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

2. II. SOVEREIGNTY, AUTHORITY, POWER: HALLMARKS OF “CONSTITUTION”
Constitutional monarchy
“Her Majesty’s Government”
Unitarism
Power centralized; all regional/local units controlled by center
Devolution
Parliamentary sovereignty (Parliamentary democracy)
Legislative gov. - Has the right to make or unmake any law
Westminster model - democracy rests on supreme authority of the legislature
Cabinet government
Control legislative agenda (collective responsibility)
Judiciary
Subordinate to Parliamentary laws

3. II. SOVEREIGNTY, AUTHORITY, POWER: SOURCES OF AUTHORITY
Social compacts and Constitutionalism
No written Constitution
“Constitution of the Crown”
Documents, common law, legal codes, customs
Tradition primary source of stability

4. II. SOVEREIGNTY, AUTHORITY, POWER: LEGITIMACY
The government of Great Britain has developed gradually; tradition is a primary source of stability
Great Britain’s constitution is unwritten (de facto) having evolved from different documents (Magna Carta, English Bill of Rights), common law, legal codes, and customs
The UK has rational legal legitimacy, stemming from its democratic constitution and government

6. KEY POINT: Britain didn’t become a democracy overnight.
Evolution not revolution
Democratization was a slow process

7. Structure of British Government

8. III. POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS
Core of British system is parliamentary sovereignty
Parliamentary sovereignty—the doctrine that grants the legislature the power to make or overturn any law and permits no veto or judicial review.

9. III. POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS
FUSION OF POWER
Executive: Prime Minister (PM)
Queen head of state; PM head of government
Legislative: Parliament
Legislative, executive, and judicial supremacy
House of Commons, House of Lords, Cabinet (PM)
The majority party IS the government
Judiciary: Supreme Court of UK

10. III. POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Majority holds ALL of the power
Question time (PMQ) – hour when PM must answer questions from opposition
Speaker of the House presides – not necessarily a member of majority

11. III. POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS: PRIME MINISTER
Speaks for all Members of Parliament
Chooses cabinet ministers
Makes decisions in cabinet, with agreement of the ministers
Campaigns for and represents the party in parliamentary elections
Dissolves Parliament and sets date for next election

12. III. POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS: COLLECTIVE CABINET
Cabinet = PM and ministers (cab secretaries)
Head a major bureaucracy of the gov
Either members of the House of Commons or of the House of Lords.
Center of policy-making in British political system and the Prime Minister has the responsibility of shaping their decisions into policy
Do not vote; unity represents collective responsibility for policymaking
PM is “first among equals”

13. Three line whip: In the UK a three-line whip is an instruction given to Members of Parliament by the leaders of their party telling them they must vote in the way that the party wants them to on a particular subject.

14. THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS
Bills must be introduced in House of Commons and House of Lords.
Approval of House of Lords is not required.
Bill comes to the floor three times:
First: formally read at introduction, printed, debated in general terms, and after interval, given a second reading
Second: Undergoes detailed review by standing committee; then report stage during which new amendments may be introduced.
Third reading: bill is considered final form (and voted on) without debate.
Follows parallel path in the Lords
Finally, it receives royal assent (which is only a formality) and becomes an Act of Parliament.

15. III. POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS: HOUSE OF COMMONS
PM would dissolve Parliament if:
1) The life of Parliament is about to reach the statutory limit of five years
2) party in power unable to muster majority of support b/c has most seats BUT lacks majority vote for key issues (loss of confidence)
3) majority party wishes to capitalize on its popularity and seeks to gain more seats before five year limit

16. III. POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS: HOUSE OF LORD
Role in church, hereditary or appointed by monarch (approval by PM)
Upper house
Minimal influence – delay legislation, may add amendments
753 members (not fixed)
Used to act as a judiciary body

17. III. POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS
What People Mean When They Say:
Government (PM & Cabinet)
Government Officials (Civil Servants)
Whitehall (Executive Agencies)
Downing Street (Prime Minister)
Parliament (on Whitehall, too)
Westminster(collective term for gov’t institutions)

18. MONARCHY Role of the queen: Head of state (reigns but does not rule)
Commander-in-Chief (technically)
Four Roles:
Appoint PM
Advise PM
Give their assent to legislation
Dissolve Parliament
**Effects: dilute authority; insulated from partisan controversy

19. III. POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS: THE CROWN
Policy influencing legislature
Proposals introduced, debated, and approved first in one body, then the other
Versions must be identical
Majority to pass
Royal Assent

20. WE’RE COMPARING Prime Minister of UK President of the US
Serves only as long as he/she remains leader of majority party
Elected as MP
Has an excellent chance of getting his/her programs past Parliament
Cabinet members are always MPs and leaders of the majority party
Cabinet members not experts in policy areas: rely on bureaucracy to provide expertise
President of the US
Elected every four years by an electoral college based on popular election
Elected as president
Has an excellent chance of ending up in gridlock with Congress
Cabinet members usually don’t come from Congress (although they may)
Some expertise in policy areas; one criteria for their appointment; head vast bureaucracies