Introduction to Great Britain What is the difference between the United Kingdom, Great Britain and England??

The British Economy GDP: 2.14 trillion GDP per capita: $35,200 Trade: Exports- manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals, food, beverages, tobacco Imports: manufactured goods, machinery, foodstuffs, fuels. Major Markets: US, Germany, France, The Netherlands, Ireland GDP - market value of all final goods and services made within the borders of a nation in a year  Per capita GNP - value of all goods and services produced in a country in one year, plus income earned by its citizens abroad, minus income earned by foreigners in the country

People Population: 61 million Major ethnic groups: British, Irish, Welsh, Scottish, West Indian, South Asian Major languages: English, Welsh, Irish Gaelic, Scottish Gaelic.

Government Intro Constitutional Monarchy Unwritten Constitution: partly statutes, partly common law and practice  Changes come through new acts of Parliament, informally through acceptance, or by judicial precedent Branches: Executive: Monarch (head of state)‏ - purely ceremonial Prime Minister (head of government)‏ Legislative:Bicameral Parliament Judicial: magistrates’ courts, county courts, high courts, appellate courts, House of Lords, Supreme Court (2009)

Queen and Prime Minister Queen Elizabeth IIDavid Cameron

Head of State v. Head of Government Head of State Carries out ceremonial functions associated with representing the state both at home and in foreign policy Attempts to appear above party politics and to represent the interests of the nation as a whole Head of Government Person responsible for carrying on the business of government and for leading the team that controls the central institutions of the government and the state

Head of State Transfers by Heredity Prince Charles The Prince of Wales Eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip (Duke of Edinburgh) Heir Apparent to the throne Prince William Elder son of The Prince of Wales and the late Diana, Princess of Wales

State Opening of Parliament Each new parliamentary session has to be opened by the monarch They read the speech prepared for them by the government of the day Sets out the legislative agenda for the coming parliamentary session

The Prime Minister Head of the Government Must be an elected member of Parliament Head of the largest party of the lower house – House of Commons Extremely Powerful  Parliament majority expected to approve all legislation  Party discipline strong in UK  Few checks on central power Elected to 5 year terms – they alone decide to call elections before that term expires Subject to vote of no confidence

Recent Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher  May 1979 – November 1990 John Major  November 1990 – May 1997 Tony Blair  May 1997 – June 2007 (stepped down) Gordon Brown  Appointed June 2007 by Labour Party (no election)

Elections May 2010 David Cameron new Prime Minister Gordon Brown steps down as Labour Party leader Coalition Government – Liberal Democrats & Nick Clegg appointed Deputy Prime Minister

PM's Cabinet Comprised of about 20 members (called ministers)‏ Must be MPs Collective responsibility  Cabinet must appear unified – even if someone opposes policy Foreign Office  Conducts foreign policy Home Office  Oversees judiciary Exchequer  Oversees financial policy as head of the central bank

Parliament Responsibilities Members actively debate issues Participate in legislative committees Vote on legislation Power of vote of no confidence The government (executive) proposes most of the legislation

Parliament Represents the entire country Maximum parliamentary term is 5 years  the prime minister may ask the Monarch to dissolve parliament and call a general election at any time Judiciary is independent of the legislative and executive branches but cannot review constitutionality of legislation Majoritarian – the majority in Parliament has virtually unchecked power

Parliamentary Sovereignty Parliament can make or overturn any law Only Parliament can nullify its own legislation Increasing pressures to change this system as the pace of globalization continues – EU, UN

Fusion of Powers Parliament is the supreme legislative, executive, and judicial authority The legislature and executive are fused – The PM and his Cabinet are “the government” and they are all members of Parliament – Effect on Gridlock?

Parliament The British Legislature House of Commons  646 members 349 Labour 193 Conservative 63 Liberal Democrat  Represent individual districts throughout the UK  Follow party lead Whips enforce the party line MPs vote with party 90% of the time House of Lords  Virtually powerless anachronism No veto power, but can delay legislation up to a year Court of last appeal  746 members Life peers  Distinguished citizens appointed for life by the crown Hereditary peers  Members of the aristocracy who until 1999 could bequeath their seats to their offspring

Unitary State Unitary v. Federal State

FEDERAL (US)UNITARY (UK) Codified (this is especially necessary given the complexity of the federal/state relationship) Often uncodified Division and separation of significant powers Centralisation of powers Separate institutions sharing powers. Branches of government separated. Fusion and overlap of powers Presidential system.Parliamentary system. Based on popular sovereignty.Parliamentary sovereignty. Characterised by high levels of democratic participation. Low levels of democratic participation. Bicameral, fully elected.Partially bicameral, not fully elected.

Pros and cons FEDERALISM ProsCons Permits diversity (different legal and political consequences) Can mask social/economic/racial inequalities Increases accessibilityFrustrates national will. Problem solving more difficult. Better protection of individual rights Federal/state relationship cause of continual controversy States experiment with new solutions to endemic problems Overly bureaucratic and costly. Well suited to geographically large nation

Pros and cons Unitary ProsCons Strong national will and administrative focus Central government may not be perceptive to localised issues, can become isolated. Less bureaucracy and costExcessive centralisation still amounts to significant cost. Fewer complex relationships to manage Less chance for participation, involvement and representation. Clear, decisive leadership possible, strong government Relatively unchecked powers, tyranny of democracy. Information sharing, more cooperative branches of government Conflict of interests, excessive government strength, insufficient checks and balances

Devolution Devolution - the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a state to government at national, regional, or local level  Differs from federalism in that the powers devolved may be temporary and ultimately reside in central government, thus the state remains unitary Parliament of the United Kingdom Following a majority referendum in 1997 the following were created in 1999: Scottish Parliament Welsh Assembly Northern Ireland Assembly

Judicial System Parliamentary sovereign (parliament’s decisions are final) did not allow the development of judicial review No Judicial Review  Gaining authority with the passing of international laws (European Convention on Human Rights)‏  British governments have begun to consult legal interpretations of their actions  House of Lords is the highest judicial authority (Law Lords) Supreme Court – created by the Constitutional Reform Act of 2005 to align with EU requirements – Separates judicial system from legislative 12 judges – not MPs