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英语国家概况英语国家概况The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Chapter 3Chapter 3 Government and Government and the Commonwealththe Commonwealth
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
英语国家概况
英语国家概况
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Political Parties
Constitution
Government
Election
The Commonwealth
I
II
III
IV
V
CONTENT
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CountriesCountries ConstitutionI
Great Britain (UK) is a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch as
the head of state
British Constitution is made up of: Statutory Law ( 成文法 ) Common Law ( 判例法 ) Conventions ( 习惯法 )
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1.1 Statutory Law
passed by Parliament example
• the Magna Carta (1215)• the Bill of Rights (1689) • the Reform Act (1832)• the European Communities Act (1972) • the European Communities (Amendment)
Act (1986)
Constitution
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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
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2.1 The Legislature
2.2 The Executive
2.3 The Judiciary
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CountriesCountries 2.1 The Legislature
Basic Structure of UK Central GovernmentMonarch
(non-political)Monarch
(non-political)
Legislature—ParliamentLegislature
—ParliamentExecutive
Executive
Judiciary (non-political)
Judiciary (non-political)
House of Commons (political)
House of Commons (political)
House of Lords(semi-political)
House of Lords(semi-political)
Prime Minister & Cabinet (political)
Prime Minister & Cabinet (political)
Ministers & Civil service
(non-political)
Ministers & Civil service
(non-political)
House of LordsHouse of Lords
Court of Appeal Court of Appeal
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CountriesCountries 2.1.1 Parliament
Parliament the law-making body of Britain one of the oldest representative assemblies in
the world Strictly speaking, the parliament consists of
the King or Queen, the House of Lords ( 上议院), the House of Commons ( 下议院 )
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Queen Elizabeth II
Born: April 21, 1926
Queen since June 2, 1953
Queen Elizabeth II is a “constitutional monarch”
Although she is officially the head of state, the country is actually run by the government and led by the Prime Minister.
2.1.2 Queen
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Buckingham Palace
2.1.2 Queen
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Queen Elizabeth II
2.1.2 Queen
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She reigns but does not rule!
Theoretically, she is the source of all government powers:• an integral part of the legislature• head of the executive, executive and judiciary branches• the commander-in-chief of all armed forces of the Crown • “supreme governor” of the Church of England
More >>
Q. What powers does the Queen have?Q. What powers does the Queen have?
2.1.2 Queen
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In reality, her role is “ceremonial, unpolitical and symbolic”:
State opening of the ParliamentRoyal assent to new lawMeeting with the Prime Minister at Buckingham
PalacePay state visits to Commonwealth countries as
head of state and non-Commonwealth countries on behalf of the British government
2.1.2 Queen
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From Buckingham to Westminster The State Opening of Parliament Wednesday November 26, 2003
2.1.2 Queen
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CountriesCountries 2.1.3 The House of Lords
often referred to as “the Upper House” The Lords Spiritual ( 上议院神职议员 )
(archbishops and prominent bishops of the Church of England)
The House of Lords in the early 19th century
The Lords Temporal ( 上议院世俗议员 ) (hereditary peers and life peers and the Law Lords)
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The Upper House Reforms
Reduce the number of seats• from 705 to 666 (Mar. 1, 2004)
Final court of appeal—Supreme Court
The House of Lords meets in a lavishly decorated chamber in the Palace of Westminster
2.1.3 The House of Lords
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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 of the government to influence the future government policy
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646 Members of Parliament, known as “MPs” for short, who represent the 646 geographical areas / constituencies
2.1.4 The House of Commons
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2.2.1 The Prime Minister—powerful leader head of the government the leader of the majority party in Parliament controls the Parliament
2.2.2 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.
2.2 The Executive
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The Cabinet works on the principle of collective responsibility and individual ministerial responsibility
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
2.2 The Executive
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2.2.2 Privy Council a body of advisors (450 members) current and former Cabinet members and
important public figures Its main duty is to give advice
2.2 The Executive
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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.
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Two branches of law Civil law—defines and enforces the duties or
obligations of persons to one another Criminal law—by contrast, defines and
enforces the obligations of persons to society as a whole
English Judges
2.3 The Judiciary
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County Court Magistrates’ Court(JPs, stipendiary magistrates)
Crown CourtHigh Court(QBD, CCD, FD)
Court of Appeal Court of Appeal
House of Lords
The Court SystemCivil branch
Criminalbranch
2.3 The Judiciary
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3.1 The Conservative Party
3.2 The Labor Party
3.3 The Liberal Democrats
3.0 Overall Introduction
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The Parliament operates on a two-party system.
Political parties originated in the late 17th century.
the Whig Party—Liberal Party
the Tory Party—Conservative Party
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The Conservative Party From Tories (a political group which appeared under King Charles II)
Development
The Labor Party By Unionists, liberals, socialists and the Fabian Society
Comparative Description on the two major parties:
3.0 Overall Introduction
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The Conservative Party the middle of the 19th century (old)
Time
The Labor Party
in 1900 (young)
Comparative Description on the two major parties (cont.):
3.0 Overall Introduction
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The Conservative PartyRight wing party They stand for private enterprise and freedom from state control.
Characteristics
The Labor Party Left wing party They stand for national and communal growth.
Comparative Description on the two major parties (cont.):
3.0 Overall Introduction
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The Conservative Party middle& upper-middle classPeople of higher position
Supporters
The Labor Party
Working class and common people relatively poor or underprivileged
Comparative Description on the two major parties (cont.):
3.0 Overall Introduction
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CountriesCountries 3.1 The Conservative Party
the “Right”
landowners and businessmen, the middle and upper-middle class
free enterprise and privatization of state-owned firms
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Margaret Thatcher (1979-1990)
—The Iron Lady
privatized state-owned industries and promoted a more competitive spirit in Britain’s economy
reduced old age pensions, shortened the period of unemployment benefits, and cut child benefits
curbed the power of the trade unions
3.1 The Conservative Party
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the “Left”
created by the growing trade union movement at the end of the 19th century
After 1945—to establish a welfare state
• nationalized industries
• exercised control over private industries to revive the primary industries
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Recent Prime Ministers from the left
Tony Blair (1997-2006)— “Third Way”
• made the Bank of England independent (separate politics and economic policy)
• put an emphasis on the minimum wage and supplementing low incomes
Gordon Brown (June 27, 2007)
3.2 The Labor Party
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An amalgamation of the old Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party (the latter being a breakaway group from the Labor Party, formed in 1981)
advocates policies based on freedom of the individual and supports the adoption of Propositional Representation at elections
remains a minority party
a party of protest rather than a real alternative for government
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CountriesCountries IV Election
held every five years in the 646 constituencies
candidate who wins in each constituency becomes a Member of Parliament
The party which holds the majority of “seats” in Parliament forms the government, with its party leader becoming the Prime Minister.
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CountriesCountries The CommonwealthV
5.1 The Origin of the Commonwealth
5.2 Characteristics and Functions
5.3 Members of the Commonwealth
5.4 Organizations of the Commonwealth
5.5 Commonwealth Day
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The Commonwealth of Nations is the successor of the British Empire.
In 1949, “British” was dropped from the title of “Commonwealth”.
In 1949, the London Declaration accepted and recognized India’s continued membership as a republic.
From 1960 onwards, new members joined the Commonwealth.
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a voluntary association of independent sovereign states
to advocate ( 提倡 ) democracy, human rights, and to promote economic
cooperation and growth of its members
5.2 Characteristics and Functions
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an organization composed of 53 states in 2005
a population of approximately 1.8 billion people, some 30 percent of the world’s total population
5.3 Members of the Commonwealth
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The headquarters are all located in London. Commonwealth Heads of Government
Meeting (CHOGM) Commonwealth Ministers’ Meeting held
annually The Commonwealth Secretariat The Commonwealth Foundation and other
professional associations
5.4 Organizations of the Commonwealth
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the second Monday in March every year an opportunity to promote understanding of
global issues, international cooperation and the efforts to improve the lives of its 1.8 billion citizens
5.5 Commonwealth Day
英语国家概况
英语国家概况