GuidetoEnglish-SpeakingCountries英語國家概況英語國家概況TheUnitedKingdomofGreatBritainandNorthernIrelandChapter3

Governmentand

theCommonwealth

TheUnitedKingdomofGreatBritainandNorthernIreland英語國家概況PoliticalParties

ConstitutionGovernmentElectionTheCommonwealthIIIIIIIVVCONTENTConstitutionIGreatBritain(UK)isaparliamentarydemocracywithaconstitutionalmonarch

kingorqueen:theheadofstate,symbolicpowerBritishConstitutionismadeupof:

StatutoryLaw(成文法，制定法)

CommonLaw(判例法，普通法)

Conventions(習(xí)慣法，衡平法)

ConstitutionI1.1StatutoryLawpassedbyParliamentexampletheMagnaCarta(1215)theBillofRights(1689)theReformAct(1832)theEuropeanCommunitiesAct(1972)theEuropeanCommunities(Amendment)Act(1986)Constitution1.2Commonlaw

deducedfromcustomorlegalprecedentsandinterpretedincourtcasesbyjudges1.3Conventionsrulesandpracticeswhichdonotexistlegally,butareregardedasvitaltotheworkingofgovernment1.ConstitutionDivision

ofpowerLegislature立法機關(guān)Executive行政部門Judiciary司法部門

1.ConstitutionGovernmentII

2.1TheLegislature

2.2TheExecutive

2.3TheJudiciary2.1TheLegislatureBasicStructureofUKCentralGovernmentMonarch(non-political)Legislature—ParliamentExecutive

Judiciary(non-political)HouseofCommons(political)HouseofLords(semi-political)PrimeMinister&Cabinet(political)Ministers&Civilservice(non-political)HouseofLordsCourtofAppeal2.1.1Parliament

Parliamentthelaw-makingbodyofBritainoneoftheoldestrepresentativeassembliesintheworldStrictlyspeaking,theparliamentconsistsoftheKingorQueen,theHouseofLords(上議院),theHouseofCommons(下議院)QueenElizabethIIBorn:April21,1926QueensinceJune2,1953QueenElizabethIIisa“constitutionalmonarch”

Althoughsheisofficiallytheheadofstate,thecountryisactuallyrunbythegovernmentandledbythePrimeMinister.2.1.2QueenQueenElizabethII2.1.2QueenBuckinghamPalace

2.1.2QueenInreality,herroleis“ceremonial,unpoliticalandsymbolic”:StateopeningoftheParliamentRoyalassenttonewlawMeetingwiththePrimeMinisteratBuckinghamPalacePaystatevisitstoCommonwealthcountriesasheadofstateandnon-CommonwealthcountriesonbehalfoftheBritishgovernment2.1.2Queen2.1.3TheHouseofLords

TheLordsSpiritual(上議院神職議員)(archbishopsandprominentbishopsoftheChurchofEngland)TheLordsTemporal(上議院世俗議員)(hereditarypeersandlifepeersandtheLawLords)2.1.3TheHouseofLordsThemainlegislativefunctionoftheHouseofLords:ExamineandrevisebillsfromtheHouseofCommonsTheHouseofLordsmeetsinalavishlydecoratedchamberinthePalaceofWestminsterTheUpperHouseReformsReducethenumberofseatsfrom705to666(Mar.1,2004)Finalcourtofappeal—SupremeCourt2.1.3TheHouseofLords

2.1.4TheHouseofCommons

CenterofparliamentarypowerThreemajorfunctionstopasslaws,billsandactsofParliamenttoscrutinize,criticizeandrestraintheactionsofthegovernmenttoinfluencethefuturegovernmentpolicy646MembersofParliament,knownas“MPs”forshort,whorepresentthe646geographicalareas2.1.4TheHouseofCommons

Government:PrimeMinister, Cabinetministers2.2.1ThePrimeMinister—powerfulleadertheleaderofthemajoritypartyinParliamentcontrolstheParliamentheadofthegovernment2.2TheExecutive2.2.2TheCabinetcenterofpoliticalsystemsupremedecision-makingbodyintheBritishgovernmentWeeklyonThursdayat10DowningStreetTwobranchesoflawCivillaw—definesandenforcesthedutiesorobligationsofpersonstooneanotherCriminallaw—bycontrast,definesandenforcestheobligationsofpersonstosocietyasawholeEnglishJudges2.3TheJudiciary2.3TheJudiciaryProceedings訴訟Allcriminaltrialsareheldinopencourtbecausethecriminallawpresumestheinnocenceoftheaccuseduntilhehasbeenapprovedguiltybeyondreasonabledoubt.Incriminaltrialsbyjury,thejudgepassessentencebutthejurydecidestheissueofguiltandinnocence.PoliticalPartiesIII

3.1TheConservativeParty

3.2TheLaborParty

3.3TheLiberalDemocrats

3.0OverallIntroduction

3.0OverallIntroductionTheParliament:atwo-partysystem.Politicalpartiesoriginatedinthelate17thcentury.theWhigParty—LiberalParty(protestantreformer)theToryParty—ConservativeParty(supporttheKingorChurchofEngland)

TheConservativeParty

FromTories(apoliticalgroupwhichappearedunderKingCharlesII)

DevelopmentTheLaborPartyByUnionists,liberals,socialistsandtheFabianSocietyComparativeDescriptiononthetwomajorparties:3.0OverallIntroductionTheConservativeParty

themiddleofthe19thcentury(old)TimeTheLaborParty

in1900(young)ComparativeDescriptiononthetwomajorparties(cont.):3.0OverallIntroductionTheConservativeParty

RightwingpartyTheystandforprivateenterpriseandfreedomfromstatecontrol.Characteristics

TheLaborPartyLeftwingpartyTheystandfornationalandcommunalgrowth.ComparativeDescriptiononthetwomajorparties(cont.):3.0OverallIntroductionTheConservativeParty

middle&upper-middleclassPeopleofhigherposition

SupportersThe

LaborParty

WorkingclassandcommonpeoplerelativelypoororunderprivilegedComparativeDescriptiononthetwomajorparties(cont.):3.0OverallIntroduction3.1TheConservativeParty

the“Right”

landownersandbusinessmen,themiddleandupper-middleclassfreeenterpriseandprivatizationofstate-ownedfirmsDavidCameron

3.2TheLaborPartythe“Left”

createdbythegrowingtradeunionmovementattheendofthe19thcenturyAfter1945—toestablishawelfarestatenationalizedindustriesexercisedcontroloverprivateindustriestorevivetheprimaryindustries

RecentPrimeMinisters

fromtheleftTonyBlair(1997-2006)—“ThirdWay”

GordonBrown(June27,2007-2010)3.2TheLaborParty3.3TheLiberalDemocratsIn1988AnamalgamationoftheoldLiberalPartyandtheSocialDemocraticPartyMiddlepartyremainsaminorityparty

IVElectionEveryfiveyearsinthe646constituenciescandidatewhowinsineachconstituencybecomesaMemberofParliamentThepartywhichholdsthemajorityof“seats”inParliamentformsthegovernment,withitspartyleaderbecomingthePrimeMinister.

TheCommonwealthV

5.1TheOriginoftheCommonwealth

5.2Characteristics

andFunctions

5.3

MembersoftheCommonwealth

5.4

OrganizationsoftheCommonwealth

5.5

Commonwealth

Day

5.1OriginoftheCommonwealthTheCommonwealthofNationsisthesuccessoroftheBritishEmpire.From1960onwards,newmembersjoinedtheCommonwealth.

5.1OriginoftheCommonwealthavoluntaryassociationofindependentsovereignstatestoadvocate(提倡)democracy,humanrights,andtopromoteeconomiccooperationandgrowthofitsmembers

5.2CharacteristicsandFunctionsanorganizatio