大三上学期英美概况government.ppt

1、Guide to English-Speaking Countries,英语国家概况,英语国家概况,The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,Chapter 3 Government and the Commonwealth,The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,英语国家概况,What is “constitutional monarchy” What is “divine right of kings”,Political Parties,Con

2、stitution,Government,Election,The Commonwealth,CONTENT,Constitutional monarchy,Britain is a constitutional monarchy, that is, a monarchy in which the sovereign has mainly advisory and ceremonial responsibilities. The other major form of monarchy is the absolute monarchy, in which the monarchy is als

3、o the ruler. The constitutional position is summed up in the famous phrase “ The Queen reigns but does not rule”,Divine right of Kings(P38),The power of the monarchy was largely derived from the ancient doctrine of the “divine right of kings”. It is held that the sovereign derived his authority from

4、 God, not from his subjects. Because of this divine right, the actual existence of the monarchy has seldom been questioned. Clue: Monarchy the Great Charter Parliament cabinet,The Great Charta (Magna Carta),King John( 1199-1216) the bad reputation ( Robin Hood) John ascended the throne in 1199. He d

5、emanded feudal taxes and army service/ bad relationship with the pope. In 1215, King John was forced by a group of feudal barons and the Church to grant them a charter of liberty and political right. Significance: influence on legal system and human rights merchants and craftsmenfor the first time a

6、s a new political force townspeoplefreedom of trade and self-government part of the British Constitution today,Beginning of Parliament,the Great Council(大议会） Commoners appeared in the meeting the House of Lords and the House of Commons（exist today and collectively we call them the Parliament) The Pu

7、ritans and Cavaliers( the Puritans: free farmers, tradesmen, artisans/ the Cavaliers: Catholics and feudal lords) The Civil War reason: the dispute over the power of the king vis-vis(P39),The civil war broke out (16421649) Between the Royalists (the Cavalier 保王党人) and Parliamentarians (Roundheads 圆颅

8、党人) Result: the monarchy was abolished in 1949 England was declared a commonwealth, i.e. a republic,The Civil War,The Commonwealth (16491660)(Cromwell 统治之下的英伦三岛共和国） Cromwell, the head of the Commonwealth Conservative in social reforms and protected property ownership In 1660, Parliament had Charles

9、II as king of England. This put an end to the Commonwealth.,The Civil War,Restoration and the Glorious Revolution,Restoration:(复辟) 1661, Charles II: to restore the old social order 1685, James II: to reestablish Catholicism,Glorious Revolution 1688: joint sovereign of William and Mary 1689: Bill of

10、Rights (limited the power of the monarch and guaranteed the authority of Parliament ) removed the ruling monarch and established Constitutional Monarchy,Constitution(P41),I,Great Britain (UK) is a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch as the head of state British Constitution is made

11、 up of: Statutory Law (成文法) Common Law (判例法) Conventions (习惯法),1.1 Statutory Law passed by Parliament example the Magna Charta (1215) petition of Rights(1627) Habeas Corpus Act(1679) the Bill of Rights (1689) Act of Settlement(1701) the Reform Act (1832) the European Communities Act (1972) the Europ

12、ean Communities (Amendment) Act (1986),Constitution,1.2 Common law deduced from custom or legal precedents and interpreted in court cases by judges 1.3 Conventions rules and practices which do not exist legally, but are regarded as vital to the working of government,1. Constitution,Government,2.1 Th

13、e Legislature,2.2 The Executive,2.3 The Judiciary,2.1 The Legislature,Basic Structure of UK Central Government,Monarch (non-political),Legislature Parliament,Executive,Judiciary (non-political),House of Commons (political),House of Lords (semi-political),Prime Minister Lady + Christian Name + Family

14、 Name (Husbands family name instead of her own after marriage) Knight (non-peerage)Sir(500),The House of Commons,Often referred to as “the Lower House” (center of parliamentary power) Three major functions to pass laws, bills and acts of Parliament to scrutinize, criticize and restrain the actions o

15、f the government to influence the future government policy,646 Members of Parliament, known as “MPs” for short, who represent the 646 geographical areas / constituencies,2.1.4 The House of Commons,The Prime Ministerpowerful leader head of the government the leader of the majority party in Parliament

16、 controls the Parliament The Cabinet supreme decision-making body in the British government Cabinet members are chosen by the Prime Minister from members of his own party in Parliament.,The Executive,The Cabinet works on the principle of collective responsibility and individual ministerial responsib

17、ility Ministers responsible for their particular department (most senior members are the Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Home Secretary) Collective responsibility or resignation,The Executive,Privy Council(枢密院） a body of advisors (450 members) current and fo

18、rmer Cabinet members and important public figures Its main duty is to give advice,The Executive,The Judiciary,Proceedings All criminal trials are held in open court because the criminal law presumes the innocence of the accused until he has been approved guilty beyond reasonable doubt In criminal trials by jury, the judge passes sentence but the jury decides the issue of guilt and innocence.,Two branches of law Civi