英美概况下Unit Four.doc

Unit Four Government Central government The British central government, also called Her Majesty’s Government is the highest executive of Great Britain which take charge of the administration of national affairs. As a technical term, the British Government refers to all ministers: Cabinet ministers, non-Cabinet ministers, departmental ministers, non-departmental ministers, ministers of State and junior ministers, the Lord Chancellor and the four Law officers, and all of the civil servants as well. Ministers Prime Minister The Prime Minister who is the head of the British central government is the number--one minister of all the British ministers. In modern time, the Prime Minister is elected by the people of Britain in general election. After general election held every five years the leader of the party that has won the majority seats in the House of Commons will be appointed Prime Minister by the Monarch. Functions of the Prime Minister The Prime Minister is the head of British government who enjoys unique position of authority. The Prime Minister is rather powerful in making appointments. The Prime Minister not only control the Cabinet but also the Parliament. Prime Minister’s residence The British Prime Minister residence is Number 10 Downing Street where he lives and works. Tenure of office The tenure of office for the British Prime Minister is 5 years. Cabinet ministers Cabinet British Cabinet is a committee of important ministers, departmental or non-departmental. It came into being in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. And it emerged out of the Privy Council when the body grew to large for effective discussion. The Cabinet today is composed of about 20 ministers headed by the Prime Minister. But the number of the members is not fixed. In time of emergency or in the war time, the Cabinet is usually small in order to make decisions effectively. Cabinet ministers Not all ministers are Cabinet ministers. They are usually the heads of the most import