英国国家概况——政治体系（一）

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Though Britain is a capitalist country, it still keeps an old fashioned government-- Constitutional Monarchy(君主立宪制). The government of Britain has been shared by three authorities: the Monarch, the Cabinet and the Parliaments. The head of State is the King or the Queen.

The Constitutional Monarchy started at the end of the 17 th century. But with the development of democracy the Monarch today has little power. The virtual power lies in the hands of the Parliament and Cabinet. They make the real decisions, lead the departments of the government and manage the affairs at home and abroad. The Crown is described as the representative of the interests of the people and the symbol of the unity of the nation.

1. The Legislative Bod

The legislative body of the UK is the Parliament. The function of the British Parliament is to discuss, criticize, oppose, and ask for minor amendments and in the end to approve. It consists of three elements: the Queen, the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

The House of Lords, also called the Upper House, is the oldest part of Parliament. It is made up of the Lords spiritual(神职议员) and the Lords Temporal(世俗议员). The main function of the House of Lords is to bring the wide experience of its members into the process of lawmaking. In other words, the non-elected House is to act as a chamber of revision, complementing but not rivaling the elected House.

The House of Commons, also known as the Lower House, is where the real power lies. It is elected by universal adult suffrage and consists of 651 Members of Parliament. The head of the House of Commons is the Speaker of President of the Chamber. The House of Commons takes charge of legislation and finance. It also debates policy and passes laws.

When a bill introduced by ministers of the leading party has passed by the House of Commons (of course the House of Lords) and has been approved by the Queen, it becomes an Act of parliament(《议会法案》) and is thus made a law.

2. The Executive Body

The executive body of the Britain is the British Government. The Cabinet is the center of the government. The number of cabinet members has varied from 15 to 23. The Cabinet works in great secrecy. No outsider is allowed to see any Cabinet papers until they have become only of historical significance. It consists of the Prime Ministers(首相), Lord President of the Privy Council (枢密院), Chancellor of Exchequer(财政部) and other senior ministers.

The Privy Council was formerly the chief source of executive power in the State. Today its role is largely formal, advising the sovereign to approve certain government decrees and issuing royal proclamations. Its membership is about 400, and includes all Cabinet ministers, the Speaker of the House of Commons,the Archbishop of Canterbury and York, and senior British and Commonwealth statesmen.

The leader of Cabinet is the Prime Minister. He is also the leader of the political party, which has majority of seats in the House of Commons. The Prime Minister has the power to appoint and dismiss ministers. By mode convention, the Prime Minister always sits in the Commons. The Prime Minister presides over the Cabinet. He or she is responsible for allocating functions among ministers and, at regular meetings with the Queen, informs her of the general business of the government.