U NITED K INGDOM I NTRODUCTION Kesselman chooses to start his analysis of the United Kingdom with a “tough week” for then Prime Minister Tony Blair (January.

UNITED KINGDOM

INTRODUCTION

Kesselman chooses to start his analysis of the United Kingdom with a “tough week” for then Prime Minister Tony Blair (January 2004). What was he able to illustrate using this example? Public opinion Limitations of Prime Minister (vote of no

confidence would force a resignation of the government and new elections would take place)

Democratic Process in Public Policy making Transparency in decision making

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING

Great Britain – England, Wales and Scotland

United Kingdom – Great Britain and Northern Ireland

SUMMARY OF BRITAIN’S SIGNIFICANCE First country with a limited monarchy Early 20th century, undoubtedly the world’s

greatest superpower Empire no longer exists, but still retains

global significance and influence Part of EU, yet not fully embracing being

“European”

THEMES UK’s role in the world

World Power to second-tier status Global Economic Influence

Industrial Revolution comparative advantage to today’s “less is more” laissez-faire approach

Democratic Ideal Parliamentary democracy

Collective Identity Imperial legacy Multiracial society

SOVEREIGNTY, AUTHORITY, AND POWER Sources

Long, very gradual tradition Original belief in Divine Right of a family to rule gave

monarchs power over people Constitutionalism

No written constitution, but a long series of compacts and acts of Parliament has formed an understood “Constitution of the Crown”

COMPONENTS OF BRITISH “CONSTITUTION” Rational-Legal Authority

Magna Carta (1215) – limited power of the monarch, guaranteed trial by jury, consent of Parliament to raise taxes

The Bill of Rights (1688) – expanded policymaking power of Parliament relative to the crown

Combination of Parliamentary acts, common law and judicial interpretation.

HISTORICAL EVOLUTION OF POLITICAL TRADITIONS The monarchy – once powerful, then

limited, now powerless and ceremonial The Parliament

English Civil War (1640)Glorious Revolution (1688)Prime Minister becomes firm Chief Executive in

the 18th Century Challenges of the Industrial Revolution

(18th and 19th Century) Diminishing Empire in the 20th and 21st

CenturyStrong welfare state became a burden, led to

backlash of “Thatcherism”

INSTITUTIONS

State Institutions Unitary state, power

concentrated in London

No “separation of powers”

“Fusion of Powers”

DEVOLUTION – GIVING POWER TO LOCAL AUTHORITIES

1999- Scottish and Welsh assemblies created when local referenda’s passed. Taxation, education and

economic planning Mayor of London

elected not appointed

Scottish Independence 2013 – voting age

lowered to 16 and 17 yrs old

National referendum on independence decided in Scottish Parliament for Sept. 18, 2014

ON THE EVE OF THE SCOTTISH VOTE…

UK INSTITUTIONS Cabinet and Prime

Minister, The ExecutiveCabinet members are

MPs chosen by Prime Minister, who is “first among equals”

Collective responsibility – cabinet members all share policy responsibility, and members resign if they do not support decisions of the PM

HOUSE OF COMMONS

Passes Laws Authorizes taxation Public administration

and government policy

Parliament, The LegislatureHouse of Commons, the “Lower House”

Holds all meaningful power in Britain Majority party chooses PM, makes all policy Minority becomes “loyal opposition”, sitting directly across the

aisle during debate

Shadow Cabinet – group of minority party MPs who would be in cabinet if they were the majority

Backbenchers – MPs who are less influential sit further back in Parliament

BackbenchersBackbenchersSpeaker of the

House

Prime Minister and

CabinetShadow Cabinet

Other minority parties

AND NOW… QUESTION TIME FOR THE PRIME MINISTER!

INSTITUTIONS Parliament, The Legislature

House of Commons, the “Lower House” Vote of Confidence

If a key issue is brought up for a vote and the PM and cabinet lose, they resign and call for new elections immediately by tradition

Last occurred in 1979 with James Callghan’s government “Winter of Discontent”Creation of Thatcher’s Conservative gov’t in

1979

INSTITUTIONS Linkage Institutions – provide people with a

connection to government and the political processPolitical Parties

Originally Liberal (Whigs) vs. Conservative (Tories)

Emergence of voting rights for commoners gave rise to Labour vs. Conservative (still Tories)

Liberal Democrats emerged as a third party to compromise between Thatcher Conservatives on the right and Labour on the LeftUndermined by Blair’s “New Labour” movement

Ed Miliband

Nick Clegg

David Cameron

INSTITUTIONSElections

646 constituencies each elect an MP (Member of Parliament)Party leaders run in “safe” constituencies, MPs often aren’t from their district

Winner-take-all, “First-Past-The-Post” – only winner gets to take office

Plurality – no majority necessaryParty with Parliamentary majority chooses the Prime Minister, who “forms a government”

INSTITUTIONSRegional Elections

Devolution – Blair policy allowing regional parliaments to exercise some local authority

Proportional representation in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales respective parliaments

Mayor of London is now directly elected for the first time

INSTITUTIONSInterest Groups

Pluralist system with some patterns of neo-corporatismQuangos – gov. agencies act as interest advocates and policy advisors in many cases, fusing the relationship between interest group and state

INSTITUTIONSMedia

Available media outlets reflect social class divisions in readership/viewership

BBC was created during the collectivist era to educate citizens on politics

Heavily regulated by government (ex. – no ads can be purchased for parties or candidates)

INSTITUTIONS Parliament, The Legislature

The House of Lords, the “Upper House” The original parliament, now nearly meaningless Can delay legislation, debate technicalities, and add

amendments

Amendments may be deleted in Commons by a majority vote

567 “life peers,” appointed by PM for achievement and service to Britain

92 “hereditary peers,” whose seats were passed down through family connections

Blair and Labour substantially reduced number of hereditary peerages

The Sovereign

Supporters of the

government

Supporters of the

Opposition Party

Neutral Members

INSTITUTIONS

The Bureaucracy Powerful force in policy formation,

implementation Bureaucrats are experts, ministers are likely not,

so ministers take direction from top bureaucrats informally

Bureaucrats stay in place from government to government (regime)

INSTITUTIONS The Judiciary

Limited in authority compared to U.S.Parliamentary sovereignty – principle that Parliament has the final say

Courts can strike acts of government that violate common law or previous acts of Parliament, but rule very narrowly

May not impose “judicial review” on Parliament, PM, or cabinet

Judges are usually independent, apoliticalExpected to resign at age 75Highest court formerly the Law Lords, but a new Supreme Court has been created (2009)

3 MAJOR STEPS IN THE BRITISH JUDICIARY

District Courts

High Courts

Supreme Court

Appeals

Appeals

POLITICAL CULTURE Geography

Island Small - Little fertile soil and short growing seasons Temperate climate, but cold, chilly, and rainy No major geographical barriers

Nationalism – great deal of pride in being “English”, or “Scottish”, or “Welsh”

Insularity – feeling of separation from the rest of Europe

POLITICAL CULTURE Cleavages – when national, ethnic, linguistic and

religious divisions affect political allegiances and policies. Cumulative – when same people are against each

other on may different issues. Cross-Cutting – groups that share a common interest

on one issue are likely to be on the opposite sides on a different issue Example: Northern Ireland (Cumulative) and Netherlands

(cross-cut) Class and Religion

POLITICAL CULTURE Cleavages

Social Class Not as strong as in the past, but still very significant Noblesse Oblige – a term for the upper classes’ willingness to

embrace the welfare state and support the poor Formerly duty of lords to care for serfs

Multi-Nationalism Lots of cultural homogeneity, but there are Scots, English,

Welsh, Irish, Protestant, and Catholic living together and insisting on some local sovereignty

This photo was taken outside of Lord’s cricket grounds in 1937, and came to symbolize the class divide in England

POLITICAL CULTURE Cleavages

Ethnic Minorities (comprise less than 10% of British population) Largely young, increasingly Muslim Tight restrictions on immigration imposed by Thatcher kept in

place by Labour Party Many reports of unequal treatment by police, most minorities

are disaffected and unemployed Poorly integrated into British society