Political History/Culture | Political Process | Instititutions | Public Policy | Key Terms

GREAT BRITAIN

political history/culture

Historical Background

• 1215- King John signs Magna Carta
• 1265- Simon de Montfort creates parliament meets for the first time
• 1688- The glorious Revolution deposes James II for attempting to reimpose Catholicism
  on England
• 1760- Beginning of Industrial Revolution (economic)
• 1800's- Political Parties were organized

Geography

• Insularity
• 4 States (England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland)

Economic Condition

• Uses the pound, not Euro
• Britain's current economic problems consist of slow growth, high inflation,
  low investment, high unemployment and fiscal strain
• $1 = 1.7 pounds

Social Condition

• Unhappy with situation in Iraq
• Legitimacy of Gov't in question
• Upset with health reforms

Ethnic, Caste, and Religious Groups

• Discrimination laws are enacted but are inefficient
• Globalization is becoming a problem
• 3.3 million immigrants (3/5 from Indian subcontinent)
• Manual Workers=working class
  Non Manual workers=Middle Class
• Conservative Party has usually been associated with Middle Class
  Labour Party has usually been associated with Working Class
• Class is important because there is not a huge distinction between anything else, such as
  race, religion, or language
• Muslims are the largest faith group among ethnic minorities and 2nd largest religion

Ideologies

• Labour's foreign policy priorities are based on belief that Britain's security, prosperity,
  and democratic values are strengthened by active international co-operation.
• Education is central to Labour's mission to deliver social justice and equality
  of opportunity.

The political process

Elections

A general election must occur at least once every five years; within that period, the prime
minister is free to call an election at any time.
(Citizens vote for the Party to represent them in Parliament.)
An electoral college composed of Party officials and constituency party members elects the
party leader.
(If the party is the majority party the party leader becomes the Prime Minister.)

First-past-the-post electoral system

• Party with biggest % of votes gets greatest % of seats
• Disproportional representation

(Justified because it clearly places responsibility for gov't in the hands of a single party
rather than diffusing it in a coalition.)

Interest Groups

Most interest groups are in pursuit of four goals:

1. Information about government policies and changes in policies
2. Sympathetic administration of established policies
3. Influence on policymaking
4. Symbolic status (ex: being given the prefix "Royal" in their title)

Whitehall departments are happy to consult with interest groups insofar as they can provide
government officials with reciprocal benefits:

1. Cooperation in the administration of existing policies
2. Information about what is happening in their field
3. Evalustion of the consequences of policies under consideration
4. Assistance in implementing new policies

Pressure Groups
(how interest groups work with gov't)

INSIDER PRESSURE GROUPS

• in harmony with the parties
• primary concern is to negotiate on details of administration and finance, and to press for
  the expansion of programs benefiting the group
• negotiations with Whitewall departments

OUTSIDER PRESSURE GROUPS

• unable to negotiate b/c demands are incosistent with the views of party in power
• campaign through the media (protests, demonstrations, etc)

Political Parties
Roles:

• Organize the selection of candidates
• Place policies on the political agenda
• Elect the leader who will become prime minister or shadow minister

Party Organization
Much of the effort devoted to party organization is concerned with keeping together three
dissimilar parts of the party:

1. Those who vote for it
2. The small minority who are active in its constituency associations
3. The party in Parliament

The Prime Minister must make sure that the other parts of the party support government
policy, even if the majority does not like what the leadership is doing.

Between 1945 and 1970 the British system was a two-system party

Multiparty system (post 1974)
Important points

• In England, three parties - New Labour, Conservatives, and Liberal Democrats - compete
  for most votes
• Two largest parties do not monopolize vote.
  (More than a quarter of the total vote is left to be dived among a multiplicity of other
  parties)
• Two largest parties nationally are often not the two front running parties on the
  constituency level
  (also Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland Parliament)

Elite Recruitment & Bureaucracy

• Bureaucracy viewed as a network
• Entering Civil Servants often lack specialization
• Merit based civil servant recruitment
• Deductive and Inductive elite recruitment

Citizen Participation

1) VOTING

• 18yrs and older
• Turnout-(on the decline but still far larger than U.S. turnout)
  77% in 1950
  71% in 1997

2) REGULAR PARTICIPATION
(Only 3-14% of population)

• attend political meetings
• contact parliament members
• join a political party

3) INTERST GROUPS
(64% of population)

• 1/3 of the labor force belongs to unions
• Trades Union Congress is affiliated with Labour Party

Over the postwar era the members of trade unions has shifted from industrial workers in coal
and railways to white-collar workers in the public sector.
(teachers, health service workers, etc)

institutions

The Executive Branch

THE PRIME MINISTER

• Can initiate new policies
• Can stimulate departments into action
• Can call elections earlier
• Can dissolve legislation
• Builds legislation on previous PM
• Appoints cabinet
• Makes and balances policies
• Responsible for Parliament performance
• Responsible for media performance
• Responsible for winning head of party
  (cannot do as he pleases b/c he will lose party's confidence)
• Responsible for making and balancing policies
• Responsible for economic policies and foreign affairs

The Cabinet

• Appointed by the Prime Minister
• The decision-making group
• Civil Servants draft legislation and prepare briefs
• Fuses executive and legislative powers
• Heads the bureauracy
• Initiates policies

Bureaucracy

• Treasury and Home Office
• Ministers and Civil Servents
• Complexity (time and cost are multiplying)

Whitehall

• Where everyone in the Executive and Legislative Branch comes together
• Decision making in committees

The House of Commons (Lower House)
(The main body, with checks imposed by the House of Lords)

• MPs of Commons are chosen at the time of elections, called by the Prime Minister and
  serve for terms lasting no more than 5 years
• Elected by first-past-the-post
• Primary funtion:
  Provide a forum for policy debate which provides contrasting views of Government and
  Opposition on key issues

The House of Lords (Upper House)

• Members are appointed as "life peers," holding their seats until deaths
• There are 92 hereditary peers remaining until future reforms
• Have the power to postpone enactment legislation

The Judicial Branch

• No tradition of judicial review
• Has the House of Lords review bills and asks for amendments before they can be passed
• House of Lords serves as supreme court of appeals in UK for all civil cases in England,
  Wales and N. Ireland for all criminal cases
• Only civilian courst exist
• Confidence in the court system is falling

Monarchy

• Symbolizes authority in the government
• Queen or King must give royal consent to pass legislation
• Opens and dissolves Parliament
• Formally makes treaties, armed forces, and civil services

Retraints on Institutions

• Vote of no confidence/confidence
• Vote of public support/criticism of party in power
• Merit based civil service

Resolving Internal Conflict

• Parliament has final say
• Court asks if executive acts within statutory powers because of lack of a written
  constitution
• Cabinet ministers resolve differences in a committee or by informal negotiations with the
  PM or affected colleagues

Public policy

Public Policy Generalizations

• English do not hold gov't responsible for what is most important in their lives
• Right of people are secured by trustworthy governors
• Government viewed as legitimate
• Only popular demand is welfare benefits
• British establishment derivates its political power primarily from public acceptance of its
  position

Regulating Citizen Behavior

• Aside from necessary public safety responsibilities, problems in N. Ireland began in 1968

Revenue

• 34% Consumer taxes

Provided Services

• 34% Social Security (includes maternity leave)

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