without the permission of the House of Commons. On Supply Day (traditionally set aside for authorizing proposed public expenditure), custom has given the Opposition the right to decide which of the Estimates it wished to disc

21、uss, and thus to criticize government policy and administration on grounds of its own choice. The House of Commons still keeps a rather closer contact with taxation.,British Government,Prime Minister,Other ministers,Members of either the House of Lords and the Commons,Cabinet,Senior ministers,Prime

22、Minister,The leader of the government of the party that wins the most seats in the House of Commons Powers: Makes appointment to ministers and propose the life peers Reports the government work to the Queen Directs all the departments Has the last word in deciding government policy,the great powers

23、are also restricted, when the Parliament distrust PM, PM must stand down; the Parliament have the rights to supervise the Cabinet and PM No. 10 Downing Street The present Prime Minister conservative party,Prime Minister,the center of the British political system the supreme decision-making body in t

24、he British government,The cabinet,The cabinet,Members is composed of the heads of the most important departments with a few ministers without department chosen by the Prime Minister from members of his own political party in Parliament.(most of them from MPs and few from Lords most of the Cabinet me

25、mbers are called “Departmental Ministers” or “Secretaries of State”. Or non-departmental Ministers, Some of them may have a special title, like the Chancellor of the Exchequer,Principles the cabinet works with the principle of collective responsibility and ministerial responsibility. Administrative

26、decisions of the Cabinet are promptly obeyed and executed by the entire executive apparatus, both civil and military.,The cabinet,The Privy Council,the full name:（Her Majestys Most Honorable Privy Council女皇陛下最尊敬的枢密院） Members about 450 members they are current and former Cabinet members and important

27、 public figures in the UK and the Commonwealth they are entitled to the prefix, “the Right Honorable, “before their names,Powers A ceremonial body whose duty is to give advice to the monarch. the royal ceremony and the Cabinet are inaugurated by the Privy Council has judicial power(Judicial Committe

28、e which serves the highest court of appeal for church related matters and certain issues from some Commonwealth countries,The Privy Council,Department,the Treasury Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Foods Ministry of Defence Ministry of Post and Telecommunications Department of Education and Scie

29、nce Department of Health and Social Security Department of Trade and Industry Foreign and Commonwealth Office Home Office,Department,Scottish Office Welsh Office Northern Ireland Office Department of energy The Civil Service Department Lord President of the Privy Council Lord Privy Seal Chancellor o

30、f the Duchy of Lancaster Paymaster General Minister without Portfolio,Their duties are nominal, but the prime minister uses posts to give positions in the government to people who he wants to perform special tasks,Civil service,A permanent neutral organization,Support the current government,Non-political,Be