1、201508020 康文娟,Two-party system of America,The American political system is a classical example of the two-party system. When we say that we have a two-party system in the United States we do not mean that we have only two parties. Usually about a dozen parties nominate presidential candidates. We ca
2、ll it a two-party system because we have two large parties and a number of small parties, and the large parties are so large that we often forget about the rest. Usually the small parties collectively poll less than 5 percent of the vote cast in national elections.,The democratic and Republican part
3、ies are the largest and most competitive organizations in the American community. They organize the electorate very simply by maintaining the two-party system. Americans almost inevitably become Democrats or Republicans because there is usually no other place for them go to. Moreover, because the ri
4、valry of these parties is very old, most Americans know where they belong in the system. As a consequence of the dominance of the major parties, most elected officials are either Republicans or Democrats. Attempts to break up this old system have been made in every presidential election in the past
5、one hundred years, but the system has survived all assaults.,在美国社会里，民主党和共和党是最大和最有竞争力的组织。他们通过维持两党制，很轻松地组织选民。因为通常没有其它选择，美国人几乎无可避免地成为民主党员或共和党员。此外，因为这些党的竞争历史很久，多数美国人知道自己属于两党中的哪一派。作为两大党占优势的结果，多数当选官员不是共和党员就是民主党员。在过去的100年里，每年的总统选举中都进行了一些打破旧体制的尝试，但这种体制经受住了所有的攻击继续存在。,How does it happen that the two-party sys
6、tem is so strongly rooted in American politics? The explanation is probably to be found in the way elections are conducted. In the United States, unlike countries with a parliamentary system of government, we elect not only the President, but a large number of other officials, about 800,000 of them.
7、 We also elect congressmen from single-member districts. Statistically, this kind of election favors the major parties. The system of elections makes it easy for the major parties to maintain their dominant position, because they are likely to win more than their share of the offices.,两党制是如何能如此坚实地扎根
8、于美国政治中的呢？答案可能就在选举的运作方式中。美国不同于政府议会制国家，我们不仅选举总统，而且还选举许多官员，他们大约有80万人。国会议员也是从每区一票的选举中选出的。从统计学上来讲，这种选举对大党派有利。选举制度使大党轻而易举地保持着他们的统治地位，因为他们赢得的席位可能比他们应得的份额多,One of the great consequences of the system is that it produces majorities automatically. Because there are only two competitors in the running, it is a
9、lmost inevitable that one will receive a majority. Moreover, the system tends slightly to exaggerate the victory of the winning party. This is not always true, but the strong tendency to produce majorities is built into the system. 这种制度的最大结果就是它自动地产生了多数党。因为只有两个竞争者参加竞选，几乎可以肯定其中一个将赢得多数。而且，这种制度似乎有些夸大获胜党
10、的胜利。虽然并不总是如此。但是产生多数党的巨大倾向在这种制度中形成了。,In the election of 1860, the political system broke down, and the Civil War, the worst disaster in American history, resulted. Our history justifies our confidence in the system but also shows that it is not foolproof. 在1860年的选举中，这种政治制度中断了，结果导致了南北战争美国历史上最大的灾难。历史证明
11、我们有理由对这一制度保持信心，但历史也表明这一制度不是万无一失的。,Major Beliefs of the Democratic Party:,The Democratic Party includes a diverse group of individuals who typically emphasize the need for a greater role of the federal government in promoting social, economic, and political opportunities for all citizens. The party t
12、ypically argues for more government control over economic matters and less government control over individual rights,Ideology,1.A small government and free market 2.Letting business compete with little or no government regulation in the marketplace 3.Advocates strong national defense,Introduction to
13、 British and American Culture,Compare,Advantages,Take turns in power More active political life A high degree of democracy Effective supervision More completely Policy-makers take into account the interests of all sectors,Disadvantages,The cost of running is large Policy development cycle is long an
14、d the procedure is complex Policy continuity is not strong, in response to sudden emergencies is less quickly than one-party system,Other Parties,Libertarian Party 自由党 American Independent Party 美国独立党 Green Party 绿党 Reform Party 改革党 Democratic Socialists of American 美国民主社会主义者 Social Democrats, USA 社会民主党 Socialist Party, USA 社会党 Communist Party 共产党 Natural Law Party of the USA 自然法律党 Constitution Party 宪法党 New Party 新党,Thank you,
