Political_System 英美国家概况 知识讲稿.ppt

Chapter 3 Political System 1 Form of Government:Constitutional Monarchy Representative democracy Parliamentary democracy Westminster model Civil liberties: -the freedom to organise poitically, -the freedom of speech, -the freedom of the press, -the equality of all people under the law. 1.1 The Structure of Central Government Formal head of State: the Monarch Three Arms of the State: -Legislative Branch -Executive Branch -Judicial Branch Legislature Executive Judiciary Monarch (non-political)Formal Head of State and Commonwealth Legislature Parliament (political) House of Commons chaired by Speaker. 659 elected MPs (semi-political) House of Lords(before reform) hereditary and life peers (after reform) Appointed and elected Executive (political) Prime Minister and Ministers or Secretaries of State (about 25) (Political Head of Government Departments), all MPs, form Cabinet Also Junior Minsiters Civil Service (non-political) Permanent official employed by government. Advise ministers and implement policy. Top officials popularly known as mandarins. Judiciary (non-political) Headed by Lord Chancellor, a leading Law Lord appointed by the Prime Minster House of Lords is the highest Court. 2. Government Constitution: unwritten Statutes + common law Executive branch: Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Head of government: Prime Minister David Cameron Cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the prime minister Elections: None - the monarchy is hereditary following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually the prime minister. British government Government Queen’s, David Cameron’s, or Conservative government Whitehall Street executive agencies Downing Street prime minister’s residence Westminster parliament 2.1 Prime Minister Cabinet - Cabinet: leading and experienced figures of their own party in the House of Commons; also House of Lords -Frontbenches (government benches) -Ba