英语国家概况Chapter3

GuidetoEnglish-SpeakingCountries英语国家概况英语国家概况TheUnitedKingdomofGreatBritainandNorthernIrelandChapter3GovernmentandtheCommonwealthTheUnitedKingdomofGreatBritainandNorthernIreland英语国家概况ForeignLanguageTeachingandResearchPressAGuidetoEnglish-SpeakingCountriesPoliticalPartiesConstitutionGovernmentElectionTheCommonwealthIIIIIIIVVCONTENTForeignLanguageTeachingandResearchPressAGuidetoEnglish-SpeakingCountriesConstitutionIGreatBritain(UK)isaparliamentarydemocracywithaconstitutionalmonarchkingorqueen:theheadofstate,symbolicpowerForeignLanguageTeachingandResearchPressAGuidetoEnglish-SpeakingCountriesTheBritishconstitutionisusuallydescribedasunwritten,butthismeansitisnotwrittendowninonesingledocumentas“theBritishConstitution”.MuchoftheConstitutioniswrittendown,butitisnotsystematicallycodifiedintoasingledocument.ConstitutionForeignLanguageTeachingandResearchPressAGuidetoEnglish-SpeakingCountriesBritishConstitutionismadeupofthreemainparts:StatutoryLaw(成文法，制定法)CommonLaw(判例法，普通法)Conventions(习惯法，衡平法)ConstitutionIForeignLanguageTeachingandResearchPressAGuidetoEnglish-SpeakingCountries1.1StatutoryLaw(themostimportant)passedbyParliamentexample•theMagnaCarta(1215)•theBillofRights(1689)•theReformAct(1832)•theEuropeanCommunitiesAct(1972)•theEuropeanCommunities(Amendment)Act(1986)ConstitutionForeignLanguageTeachingandResearchPressAGuidetoEnglish-SpeakingCountries1.2Commonlaw(neverbeenpreciselydefined)deducedfromcustomorlegalprecedentsandinterpretedincourtcasesbyjudges1.3Conventionsrulesandpracticeswhichdonotexistlegally,butareregardedasvitaltotheworkingofgovernment1.ConstitutionForeignLanguageTeachingandResearchPressAGuidetoEnglish-SpeakingCountriesDivisionofpowerLegislature立法机关Executive行政部门Judiciary司法部门ThedivisionamongthesethreebranchesisnotsoabsoluteasthatintheUnitedStates.P321.ConstitutionForeignLanguageTeachingandResearchPressAGuidetoEnglish-SpeakingCountriesGovernmentII2.1TheLegislature2.2TheExecutive2.3TheJudiciaryForeignLanguageTeachingandResearchPressAGuidetoEnglish-SpeakingCountries2.1TheLegislatureBasicStructureofUKCentralGovernmentMonarch(non-political)Legislature—ParliamentExecutiveJudiciary(non-political)HouseofCommons(political)HouseofLords(semi-political)PrimeMinister&Cabinet(political)Ministers&Civilservice(non-political)HouseofLordsCourtofAppealForeignLanguageTeachingandResearchPressAGuidetoEnglish-SpeakingCountries2.1.1ParliamentParliamentthelaw-makingbodyofBritainoneoftheoldestrepresentativeassembliesintheworldStrictlyspeaking,theparliamentconsistsoftheKingorQueen,theHouseofLords(上议院),theHouseofCommons(下议院).However,themonarchyisregardedasaseparateinstitution.ForeignLanguageTeachingandResearchPressAGuidetoEnglish-SpeakingCountriesQueenElizabethIIBorn:April21,1926QueensinceJune2,1953QueenElizabethIIisa“constitutionalmonarch”Althoughsheisofficiallytheheadofstate,thecountryisactuallyrunbythegovernmentandledbythePrimeMinister.2.1.2QueenForeignLanguageTeachingandResearchPressAGuidetoEnglish-SpeakingCountriesQueenElizabethII2.1.2QueenForeignLanguageTeachingandResearchPressAGuidetoEnglish-SpeakingCountries•Thatmeans,althoughtheQueenistheHeadofState,shehasnopoliticalpower.ForeignLanguageTeachingandResearchPressAGuidetoEnglish-SpeakingCountriesThecountryisrunbythePrimeMinister,whoistheheadofthepoliticalpartythatwinsthemostvotesindemocraticGeneralElectionwhichisheldeveryfiveyears.ForeignLanguageTeachingandResearchPressAGuidetoEnglish-SpeakingCountriesBuckinghamPalaceTheQueenmeetswiththePrimeMinisteronaweeklybasishere.2.1.2QueenForeignLanguageTeachingandResearchPressAGuidetoEnglish-SpeakingCountriesInreality,shedoeseverythingontheadviceofthePrimeMinister,andherroleis“ceremonial,unpoliticalandsymbolic”:StateopeningoftheParliamentRoyalassenttonewlawMeetingwiththePrimeMinisteratBuckinghamPalacePaystatevisitstoCommonwealthcountriesasheadofstateandnon-CommonwealthcountriesonbehalfoftheBritishgovernment2.1.2QueenForeignLanguageTeachingandResearchPressAGuidetoEnglish-SpeakingCountriesTheimportanceofthemonarchyisfoundinitseffectsonpublicattitude.ItrepresentsthecontinuityandadaptabilityofthewholepoliticalsystemanditisasymbolofBritishunity.Thesenseofduty,responsibilityandgentledignitythatshebringstoherdifficultjobarewidelyrespectedandadmired.2.1.2QueenForeignLanguageTeachingandResearchPressAGuidetoEnglish-SpeakingCountries2.1.3TheHouseofLordsTheLordsSpiritual(上议院神职议员)(archbishopsandprominentbishopsoftheChurchofEngland)TheLordsTemporal(上议院世俗议员)(hereditarypeersandlifepeersandtheLawLords)ForeignLanguageTeachingandResearchPressAGuidetoEnglish-SpeakingCountries2.1.3TheHouseofLordsThemainlegislativefunctionoftheHouseofLords:ExamineandrevisebillsfromtheHouseofCommonsTheHouseofLordsmeetsinalavishlydecoratedchamberinthePalaceofWestminsterForeignLanguageTeachingandResearchPressAGuidetoEnglish-SpeakingCountriesTheUpperHouseReformsReducethenumberofseats•from705to666(Mar.1,2004)Finalcourtofappeal—SupremeCourt2.1.3TheHouseofLordsForeignLanguageTeachingandResearchPressAGuidetoEnglish-SpeakingCountries2.1.