海外文化:美国的选举制度
</p><p>惊奇常常是在箱子里出现：包在彩色包装纸里面的生日礼物…朋友寄来牛皮纸包的包裹…不论是怎样的箱子，人们喜欢打开来看看里面是什么。在美国以及其它许多国家，有一个特殊的箱子关系着未来，称为投票箱。人们在选举日投在箱子里的东西可以改变历史的走向。 </p><p><span word="Elections">Elections</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="lifeblood">lifeblood</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="democracy">democracy</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="word">word</span> <span word="democracy">democracy</span> <span word="literally">literally</span> <span word="means">means</span> "<span word="the">the</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="rule">rule</span>," <span word="an">an</span> <span word="important">important</span> <span word="concept">concept</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="America">America</span>\'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="history">history</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="mid">mid</span>-1700<span word="s">s</span>, <span word="England">England</span> <span word="began">began</span> <span word="passing">passing</span> <span word="laws">laws</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="colonies">colonies</span> <span word="angry">angry</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="colonists">colonists</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="pay">pay</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="taxes">taxes</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="enjoyed">enjoyed</span> <span word="less">less</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="less">less</span> <span word="freedom">freedom</span>. <span word="They">They</span> <span word="felt">felt</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="government">government</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="England">England</span> <span word="didn">didn</span>\'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="represent">represent</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="interests">interests</span>. <span word="On">On</span> <span word="July">July</span> 4, 1776, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="colonies">colonies</span> <span word="declared">declared</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="independence">independence</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="England">England</span>. <span word="They">They</span> <span word="wanted">wanted</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="establish">establish</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="democracy">democracy</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="voice">voice</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="government">government</span>. </p><p>选举是民主的原动力。民主这个字照字面的意思是“人民自主”，是美国历史中一个重要的观念。十八世纪中期，英国开始通过一些使美国殖民地愤怒的法律。殖民地人民必须付愈来愈多的税，享有愈来愈少的自由。他们感到英国政府没有代表他们的权益。一七七六年七月四日，殖民地宣布脱离英国独立。他们想要建立民主制度，使人们在政府中有发言权。 </p>
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