Guide to English-Speaking Guide to English-Speaking CountriesCountries英语国家概况英语国家概况The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland1 Chapter 3 Government and the Commonwealth The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland英英语语国国家家概概况况 Foreign Language Teaching and Research PressForeign Language Teaching and Research PressA Guide toA Guide to English-Speaking English-Speaking CountriesCountries Political Parties ConstitutionGovernment Election The CommonwealthIIIIIIIVVCONTENT Foreign Language Teaching and Research PressForeign Language Teaching and Research PressA Guide toA Guide to English-Speaking English-Speaking CountriesCountries ConstitutionIvGreat Britain (UK) is a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch vking or queen : the head of state, symbolic power Foreign Language Teaching and Research PressForeign Language Teaching and Research PressA Guide toA Guide to English-Speaking English-Speaking CountriesCountries vBritish Constitution is made up of: § Statutory Law (成文法，制定法成文法，制定法)§ Common Law (判例法，普通法判例法，普通法)§ Conventions (习惯法，衡平法习惯法，衡平法) ConstitutionI Foreign Language Teaching and Research PressForeign Language Teaching and Research PressA Guide toA Guide to English-Speaking English-Speaking CountriesCountries v1.1 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 Foreign Language Teaching and Research PressForeign Language Teaching and Research PressA Guide toA Guide to English-Speaking English-Speaking CountriesCountries v1.2 Common law §deduced from custom or legal precedents and interpreted in court cases by judgesv1.3 Conventions §rules and practices which do not exist legally, but are regarded as vital to the working of government 1. Constitution Foreign Language Teaching and Research PressForeign Language Teaching and Research PressA Guide toA Guide to English-Speaking English-Speaking CountriesCountries vDivision of power vLegislature 立法机关立法机关vExecutive 行政部门行政部门vJudiciary 司法部门司法部门 1. Constitution Foreign Language Teaching and Research PressForeign Language Teaching and Research PressA Guide toA Guide to English-Speaking English-Speaking CountriesCountries GovernmentII 2.1 The Legislature 2.2 The Executive 2.3 The Judiciary Foreign Language Teaching and Research PressForeign Language Teaching and Research PressA Guide toA Guide to English-Speaking English-Speaking CountriesCountries 2.1 The LegislatureBasic Structure of UK Central GovernmentMonarch(non-political)Legislature—ParliamentExecutive Judiciary (non-political)House of Commons (political)House of Lords(semi-political)Prime Minister & Cabinet (political)Ministers & Civil service(non-political) House of LordsCourt of Appeal Foreign Language Teaching and Research PressForeign Language Teaching and Research PressA Guide toA Guide to English-Speaking English-Speaking CountriesCountries 2.1.1 Parliament vParliament§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) Foreign Language Teaching and Research PressForeign Language Teaching and Research PressA Guide toA Guide to English-Speaking English-Speaking CountriesCountries vQueen Elizabeth II§Born: April 21, 1926§Queen since June 2, 1953 vQueen 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 Foreign Language Teaching and Research PressForeign Language Teaching and Research PressA Guide toA Guide to English-Speaking English-Speaking CountriesCountries Queen Elizabeth II2.1.2 Queen Foreign Language Teaching and Research PressForeign Language Teaching and Research PressA Guide toA Guide to English-Speaking English-Speaking CountriesCountries Buckingham Palace 2.1.2 Queen Foreign Language Teaching and Research PressForeign Language Teaching and Research PressA Guide toA Guide to English-Speaking English-Speaking CountriesCountries In reality, her role is “ceremonial, unpolitical and symbolic”:vState opening of the ParliamentvRoyal assent to new lawvMeeting with the Prime Minister at Buckingham PalacevPay state visits to Commonwealth countries as head of state and non-Commonwealth countries on behalf of the British government2.1.2 Queen Foreign Language Teaching and Research PressForeign Language Teaching and Research PressA Guide toA Guide to English-Speaking English-Speaking CountriesCountries 2.1.3 The House of Lords vThe Lords Spiritual (上议院神职议员上议院神职议员) v(archbishops and prominent bishops of the Church of England) vThe Lords Temporal (上议院世俗议员上议院世俗议员) (hereditary peers and life peers and the Law Lords) Foreign Language Teaching and Research PressForeign Language Teaching and Research PressA Guide toA Guide to English-Speaking English-Speaking CountriesCountries 2.1.3 The House of LordsvThe main legislative function of the House of Lords:v Examine and revise bills from the House of CommonsThe House of Lords meets in a lavishly decorated chamber in the Palace of Westminster Foreign Language Teaching and Research PressForeign Language Teaching and Research PressA Guide toA Guide to English-Speaking English-Speaking CountriesCountries vThe Upper House Reforms§Reduce the number of seats• from 705 to 666 (Mar. 1, 2004)§Final court of appeal—Supreme Court2.1.3 The House of Lords Foreign Language Teaching and Research PressForeign Language Teaching and Research PressA Guide toA Guide to English-Speaking English-Speaking CountriesCountries 2.1.4 The House of Commons vCenter of parliamentary powervThree 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 Foreign Language Teaching and Research PressForeign Language Teaching and Research PressA Guide toA Guide to English-Speaking English-Speaking CountriesCountries v646 Members of Parliament, known as “MPs” for short, who represent the 646 geographical areas2.1.4 The House of Commons Foreign Language Teaching and Research PressForeign Language Teaching and Research PressA Guide toA Guide to English-Speaking English-Speaking CountriesCountries Government: Prime Minister, Cabinet ministers2.2.1 The Prime Minister—powerful leadervthe leader of the majority party in Parliamentvcontrols the Parliament vhead of the government2.2 The Executive Foreign Language Teaching and Research PressForeign Language Teaching and Research PressA Guide toA Guide to English-Speaking English-Speaking CountriesCountries 2.2.2 The Cabinetvcenter of political system vsupreme decision-making body in the British government vWeekly on Thursday at 10 Downing Street Foreign Language Teaching and Research PressForeign Language Teaching and Research PressA Guide toA Guide to English-Speaking English-Speaking CountriesCountries vTwo 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 wholeEnglish Judges2.3 The Judiciary Foreign Language Teaching and Research PressForeign Language Teaching and Research PressA Guide toA Guide to English-Speaking English-Speaking CountriesCountries 2.3 The JudiciaryvProceedings 诉讼诉讼§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. Foreign Language Teaching and Research PressForeign Language Teaching and Research PressA Guide toA Guide to English-Speaking English-Speaking CountriesCountries Political PartiesIII 3.1 The Conservative Party 3.2 The Labor Party 3.3 The Liberal Democrats 3.0 Overall Introduction Foreign Language Teaching and Research PressForeign Language Teaching and Research PressA Guide toA Guide to English-Speaking English-Speaking CountriesCountries 3.0 Overall IntroductionvThe Parliament : a two-party system. vPolitical parties originated in the late 17th century.§the Whig Party—Liberal Party(protestant reformer) §the Tory Party—Conservative Party(support the King or Church of England) Foreign Language Teaching and Research PressForeign Language Teaching and Research PressA Guide toA Guide to English-Speaking English-Speaking CountriesCountries The Conservative Party From Tories (a political group which appeared under King Charles II) DevelopmentThe Labor Party By Unionists, liberals, socialists and the Fabian SocietyComparative Description on the two major parties:3.0 Overall Introduction Foreign Language Teaching and Research PressForeign Language Teaching and Research PressA Guide toA Guide to English-Speaking English-Speaking CountriesCountries The Conservative Party the middle of the 19th century (old) TimeThe Labor Party in 1900 (young)Comparative Description on the two major parties (cont.):3.0 Overall Introduction Foreign Language Teaching and Research PressForeign Language Teaching and Research PressA Guide toA Guide to English-Speaking English-Speaking CountriesCountries The Conservative PartyRight wing party They stand for private enterprise and freedom from state control. CharacteristicsThe Labor Party Left wing party They stand for national and communal growth.Comparative Description on the two major parties (cont.):3.0 Overall Introduction Foreign Language Teaching and Research PressForeign Language Teaching and Research PressA Guide toA Guide to English-Speaking English-Speaking CountriesCountries The Conservative Party middle& upper-middle classPeople of higher position SupportersThe Labor Party Working class and common people relatively poor or underprivilegedComparative Description on the two major parties (cont.):3.0 Overall Introduction Foreign Language Teaching and Research PressForeign Language Teaching and Research PressA Guide toA Guide to English-Speaking English-Speaking CountriesCountries 3.1 The Conservative Party vthe “Right”§landowners and businessmen, the middle and upper-middle class §free enterprise and privatization of state-owned firms David Cameron Foreign Language Teaching and Research PressForeign Language Teaching and Research PressA Guide toA Guide to English-Speaking English-Speaking CountriesCountries 3.2 The Labor Partyvthe “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 Foreign Language Teaching and Research PressForeign Language Teaching and Research PressA Guide toA Guide to English-Speaking English-Speaking CountriesCountries v Recent Prime Ministers from the left§Tony Blair (1997-2006)— “Third Way” Gordon Brown (June 27, 2007-2010)3.2 The Labor Party Foreign Language Teaching and Research PressForeign Language Teaching and Research PressA Guide toA Guide to English-Speaking English-Speaking CountriesCountries 3.3 The Liberal DemocratsvIn 1988 vAn amalgamation of the old Liberal Party and the Social Democratic PartyvMiddle partyvremains a minority party Foreign Language Teaching and Research PressForeign Language Teaching and Research PressA Guide toA Guide to English-Speaking English-Speaking CountriesCountries IV ElectionvEvery five years in the 646 constituenciesvcandidate who wins in each constituency becomes a Member of Parliament vThe party which holds the majority of “seats” in Parliament forms the government, with its party leader becoming the Prime Minister. Foreign Language Teaching and Research PressForeign Language Teaching and Research PressA Guide toA Guide to English-Speaking English-Speaking 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 Foreign Language Teaching and Research PressForeign Language Teaching and Research PressA Guide toA Guide to English-Speaking English-Speaking CountriesCountries 5.1 Origin of the CommonwealthvThe Commonwealth of Nations is the successor of the British Empire. vFrom 1960 onwards, new members joined the Commonwealth. Foreign Language Teaching and Research PressForeign Language Teaching and Research PressA Guide toA Guide to English-Speaking English-Speaking CountriesCountries 5.1 Origin of the Commonwealth Foreign Language Teaching and Research PressForeign Language Teaching and Research PressA Guide toA Guide to English-Speaking English-Speaking CountriesCountries va voluntary association of independent sovereign statesv to advocate (提倡提倡) democracy, human rights, and to promote economic cooperation and growth of its members 5.2 Characteristics and Functions Foreign Language Teaching and Research PressForeign Language Teaching and Research PressA Guide toA Guide to English-Speaking English-Speaking CountriesCountries van organization composed of 53 statesva population : 30 percent of the world’s total population vLandmass : a quarter of the world’s 5.3 Members of the Commonwealth Foreign Language Teaching and Research PressForeign Language Teaching and Research PressA Guide toA Guide to English-Speaking English-Speaking CountriesCountries vThe headquarters : in LondonvCommonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM)英联邦政府首脑会议英联邦政府首脑会议 vCommonwealth Ministers’ Meeting held annually英联邦部长会议英联邦部长会议 vThe Commonwealth Secretariat )英联邦秘书处英联邦秘书处 vThe Commonwealth Foundation and other professional associations英联邦基金会及其他组织英联邦基金会及其他组织 5.4 Organizations of the Commonwealth Foreign Language Teaching and Research PressForeign Language Teaching and Research PressA Guide toA Guide to English-Speaking English-Speaking CountriesCountries vthe second Monday in March every yearvan opportunity to promote understanding of global issues, international cooperation and the efforts to improve the lives of its 1.8 billion citizens5.5 Commonwealth Day Foreign Language Teaching and Research PressForeign Language Teaching and Research PressA Guide toA Guide to English-Speaking English-Speaking CountriesCountries Political Parties: 3 Constitution: 3Government: 3 Election: every 5 years The Commonwealth: 5 partsIIIIIIIVVsummary 英英语语国国家家概概况况 。