Lesson2

AnOutlineIntroductiontoBritainandAmerica2.TheBritishGovernmentandPoliticsⅠ.TheBritishsystemofgovernment:ConstitutionalMonarchyⅡ.ParliamentⅢ.TheGovernmentandthecabinetⅣ.PoliticalPartiesⅤ.ElectionⅥ.TheJudiciaryⅠ.TheBritishsystemofgovernment:ConstitutionalMonarchyThemonarchy(9thcentury)Theconstitutionalmonarchy(17th-)Themonarchreigns,butdoesnotrule

Theroleofthemonarch1.Theoretically,theKingorQueenisthesourceofallgovernmentpowers.He/Sheistheheadofthelegislature,theexecutive,andthejudiciary,thecommander-in-chiefofallarmedforces.Inreality,theKingorQueendoeseverythingontheadviceofthePrimeMinister,andhis/herroleissymbolic,ceremonial,andnotpolitical.

Theroleofthemonarch2.ThemonarchisthepersonalembodimentoftheBritishgovernmentandasymbolofBritishunity,representingthecontinuityofthewholepoliticalsystem.SothestabilityoftheBritishgovernmentowesmuchtothemonarchy.3.ThemonarchcanmeetthePMonweeklybasisatBuckinghamPalace,givetheRoyalAssenttoanynewlawthathasbeenpassedbyParliament,actasafinalcheckonagovernmentthatisbecomingdictatorial.

Theroleofthemonarch4.Asafigureheadtorepresentthecountry,themonarchcanperformthefollowingceremonialduties:payingstatevisitstoCommonwealthcountriesasheadofstateandnon-CommonwealthcountriesonbehalfoftheBritishgovernment,etc.

Ⅱ.Parliament

TheroleofparliamentThecomponentsTheHouseofLords(TheUpperHouse)TheHouseofCommons(TheLowerHouse)

Parliamentisthelaw-makingbodyofBritain.Strictlyspeaking,Parliamenttodayconsistsofthemonarch,theHouseofLords,andtheHouseofCommons.However,themonarchyisusuallyregardedasaseparateinstitution.TheHouseofLordsTheHouseofLords(theUpperHouse),consistsoftheLordsSpiritual,includingarchbishopsandprominentbishopsoftheChurchofEngland,theLordsTemporal,includinghereditarypeersandlifepeerswhoaregrantednobletitlesbythemonarchontheadviceofthePM,andtheLordsofAppealinOrdinary,morecommonlyknownastheLawLords,whoperformthejudicialfunctionsoftheHouseofLords.TheHouseofCommons

TheHouseofCommons(thelowerHouse),thecenteroftheparliamentpower,representsthe659geographicalareasor“constituencies”intowhichBritainisdivided.Thepartywhichholdsthemajorityof“seats”intheHouseofCommonsformsthegovernment,itsleaderactingasthePM.Afteragovernmenthasbeeninpowerfor5years,itmustresignandholdageneralelection,inwhichallBritishadultsaregiventhechancetovoteagainfortheMPwhorepresentstheirconstituency.TheHouseofCommons

TheHouseofCommonsperforms3majorfunctions.Draftnewlaws.Scrutinize,criticizeandrestraintheactionsofthegovernment;andsupervisefinance.Influencefuturegovernmentpolicy.TheHouseofCommonsReadingsofbills

ABILL'SPASSAGETHROUGHPARLIAMENTISDIVIDEDINTOTHREEKEYSTAGESINBOTHTHECOMMONSANDTHELORDS-KNOWNASREADINGS.

THISTERMREFERSTOAPRACTICEWHICHWASCOMMONINTHEDAYSBEFORETHEINVENTIONOFPRINTINGWHENTHEFULLCONTENTSOFABILLWOULDBEREADOUTLOUDTOTHEHOUSETOINFORMMEMBERSOFITSCONTENTS.THISISNOLONGERNECESSARYBUTTHETERMREADINGSHASBEENRETAINED.THETHREE"READING"STAGESARE:

Firstreadingwhenthetitleofthebillisreadoutandcopiesaremadeavailabletomembers.Nodebatetakesplaceatthisstage;Secondreadingwhenthegeneralprinciplescontainedinthebillaredebated,and;Thirdreadingwhenthebill,havingbeenthroughcommitteeandreportstage,isfullydebatedonelasttime.TheprocedureforpassingthedifferenttypesofBritishBillshastofollowtheprocessofthreereadings:ThefirstreadingisthefirststageofaBill'spassagethroughparliament.Itisaformalityandtakesplacewithout______________.ThesecondreadingofaBillisthefirstopportunityforMPsorMembersoftheLordsto______________andvoteonthemainprinciplesandpurposeoftheBill.ThirdreadingisthefinalreviewofthecontentsofaBill.Ifapprovedbyvote,thebillgoestotheUpperHouseforitsdeliberation.Ifpassedbythesecondhouse,thebillissenttothe______________fortheceremonialformalityofroyalassentbeforebecominglaw.Abillusuallybecomesknownas______________afteritclearsParliament.Ⅲ.TheGovernmentandthecabinetGovernmentisthesupremeadministrativeinstitutionwhichmanagesstateaffairs.ThecabinetisthecoreofleadershipoftheBritishgovernment.“government”and“cabinet”meandifferentthingsThePrimeMinisterThePrimeMinisteristheleaderofthemajoritypartyinParliament.Aftereachgeneralelection,themonarchwillasktheleaderofthewinnerpartytobethePMandformanewCabinet.CabinetmembersarechosenbythePMfrommembersofhisownpartyinParliament.Mostofthemareappointedasministersinchargeofgovernmentdepartments.TheroleofthePMistraditionallydescribedas“firstamongequals”;theCabinethasalwaysbeenledbythePM.GordonBrown

GordonBrown,born20February

1951,isthePrimeMinisteroftheUnitedKingdomofGreatBritainandNorthernIreland.Hetookofficeon27June

2007,threedaysafterbecomingleaderoftheLaborParty.PriortothisheservedastheChancelloroftheExchequerunderTonyBlairfrom1997to2007,becomingtheUnitedKingdom'slongestservingChancellor.HehasaPhDinhistoryfromtheUniversityofEdinburgh,andasPrimeMinister,healsoholdsotherpositions,liketheMinisterfortheCivilService.GordonBrownTheCabinetTheCabinetisatthecenteroftheBritishpoliticalsystem.Itisthesupremedecision-makingbodyintheBritishgovernment.TheCabinetmeetsonaregularbasis,usuallyweeklyonThursdaymorningsat10DowningStreet,todiscussthemostimportantissuesofgovernmentpolicy.Ⅳ.PoliticalParties

Thehistoryofpoliticalparties:WhigsandToriesTwopoliticalpartiesa.TheirhistoryWhigs(17th)Liberalparty(19th)Labourparty(afterworldwarOne)Tories(17th)Conservativeparty(mid-19th)b.Theircharacters

Ⅴ.Election

Ageneralelectionisheldevery5yearsinthe646constituenciesofBritain.ThecandidatewhowinsthemostvotesineachconstituencybecomesaMemberofParliament(MP).Eachpartyhasalocalorganizationintheconstituencywhosemaintaskistochoosethecandidateandhelpthemwin.ThepartywhichwinsoverhalfoftheconstituenciesisthemajorityintheHouseofCommons,thereforeformingthenewgovernment.EveryfiveyearsageneralelectionisheldinBritainTheelectoralsystemislargelydominatedbythetwomajorparties.Ⅵ.TheJudiciary

TheHouseofLordsisthesupremeexecutivebodyofthelawThereisnocivilcodeandnocriminalcode.Lesson3

AnOutlineIntroductiontoBritainandAmerica2.BritishNationalEconomy

Economy—AnOverviewTheBritisheconomyisoneofthestrongestinEurope;inflation,interestrates,andunemploymentremainlow.Therelativelygoodeconomicperformancehascomplicatedthegovernment'seffortstomakeacaseforBritaintojointheEuropeanEconomic&MonetaryUnion(EMU).Economy—AnOverviewCriticspointoutthattheeconomyisdoingwelloutsideofEMU,andtheycitepublicopinionpollsthatcontinuetoshowamajorityofBritishpeopleopposedtotheeuro.Thegovernmenthasbeenspeedinguptheimprovementofeducation,transport,andhealthservices,atacostinhighertaxes.Economy—AnOverviewAgricultureisintensive,highlymechanized,andefficientbyEuropeanstandards,producingabout60%offoodneedswithlessthan2%ofthelaborforce.TheUKhaslargecoal,naturalgas,andoilreserves;primaryenergyproductionaccountsfor10%ofGDP(GrossDomesticProduct,oneofthehighestsharesofanyindustrialnation.Economy—AnOverviewServices,particularlybanking,insurance,andbusinessservices,accountbyfarforthelargestproportionofGDPwhileindustrycontinuestodeclineinimportance.GDPgrowthslippedin2001-03astheglobaldecrease,thehighvalueofthepound,andtheburstingofthe"neweconomy"bubblehurtmanufacturingandexports.Outputrecoveredin2004,to3.2%growth.Ⅰ.Britain’sEconomicSystemⅡ.PublicsectorandprivatesectorⅢ.MiningandManufacturingIndustryⅣ.TransportationandCommunicationⅤ.ForeignTradeⅥ.AgricultureⅦ.BritishDiseaseandThatcher’sPrescriptionⅧ.CitiesⅠ.Britain’sEconomicSystem

ThepolicyTheoryofAdamSmithTerms:laissez-faire,invisiblehandCapitalismandindividualismVSAutocraticfeudalismStructurechangeⅡ.Publicsectorandprivatesector

DefinitionofpublicsectorConflictonnationalizationofbigbusinessesDefinitionofprivatesectorComponentsofprivatesectorⅢ.MiningandManufacturingIndustry

IronoreOnshoreandoffshoreoilCoal;CoalAct1938ThetextileindustryMotor-vehicleproductionⅣ.TransportationandCommunication

RailwayRoadShippingInlandnavigationAirwayPostofficeCommunication

Ⅴ.ForeignTrade

VisibletradeInvisibletradeⅥ.Agriculture

Notself-sufficientinfoodgrainLivestockfarmingmakesupanimportantpartAgriculturePolicyⅦ.BritishDiseaseandThatcher’sPrescription1.Britishdisease:a.theimbalanceoftradeb.inefficientindustryc.highunemploymentd.toomuchmoneyinsocialwelfareprogram2.Thatcher’sprescription:a.advocatetightfiscalandmonetarypoliciestoreducetheinflationrateb.reducetaxestostimulateinvestmentandconsumptionc.sellstate-ownedenterprisesintotheprivatesectord.reducegovernmentinterferenceandencouragecompetitionTheTowerofLondonMapofLondonLesson4

BritishCulturalandsociallifeⅠ.BritishclassstructureⅡ.BritishfamilyⅢ.EducationpoliciesⅣ.BritisheducationsystemandtypesofsecondaryschoolsⅤ.BritishhighereducationanduniversitiesⅥ.SocialwelfareⅠ.Britishclassstructure1.Classificationupperclass,middleclassandworkingclass2.Charactersofupperclassa)upperlandedclassbecamenobilityoraristocracyb)lowerupperclassplayedamajorroleinbourgeoisrevolutionc)upperlandedclasskeepitsinfluenceduringtheBritain’srevolutionsinthe17thcenturyMiddleclassisthelargestandmostimportantclassbecauseitsmembersarethebesteducatedandskilledWorkingclasswasmainlycomposedofminingandfactoryworkers.

Ⅱ.Britishfamily

NuclearfamilyBritishmarriagehasbeenbasedonmonogamyTodayawifetakesthehusband’ssurname,butbothspousehaveanequalrightsandobligations.TodayBritishwomenmakeupabout48%oftheBritishlaborforceHighdivorcerateandhighillegitimatebirthsAfternoonteaⅢ.EducationpoliciesTheliteracyrateinBritainisoneofthehighestintheworldGoingtoschoolhasbecomealawinBritainBritishschoolsarerequiredtoprovidereligiouseducationResponsibilitiesforeducationⅣ.Britisheducationsystemandtypesofsecondaryschools

Ⅴ.BritishhighereducationanduniversitiesUnderstandingSomedefinitions:

Chancellor;hallsofresidence;HonorandPassOxbridge;IvyLeague;dons;FellowshipIvyleaguelocationsMapofIvyleagueinUSATheAmericandreamtraditionallystemsfromimmigration,inwhichimmigrantscametoAmericaseekingabetterlife;makingadecentlivingandexperiencingreligiousandsocialfreedoms.InmodernAmerica,thetermisusedbymanytosignifysuccessinlifeasaresultofhardwork.Lesson5

GreetAmericaTheAmericanDreamisasubjectivetermwithausuallylargerconnotationoflivingameaningful,successfulandsatisfyinglife.Thistermusually,butnotalways,impliesfinancialsecurityandmaterialism,butcanalsoimplyadreamoffame,exceedingsocial,ethnic,orclassboundaries,ortheabilitytoleadafulfillinglife.TheAmericandreamislargelybuiltonpersonalfreedomsguaranteedintheBillofRights,andthesuccessofcapitalisminAmerica.ThesymbolofAmericanDreamTheStatueofLibertywasformanyimmigrantsthefirstglimpseoftheUnitedStates.ItsignifiesfreedomandpersonallibertyandisiconicoftheAmericanDream.America:CountryandPeopleTheStateofHawaiiisanislandgroupsituatedinthenorthernPacificOcean,about2,400mi(3,900km)fromSanFrancisco.ThesmallestofthefivePacificstates,Hawaiiranks47thinsizeamongthe50states.

WideviewofGrandCanyonoftheYellowstone,morning.YellowstoneNationalPark,Wyoming,USA.

MistraisingfromfallsoftheYellowstoneriver.YellowstoneNationalPark,Wyoming,USA.

Completethefollowingblanks:______werethefirstgroupimmigrantsfromEuropetoAmerica.Inordertoattract,controlandsetlimitsonimmigrantstoAmerica,theU.S.governmentpassedthecorrespondingActsas_____,______,_______.ThenumberofthelegalimmigrantsisdeterminedbytheUS______.ThemostdenselypopulatedregionofAmericaisthe____partofthecountry.TopicofWeekSixAmericanPresidentLesson6

AmericanGovernmentandPolitics

GovernmentprinciplesThepoweroffederalgovernmentThethreebranchesoffederalgovernmentGeneralelectionPoliticalparties1.GovernmentprinciplesThesupremacyofthepeopleFederalismandseparationofpowersAdequatepowersofgovernmentContributionoffederalismSeparateanddistinctpowersRetainethnictraditionsandcharacteristicsTerritorialexpansionStrengthentherulelawPreventcorruption2.ThepoweroffederalgovernmentTheconstitutionempowersthefederalgovernmenttodoallthingsnecessaryandproper—impliedpowersLimits3.Thethreebranchesoffederalgovernment

TheLegislativeBranchThetwoChambersThefunctionofCongressThepoweroftheHouseandtheSenateAbill—Congress—presidentAUSbillpassedbyCongressmustbesenttothePresidentforsignature.Ifhesignsthebill,itwillbecomealaw.Ifheexerciseshisrightto______________thebill,hewillrefusetosignit,giveshisreasons,andsenditbacktothehouseinwhichitwasfirstintroduced.ButCongresshasthepowertooverrideaPresidential______________iftheycanmustera______________voteineachhouse,thenthePresident______________isoverriddenandthebillbecomeslawautomatically.AbillpassedbyCongressandsignedintolawbythePresidentmaystillbecancellediftheSupremeCourtfindsthatitgoesagainstthe______________.2)TheExecutiveBranch

ThepowerofUSpresident①Commander-in-Chief②appointheadsofthedepartments③maketreatieswithforeigncountries④roleinmakinglaws⑤checkthejudiciousbranch,offeranamnesty⑥limits3)TheJudicialBranch

TheSupremeCourtJudicialreviewThecharacterofAmericanlawAnewfunctionofjudiciary4.Generalelection

ThreestepsofgeneralelectionMud-throwingNomorethan8yearsofpresidency5.PoliticalpartiesTwomajorpoliticalpartiesFourperiodsofpoliticalpartiesIndependentcandidateLesson7

AmericanNationalEconomyⅠ.FactorscontributedtoAmerica’seconomicdevelopmentⅡ.ThreetypesofAmericanprivatebusinessⅢ.GovernmentroleindevelopingnationaleconomyⅣ.ConservativesandliberalsoneconomicpolicyⅤ.Thenation’sthreechiefmineralproductsⅥ.AmericanserviceindustryⅦ.AmericanmajorcitiesⅠ.FactorscontributedtoAmerica’seconomicdevelopmentThe

richnaturalresourcesinthevastterritoryprovedtobeamajoradvantageforAmerica’seconomicdevelopment.TheUSeconomyhasbeengreatlybenefitedfromitshomesupplyofrawmaterialsandalargedomesticmarket.Thecontinuousinfluxofimmigrantsprovidednotonlycheaphumanresources,butalsonewideas,skillsandcultures,suchasdemocracyandequality.USwasalmostimmunefromforeignaggressionintwoworldwars.ThewaractuallypromotedthedevelopmentofAmerica’sproductivecapacity.TheUSforeignpolicyofprotectionismandisolationismbeforethe1930sprotectedAmericanindustriesagainstfiercecompetitionfromabroadandenabledittositonthefencewhenothernationswerefightingbloodywars.Themovementdemandinglibertyandequalityhelpedtoimprovethesocialmechanismandpromotecompetition.Ⅱ.ThreetypesofAmericanprivatebusinessProprietorshipsPartnershipsCorporations

Ⅲ.Governmentrolesindevelopingnationaleconomy

SetgeneralguidelinesandpoliciesEstablishsafetystandardsUsetaxratestobalanceproductionStartpublicprojectsRegulateallbusinessaffectedwithpublicinterestⅣ.ConservativesandliberalsoneconomicpolicyDifferentattitudeson:GovernmentinterventionSocialwelfareⅤ.Thenation’sthreechiefmineralproducts1.Naturalgasproduction:23%oftheworld’snaturalgaslocation:TexasandLouisiana;60%2.PetroleumItranksthird,onlyafterRussiaandSaudiArabia3.CoalmainlyfromWyoming,westVirginiaandKentuckyⅥ.Americanserviceindustry

BankingandfinancialbusinessInsuranceindustryTourismTransportation-relatedbusinessFreedomTower

MatchthecitieswiththeirfeaturesWashington,D.CNewYorkChicagoLosAngelesPhiladelphiaDetroitHoustonSanFranciscoBostonPittsburghThethirdlargestcityoftheUSThefilmcenteroftheUSTheseatoffederalgovernmentThelargestcityintheUS“SpaceCity”,USAThelargestleather,shoeandwoolmarketTheseatoftheContinentalCongress“MotorCity”,USAOneofAmerica’stopsteel-makingareasThecitythathasthelargestChinatownMatchthecitieswiththeirfeaturesWashington,D.CNewYorkChicagoLosAngelesPhiladelphiaDetroitHoustonSanFranciscoBostonPittsburghThethirdlargestcityoftheUSThefilmcenteroftheUSTheseatoffederalgovernmentThelargestcityintheUS“SpaceCity”,USAThelargestleather,shoeandwoolmarketTheseatoftheContinentalCongress“MotorCity”,USAOneofAmerica’stopsteel-makingareasThecitythathasthelargestChinatownLesson8

AmericanCultureandHolidaysThebasisofAmericanCultureAmericanholidaysandfestivalsAmericanelementaryandsecondaryeducationAmericanhighereducationAmericanemploymentandwelfareThebasisofAmericanCultureThewhiteAnglo-Saxonprotestants’roleoflayingthefoundationofAmericancultureDemocracyisanessentialelementofAmericancultureAmericancultureattachesimportancetoeducationAmericancultureincludesanelementofdeeploveofnatureandlandscapesAmericansareanation“onthemove”andtheyarenow“onwheels”.Americanculturehasastrongaversionto