lecture_4_politics说课.ppt

The British Government ---Political System What kind of country is it? It’s a capitalist country. It’s a constitutional monarchy. It’s a Commonwealth realm. (英联邦成员国) It’s a democratic country? Yes, it is arguably the first democracy in the world. (arguable---the ancient Greece and Rome) Britain has been called the mother of all democracy. What kind of democracy is it? It’s a parliamentary democracy. People elected the members of parliament, and the party with more MPs (member of parliament) forms the government, and the leader the party becomes the Prime Minister who is not elected directly. Three arms of the state: ---Separation of Powers Legislative– to make laws Executive– to apply laws Judicial– to interpret laws : checks and balances By this way the power of government is placed in several hands, each with a distinctive function. And that ensures each of the three branches of government a sufficient role in the actions of others so that no branch may dominate the others. Basic Structure of Government Britain is unique in the Western world in not having a constitution which is written down in a single document. In fact, much of the constitution is not written at all, but has developed over the centuries and has become accepted by ‘convention’ i.e. the normal and accepted way of doing political business. British Constitution Statutory law (Act of Parliament) （成文法） It is the most important one referring to those that have actually been passed by Parliament. Common law Conventions Common Law refers to the custom or legal precedents and interpreted in court cases by judges (普通法，判例法） Conventions are rules and practices which do not exist legally, but are regarded as vital to the working of government. （习惯法） Monarch The Sovereign: the constitutional head of State Official title In law, She is head of: the executive; an integral part of the legislature; head of the judiciary; the commander-in-chief of all the armed forces; and the