英美国家概况考点总结Word格式文档下载.docx

英美国家概况考点总结Word格式文档下载.docx

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Nominalheadofstate

GovernmentemergesfromthemajorityinParliament.

OnememberofParliamentbecomesPrimeMinister,othersbecomeministerswithseniorministersforming“thecabinet”.

OppositionwithinParliament,mutli-partysystem.

Thegovernmentmustmaintainthe“confidenceofParliament”,ifitlosesitnewelectionsmustbeheld.

Theunwrittenconstitution

Britainisoneofthefewcountriesintheworldwithoutasinglecodifiedconstitution,thisisusuallycalledan“unwrittenconstitution”.

ThebasicformofgovernmentcomesfromtheMagnaCarta,anagreementsignedin1215howevermuchasevolvedsincethen.

ThemostimportantlawsaffectinghowtheUKisgovernedincludetheParliamentAct,TheRepresentationofthePeopleAct,TheEuropeanCommunitiesAct,NorthernIreland/Scotland/WalesActandtheHumanRightsAct.Thisisnotexhaustive.

AnyoftheselawscanbechangedbyParliamentwithasimplemajority.

Standingforelection

Almostanyonecanstandforelection.

Ifyouareinprison,mentallyunfit,bankruptorhavepreviouslycommittedelectionfraudyoucannot.

Veryfewindependentmembersareeverelected,nonwereelectedatthelastelection.Thebestchancetogetelectedistopersuadeapartytoselectyouastheircandidate.Politicalpartieshavenoconnectiontothestateandallhaveverydifferentselectionmethods.

GeneralElectioncampaigns

OnceParliamenthasbeendissolvedcampaigningbecomesintense.

Partieswillcampaigntopersuadevoterstovotefortheirpartyandnottovotefortheothers.

CompetitionismostintensebetweenLabourandConservativewhohavewoneveryelectionsince1918.

Partieswillorganisevolunteerstocontactvoters,payforadvertisementsandplacespecialbroadcastsonTV.UnliketheUSorAustraliapoliticaladvertisingonTVisnotallowed.

Moneydonatedtopartieshastobedeclaredtothepublicandtherearestrictspendinglimits.

Atthe2010electiontheleadersofthethreemainpartiestookpartinthreeliveteleviseddebateswhichfollowedtheUSmodelofPresidentialdebates.ThiswasafirstforBritishpolitics.

Duringanelectionperiod,usuallythemonthbeforethepollingdaythenewscycleisdominatedbyelectionstories.EventhedeathofthePopein2005barelymanagedtointerruptthis.

Duringthecampaignallpartiesusuallypublisha“manifesto”adocumentcontainingthespecificpromisestheywilldeliverifelected.Thisdocumentissupposedtoformthebasisofthegovernmentiftheyaresuccessful.

Opinionpollsarepiecesofscientificresearchundertakenbymarketresearchcompaniestogivecluesastohowpeoplewillvote.Theyusuallygiveanaccuratepictureofhowtheelectionwillend,movementinthedailyfiguresiscloselywatchedbythemediaandpoliticiansalike.In1992howeverthepollswereverywrongandtheresultcameasagreatshocktomany.

Sincethe1980smuchoftheattentionhasfocusedonthepersonalityofthepartyleadersandwhowouldbecomethebestPrimeMinister.

TheParties–Conservative

TheConservativePartyisBritain’soldestpoliticalparty.

InthetimebeforeuniversalsuffragetheyrepresentedBritain’supperclassandaristocraticelites.

Afteralladultsweregiventhevotetheywereforcedtoreinventthemselvesasapartofcautiousmoderation,opposingradicalpoliticsandideas.Generallybeingthe“leastpolitical”andleastideologicalofalltheparties.TheywereapartyofChristianvaluesandmoderatepolitics.

TheyweretransformedagainunderMargaretThatcherwhoinjectedtheAmericanfreemarketphilosophyintotheparty.ThisthinkinghascometodominatethemodernConservativeParty.

Theyarealsocalledthe“Tories”or“ToryParty”（托利）awordcomingfromtheIrishlanguagemeaningrobberorbandit.MeantasaninsultitiscommonlyusedtodaybymanyConservativesthemselves.

Conservativesbelieveina“laissezfaire”（放任主义）society.

MrsThatcherfamoussaidConservativesbelievedin“rollingbacktheboundariesofthestate”.

Conservativessupportafreemarketeconomywithlittlestateownership,greatercompetition,lowertaxesandfewerrules.

Conservativesoftenbelievethatgivingpeopleresponsibilityandnotbeingdependentonthestatewillgivethemmorefreedomtobetterthemselves.

Sociallyconservativeideashaverecentlybeendroppedinfavourofmoreliberalideassuchassamesexmarriagehoweverthepartyremainsdividedoverthis.

ThoughpreviouslystronglyproEuropeanthepartyhasmovedtobemoreEuro-scepticandnowisofferingavoteoncontinuedmembershipoftheEU.

Labour

TheLabourPartywasformedbyTradeUnionsin1901.WhenworkingclasspeopleweregiventherighttovotetheyoverwhelminglydidfortheLabourpartyandcontinuetodosotoday.

TheLabourParty’sbeliefsaresummedupinClause4ofthepartyRulebook.

“””TheLabourPartyisa 

democraticsocialist 

party.Itbelievesthatbythestrengthofourcommonendeavourweachievemorethanweachievealone,soastocreateforeachofusthemeanstorealiseourtruepotentialandforallofusacommunityinwhichpower,wealthandopportunityareinthehandsofthemany,notthefew,wheretherightsweenjoyreflectthedutiesweowe,andwherewelivetogether,freely,inaspiritofsolidarity,toleranceandrespect.”””

Labourhasalsobeenattheforefrontofliberationstrugglessuchaswomen’sequality,racialequality,gayequalityandtherightsofdisabledpeople.

Labourchampionsitsachievementsingovermnetofexpandingpublicservices,introducingtheminimumwage,helpingthelowestpaid,strengtheningrightsatworkandexpandingeducationopportunitiesespeciallyatthebottomofsociety.Labour’sstategoalistocreateda“fairersociety

LiberalDemocrats

Thethirdparty,alsoknownasthe“LibDems”.

Theirpartyenteredgovernmentin2010forthefirsttimesince1916,theyarethejuniorcoalitionpartner.

Theyhavefavouredradicalconstitutionalchange,freehighereducationandlowertaxesonthepoor.

AccusedofabandoningtheirbeliefstoformagovernmentwiththeConservativestheyhavelostmuchoftheirformersupport,especiallyamongyoungerpeople.

Theyhadbecomea“protestparty”gettingsupportfrommanypeoplewhodislikeBritishpolitics.

Theyhavestrongsupportforcivilliberties,humanrightsandtheenvironment.

ClassintheUK

ClassinBritainhastraditionallybeendescribedasbeingsplitbetweenupperclass,middleclassandworkingclass.

Todaythegapbetweenworkingclassandmiddleclasscanbeblurred.

Distinctculturalgroups,accentsandcharacteristicscanbeidentifiedfromclass.

ItcontinuestobeasignificantpartoflifeintheUKbutinasmallerwaythaninpreviousgenerations.

TheConservativesgenerallyhavethesupportoftheupperclasses,Labouroftheworkingclassandallthreepartiesbattleformiddleclasssupport.

Classiscomplexanddifficulttodefine.Thedividebetweenbluecollarandwhitecollarisnotalwaysthewaytodecide.

Askilledmanualworkersuchasaplumbermayearnsignificantlymorethanawhitecollarworkersuchasateacherhoweverthelatterismorelikelytocallthemselves“middleclass”.

Differencesintheuseoflanguage,tastes,interestsandpoliticsareoftenusedtodescribe.

Somepeoplerefusetobelabelledaseitherworkingclassormiddleclass.

TraditionallyworkingclasspeopledidnotgotoUniversityhoweverthishasgreatlychangedinthelast10yearsbreakingdownmanybarriers.

FormerPrimeMinisterTonyBlairstatedhewishedforeverybodytobecomeMiddleClass.

Aftertheeconomicrestructuringofthe1980ssomepeopleininnercitiesdonotworkandlivefromstatehandouts.Labourcallsthesethe“sociallyexcluded”,someothersrefertothemunflatteringasan“underclass”.Therehasbeengreattensionwithinworkingclasscommunitieswithbeingunemployedoftenseenasagreatbadgeofshame.

TheBritishupperclassor“elite”areasmallgroupofpeopleeitherconnectedtotheancientaristocracyorwhoattendsasmallnumberofeliteandexpensiveschools.ThemostfamousoftheseisEton.TheythenusuallygoontostudyateitherOxfordorCambridgeUniversity.

CurrentPrimeMinisterDavidCameronwenttothisschoolashaveseveralpreviousPrimeMinistersandmanyotherpowerfulpoliticiansandbusinessleaders.Theyhavecometobecalledthe“powerelite”.

ThoughLabour’ssupportcomesmainlyfromtheworkingclassmostofitsleadersandpoliticianshavecomefromthemiddleclassbutrarelythepowerelite.SomeexceptionsexistsuchasTonyBlair.IntheLabourpartysendingyourchildrentoaprivateschoolusuallywillendyourpoliticalcareer.

RaceintheUK

ThroughouthistorytheUKhasbeenanalmostexclusively‘white’countrymadeupofdifferentnorthernEuropeangroups.

ImmigrationfromtheBritishEmpirestartedinthe19thCenturyhowevergreatlyacceleratedafterthesecondworldwar.

ThemainsourcesofimmigrationwerefromplacessuchasIndia,Pakistan,BritishAfricancolonies.HongKongbecamearouteforChineseimmigrationtotheUK.

JewishrefugeesfleeingNazi