大学英语专业课程英美概况上册Unit 4 Politics, Class and Race(2)

Unit4Politics,ClassandRaceMajorPointsGeneralElectionsThepoliticalPartiesintheUKRecentpoliticaltrendsClassRaceI.WhatisaGeneralElection?TheelectionofallMembersofParliament(MPs)foreachconstituency(localarea)iscalledaGeneralElection.II.HowoftendoGeneralElectionstakeplace?AParliamenthasamaximumdurationoffiveyears.Attheendofthefiveyearorbefore,ageneralelectionmusttakeplacesonewmembersofparliamentcanbeelectedbythepeople.GeneralelectionshavetotakeplaceatleasteveryfiveyearsandarecalledbythePrimeMinister(theleaderoftheGovernment).Afterthegovernmenthasbeeninpowerfor5years,ithastoresignandholda“generalelection”,inwhichallBritishpeoplearegiventhechancetovoteagainfortheirconstituency’sMP.III.Whendoesanearlyelectionoccur?Whenthegovernmentlosesa“voteofnoconfidence”intheHouseofCommons,thatis,anMPputsforwardastatementfortheMPstovoteonsayingthat“Thishousenolongerhasconfidenceinthegovernment”.IfthePrimeMinisterdecidesthatthegovernmentiscurrentlypopular,hecancallforanearlyelectionhopingtowinanotherfiveyears.IV.WhocanstandforelectionasanMP?AnyonewhoiseligibletovotecanstandasanMP(withadepositof500pounds).Questions:whydoesapersonwhowanttostandasanMPhavetomakeadepositof500pounds?Whenwillhe/shelosethemoney?Inmostcases,acandidateisusuallyoneputforwardbyoneofthemainpoliticalparties.Why?becauseifanindependentcandidateweretowintheseathe/shewouldbepowerlessinparliamentagainstbigparties’representative.ReceiveavotingcardV.Whathappenedinanelection?Everyoneonthe“electoralregister”will:GotothelocalvotingstationGiveavotingcardtotheofficialandgetanothercardwiththecandidate’snameonitTakethecardintoaprivateboothAndputanXbesidethenameofyourchoicePutthecardintothesealedboxCountingofthevotingcardswhenthevotingclosesTheresultscomeout.CelebrationofwinnersElectoralCampaignAdvertisementsinnewspaperDoor-to-doorcampaignPostaldeliveriesofleafletsPartyelectoralbroadcasts(strictlylimited)*Inthecampaigns,politiciandonotproperlyexplaintheirownpolicies,butinsteadexplainwhypeoplewouldnotvotefortheiropponents.PartyElectoralBroadcasts(PEB)BroadcastsmadebythepartiesandtransmittedonTVorradio.Byagreementwiththebroadcasters,eachpartyisallowedacertainnumberperiodto“sell”theirpoliciestothepublic.AllocationofthetimeThetimegivenisfree,andtheamountoftimeisproportionaltonumberofcandidatesfieldedandthepercentageofthevotewhichthepartyreceivedatthepreviouselection.Theyarenotallowedtobuymoretime.(Why?)V.ThePoliticalPartiesTheConservativePartyTheLabourPartyTheLiberalDemocratsTheConservativePartySpendmosttimeinpower(1979-1997)Protecttheindividual’srighttoacquirewealthandtospendithowtheychoose,andsofavoringeconomicpolicieswhichbusinessmenprefer,suchaslowtaxes.TheLabourPartyCreatedbythegrowingtradeunionmovementattheendof19thcentury.ThenewestpartyandoneofthetwobiggestpartyAsocialistparty(hightaxes)Theybelieveasocietyshouldberelativelyequalineconomicterms,andthepartoftheroleofgovernmentistoactas“redistributiveagent”.Alsotheyseethegovernmentastherightbodytoprovidearangeofpublicservicesavailabletoall,suchashealth,educationandpublictransportation.TheLiberalDemocratsThe3rdbiggestpartyApartyofthe“middle”,occupyingtheideologicalgroundbetweenthetwomainparties.Comparativelyflexibleandpragmaticsintheirbalanceoftheindividualandthesocial.Emphasizingtheneedtomakegovernmentmoredemocraticandaccountable.MargaretThatcherandHerPolicyShecommittedtotheideaofsmallgovernmentandfree-marketeconomics,andlessconcernedwithbeing“fatherly”.Herpolicies:ToprivatizethenationalizedindustryALessredistributivetaxationsystem:taxratewerecut.NegativeconsequencesUnemploymentincreased.Manypeoplegotricher,andmanygotpoorer.Britainbecamelessequalsociety.Publicservices,suchashealth,education,andtransportation,gotworse.在对京都议定书的簽署问题上欧盟内部几乎没有任何争议，随着原东欧共产主义国家新加入欧盟，原有的1990年基准指标也大为抬高，相对其他的发达国家，欧盟获得了一些潜在的好处SocialClassBritainwasonceaclass-riddensociety.Today,multiculturalismandachangingeconomyaregraduallyerodingtheBritishclasssystem,butsomefeaturesofthesystemstillremain.TheBritishsocietyhasoftenbeenconsideredtobedividedintothreemaingroupsofclasses:theUpperClassOftenpeoplewithinheritedwealth,includingsomeoftheoldestfamilies,withmanyofthembeingtitledaristocrats.theMiddleClassThemajorityofthepopulationofBritain.Theyincludeindustrialists,professionals,businesspeopleandshopowners.LowerorWorkingClassPeoplewhoareagricultural,mineandfactoryworkers.TheBritishClassSystemtodayAlthoughsomepeopleintheUKstillrefertothemselvesasworking-class,lower-middleorupper-middle(andofcoursetherearethosewhothinkofthemselvesastheeliteclass),tothemajorityoftheBritishthemeaningsdon'tseemtomattermuchthesedays.CulturaldifferencebetweendifferentclassHavedifferentoccupationsGotodifferentschools(freestateschoolVS.expensivepublicschool)readdifferentnewspaperswatchdifferentTVprogramsSpeakwithdifferentaccentsRacePeoplefromallculturesandethnicitiescanbefoundineverycornerofBritainandeachpersoninhisorherownwayhascontributedtomakeBritaintheplaceitistoday.HowBritainbecameamixedracesocietyBritainisandhasalwaysbeenam