英语国家概况Unit 3.ppt

Unit 3The Government of the United Kingdom The Political Institution: the constitutional monarchy Britain is arguably the oldest representative democracy in the world, with roots that can be traced over a thousand years. The process of state-building has been one of evolution rather than revolution. Monarchy The oldest institution of government is the Monarchy. This dates back to the Saxons. The present Queen: Elizabeth II On William’s Wedding Ceremony The Evolution of Monarchy 1. the ancient doctrine of the “divine right of kings” 2. one brief exception after the civil wars 3. conflicts: while the King in theory had God on his side, in practice even in medieval times it was thought that he should not exercise absolute power. 4. Magna Carta The Parliament The meaning of Parliament: It comes from “parley”, -- to discuss or talk. The term was first used officially in 1236 to describe the gathering of feudal barons and representatives from counties and towns. The Derivation of the Parliament 1. Traditionally, medieval kings were supposed to meet their own royal expenses out of their own wealth. If extra money needed, he would try to persuade the Great Council to give him some extra money. 2. By the 13th century, kings found they could not make ends meet from this quite small group, and so they widened the Great Council to include representatives of counties, cities, and towns, to get them to contribute to his projects.---they were known as Commons. 3. Then, the Great Council came to include the House of Lords and the House of Commons. 4. the Commons quickly gained in political strength. 5. The Civil War which brought the Roundheads to power of the king vis-à-vis Parliament. King’s side----the Parliament 6. The Bill of Rights in 1689 The Birth of the Prime Minister and Cabinet To ensure good relations between Crown and Parliament, the king or queen met regularly with a group of important Parliamentarians, a group which became known as the Cabinet. While Cabin