1、The government of the United Kingdom,The system of government: constitutional monarchyThe United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy, the head of state is a King or a Queen. The United Kingdom is governed, in the name of the Sovereign by His or Her Majestys Government. 联合王国是君主立宪制国家,国家的首脑是国王或女王。联合王国
2、以君的名义,由国王或女王陛下政府治理。,The system of parliamentary government is not based on a written constitution. The British constitution is not set out in any single document. It is made up of statute law, common law and conventions. The Judiciary determines common law and interprets statutes.英国的议会制度并不是基于成文宪法,英国
3、宪法不由单一文件构成,而由成文法,习惯法和惯例组成。司法部门裁定习惯法或解释成文法。,The formation of government,the U.K is divided into 659 geographical areas ( constituencies)选区 - each one has its own MP(Member of Parliament)in the parliament.the party that holds the majority of the seats in parliament forms the government and the party l
4、eader as the Prime Minister.term of service -Each government can be in power for 5 years then it has to resign and hold a “general election”.,The Constitution,- Britain has no written Constitution. The foundations of the British State are laid out in statute law(成文法), which are laws passed by Parlia
5、mentthe common laws(普通法,判例法), which are laws established through common practice in the courtsconventions(习惯法), which are rules and practices not existing legally, but regarded as vital to the workings of government.,The Monarchy（君主制）,- the oldest institution of government(hereditary)divine right of
6、 kings (君权神授)-The ancient doctrine held that the sovereign derived his authority from God, not from his subjects. This was used by the kings as an excuse for abusing power. And the dispute over the power of the king and the parliament led to the civil war.,Magna Carta,- a medieval Latin name meaning
7、 “Great Charter”. In 1215, King John was forced by a group of feudal barons and the Church to grant them a charter of liberty and political rights. Magna Carta placed some limits on the kings ability to abuse his royal power. This is still regarded as Britains key expression of the rights of citizen
8、s against the Crown.,The Parliament,The Dispute over the Power of King VS Parliament 1). James I/ Charles I/ Charles II / James II tried to govern without the consent of parliament 2)The settlement of the dispute- in the Glorious Revolution Mary and William of Orange ( from Holland)replaced James II
9、( he tried to restore Catholics be the Church of England )in 1688.3)Parliament passed the Bill of Rights in 1689, which ensured that the King would never be able to ignore Parliament.,functions:passes lawsvoting for taxationscrutinize government policy, administration and expenditure and to debate t
10、he major issues of the day.power (Parliament is supreme in the British State)It alone has the power to change the terms of the Constitution.There are no legal restraints upon Parliament. It can make or change laws, change or overturn established conventions or even prolong its own life without consu
11、lting the electorate.(修改或推翻已成定规的习惯法,甚至可以不用征得选民同意而推迟选举日期)three institutions- the Queen, the House of Lords and the House of Commons,the House of Lords,- the Lords Spiritual(上议院的神职议员), who are the Archbishops and most prominent bishops of the Church of England; and the Lords Temporal(上议院的世俗议员), which
12、refers to those lords who either have inherited the seat from their forefathers(called hereditary peers) or they have been appointed(by the sovereign, at the suggestion of the Prime Minister and were called life peers(终身贵族). The roles of the House of Lords. Receiving no salary Are not elected few at
13、tending the parliament sittingsRepresenting their own interest,the House of Commons,Parliament (MPs) elected - the real center of British political life which consists of about 650 Members of by the people to represent them. These MPs are elected in the General Elections and should make and debate p
14、olicy in the interests of the people who vote for them.The roles of the House of CommonsReceiving salaryAre electedRepresenting the public interest of the electorate.Most MPs belong to political parties- Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats,Queen Elizabeth II,the title:Elizabeth II, h
15、er title in the United Kingdom is “Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Her Other Realms and Territories, Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.伊莉莎白二世，她的全称是“上帝神佑，大布列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国以及她的其他领土和领地的女王，英联邦元首，国教保护者伊莉莎白二世。”,the
16、role:symbolizes the tradition and unity of the British Statelegally head of the executive(行政部)an integral part of the legislature(立法机关)head of the judiciary(司法部)commander in chief of the armed forces“supreme governor” of the Church of England,Her functions:summons, prologues(休会,闭会) and dissolves Par
17、liament(normally done at the request of the Prime minister)makes the opening speech and outlines her governments program.gives her assent(同意) to Bills before they become the lawconfers peerages and other honoursconcludes treaties, declares war, makes peace, recognizes foreign states and governments,
18、the Queens important jobsrepresents Britain at home and abroad, the living symbol of national unitysets standards of good citizenship and family lifea confidante(知己的女友) to the Prime Minister, offering valuable observations on the running of government,如今君王的作用主要是象征英国的传统和国家统一。显然，首相及执政党任何时候都只会代表选举他们的那部
19、分人。然而，女王没有任何政治倾向，属于每一个人。按照宪法的规定，女王的其它职责是：她是法律意义上的行政首脑，立法机构的不可缺少的一部分，司法机构的首脑，军队最高统帅，以及英国国教的最高领袖。,The cabinet and The Prime Minister,The Cabinet is made up a selection of senior MPs from the House of Commons and some members of the House of Lords to ensure a good tie between the Monarch and the Parlia
20、ment.It is the nucleus of the government.It performs a pivotal role in the English government.the Cabinet is a kind of “inner government” within the British government.,The Prime Minister,After a general election the Crown appoint the Prime Minister who must be the leader of the party that has won t
21、he majority seats in the House of Commonsthe functions organizes the Cabinet and presides over its meetings decides the composition of the Cabinet. the head of the government. He or She has the duty to report the governments work to the King or Queen, has the right to direct all the departments. He has the last word in deciding government policy.,Thank you,
