New Head of Government – Prime Minister David Cameron (2010)

REGIME TYPE From Monarchy to Aristocracy On to Liberal Democracy What is their Source of Legitimacy? What is the role of religion? Anglican Church Ideology Tradition Capitalism or Socialism

THE EVOLUTION OF THE BRITISH STATE Sequential, not simultaneous crises Building the nation state Defining the role of religion Establishing liberal democracy Industrial revolution The broad sweep of British history More and more democracy Persistence of class divisions The collectivist consensus – leaders from both parties agreed on a variety of social policy goals; the golden era of British politics 1945-mid-1970s

BRITAIN SINCE 1945 Beveridge Report (Welfare State) Nationalization of Industries under Labour (collective consensus) Electricity, Gas, Railways, Coal Steel, Aerospace, Shipbuilding Communication National Health Service (NHS)

BRITAIN SINCE 1945 Thatcherism and Privatization Cut taxes, reduced some social services More competition Privatized remaining gov’t industries Tony Blair and New Labour The Third Way

POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS Unitary Why? Any Supranational Influences? Devolution Define Examples Scottish Parliament National Assembly for Wales

POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS Executive – Dual Monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II Prime Ministerial System – PM is David Cameron – How was he selected?

Buckingham Palace “God Save the Queen”

THE BRITISH STATE: ENDURING MYTHS & CHANGING REALITIES (SUMMARY) Walter Bagehot’s dignified and real, or efficient, parts of the British system Dignified The Monarchy and the Lords: Monarch “reigns but does not rule” Very little power; proposals for reform Real, or Efficient Prime Minister is the chief of government, but does not have the dignity of the Queen Parliamentary Sovereignty, sort of Parliamentary parties Collective responsibility Party discipline

POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS Gordon Brown Labour 2007 – 2010 David Cameron Conservative* now

% 36% 23% 1.7% 0.6% 0.3%

10 Downing Street Home and Work for the PM

POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS Cabinet/ Ministers – Selection Process (Frontbenchers) What are backbenchers? Ministerial Responsibility (Collective Responsibility) Bureaucracy/ Whitehall Shadow Government

POLITICAL PARTIES The Conservatives (Tories) Pragmatic, flexible in their politics Noblesse oblige Responsibility for the poor Organization: elitist and effective Thatcherism – crushes the unions Privatization – the government sold: British Petroleum, British Aerospace, Cable and Wireless, long-distance trucking, sugar refining, the ports. They also sold their shares in British Gas, British Airways, British Telecom, the jet engine division of Rolls Royce, Jaguar, Rover (automobile)

POLITICAL PARTIES The Conservatives (Tories) Rolling back the welfare state John Major – replaces Thatcher, more privatization British rail (1994), has deteriorated since then Electricity, buses, parts of the BBC Loses to Blair; division over Maastrict/ Europe David Cameron – current leader/ PM Party has been criticized for being out of touch, too extreme, but now is favored to win the next election to be held in

POLITICAL PARTIES Labour – Ed Miliband Nationalization after WWII (Beveridge Report) Clause 4 – nationalization, gone with Blair Crisis-motivated radicalization after economic problems in the 1970s Defeat-motivated moderation Blair and New Labour – the Third Way; best socialist goals and a market economy Blair’s waning popularity; tuition increase (£ 3000 ), Iraq war, London car toll (~£ 5 ) Question Time – Party vs. Party - Explain

POLITICAL PARTIES The Liberal Democrats – (Nick Clegg) merger (1988) of the Liberals and the Social Democrats (SDP); the number three party and in some ways the most radical, current leadership in disarray. Received 22% of the vote in 2005 election. They want a PR system. Why? Minor Parties – the rise in Scottish (SNP), Welsh (Plaid Cymru), and Irish nationalism has led to moderate growth in support for regional parties. Others Official Monster Raving Loony Party

INSTITUTIONS – ELITE RECRUITMENT “Public” Schools Actually private and expensive Eton, Harrow, St. Paul’s, Winchester Old Boy network Oxford and Cambridge Oxbridge Both political leaders and top Whitehall specialists come from here Sometimes PPE major Philosophy, Politics, Economics, or “how to run a country”

POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS Interest Groups Little of the lobbying one finds in the U.S. Interests groups focus their attention on decision makers: ministers, party leaders, and senior civil servants; try to influence the drafting of a bill, not how it is dealt with on the House floor. WHY?

POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS Interest Groups The TUC with Labour and the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) with Conservatives wield disproportionate influence Corporatist arrangements (define!) during collectivist years; Thatcher government in 1980s effectively froze the unions out of the decision making. Trade Unions Congress – Labour Confederation of British Industry – Conservative

POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS – INTEREST GROUPS/ GRASSROOTS ACTIVITIES Political protest (page 79 in text) Mad Cow Disease Genetically modified crops (banned) High petrol prices Banning fox hunting War in Iraq

POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS The Judiciary NO Judicial Review The Courts and the EU Britain must abide by decisions of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) This led to: Sex Discrimination Act of 1986 Human Rights Act of 1998 Types of Law Common law (historical) vs. Code Law

NEW SUPREME COURT

Began October 2009 The court will be an independent institution, presided over by independently appointed law lords Selection Process A selection commission will be formed when vacancies arise. This will be composed of the President and Deputy President of the Supreme Court and members of the appointment bodies for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. All new judges appointed to the Supreme Court after its creation will not be members of the House of Lords; they will become Justices of the Supreme Court.

NEW SUPREME COURT The Supreme Court’s 12 Justices maintain the highest standards set by the Appellate Committee, but are now explicitly separate from both Government and Parliament.Supreme Court’s 12 Justices The Court hears appeals on arguable points of law of the greatest public importance, for the whole of the United Kingdom in civil cases, and for England, Wales and Northern Ireland in criminal cases. Additionally, it hears cases on devolution matters under the Scotland Act 1998, the Northern Ireland Act 1988 and the Government of Wales Act This jurisdiction was transferred to the Supreme Court from the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.

NEW SUPREME COURT

This new location is highly symbolic of the United Kingdom’s separation of powers, balancing judiciary and legislature across the open space of Parliament Square, with the other two sides occupied by the executive (the Treasury building) and the church (Westminster Abbey). Under European law, member states’ courts should always make their rulings according to principles laid down in relevant decisions by the European Court of Justice (ECJ). If The Supreme Court is considering a case where interpretation of an ECJ decision is unclear, the Justices can refer the question to the ECJ for clarification. They will then base their own decision on this answer.

SUPREME COURT – PARLIAMENT SQUARE

POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS Military Under civilian control The Bureaucracy (Whitehall) Professional Civil Service The Policy Making Process – Dominant Executive/ Cabinet How the System Works – Who makes legislation? Subnational governments in a unitary system Devolution Scotland, Wales Assemblies Regional Development Agencies Local City Governance

THE BRITISH STATE: ENDURING MYTHS & CHANGING REALITIES

BRITISH POLITICAL CULTURE The civic culture and collectivist years Widespread sense of legitimacy Tolerance of diversity Nationalism British Civility Heckling and PM Question Time

BRITISH POLITICAL CULTURE The politics of protest: Toward an uncivic culture? Confrontational political participation and civic unrest; racism; militancy of unions; clash between the left and the right created a far more polarized political system, but the majority of the populace did not take part and grew frustrated with the confrontational politics.

BRITISH POLITICAL CULTURE The civic culture holds Thatcher’s stand against the left helped sharply reduce the political tensions that seemed to imperil traditional British institutions and practices. The analysts who predicted the end of the civic culture overstated the dangers the protest movements posed; revolution was never on the horizon. Dissatisfaction with the recent governments had not translated into dissatisfaction with the regime.

BRITISH POLITICAL CULTURE Will there always be a Britain? How do the following affect the answer to the question above? Polarization and catch-all parties Devolution Cultural and racial diversity European Union

THINKING ABOUT BRITAIN The Kingdoms The cleavages Social class Most Important Geographic Religious Economic

MEDIA ROLES British media far more centralized than U.S. – London dominates Broadsheets and tabloids Very little local news on television; national news at different times of the day; networks tend to be impartial, but journalists are not necessarily so; interviewers “grill” politicians

POLITICAL PARTICIPATION Liberal democracy People vote! Participate through Political Parties and Interest Groups Gender Gap Women more likely to vote Labour Men more likely to vote Conservative Young Voters Anti-war Less likely to vote (Sound familiar?)

POLITICAL VIOLENCE  Terrorism  London 7/7/05 bombings  Killed 52 civilians and 4 bombers  Anti-war protests  Otherwise, minimal

POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CHANGE Evolution from post WWII nationalization to privatization in the 1980s (Thatcher) to Blair’s Third Way.

PUBLIC POLICY: THE THATCHER AND BLAIR REVOLUTIONS Break with the past in domestic policy Thatcher’s “politics of conviction” brought dramatic change, especially to economic life. Blair’s government has accepted privatization and the core of Thatcherism Continuity in foreign policy

PUBLIC POLICY: THE THATCHER AND BLAIR REVOLUTIONS Domestic politics Margaret Thatcher: The retreat from the commanding heights: Nationalizing and privatizing Rolling back the welfare state Thatcher’s supporters say she saved the British economy by bring both inflation and unemployment under control and by creating a more dynamic private sector. Thatcher’s detractors say she created new problems and exacerbated existing ones by widening the gap between rich and poor and by allowing public services to deteriorate.

PUBLIC POLICY: THE THATCHER AND BLAIR REVOLUTIONS Domestic Politics, cont. Tony Blair: Not rolling back Thatcher’s and Major’s reforms Government spending as a percentage of GNP shrank Welfare that gives recipients skills to find jobs rather than just benefits Tuition increase Tolling London drivers to reduce traffic congestion Blair’s supporters say he has create the Third Way – combining the best aspects of the socialist goals commitment to equality with a market economy. Blair’s detractors say he sold out the left and created “Thatcher lite.”

PUBLIC POLICY: THE THATCHER AND BLAIR REVOLUTIONS Foreign policy Europe European Monetary Union? To Euro or Not To Euro, that is the question Tories were Euroskeptics Blair had promised a referendum, but… Ratify the draft constitution for the EU? Iraq Political ramifications of backing George W. Bush on war with Iraq Split within Labour, Conservatives support on principle

THE BRITISH STATE: ENDURING MYTHS & CHANGING REALITIES

Cabinet government? Many analysts argue that Britain has prime ministerial system of government - define Collective Responsibility The rest of the state Weakness of the bureaucracy Diluted sovereignty of cabinet and parliament because of regulatory agencies and QUANGOs (define) The courts have never had a policy-making role

PUBLIC POLICY Supranational Influences – How do they affect Britain? EU UN World Bank GATT WTO NATO What do these acronyms stand for?

PUBLIC POLICY Some Policy Issues National Health Service Environment Adoption of the Euro? Constitutional Reform, including the Lords (page 82) Immigration and Asylum (page 83) Race and Religion Terrorism/ War in Iraq (page 84) Devolution (page 69) Ireland (page 81)

THINKING ABOUT BRITAIN Key Questions Gradualism – the belief that change should occur slowly or incrementally. Relative economic decline and its political implications The end of collectivist consensus; Margaret Thatcher’s policies and legacy; Impact of “New Labour” and Tony Blair

SOME KEY VOCABULARY BackbenchersCorporatism DevolutionNationalization EuroskepticFirst Past the Post Shadow CabinetCBI/ TUC Three-line whipUnitary system Maastrict TreatyFusion of Powers Beveridge ReportQuangos Collective ResponsibilityWhitehall Good Friday Agreement Third Way Parliamentary System

THE EUROPEAN UNION - TM TM

THE EUROPEAN UNION LINK SHOWS THE GROWTH EN.HTM EN.HTM

THE EUROPEAN UNION (EU) Membership Requirements Stable, functioning democratic regime A market-oriented economy Willingness to accept all EU laws and regulations The European Union presently consists of 27 countries and has a total population of nearly 500 million citizens. Motto of the EU “United in Diversity”

THE EU’S THREE PILLARS (SPHERES OF AUTHORITY) Trade and other economic areas Single currency (the Euro) Creation of the European Central Bank Justice and Home Affairs Asylum and Immigration (border crossing) Judicial cooperation on crime and terrorism Common Foreign and Security Policy Common Defense Policy

THE EU - GROWTH Bulgaria, Romania 2007

EU HISTORY 1950 – European Coal and Steel Community 1957 – European Economic Community, EEC or Common Market, created by the Treaty of Rome 1965 – European Community (EC) 1991 – The EU is created by the Treaty of Maastrict, expanding the authority of the organization 1999 – Introduction of the Euro

EU HISTORY

EU INSTITUTIONS The Commission The Council of Ministers The European Parliament The European Court of Justice

THE COMMISSION 27 Members, one from each member state Supported by a bureaucracy of several thousand Each commissioner is responsible for a particular area of policy Headed by a president Main purpose is to initiate and maintain new programs

THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS Made up of the heads of government, the finance ministers, and the foreign ministers of the member states The Commission may initiate legislation, but the must be passed by the Council to go into effect Each country receives a number of votes based on population

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT Not very powerful - The EU’s weakest institution Directly elected by the people Members sit by ideology Power has grown since direct election of members The right to approve all nominees to the Commission and can remove the entire Commission if a vote of censure passes by a two-thirds margin. The right to approve the budget

EUROPEAN COURT OF JUSTICE The supreme court of the EU Has the power of judicial review 27 judges, one from each member state Very powerful, its decisions may limit national sovereignty – what does that mean? Decisions have frequently made major expansion of the EU’s authority possible Actions have limited national sovereignty in favor of the EU’s institutions (very important!)

POLICIES OF THE EU Single Internal Market Common Monetary Policy Euro adopted by 12 countries, but not Britain or Sweden European Monetary Union sets interest rates and other fiscal policies Define fiscal policy What are the benefits of these policies?

POLICIES OF THE EU Common Agricultural Policy – subsidies cost about ½ the EU budget – Who gets them? Common Defense (but no EU army) Justice/ Home Affairs – goal of free movement (immigration, asylum) of EU nationals, not required – What controversies has this caused? Fighting Terrorism – Bombings in Spain and Britain

PUBLIC POLICY IN THE EU The Internal Market The removal of tariffs and other barriers to trade Tremendous impact on both European governments and their citizens Monetary union The euro EMU gives the EU and its new central bank powerful levers they can exert over national governments

PUBLIC POLICY IN THE EU Common Agricultural Policy Took steps to modernize inefficient farms to be more competitive in the European market Established the EAFFF, giving farmers subsidies and guaranteeing the purchase of surplus goods at artificially high prices. Demonstrates how pressure put on member states can lead to policies that tend to impede a free market and also make the EU resistant to change. More recent reforms on the CAP have been forced on the EU by the GATT and the WTO.

EUROPEAN CONSTITUTION A new constitution for the EU was passed in 2004 and is now being ratified by member states But France and The Netherlands voted no So….

THE EU What does the future hold for the EU? Membership How large should the EU be? What about Russia? Turkey? Which countries will dominate it in the future? How does Britain keeping the Pound (£) affect its role in the EU? Check it out – The EU at a glance

THE EU Future President of the EU??? Apparently NOT!!!

BONUS MATERIAL – PRIME MINISTER INTERESTING STUFF In the Twentieth Century, 14 of the 20 Prime Ministers first assumed office without the sanction of a general election. The Prime Minister typically has substantial cabinet experience. (Gordon Brown was Chancellor of the Exchequer for ten years before becoming Prime Minister).

BONUS - ELECTIONS How do the regions vote in GB since 1950? North Britain (Scotland & the North of England) – solidly Labour in most elections since 1950 South & Midlands – Conservative (except 1997) Urban, city centers – Labour Suburban and rural – more Conservative