1. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland CH. 2-3

2. III. POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS: BUREAUCRACY
Implement policy
15-16 departments; ~140 executive agencies/regulatory bodies
“Whitehall”
Politically neutral

3. III. POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS: QUANGOS
Civil servants act as administrators, not policy makers.
Regulatory agencies oversee newly privatized companies.
Quangos: quasi-autonomous non-governmental organizations created by Parliament to incorporate gov and private interest into policy-making
QUANGOs make a great deal of policy and regulation.

4. III. POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS: SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM
The Judiciary
Role limited by parliament sovereignty
No judicial review; i.e., no prerogative of high court to nullify actions by the executive and legislative branches that it deems violate the constitution.
Limited to determination of violation of common law or act of Parliament
Jurists participate in political issues outside of court.
In 2009, creation of UK Supreme Court
Removed authority from House of Lords
Abides by European Court of Justice (ECJ)
Passage of Human Rights Act in 1998

5. IV. SOCIETY, STATE AND CITIZENS: POLITICAL PARTIES
Two-party system…in Parliament; multi-party system
Historically Whig and Tory
Tories supported King Charles II; Whigs opposed
Whigs: Scottish bandits
Tories: Irish bandits
Whigs = Liberal Party
Tories = Conservative Party
Industrial Revolution led to Labour Party

6. IV. SOCIETY, STATE AND CITIZENS: POLITICAL PARTIES
The Conservative Party: Party in Power
The largest party on the right
Key Figures:
David Cameron: PM (not currently; Theresa May
Margaret Thatcher: Prime Minister
John Major: Prime Minster
Dates back to 18th century and traditionally represents the “middle class”- middle = rich class in UK
Has been dominant party in Britain since World War II, holding power for all but sixteen years.

7. IV. SOCIETY, STATE AND CITIZENS: POLITICAL PARTIES
Pragmatic rather than ideological
Hardcore austerity
1980s – supported market controlled economy, privatization, few social welfare programs, oppose devolution
PM John Major moved more to center

8. IV. SOCIETY, STATE AND CITIZENS: POLITICAL PARTIES
Characterized by Noblesse Oblige
Power centered in London
Party organization viewed as elitist
Weakened by division of party in late 1990s:
Traditional Wing(one-nation Tories) – values noblesse oblige and elitism, supports Britain’s membership in EU
Thatcherite Wing – strict conservatives, support full free market, known as “Euroskeptics”, feel EU threatens British sovereignty

9. Noblesse Oblige Tradition in British politics
The duty of the upper classes to take responsibility for the welfare of the lower classes
Legacy of feudal times (Lords protected serfs)
Reflected in willingness of British citizens to accept a welfare state

10. IV. SOCIETY, STATE AND CITIZENS: THATCHERISM
Margaret Thatcher (Reagan in a dress)
Conservative
PM 11 years
“Iron Lady” – capable and firm
Privatized business/industry, cut social welfare, strengthened nat’l defense
Resigned 1990

11. IV. SOCIETY, STATE AND CITIZENS: THATCHERISM
Reforms instituted by Margaret Thatcher in 1980s
Privatized business and industry
Cut back on social welfare programs
Strengthened national defense (staunch anticommunist)
Got tough with labor unions in response to Labour Parties’ distinct movement left, which had strengthened labor unions politically
Returned to market economy
Resisted complete integration into the European Union
Froze income tax increases
Foreign policy dominated by securing British interests internationally

12. DAVID CAMERON Conservative leader since 2005, PM until last year
More moderate than predecessors
Voted in favor of benefits to same sex couples
Euroskeptic
Won in 2010 b/c electorate sick of Labour

13. IV. SOCIETY, STATE AND CITIZENS: IN SUMMATION
Dominant party in Great Britain between WWII and late 1990s
Main party on the right
Traditionally pragmatic as opposed to ideological
Historically has supported a market controlled economy, privatization, and fewer social welfare programs – symbolized by Margaret Thatcher in 1980s
Under Prime Minister John Major ( ) and David Cameron (2010-present) gravitated towards center and away from Thatcherism
Demographic:
Upper classes
Suburban middle class
Upper middle class
Traditionalists among working class

14. IV. SOCIETY, STATE AND CITIZENS: POLITICAL PARTIES
The Labour Party: Loyal Opposition
The largest party on the left
Controlled the British government from
Key Figures:
Tony Blair (PM )
Won Elections of 1997, 2001, 2005
Gordon Brown (PM )
Created in 1906 to represent rights of working class
Move toward center allowed it to win back Parliament in 1997 on centrist platform and Blair’s “New Labour” platform

15. IV. SOCIETY, STATE AND CITIZENS: POLITICAL PARTIES
Largest leftist party
Alliance of trade unions and socialist groups; working class
Public ownership of industries
Gov. intervention in economy
Redistribution of wealth
Welfare state
Publicly funded healthcare and education

16. IV. SOCIETY, STATE AND CITIZENS: POLITICAL PARTIES
Early history of the party was defined by controversial Clause 4 that called for nationalization of the “commanding heights” of British industry
Trade Union Council (TUC) – a coalition of trade unions generally associated with the Labour Party, has traditionally been a force in British politics
Growing moderation of the Labour Party was reflected by removal of Clause 4 in early 1990s

17. IV. SOCIETY, STATE AND CITIZENS: POLITICAL PARTIES
“New Labour” - Modernized and centered by PM Tony Blair from
Rebranding – accept market economy
“Third Way”
Right wing economic policy with left wing social policy

18. BLAIR’S LEGACY Created “New Labour”
Tied UK with US foreign affairs in Iraq
Led to demise under Brown
Reduced House of Lords hereditary positions
Devolved power
Created government in London (mayor)
Attracted more women to party

19. IV. SOCIETY, STATE AND CITIZENS: LABOUR DEMOGRAPHICS
Urban middle class
Upper middle classes
Unionized working class
Progressives

20. IV. SOCIETY, STATE AND CITIZENS: POLITICAL PARTIES

21. IV. SOCIETY, STATE AND CITIZENS: POLITICAL PARTIES

22. IV. SOCIETY, STATE AND CITIZENS: 2010 ELECTION
LABOUR
255 (2010)
Urban
Unionized
Working class
progressive
CONSERVATIVES
303 (2010)…(326 makes a majority, awk)
Upper class
Suburban middle class
Traditionalists

23. IV. SOCIETY, STATE AND CITIZENS: POLITICAL PARTIES
The Liberal Democrats
Two parties—the Liberals and the Social Democrats-formed an alliance in the 1983 and 1987 elections
Parties formally merged in 1989.
Goal of party was to establish a strong party in the middle as a compromise to the politics of the two major parties.
Key Figures:
Nick Cleg: Current Party Leader
Paddy Ashdown: Party Leader
Power declined in 1990s as both major parties moved toward center.
In 2005, Liberal Democrats won 62 seats in Parliament, even though they won 22% of the vote.
Lib Dems
Progressive tax, environmentalism, civil liberties, bank reform, devolution, dismantle big gov,

24. HAPPENED IN 2010!
2010 elections created coalition majority in Parliament
Conservative-Liberal Democrat
Conservative David Cameron (PM)
Liberal Democrat Nick Clegg (Dep. PM)

25. IV. SOCIETY, STATE AND CITIZENS: COALITION GOVERNMENT
Coalition core principles
Two parties together for partnership government
Attempted to blend Conservative commitment to the dynamism of free markets with the Liberal Democrat commitment to decentralization

26. IV. SOCIETY, STATE AND CITIZENS: MULTI-PARTY SYSTEM
Scottish National Party
Plaid Cymru – Welsh nationalist party
Sinn Fein – political arm of the IRA
Democratic Unionist Party N. Ireland – led by Protestant clergymen
National Front-considered racist and nationalist
UKIP - Eurosceptic and right-wing populist political party

27. IV. SOCIETY, STATE AND CITIZENS: INTEREST GROUPS
Lobby leaders and bureaucrats NOT MP’s
Sway public opinion
STANDOUTS:
Confederation of British Industry (CBI)
Associated with Tories
Trade Union Congress (TUC)
Associated with Labour

28. IV. SOCIETY, STATE AND CITIZENS: POLITICAL CULTURE
Nationalism
Multi-nationalism – English dialects; Catholic v. Protestant
Insularity - Euroskepticism
Geography: island, small, limited land, no major barriers
Individual rights
Representative government – deference to Parliament
Rule of law
Political traditions

29. IV. SOCIETY, STATE AND CITIZENS: SOCIAL CLEAVAGES
Cross – cutting
Political
Social class
Race and ethnicity
Religion
National identity
Coinciding – regional/political (England v Scotland independence/referendum

30. IV. SOCIETY, STATE AND CITIZENS: VOTING
Electoral Register
18, citizen, no criminal record or mental incapability
Partisan alignment and/or class alignment
Voter turnout ~55-65%
Lower turnout:
PP centralized
Polling indicates conclusion
Low efficacy/ignorance

31. IV. SOCIETY, STATE AND CITIZENS: ELECTIONS
Election Policy – ***Fixed Term Parliament Act (2011) elections must be held every 5 years on a fixed date
1/legislative district (over 650)/~95,000 constituents
No residency requirements or primary elections
Plurality (First Past the Post)
Campaigns 4-6 weeks/first Thursday in May
PM may dissolve parliament where elections would be held. (2017 Teresa May called for elections)

32. U.S. vs British Elections
United States
Parties are less powerful
Members must live in districts
Party leaders run in their respective districts
Individual votes for four officials on national level
Between 30 and 60 percent of the eligible voters actually vote
First-past-the-post, single-member districts; virtually no minor parties get representation
Great Britain
Party determines who runs where
Members usually don’t live in their districts
Party leaders run in “safe districts”
Individual votes for only one official on the national level
About 70 to 80 percent of the eligible voters actually vote (number was less in 2001 & 2005)
First-past-the-post, single-member districts; some representation from minority parties, but still less than if they had proportional representation