1、Lesson2 An Outline Introduction to Britain and America,2. The British Government and Politics,.The British system of government: Constitutional Monarchy . Parliament . The Government and the cabinet . Political Parties . Election . The Judiciary,.The British system of government: Constitutional Mona
2、rchyThe monarchy (9th century) The constitutional monarchy (17th- ) The monarch reigns, but does not rule,The role of the monarch,1.Theoretically, the King or Queen is the source of all government powers. He/She is the head of the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary, the commander-in-chief
3、 of all armed forces. In reality, the King or Queen does everything on the advice of the Prime Minister, and his/her role is symbolic, ceremonial, and not political.,The role of the monarch,2. The monarch is the personal embodiment of the British government and a symbol of British unity, representin
4、g the continuity of the whole political system. So the stability of the British government owes much to the monarchy. 3. The monarch can meet the PM on weekly basis at Buckingham Palace, give the Royal Assent to any new law that has been passed by Parliament, act as a final check on a government tha
5、t is becoming dictatorial.,The role of the monarch,4. As a figurehead to represent the country, the monarch can perform the following ceremonial duties: paying state visits to Commonwealth countries as head of state and non- Commonwealth countries on behalf of the British government, etc.,.Parliamen
6、t,The role of parliament The components The House of Lords (The Upper House) The House of Commons (The Lower House),Parliament is the law-making body of Britain. Strictly speaking, Parliament today consists of the monarch, the House of Lords, and the House of Commons. However, the monarchy is usuall
7、y regarded as a separate institution.,The House of Lords,The House of Lords (the Upper House), consists of the Lords Spiritual, including archbishops and prominent bishops of the Church of England, the Lords Temporal, including hereditary peers and life peers who are granted noble titles by the mona
8、rch on the advice of the PM, and the Lords of Appeal in Ordinary, more commonly known as the Law Lords, who perform the judicial functions of the House of Lords.,The House of Commons,The House of Commons (the lower House), the center of the parliament power, represents the 659 geographical areas or
9、“constituencies” into which Britain is divided. The party which holds the majority of “seats” in the House of Commons forms the government, its leader acting as the PM. After a government has been in power for 5 years, it must resign and hold a general election, in which all British adults are given
10、 the chance to vote again for the MP who represents their constituency.,The House of Commons,The House of Commons performs 3 major functions. Draft new laws. Scrutinize, criticize and restrain the actions of the government; and supervise finance. Influence future government policy.,The House of Comm
11、ons,Readings of bills A BILLS PASSAGE THROUGH PARLIAMENT IS DIVIDED INTO THREE KEY STAGES IN BOTH THE COMMONS AND THE LORDS - KNOWN AS READINGS.THIS TERM REFERS TO A PRACTICE WHICH WAS COMMON IN THE DAYS BEFORE THE INVENTION OF PRINTING WHEN THE FULL CONTENTS OF A BILL WOULD BE READ OUT LOUD TO THE
12、HOUSE TO INFORM MEMBERS OF ITS CONTENTS. THIS IS NO LONGER NECESSARY BUT THE TERM READINGS HAS BEEN RETAINED.,THE THREE “READING“ STAGES ARE: First reading when the title of the bill is read out and copies are made available to members. No debate takes place at this stage; Second reading when the ge
13、neral principles contained in the bill are debated, and; Third reading when the bill, having been through committee and report stage, is fully debated one last time.,The procedure for passing the different types of British Bills has to follow the process of three readings: The first reading is the f
14、irst stage of a Bills passage through parliament. It is a formality and takes place without _. The second reading of a Bill is the first opportunity for MPs or Members of the Lords to _ and vote on the main principles and purpose of the Bill. Third reading is the final review of the contents of a Bi
15、ll. If approved by vote, the bill goes to the Upper House for its deliberation. If passed by the second house, the bill is sent to the_ for the ceremonial formality of royal assent before becoming law. A bill usually becomes known as _ after it clears Parliament.,. The Government and the cabinet,Gov
16、ernment is the supreme administrative institution which manages state affairs. The cabinet is the core of leadership of the British government. “government” and “cabinet” mean different things,The Prime Minister,The Prime Minister is the leader of the majority party in Parliament. After each general
17、 election, the monarch will ask the leader of the winner party to be the PM and form a new Cabinet. Cabinet members are chosen by the PM from members of his own party in Parliament. Most of them are appointed as ministers in charge of government departments. The role of the PM is traditionally descr
18、ibed as “first among equals ”; the Cabinet has always been led by the PM.,Gordon Brown,Gordon Brown, born 20 February 1951, is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. He took office on 27 June 2007, three days after becoming leader of the Labor Party. Prior to
19、 this he served as the Chancellor of the Exchequer under Tony Blair from 1997 to 2007, becoming the United Kingdoms longest serving Chancellor. He has a PhD in history from the University of Edinburgh, and as Prime Minister, he also holds other positions, like the Minister for the Civil Service.,Gor
20、don Brown,The Cabinet,The Cabinet is at the center of the British political system. It is the supreme decision-making body in the British government. The Cabinet meets on a regular basis, usually weekly on Thursday mornings at 10 Downing Street, to discuss the most important issues of government pol
21、icy.,. Political Parties,The history of political parties: Whigs and Tories Two political parties a. Their history Whigs (17th) Liberal party (19th) Labour party (after world war One)Tories (17th) Conservative party (mid-19th) b. Their characters,. Election,A general election is held every 5 years i
22、n the 646 constituencies of Britain. The candidate who wins the most votes in each constituency becomes a Member of Parliament (MP). Each party has a local organization in the constituency whose main task is to choose the candidate and help them win. The party which wins over half of the constituenc
23、ies is the majority in the House of Commons, therefore forming the new government.,Every five years a general election is held in BritainThe electoral system is largely dominated by the two major parties.,. The Judiciary,The House of Lords is the supreme executive body of the law There is no civil c
24、ode and no criminal code.,Lesson 3 An Outline Introduction to Britain and America,2. British National Economy,EconomyAn Overview,The British economy is one of the strongest in Europe; inflation, interest rates, and unemployment remain low. The relatively good economic performance has complicated the
25、 governments efforts to make a case for Britain to join the European Economic & Monetary Union (EMU).,EconomyAn Overview,Critics point out that the economy is doing well outside of EMU, and they cite public opinion polls that continue to show a majority of British people opposed to the euro. The gov
26、ernment has been speeding up the improvement of education, transport, and health services, at a cost in higher taxes.,EconomyAn Overview,Agriculture is intensive, highly mechanized, and efficient by European standards, producing about 60% of food needs with less than 2% of the labor force. The UK ha
27、s large coal, natural gas, and oil reserves; primary energy production accounts for 10% of GDP (Gross Domestic Product, one of the highest shares of any industrial nation.,EconomyAn Overview,Services, particularly banking, insurance, and business services, account by far for the largest proportion o
28、f GDP while industry continues to decline in importance. GDP growth slipped in 2001-03 as the global decrease, the high value of the pound, and the bursting of the “new economy“ bubble hurt manufacturing and exports. Output recovered in 2004, to 3.2% growth.,.Britains Economic System .Public sector
29、and private sector .Mining and Manufacturing Industry .Transportation and Communication .Foreign Trade .Agriculture .British Disease and Thatchers Prescription .Cities,.Britains Economic System,The policy Theory of Adam Smith Terms: laissez-faire, invisible hand Capitalism and individualism VS Autoc
30、ratic feudalism Structure change,.Public sector and private sector,Definition of public sector Conflict on nationalization of big businesses Definition of private sector Components of private sector,.Mining and Manufacturing Industry,Iron ore Onshore and offshore oil Coal; Coal Act 1938 The textile
31、industry Motor-vehicle production,.Transportation and Communication,Railway Road Shipping Inland navigation Airway Post office Communication,.Foreign Trade,Visible trade Invisible trade,.Agriculture,Not self-sufficient in food grain Livestock farming makes up an important part Agriculture Policy,.Br
32、itish Disease and Thatchers Prescription,1. British disease:a. the imbalance of tradeb. inefficient industryc. high unemploymentd. too much money in social welfare program 2. Thatchers prescription:a. advocate tight fiscal and monetary policies to reduce the inflation rateb. reduce taxes to stimulat
33、e investment and consumptionc. sell state-owned enterprises into the private sectord. reduce government interference and encourage competition,The Tower of London,Map of London,Lesson 4 British Cultural and social life,.British class structure .British family .Education policies .British education s
34、ystem and types of secondary schools .British higher education and universities .Social welfare,.British class structure,1. Classification upper class, middle class and working class 2. Characters of upper classa) upper landed class became nobility or aristocracyb) lower upper class played a major r
35、ole in bourgeois revolutionc) upper landed class keep its influence during the Britains revolutions in the 17th century Middle class is the largest and most important class because its members are the best educated and skilled Working class was mainly composed of mining and factory workers.,.British
36、 family,Nuclear family British marriage has been based on monogamy Today a wife takes the husbands surname, but both spouse have an equal rights and obligations. Today British women make up about 48% of the British labor force High divorce rate and high illegitimate births Afternoon tea,.Education p
37、olicies,The literacy rate in Britain is one of the highest in the world Going to school has become a law in Britain British schools are required to provide religious education Responsibilities for education,.British education system and types of secondary schools,.British higher education and univer
38、sities,Understanding Some definitions: Chancellor; halls of residence; Honor and PassOxbridge; Ivy League; dons; Fellowship,Ivy league locations,Map of Ivy league in USA,The American dream traditionally stems from immigration, in which immigrants came to America seeking a better life; making a decen
39、t living and experiencing religious and social freedoms. In modern America, the term is used by many to signify success in life as a result of hard work.,Lesson 5 Greet America,The American Dream is a subjective term with a usually larger connotation of living a meaningful, successful and satisfying
40、 life. This term usually, but not always, implies financial security and materialism, but can also imply a dream of fame, exceeding social, ethnic, or class boundaries, or the ability to lead a fulfilling life. The American dream is largely built on personal freedoms guaranteed in the Bill of Rights
41、, and the success of capitalism in America.,The symbol of American DreamThe Statue of Liberty was for many immigrants the first glimpse of the United States. It signifies freedom and personal liberty and is iconic of the American Dream.,America: Country and People,The State of Hawaii is an island gr
42、oup situated in the northern Pacific Ocean, about 2,400 mi (3,900 km) from San Francisco. The smallest of the five Pacific states, Hawaii ranks 47th in size among the 50 states.,Wide view of Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, morning. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA.,Mist raising from falls of
43、 the Yellowstone river. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA.,Complete the following blanks :,_ were the first group immigrants from Europe to America. In order to attract, control and set limits on immigrants to America, the U.S. government passed the corresponding Acts as _,_,_. The number of t
44、he legal immigrants is determined by the US_. The most densely populated region of America is the _ part of the country.,Topic of Week Six,American President,Lesson 6 American Government and Politics,Government principles The power of federal government The three branches of federal government Gener
45、al election Political parties,1. Government principles,The supremacy of the people Federalism and separation of powers Adequate powers of government,Contribution of federalism,Separate and distinct powers Retain ethnic traditions and characteristics Territorial expansion Strengthen the rule law Prev
46、ent corruption,2. The power of federal government,The constitution empowers the federal government to do all things necessary and properimplied powers Limits,3.The three branches of federal government,The Legislative Branch The two Chambers The function of Congress The power of the House and the Sen
47、ate A billCongresspresident,A US bill passed by Congress must be sent to the President for signature. If he signs the bill, it will become a law. If he exercises his right to _ the bill, he will refuse to sign it, gives his reasons, and send it back to the house in which it was first introduced. But
48、 Congress has the power to override a Presidential _ if they can muster a_ vote in each house, then the President _ is overridden and the bill becomes law automatically. A bill passed by Congress and signed into law by the President may still be cancelled if the Supreme Court finds that it goes agai
49、nst the _.,2) The Executive Branch,The power of US president Commander-in-Chief appoint heads of the departments make treaties with foreign countries role in making laws check the judicious branch, offer an amnesty limits,3) The Judicial Branch,The Supreme Court Judicial review The character of American law A new function of judiciary,4. General election,Three steps of general election Mud-throwing No more than 8 years of presidency,
