英美国家概况考点总结

UnitedkingdomUnitedKingdomPoliticalSystemAllpoliticalpowercomesfromParliament,thoughParliamentcangivepowerstootherssovereigntylayssolelywithParliament.NoParliamentcanbinditssuccessors.Thesystemofforminggovernmentsisknownasthe“Westminstermodel”.ThisisthesamemodelusedincountriessuchasCanada,Australia,NewZealand,Singapore,India,Israel,Iraqandothers.Ageneralelectionisheldeveryfiveyears.TheWestminsterModel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.“””TheLabourPartyisademocraticsocialistparty.Itbelievesthatbythestrengthofourcommonendeavourweachievemorethanweachievealone,soastocreateforeachofusthemeanstorealiseourtruepotentialandforallofusacommunityinwhichpower,wealthandopportunityareinthehandsofthemany,notthefew,wheretherightsweenjoyreflectthedutiesweowe,andwherewelivetogether,freely,inaspiritofsolidarity,toleranceandrespect.”””Labourhasalsobeenattheforefrontoflibera