新编英美概况——名词解释(美国部分)

国家概况1.From“aMeltingPot”to“aSaladBowl”Thoughthedaysofmassimmigrationareprobablyover,theinfluenceofthemovementwillneverbeerased.Americanshaveadoptedmanyofthecustomsandideasoftheimmigrantsastheirown;eachwaveofimmigrationleftitsimpactanddistinctivecontributiontothebuildingofthenationandtheevolutionofAmericanlife.Whileatthesametimeeachethicgroupkeepsitsownreligiousandculturalinstitutions;teachtheirownlanguage,customsaswellandobservetheirownfestivals.Theyhaveneverbeen“melted”intherealsensebuthavekeptthefeatureof“ASaladBowl”whichmeansmanydifferentelementsarecombinedintoawhole,meanwhileeachingredientretainsitsindividualidentity.2.TheNewDealTheDefinition:Between1933and1938,innovativemeasuresweretakenintheU.S.todealwiththeGreatDepression,toprotecttheAmericancapitalsystemandtosavetheUSdemocracy.TheeconomicandsocialpoliciesoftheRooseveltAdministrationwerecollectivelyknownas“theNewDeal”.TheDetailedContents(Justforreference):Onepartoftheprogramwastopromoterecoveryfromthedepression.Anotherwastosupplyrelieftotheneedy.Athirdpartwastostabilizethenationaleconomytopreventsevereeconomiccrisisinthefuture.TheSignificance:OnlyaftertheoutbreakofWorldWarIIwastheeconomiccrisistotallysolvedforthewartriggeredthehugeneedsforindustrialandagriculturalproductivity.However,theNewDealhelpedtolimittheimpactoflaterrecessionsandtheUnitedStateshasexperiencednoreturntothenationalnightmareofGreatDepressionsincetheNewDeal.3.TheWelfareStateInordertorelievepoverty,cutunemployment,andspeedeconomicrecoveryduringtheGreatDepression,Congressin1935enactedtheSocialSecurityAct,whichcontainedthreemajorprograms:aretirementfund,unemploymentinsurance,andwelfaregrantsformothers,children,elders,andthedisabled.Rooseveltdeclaredthatthedayofgreatprivatefortuneswasended.Instead,wealthmustbebetterdistributed.Everycitizenmustbeguaranteed“apropersecurity,areasonableleisure,andadecentlivingthroughoutlife.”Theseprogramsbeganwhatisnowreferredtoasawelfarestate.4.SeparationofpowersSeparationofpowersmeansconstitutionaldivisionalofpowersamongthelegislative,executive,andjudicialbranches.InAmerica,thismeansmorethanallocatinglegislativepowertoCongress,executivepowertoPresidentandjudicialpowertotheSuperCourt.Italsomeansgivingeachbranchconstitutionalandpoliticalindependenceandchecksandbalancesthatensureeachofthethreebranchesasufficientroleintheactionsoftheotherssothatnoonebranchmaydominatetheothers.Thebranchesmustworktogetherifgovernmentbusinessistobeperformed.5.AmericaDream:Thetermmeansdifferentthingtodifferentpeople.Itisusuallyassociatedwiththeaspirationofmostpeople:peace,prosperity,personalownershipofproperty,personalliberty,andthebeliefthatindividualsarefreetoachieveanygoals,toaccumulatematerialwealth,toliveanylifestyle,centraltoAmericadreamisthenotionthatAmericaisthelandofopportunityfortheenterprising.Anycompetitive,practicalgo-gettercanmakeafortune,orbuildadreamhome.itsfocusisprimarilyself-centered,materialistic,pragmatic,andindividualistic.6.MayflowerCompactIn1620atinyshipcalledtheMayflowersailedfromEnglandfortheNewWorld.AbouthalfofthemembersoftheshipwerePilgrimswhowerethefirstgroupofPuritanstosettleinNorthAmerica.Duringthetrip,theywerefarawayVirginiaandthePilgrimsdecidedtosetuptheirowngovernment.TheywroteanowfamousagreementcalledtheMayflowerCompact.Inthiscompacttheyagreedtosticktogethertoabidebymajorityrule,andtohavearighttochoosetheirownleader.ThiswasthebeginningoftheUSdemocracy.7.TheTeaActIn1773,inordertohelptheBritishEastIndiaCompanyoutofitsfinancialembarrassment,theTeaActbegan.ItrelievedthecompanyofthenecessaryofpayingdutiesonitsteaexportedtoAmerica,whichwasbelievedasamonopolybyAmericancolonists.TheythereforedecidedtotakeactionagainsttheAct.OntheeveningofDecember,inBoston,agroupofangrycolonists,knownastheBostonTeaParty,dressedthemselvesupasIndiansandboardedthethreecompanyshipsanddumpedalltheteaintotheharbor.TheBritishParliamenttookimmediateactiontopunishtheAmericancolonistswhowereunifiedtoresistthegovernment.ThatfinallytriggeredtheoutbreakofAmericanRevolution.8.MonroeDoctrineAfterJamesMonroewaselectedasthe5thUSpresidentin1816,heboughtFloridafromSpainin1819,peacefullyresolvedtheproblemoftheadmissionofMissouritotheUnionasaslavestate.HispopularitysurvivedmainlyforhisforeignpolicyusuallyknownastheMonroeDoctrine.TheDoctrine,announcedin1823,includedfourpoints.First,theUnitedStateswouldnotinterfereintheaffairsofthecoloniesstillownedbyEuropeannationsintheNewWorld.Second,anyeffortonthepartofEuropeannationstoextendtheirsystemtotheportionoftheWesternHemispherewouldberegardedasdangeroustothepeaceandsafetyoftheUnitedStates.Third,EuropeannationswouldnotinterveneintheaffairsofindependentnationsoftheNewWorld.Fourth,AmericancontinentsarehenceforthnottobeconsideredsubjectsforfuturecolonizationbyanyEuropeanpowers.TheessenceoftheDoctrinewasAmericaforAmericans,whichlaterbecameacornerstoneoftheUSforeignpolicy.AstheNewworlddevelopedintheyearsaheadthisDoctrinebecamemoremeaningfulandwasstrengthenedbyabroaderinterpretationtomeettheneedsofanenergeticandambitiousUnitedStates.9.FederalismThedivision