Unit4BritishPoliticalSystem(文本教案)

1Unit4BritishPoliticalSystemI.ObjectivesBybeingexposedtofactsandreviewsofBritishPoliticalSysteminthisunit,studentsaresupposedtohaveanoverallunderstandingof:1.theroleandimportanceofBritishConstitutionalMonarchy2.thebirthandperfectionoftheBritishParliament;3.thethreebranchesoftheBritishcentralgovernment;4.partypoliticsinBritain.II.Contents1.TheConstitutionalMonarchy（1）Abriefintroduction（2）ThePoweroftheQueen（3）TheImportanceofMonarchy（4）TheConstitution2.TheBritishParliament（1）Abriefintroduction（2）What’sthemeaningof“parliament”?（3）MainfunctionsofParliament（4）ParliamentaryLegislationProcess（5）TheHouseofLords（6）TheHouseofCommons3.TheBritishcentralgovernment（1）Abriefintroduction（2）ThePrimeMinister（3）ThebirthofthePrimeMinisterandCabinet4.TheCabinet（1）WhatistheCabinetcomposedof?（2）WhoarealwaysincludedintheCabinet?（3）TheroleoftheCabinet（4）TheroleofTheShadowCabinet5.ThePrivyCouncil（1）WhatisthePrivyCouncilcomposedof?（2）TheCivilService（3）LocalGovernment（4）TheDevolution6.PoliticalParties（1）Abriefintroduction（2）TheLabourParty--inpower2（3）TheConservativeParty--inopposition（4）TheLiberalDemocraticParty7.GeneralElectionIII.TeachingPlan1.ConstitutionalMonarchy(1)AbriefintroductionAnold-fashionedgovernmentOnthebasisofconstitutionalmonarchyHeadofstate:thekingorqueen.TheKingorQueenisthepersonificationoftheState.Inpractice:theSovereignreigns,butdoesnotrule.ThepresentSovereign:QueenElizabethIIsince1952PrinceCharlesistheheirtothethrone.(2)ThePoweroftheQueenGiveseffectstoalllawsastheheadoftheexecutivebranchofthegovernmentMaypardoncriminaloffencesandcancelpunishmentsConfersalltitlesofrank,andappointsjudges,armyofficers,governors,bishopsanddiplomatsConcludestreaties,declareswar,andmakespeacewithothernations(3)TheImportanceofMonarchyEffectsonpublicattitudeAsymbolofnationalunityPreservesthehumanrightsandpropertyRepresentsthepoliticalcontinuityandadaptability(4)TheConstitutionBritaindoesn’thaveaconstitutionwrittendowninasingledocument.Theconstitutionflowsfrom6sources:1)TheRoyalPrerogatives皇家特权；2)*StatuteLaws成文法；3)*CommonLaws普通法,判例法；4)*Conventions习惯法；5)AuthoritativeOpinions权威意见；6)EuropeanUnionLaws欧盟法IsraelandBritainaretheonlytwocountrieswithoutwrittenconstitutions.2.TheBritishParliamentconsistsof3constituentparts:theymustallagreetopassanygivenlegislation(1)AbriefintroductionUK:aunitarystateTheParliamentatWestminster(London)In1999,ScotlandandWaleshadtheirownparliamentsIn2007,NorthernIrelandsetupitsparliamentUKseemstobemovingtowardfederalism.Parliament=Legislature(立法机关)ParliamentisthehighestlegislativeauthorityintheUK—theinstitutionresponsibleformakingandrepealing(废止)alltheUKlaws.It’salsoknownastheLegislature.Functions:3MakealltheUKlaws;Scrutinize(审查)governmentpolicy,administration&expenditure;Hearappeals(上诉)inthehighestCourtofAppeal(最高上诉法院)inBritain;Debatethemajorissuesoftheday.（2）What’sthemeaningof“parliament”?AplaceforargumentanddebateThewordparliamentcomesfromtheverb“toparley”,thatis,todiscussortalk.Thebirthofthisterm:Thekingoccasionallysummonedbaronsandrepresentativesfromcountiesandtownsifhewantedtoraisemoney.TheHouseofLordsThosewhoweresummoned“byname”.Atfirstit’sonlyagatheringofbaronsandbythe13thcentury,kingsfoundtheycouldn’tmakeendsmeetbyaskingmoneyfromthisquitesmallgroup.Andlatertheywidenedittoincluderepresentativesofcounties,citiesandtowns.TheHouseofCommonsRepresentativesofcommunitiesTheCommonsquicklygainedinpoliticalstrengthandinreturntheywantedanincreasingsay(发言权)inwhatthekingwasdoing.HousesofParliamentHouseofLords：RedChamber红厅HouseofCommons：GreenChamber绿厅TheHouseofLordsStructure:About1,100hereditaryandlifepeersorpeeressesPower:Reviewlegislation；Proposeamendments；VetobillsaccordingtoconventionsandoperationsoftheParliamentActs.TheHouseofCommonsAlsocalledtheLowerHouse651MPsTheSovereignPower：SummonstheHouseofLords；DissolvesParliament；OpenseachnewannualsessionTheMonarch—OfficialHeadofParliamentThelifeofparliamentisdividedintoperiodscalled“sessions”(会期)(Asessionlastsfor1year).Thebeginningofanewsession,calledthe“StateOpeningofParliament”(议会开幕典礼),takesplaceintheHouseofLords.It’satraditionforthemonarchtoopenParliamentinperson.Ontheday,theQueentravelsfromBuckinghamPalacetoParliamentintheStateCoach(典礼马车,agoldencarriage).OncetheQueenarrivesatParliament,theUnionFlag（a.k.a.亦称TheUnionJack）isloweredandreplacedbytheRoyalStandard.ThequeenthentakesherplaceonthethroneintheHouseofLords,fromwhereshesendshermessengerBlackRod(黑杖礼仪官)tosummontheMPs.WhentheBlackRodarrivesattheLowerHouse,thedoorisslammedinhisface,symbolizingtheindependenceanddominanceoftheHouseofCommons.Hemustthenknock3timestogainentryanddeliverhissummons.ThentheleadingMPsfollowtheBlackRodtotheUpperHouse,standingcrowdedattheendofthechamberoppositetothethrone.4TheQueenwillthenreadouttheQueen’sSpeech,adocumentabout1,000wordsinlengthpreparedbythegovernment.Whatisthespeechabout?Inthedocumentthegovernmentoutlinesitsplannedprogrammesandthepoliciesitintendstofollow.Whentheone-weekdebatesontheQueen’sspeecharefinished,Parliamentisreadytobegintheactualworkofthenewsess