1、Lecture 2 The Political System,Review Questions,What is the full name of the British state? Where do most people live? Which is the largest ethnic group in the UK? What are the major ethnic minorities in the UK? Why are there so many different ethnic minority groups in the UK? Is Britain English? In
2、 what way is Scotland so special? What caused the trouble in Northern Ireland? What are the important cities and areas of the country? What are the tourist attractions in London? How important is London to the UK and the world? What do you know about British national characteristics? What is your pe
3、rception of the images of Britain?,Please correct:,The United Kindom of Great Britain and Northen Island; 大不列颠和北爱尔兰联合王国 Walse, Welsh Heritage sites: Big Ben, Winsor Castle, British Museum London Bridge British breakfast, British tea The Ireland Republic Army,Keys to last weeks quiz,The United Kingdo
4、m of Great Britain and Northern Ireland England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland 大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国 Anglo-Saxons The Lake District The Stonehenge, The Tower of London, The Westminster Abbey 杜莎夫人蜡像馆 Protestants, Catholics Sinn Fein, The Irish Republican Army,Focus points for today,History of constitutio
5、nal monarchy British constitution the structure of British central government constitutional monarchy: the role of the sovereign the roles of the Prime Minister and Cabinet collective Cabinet responsibility the roles of Parliament and the reform of the House of Lords the three main political parties
6、 in the UK today; the party in power; the main opposition party the main beliefs of parties: the Labour and the Conservative general election (first-past-the-post),Key Features of British Political System,Representative democracy (people do not rule themselves directly but elect representatives to r
7、ule for them) The separation of powers Parliamentary democracy Parliamentary sovereignty议会主权 Constitutional monarchy君主立宪制,History of Constitutional Monarchy,The divine right of kings; hereditary kings or queens Oliver Cromwell: Ousting the monarch, Charles I, in 1642, and ruling for just 18 years Ma
8、gna Carta (1215) 英国大宪章(p.37 para.4) The Great Council 大议会(p.37 para.5) The Bill of Rights (1689) 权利法案 (p.38 para.3) 1688, the Glorious Revolution: the decisive shift in power from Monarchy to Parliament,British Constitution,Definition: a set of rules and conventions that lays down the powers and fun
9、ctions of state institutions and their relationship with each other Unwritten; uncodified: instead of having one particular document which lists out the basic principles of how a country should be governed, (非成文宪法),British Constitution,Statute Law: Laws passed by parliament Common Law: Law as determ
10、ined by the decisions of courts Conventions: Rules and practices which do not exist legally, but are regarded as vital to the workings of government. European Union laws(p.39 bottom),Role of the Monarch (the Monarchy),Official head of state, head of the legislature, executive and judiciary, the comm
11、ander-in-chief of all armed forces, head of the Church of England Presides over the State Opening of Parliament主持国会开幕大典（一年一次） gives the Royal Assent to any new law that is passed by parliament (p.40 para.5) a weekly meeting with the PM in Buckingham Palace ceremonial visits In conclusion: Representi
12、ng UK at home and broad,Less important roles,gives honours and awards invites the leader of a winning party to form a government declares war, make peace appoints officials royal pardon Dissolves解散 parliament,Opening of Parliament,Walter Bagehot (1861-1877), editor of Economist,The right to be consu
13、lted, the right to encourage, the right to warn -The English ConstitutionThe Queen reigns but does not rule.,Advantages and Disadvantage,See handout,Reasons for the existence,Representing continuity and adaptability, impartiality, national unity Historical legacy Tourist attraction,Modernization 改革
14、of the Monarchy,1992 Winsor Castle fire (p.41 para.3) led to: paying tax; opening the Buckingham Palace to visitors in summer months; publicizing royal accounts; Princess Dianas death (charity work): media and public: national outpouring of grief (over-reaction?); Labours negotiation The Queens comp
15、romise: a live television speech; a state funeral; national flag lowered to half-mast降半旗 (never before); more open and close to the public (watch video The Queen),Cabinet, Shadow Cabinet; front bencher, back bencher (handout),PM Tony Blair (1997-2007),PM Gordon Brown (2007-2010),The current Prime Mi
16、nister David Cameron (2010-),Collective Cabinet Responsibility,See Handout 部长负责制 内阁集体负责制,Parliament: the legislature,The Strangers Gallery Television coverage since 1985,Public gallery of the House of Commons,Visiting time:Monday: 2.30pm10.30pm Tuesday: 2.30pm10.30pm Wed: 11.30am 7.30pm Thursday: 10
17、.30am6.30pm Sitting Friday: 9.30am3pm,The speaker下院议长 and clerks in House of Commons,The Role of House of Commons,pp. 42-43,The Parliament: House of Lords (贵族),Parliamentary developments,See Handout,Labours reform of House of Lords,The Role of Parliament,See pp.42-43 Parliamentary sovereignty (p.40)
18、,British General Election,History: see handout The election of Members of Parliament (House of Commons) once every five years (the PM can call an election sooner than 5 years) Voters (p.50) Constituency选区: 650 The party with the most supporters (MP seat) in the Commons forms the government, and the
19、leader of that party becomes Prime Minister Explain: first-past-the-post简单多数制(单选区出线制) unproportional representation; favorable to big parties (see handout) “Vote of no confidence” (p.50) Election campaign: media, TV time,2010 General Election,Hung parliament: 所谓悬浮议会，又称悬峙议会，就是无任何党派赢得下议院650个席位中的大多数席位。
20、2010年英国大选，工党、保守党、自由民主党实力不分上下。2010年5月7日，英国官方宣布，2010年英国政党大选出现“悬浮议会”。,Political Parties,History: see handout The Conservative Party The Labour Party The Social and Liberal Democratic Party (Liberal Democrats)(pp.52-53),Party emblems,The Conservative Party,The Labour Party,The Conservative Beliefs,the m
21、ajor right-wing party, supports free enterprise, oppose nationalization and the extending of social services, stands for the maintenance of order and authority at home and the protection of national interests in foreign relations, protect individual right.It is a party drawn predominantly from the u
22、pper and upper-middle and middle classes or the establishment circles, south England, suburbs and rural areas.,18 years of Conservative rule political consensus政治趋同,The Labour Beliefs,Government: “redistributive” agent claims to represent the interests of the working class, believes in the pursuit o
23、f greater social and economic equality, in favor of nationalization国有化 of key industries, more sympathetic to the underprivileged; believe in state education and the National Health Service; its support mainly comes from highly urban and industrialized areas, particularly in the Midlands and the Nor
24、th of England and a significant number of middle class people, esp. intellectuals. Labour priorities: reduce unemployment, only containing inflation, high taxation for welfare expenditure,New Labour 新工党,Labour revising Clause 4 (of its Party Constitution党纲), concerning common ownership of the means
25、of production (the common ownership of the means of production , distribution and exchange) The Third Way第三条道路 Modernized into a “catch-all” party,Labours winning the 1997 election (1997-2010),People fed up with 18 years Conservative rule New Labour; New Policies (equality+efficiency) Conservative s
26、plit over the EU/Euro issue,Labours achievements,Constitutional reforms (devolution, House of Lords, etc) Social policies: minimum wage system Smooth economic development But split over Blairs Iraq policy,The Coalition Government,Budget control；cut government spending,Think about the following quest
27、ions: (to be asked the following week),What are the characteristics and its main components of British constitution? What is the basic structure of the central government of the UK? What is constitutional monarchy? What is the role of the Sovereign? Its history? What is collective Cabinet responsibi
28、lity? How are the Members of Parliament in the House of Commons elected? How are those in the House of Lords selected? Explain and comment on the reform of House of Lords.,How many main political parties are there in the UK today? What are they? Which party is currently in power, and which party in opposition? What are the major beliefs of the Conservative Party and of the Labour Party? What do you know about the first-past-the-post election system (and its advantages and disadvantages)?,
