Guide to English-Speaking Countries

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 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

Foreign Language Teaching and Research PressForeign Language Teaching and Research Press

A Guide toA Guide to English-Speaking English-Speaking

CountriesCountries

Political Parties

Constitution

Government

Election

The Commonwealth

I

II

III

IV

V

CONTENT



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



CountriesCountries GovernmentII

2.1 The Legislature

2.2 The Executive

2.3 The Judiciary



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



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



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



CountriesCountries 2.1.4 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 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



CountriesCountries 2.3 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.



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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



CountriesCountries Political PartiesIII

3.1 The Conservative Party

3.2 The Labor Party

3.3 The Liberal Democrats

3.0 Overall Introduction



CountriesCountries 3.0 Overall Introduction

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:




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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.):




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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.





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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





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



CountriesCountries 3.2 The Labor Party

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



CountriesCountries 3.3 The Liberal Democrats

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



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.



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



CountriesCountries 5.1 Origin of the Commonwealth

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.



CountriesCountries 5.1 Origin of 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

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Guide to English-Speaking Countries