1. Bell ringer
Summarize the “Battle of Ideas” that impacted the UK economy beginning after WWII.
Government Intervention
Who?
Principles?
Strengths/benefits?
Problems?
Supporters?
Party?
Capitalism
Who?
Principles?
Strengths/benefits?
Problems?
Supporters?
Party?
The state assumes direct ownership of key industries and an expansion of social services

2. UK Parties Conservative – represents the upper class
Tories
Margaret Thatcher
Liberal – for free trade, democratization
Labour – represents working class
Started as alliance of trade unions & socialist groups

3. Today we will … Making of Modern Britain slide/notes Pair/Share
Objectives
Agenda
Trace political and economic change in Britain from the end of WWII to present day.
Collective Consensus
Thatcher’s Neoliberal Revolution
Blair’s New Labour & the Third Way
2010 Coalition Governemtn
Making of Modern Britain slide/notes
Pair/Share
Coalition 2010 articles
Closure

4. United Kingdom
I. Making of the Modern British State II. Political Economy and Development

5. Sources of Legitimacy Role of the monarchy Tradition
Hereditary ruling family had right to rule (divine right)
Head of the Anglican Church
Tradition
Widely agreed-on rules of conduct (vs. formal checks and balances) set the limits of governmental power

6. The British “Constitution”
What gives a government the authority to rule?
Common Law vs. Statutory Law
Statutory Law (Acts of Parliament)
Magna Carta – 1215
Basis of a limited gov. that restricts the power of monarch
English Bill of Rights – 1689
Rights of Parliament (not individual citizens!)
Common Law:
Use of precedents to guide legal decisions
Eventually form a comprehensive set of principles for governance

7. Unitary Government Unitary
No constitutional separation of power between the central and regional governments
Devolution: decentralization of national/central power to local units of government, decentralization of power from the central to local units.
Examples
Scottish Parliament
National Assembly for Wales
Northern Ireland Assembly
Mayor of London
Describe a major difference between federal and unitary systems. Identify one country among the six AP Comparative Government and Politics countries that has a federal system. Identify one country among the six that has a unitary system.

8. PAIR/SHARE
Compare the first page of your reading notes (chart) with your partner.
Help each other fill in missing info.
Brainstorm “Major Policy Considerations” section. Think about what we saw in the video – what were some of the issues? What else do you know about the UK?

9. British Political Culture
Liberal Democracy
Regular elections
Open Civil Society
The civic culture
Legitimacy
Duty of upper classes to take responsibility for welfare of lower classes (Empire & Welfare State)
Tolerance of diversity
Nationalism – pride in being English, Welsh, Scottish, Irish
British Civility
Heckling and PM Question Time
Noblesse Oblige

10. (C2) Collectivism Beveridge Report -->Welfare State
“In a crisis, be revolutionary”
Fight the 5 Giant Evils of Want, Disease, Ignorance, Squalor & Idleness
Collective Consensus: Significant majority agreed that the state should take responsibility for economic governance & provide for the social welfare in the broadest terms
Nationalization of industries: Electricity, Gas, Railways, Coal
Steel, Aerospace, Shipbuilding
Communication

11. Welfare State
A state with a set of public policies designed to provide for citizens’ needs through direct or indirect provision of pensions, healthcare, unemployment insurance, and assistance to the poor
Welfare states have governmental policies that provide citizens with a social safety net
Other examples of social welfare policy
National Health Service - free, universal health care
Poverty relief
Maternity/paternity benefits, family leave
Subsidized housing
Education - extended or enhanced
Free job training
Disability insurance
Subsidized university tuition

12. (D3) Thatcher’s Neo-Liberalism
Economic liberalization
“Policies of conviction”
Privatized national industries
Rolled back the welfare state – “the squeeze”
Cut taxes & reduced some social services
Overall not a huge decrease in spending but less regulation on business

14. Was Thatcher’s Revolution a Success?
Supporters say she saved the British economy by bringing both inflation & unemployment under control and by creating a more dynamic private sector.
Detractors say she created new problems & exacerbated existing ones by widening the gap between rich and poor and by allowing public services to deteriorate.

15. Check for understanding
Describe neo - liberalism.
What makes it liberal?
What makes it “neo” or new?
It promotes free competition by creating a business-friendly environment to attract foreign investment and spur innovation
It was a legacy from Thatcher and a key feature of New Labour’s government
Strict control of inflation and tough limits on public expenditure promotes both employment and investment opportunities.

16. Tony Blair’s New Labour
1997 – Tony Blair promised to create a “new Labour” party & a “third way”
Centrist Alternative
Blair continued privatization but w/greater emphasis on regulation & fairness
Old Labour Party
Conservative Party

17. Was Blair’s New Labour a Success?
Blair’s supporters say he created 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 & created “Thatcher lite.”
Government spending as a percentage of GNP shrank
Welfare that gives recipients skills to find jobs rather than just benefits
Tuition increase
London drivers pay tolls to reduce traffic congestion
Continuity in foreign policy

18. Check for understanding
Explain how Blair’s ideas were a “third way”.

19. 2010 - Coalition Government
“Third way” was in trouble
A “hung parliament” resulted in a Coalition Government
Labour was defeated but Conservatives could not get a majority
Conservatives
Free markets
Low taxes
Privatization
Liberal Democrats
Liberals & Social Democrats merged
Small gov/ decentralization
Hung Parliament: No party has a majority in the Commons. Happened in 2010.
PM: David Cameron
DPM: Nick Clegg

20. In December 2011, in a speech to the Demos think tank and the Open Society Foundation Clegg put forward his definition of the three main political traditions in Britain, saying:
"Socialists support the idea of the good society, typically judged in terms of equality of income. In order to bring about this end they use the state quite aggressively in terms of labour market regulation, centralised public services and through tax and benefits.
Conservatives support the idea of a big society, with responsibility shared throughout society—people are responsible both for themselves and each other. The emphasis is naturally on non-state institutions such as marriage, the family, churches and voluntary organisations.
The liberal ideal is of the open society, where power is vested in people, not in the state or other institutions. This means that individuals need the capabilities and opportunities to chart their own course through life, and to hold institutions to account. So while the good society needs a strong state, and the big society needs strong social institutions, the open society needs strong citizens."

21. PAIR/SHARE Partner 1: Partner 2:
Skim “Coalition Plans” article.
Partner 2:
Skim “Divided they fall” article.
Together - make a prediction about the future of the coalition.
Will it succeed or fail?
What policy issues do you think threaten the coalition the most?

22. National Heath Service (NHS)
Provides comprehensive and universal medical care
Nationalized (state directed) health care system
Disagreements btwn. Conservatives & Liberal Dems about how to reform NHS
Meanwhile … the age structure in Britain is getting older.
How does an aging population further impact the NHS?

23. An aging population leads to …
Increased demand
Increased costs
Need more providers
Less tax revenue coming in to pay for health care
Increased tax burden on working age population

24. Closure
Identify the two parties that formed the coalition government in Great Britain following the 2010 parliamentary elections.
Explain one reason why they formed a coalition.
Describe a domestic policy issue that has threatened the coalition.
HW: II A-D & III A-B (new questions)
Quiz on I & II next block