The The Government of Government of Great BritainGreat Britain

Michael Curtis

Great Britain

• 19th century: Leading role (parliamentary democracy, literature, and science)

• Its territory reached one-fourth of the earth’s surface.– Residue: 54 member-Commonwealth (1.7 billion

people)

• Weakened after WWI & WWII– Dismantling of the Empire

• Member of the EU (does not join the monetary union yet)– (still is the) Sixth largest economy in the world

Curtis: “Why study the British political system?”

• Oldest operating political system in the world (1000 years)

• Intellectual, political & institutional world influence– Rule of law– Individual freedoms

(especially in the U.S.) single-member constituency electoral system for the lower house

-two chamber legislature

-Civil service based on merit

Curtis: “Why study the British political system?”

• Model of modernization and political development.– Place of birth of capitalism (the world’s first

industrialized country)– Gradual political evolution (dominance of

reform over revolution, although both were important. The British were the first in beheading a king in 1649)

Great Britain=Great Britain=

–Political union Political union of England, of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland Ireland with power concentrated on with power concentrated on the the WestminsterWestminster ParliamentParliament

-Insularity:-Insularity: although the British are a although the British are a part of Europe, many of them part of Europe, many of them (about 50%) do not think of (about 50%) do not think of themselves as Europeansthemselves as Europeans

Early unification

• 10th-12th century, favored by its Insular location– 1284 England & Wales– 1707 England & Scotland– 1801 England & Ireland (Ireland was

divided in 1921)

– No military invasion since 1066No military invasion since 1066

England, 1st National Monarchy• 1215 Magna Carta (limiting rights of King

John). • The Wars of the Roses (1455-1485)

– Houses of York (white) and Lancaster (red).

1485- Henry Tudor (Lancaster) challenged Richard III (York), Richard was killed and Henry became King Henry VII, inaugurating the Tudor dynasty (until the death of Elizabeth in 1603). Other dynasties Stuart, Brunswik until 1901 (Victoria’s death) Windsor (present).

http://www.britannia.com/history/h6f.html

Revolution or a series of Reforms?

• 1642-49 (Civil War—Execution of Charles I)• 1649-1660 (Republican gvt. Cromwell)• 1660 Restoration (Charles II, James II since 1685)• 1688 The Glorious Revolution—the birth of James’s

Catholic son triggers his replacement by his son-in-law William—1689 Bill of Rights 1689 Bill of Rights Sovereignty of the Parliament.

• 1707 Act Union, England and Scotland formed Great Britain.

• 1823 Reform Bill: extension of the right to vote to middle-class men.

• 1833- Abolition of slavery, limitations on work by children and women

• 1867 Reform Bill: extension of suffrage to urban workers (extended to rural workers in 1884)

• 1918- Universal male and female suffrage

GB, a diverse society

• Population: 59,647,790

• Ethnic groups: English, Scottish, Irish, Welsh, Ulster, West Indian, Indian, Pakistani and others

• GDP per capita (PPP): $22,800

• Population below poverty line: 17%

Unitary StateUnitary State-Constitutional Monarchy with -Constitutional Monarchy with

Parliamentary sovereigntyParliamentary sovereignty..

(NO power is allowed to the regions (NO power is allowed to the regions despite their own parliaments)despite their own parliaments)

The Constitution

• Written Constitution:– The Magna Carta– The 1628 Petition of Rights– The 1689 Bill of Rights

• Unwritten Constitution (flexible):– Laws enacted by Parliament– Antecedents settled by judicial courts– European Union law– External agreements

Curtis: “Britain is the only country in Western Europe which does not have a bill of rights providing constitutional protection for individuals and group rights.” (119)

As with the Constitution the whole British system relies on conventionsconventions

Parliamentary Sovereignty

• The Parliament is the supreme authority, in exercise of legislative, executive, and judiciary authority (fusion of powers).

• The Parliament includes the monarch, the House of Lords and the House of Commons.– The Monarch is the Head of State, with

ceremonial functions only.– The Prime Minister is Head of Gvt. (primus

inter pares)

Goverment• All All members of governmentmembers of government are first are first members of members of

the Parliamentthe Parliament– Prime Minister: leader of the political party that

wins the majority in elections. He organizes the Gvt. and requests the dissolution of the Parliament from the Queen. The PM cares especially for the economy and foreign affairs (not legally defined functions). Chosen by the Queen

– The Cabinet: includes diverse departments (i.e. Economic affairs). Its organization changes. Cabinet members are senior ministers members of the majority (Secretary of the Cabinet)

• Committees: Cabinet committees include ministers from the departments most affected by some specific issues.

The House of the Lords

• 500 life peers, 92 hereditary peers and 26 clergy).

• Has been disempowered through time (= Crown).

• Since 1911, they can only revise, delay, and introduce changes in laws, but they do not have any veto power.

The House of Commons

• 659 seats: representatives are elected for five years unless the Parliament gets dissolved earlier.

Judiciary

• No independence

• No Supreme Court– The House of Lord plays the role of ultimate

Court

Elections

• Voters choose between parties• Elections must take place at least once every

five years• In each district, the winner is the candidate

who gets more votes (simple majority)• Manufactured majority/disproportional Manufactured majority/disproportional

representationrepresentation: the party with more seats (and not with more votes) forms the government.

Effects of Disproportional Electoral System (1997 election)

25%31%

64%

43%

7%

17%

4%9%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Conservative Labour LiberalDemocrats

Other

Seats Votes

Source: Rose, Richard, “Politics in England” European Politics Today

British Structure of Government

Prime Minister

Cabinet

State Bureacracy

Local Gvt.Regional Assemblies

Parliament (House

Of Commons)

Voters

Party Hegemony• Main parties: Labour and the Conservatives• Parties choose candidates, settle the agenda,

and elect leaders who become prime ministers. • For anyone to become the Prime Minister, the

only election to be won is the one for the party leadership.

• No primaries (party recruitment)• Despite the SMD, voters vote for parties and not

for candidates (members of the Parliament are accountable to their parties and not to their constituencies)

• Candidates do not have to live in the area for which they compete.

Recent Changes

• New parties (Liberal and other)

• Regional assemblies (Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland)