英美文学概况British Education and social life.pptVIP

General Elections General elections are very important because they provide opportunities for people to influence future government policies and to replace those incompetent political leaders. 2) Anyone who is eligible to vote with 500 pounds as deposit can stand as an MP. British people are represented in parliament by one of 651 members of parliament representing the 651 geographical areas or “constituencies” into which the UK is divided. 3) After a government has been in power for 5 years it has to resign and hold a “general election”. 4) The electoral campaigns: before a general election, in order to make their ideologies and policies known to the public, the political parties would start their electoral campaigns. 2. The Political Parties 1) The Labor party is the newest of the three, created by the growing trade union movement at the end of the 19th century. It believes that the role of a government is to transfer wealth from richer to poorer by means of taxing the richer and providing support the poorer. 2) The Conservative Party spent most time in power. Basically the Conservatives are seen as the party of the individuals It protects the individual’s right to acquire wealth and to spend it how they choose, and so favoring economic policies such as low taxes. They receive their funding from big companies. The difference between the labour party and the Conservative Party is one of degree, not an absolute. 3) The Liberal Democratic Party is the third biggest, and may be seen as a party of the “middle”, occupying the ideological ground between the two main parties. Social Affairs Health and Social Services Britain is regarded as a welfare state. This system is funded out of national insurance contributions and taxation. In Britain the term applies mainly to the National Health Service (NHS), national insurance and social security. 英国被认为是福利制度的国家。此制度的所需资金来源于全国保险税和赋税。在英国，这主要是指国民保健制度，国民保险和社会保障制度。 * Oxford The ancient University / Old University