IrelandpoliticsThepresidentThegovernmentparliamentVotingandreferendaThecivilserviceIrishlegalsystem

1.Irelandisa

representativedemocracy.preview2.ThestructureofIrishgovernment--theIrishRepublichasaPrimeMinister(Taoiseach)(appointsacabinettoexecutethedailybusinessofgovernment)andaDeputyPrimeMinister.TheParliamentisthesolepowerofmakinglawsforthestate.(Thislegislationisinterpretedbyahierarchyofcourts.)Thelawsareenforcedbyanunarmedpoliceforce,calledtheGardaSiochana(GuardiansofthePeace).ThegovernmentisheadedbyaPresident,whoiselecteddirectlybythepeople.3.ThesystemofgovernmentisbasedontheAmericanprincipleof"checksandbalances".AboutThePresident

UndertheConstitution,thePresident(Uachtaran)iselectedbythedirectvoteofthepeople.Everycitizenof35yearsofageoroveriseligibletorunforPresident.EverycitizenwhohastherighttovoteinatanelectionformembersoftheIrishParliamentalsohastherighttovoteatanelectionforPresident.

ThePresidentactsasasymbolicHeadofStateonlyanddoesnothaveExecutivefunctions.AndinitssymbolicfunctiontheIrishPresidencyperhapsisnearertothestatusofthepresentQueeninEnglandthantothatofthePresidentoftheUS.Theincumbent現任PresidentofIrelandis

MichaelDanielHiggins(MicheálD.óhUigínn).

ThePresident'stermofofficeis7years.APresidentcanbereelectedonceonly.

TheConstitutioncangivethePresidentcertainpowersthatmakethePresidentineffecttheGuardianoftheConstitution.(Forinstance,thePresidentmayundercertaincircumstancesreferanyproposedlegislationtotheSupremeCourtforadecisionastowhetheritcontainsanythingrepugnant不一致的totheConstitution.)

ThePresidenthasonepowerwhichmayrequireexercisinghisorherabsolutediscretion處理權.ThisallowsthePresidenttorefusetodissolvetheDailontheadviceofaprimeminister(Taiseach)whohasceasedtoretainthesupportofamajorityintheDail.Part2--Government

TheexecutivepowersoftheStateareexercisedby,orontheauthorityof,theGovernment.TheConstitutionprovidesthattheGovernmentshallconsistofnotlessthan7andnotmorethan15members:allmustbeelectedmembersoftheIrishParliament.TheGovernmentactscollectivelyandisresponsibletotheDailorIrishParliament.

ThePrimeMinisterisappointedbythePresidentonthenominationoftheParliament.ThusthePrimeMinistermustemergeasanagreedcandidateofthelargestpoliticalpartyoftheParliament,oronethatisagreedbyacoalitionofParliamentParties,thesupportofamajorityofmembersintheParliament.

ThePrimeMinisternominatesonememberofthegovernmenttobetheDeputyPrimeMinister(Tanaiste).HeactsinplaceofthePrimeMinisterifthePrimeMinisteristemporarilyabsentorbecomesincapacitated[,ink?'p?si,teitid]無能力.

continueThePrimeMinisteralsoappointsanAttorneyGeneral.AlthoughnotthememberoftheGovernment,theAttorneyGeneralactsaslegaladvisertotheGovernmentandmayattendCabinetmeetings.Histenure任期ofofficeisnormallycoterminous一致的withthatoftheGovernment.TheParliamentThesolepowerofmakinglawsforthestatebelongstoIrishParliament.TheParliamentofIrelandiscomprisedof2houses:theDailandtheSenate.GovernmentpolicyandadministrationmaybeexaminedandcriticizedinbothHouses;butundertheConstitutionthegovernmentisresponsibletotheDailalone.AtpresentIrishParliament(Dail)has166members,whorepresent43constituencies,calledTeachtaiDala(TDs議員).TDshavereally2jobs.firstofall,theymustrepresenttheregionwhichelectedthem,makingthemselvesavailabletheretohearpersonalrepresentationsfromtheirconstituents.secondly,theymustserveinthenationalDailtopasslawsTheSenatewasdesignedbytheConstitutionasasecondHouseofParliamentinwhichspecificissuescouldbeconsideredanddebatedinconjunctionwiththeDail.Althoughitsefficacyisunderquestiontoday,theSenatewasoriginallyconceivedasasecondhousewhichcouldservetobalance,andincertaincircumstances,checkthepowersoftheDail.AtpresenttheSenatehas60members.TheydifferfromTDsinsofarasSenatorsarenotdirectlyelected.11membersarenominateddirectlybythePrimeMinister.43membersareelectedfrom5panelsofcandidatesunderdifferentheadings.Eachpanelconsistsofpersonswithknowledgeandpracticalexperienceoftheinterestsrepresentedbythepanel(suchasthatinagriculture,forinstance).Theremaining6membersareelectedby2universities--3byNationalUniversityofIrelandand3bytheUniversityofDublin.

Opportunitiesforthegeneralpublictovotearisein5separatedecision-makingprocedures:-theelectionofthePresident(every7years).-Dail(orParliament)elections(atleastevery5years).-referendaonproposedConstitutionalamendments(astheyarecalled).-theelectionofrepresentativestotheEuropeanParliament(every5years).-electionstolocalauthorities(usuallyevery5years).votingvotingEveryresidentcitizenovertheageof18yearsmayvoteatDail,Presidential,localandEuropeanelections,andreferenda.EUcitizensmayvoteatEuropeanandlocalelections.AllresidentsofIreland,regardlessofcitizenship,mayvoteatlocalelections.CivilServiceTheCivilServiceisdividedinto16governmentdepartments,eachheadedbyaMinisterappointedbythePrimeMinister.Ministershavethefinalresponsibilityfortheseareas.Atpresenttherearesome361000peopleemployedinthecivilservice.12TeachersandmembersofpoliceforceaswellasoftheIrisharmy,togetherwiththestaffoflocalauthoritiesandofthehealthservices,belongtothewiderpublicservice,ratherthanthecivilserviceproper.InaccordancewithmostWesternnations,justiceisAdministeredinpublicincourtsoflawwhichareadministeredbyajudge.JudgesareappointedbythePresidentontheadviceoftheGovernment.Aftereachcasehasbeenmade,thejudgewillsumuptheargumentsonbothsides,andreachajudgment.ButunlikeAmerica(andChina),Irelandhasabolishedthedeathsentence.Variesofcourts.InaHierarchy

TheCircuitCourtTheHighCourtTheSupremeCourtTheDistrictCourteconomyTheIrishEconomySmallTrade-dependentOpenIrelandisasmall,open,trade-dependenteconomy.Itsopennessisreflectedintheinternationalmobilityofitslaborandcapital.Inrecentdecades,theIrisheconomyhasbeentransformedfrombeingagrarianandhavingatraditionalmanufacturingbasedonthehi-techandtheinternationallytradedservices.Fromitsfounding1922untilthe1970s,theIrelandasaneconomytendedtobeinward-looking,andconcentratedongoalsnowseentobefutile無用的,suchasbeingself-sufficient.Predictably,theresultofthisprotectionismwashighpricesathomeandavirtualstagnationoftrade.Reviewoverthelastdecade,unprecedentedeconomicgrowthhasseenthelevelofIrishrealGNPalmostdoubleinsize.Thereasonwhyithashadsomuchchangesliesinfollowings.Therewasapopulationboom,sothatthenumberofyoungpeopleincreaseddramatically.2.Thereformofeducationmeantthattheseyoungpeoplewerebettereducatedandmoreawareoftheiroptionsinlifeandbetterabletotakethemup.Asaresultofaradicalchangeofattitudes,morewomenarealsoenteringtheworkforce.

3.

Thegovernmenthadaconversiontomarketeconomy.Theybegantorealizethatprotectingatraditionalagriculturaleconomywasnotthesolutiontotheirproblemsbuttheverybasisoftheirdifficulties.

4.ItsentrancetotheEUhastransformedlaborpracticeandgivenIrelandaccesstotheSingleMarket.In1990s,Irelandbecamearichcountryforthefirsttimeinitshistory.MimickingtheboominAsia,themediacalledIreland‘ssuddenwealth"TheCelticTiger"economy.MemberstatesoftheEUAustria(2019)Belgium(1952)Bulgaria(2019)Cyprus(2019)CzechRepublic(2019)Denmark(1973)Estonia(2019)Finland(2019)France(1952)Germany(1952)Greece(1981)Hungary(2019)Ireland(1973)Italy(1952)Latvia(2019)Lithuania(2019)Luxembourg(1952)Malta(2019)Netherlands(1952)Poland(2019)Portugal(1986)Romania(2019)Slovakia(2019)Slovenia(2019)Spain(1986)Sweden