1. Britain’s Government & Policy-Making Section 3 AP Comparative Government Mr. Saliani

2. Organization of the State ► Parliamentary Sovereignty (1) – Parliament can make or overturn any law; the executive, the judiciary, and the throne are powerless against parliamentary action. ► The Prime Minister (PM) is answerable to the House of Commons and may be dismissed by it. ► British sovereignty is somewhat limited due to agreements with the European Union. ► Britain is a unitary state (2) – authority rests in the central government. Quasi-federal system was created under the Blair government through delegation (devolution) of specified powers to Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly & returning to N. Ireland.

3. Organization of the State (pg 2) ► Fusion of powers at the national level (3) – Parliament is the supreme legislative, executive and judicial authority and includes the monarch as well as the House of Commons and the House of Lords. ► British cabinet has enormous constitutional responsibility and makes decisions collectively. (cabinet government) ► Britain is a constitutional monarchy and power rests with the Queen-in-Parliament (the formal term for Parliament). ► The Queen is the head of state (4) which passes through hereditary succession. Governmental/state officials must exercise nearly all of the powers of the Crown.

4. Some questions to ponder… 1. Can a PM overstep the generally agreed- upon limits of the collective responsibility of the cabinet and achieve an undue concentration of power? How? 2. How well has the British model of government stood the test of time and radically changed circumstances? 3. Is it THE model democracy? 4. What are its strengths and weaknesses? 5. What influence has the Westminster model had globally? What questions do you have?

5. The Executive The executive reaches beyond the cabinet government whose key functions are policymaking, supreme control of the government and coordination of all government departments to the ministries (departments) and ministers to the civil service and to Parliament.

6. Cabinet Government ► Post-general election the Crown invites the leader of the party with control of the majority of seats in the House of Commons to form a government and serve as PM. ► PM usually selects about two dozen ministers to constitute the cabinet. Some major assignments are the Foreign Office (Sec of State), the Home Office (Attorney General) & the chancellor of the exchequer (Treasury Secretary). ► Cabinet has immense responsibilities such as formulating policy to put before Parliament and supreme directing body of the executive branch. ► British constitutional tradition requires overlapping membership in both the cabinet and Parliament.

7. 10 Downing Street ► Prime Minister’s official residence and location of the cabinet room. http://www.number10.gov.uk/output/Page1.asp http://www.number10.gov.uk/output/Page1.asp ► Cabinet can be perceived as loyal followers or ideological combatants, potential challengers for party leadership, & parochial advocates for pet projects that run counter to the overall objectives of the government. ► The convention of collective responsibility normally ensures the continuity of government by unifying the cabinet. In principle, the PM must gain the support of the majority of the cabinet for a range of major decisions, notably budget and legislative programs. ► The other constitutional mechanism to check the PM is a defeat on a vote of no confidence in the HoC. ► Does collective responsibility limit or empower the PM?

8. Cabinet Government ► Power of the cabinet has been limited by PMs (from Thatcher to Blair to Brown?) ► Let’s explore the cabinet system (Figure 4) ► Power is concentrated at the top with no gridlock (as in Washington) ► Is the PM the “Queen bee” in the hive?

9. Reactions to 10 Downing St. Website ► Impressed? ► Content? ► Political Angle? ► Style? ► Extras? ► Other Comments?

10. Bureaucracy & Civil Service ► Civil Servants (not elected government employees) play an integral role with cabinet ministers. ► Civil Servants (CS) in Britain do much of the conceptualizing and refining legislation that is done by committee staffers in the U.S. Congress. ► Mistrust is common between CS and ministers as they have differing agendas, concerns and fears. ► CS are servants of the Crown but not part of the government. ► Ministers, not CS, have const. responsibility for policy & are answerable to Parliament for conduct of their departments. ► CS has been downsized in recent years, jobs outsourced. ► Concerns of pol. neutrality & impartiality recently raised.

11. Semipublic Institutions ► Def – entities sanctioned by the state but without direct democratic oversight. ► Nationalized industries replaced by Semipublic administrative orgs) ► Nondepartmental Public Bodies (NPPBs) aka quasi- nongovernmental organizations (Quangos) have been growing in number since the 1970’s. ► Quangos are popular due to the fact that they are responsible for special functions combining governmental & private sector expertise. Ministers can also distance themselves from controversial areas of policy.

12. Semipublic Institutions (2) ► By late 1990’s over 6000 quangos existed. ► Responsible for 1/3 of all public spending. ► Key areas of public policy have shifted from local governments to quangos (non- elected). ► Reform of quangos taking place nationally. What are the concerns? Why are they controversial?

13. British Military ► Ranked in top 5 military powers ► 1982 - Falklands/Malvinas Islands War - UK Defeated Argentina ► 1991 - Gulf War - Deployed full armored division ► 1998 - Aerial bombing of Iraq ► 1999 - Supported NATO’s Kosovo campaign ► Blair’s “doctrine of international community” was used as justification for war on Iraq he connected it to Kosovo and the idea of overthrowing dictators ► Use of military until Iraq generated mild opposition ► The British military’s conduct has generally been viewed as positive under the circumstances

14. Police ► Traditionally operated as independent forces throughout the country, but transition to centralization, government control, and political use has taken place. ► Concerns over partisan use of police force and police conduct in recent years.

15. The Judiciary ► Parliamentary sovereignty has limited the role of the judiciary as courts do not have the power to judge the constitutionality of legislative acts (judicial review) ► Limited to determine whether policy directives or administrative acts violate common law or acts of Parliament - U.S.  ► Jurists have participated in the wider political debate outside of court - Thoughts? ► Blair’s plan to abolish the office of Lord Chancellor and move the law lords from the House of Lords to a new “supreme court” failed in the HoL. ► The European dimension has also influenced law and and administration of justice, Britain must abide the European Court of Justice (ECJ)

16. Subnational Government ► Since the UK is comprised of four distinct nations (England, Scotland, Wales, & N. Ireland), the distribution of powers involves two levels below the central government: national and local (municipal) government. ► Due to unitary government no formal powers devolved to the national/subnational units. ► Devolution - In 1999, the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales and Northern Ireland Assembly were established. Scottish Parliament National Assembly for WalesNorthern Ireland AssemblyScottish Parliament National Assembly for WalesNorthern Ireland Assembly ► Ken Livingstone is the popular mayor of London who has introduced several controversial policies.

17. The Policy-Making Process ► Whitehall, not Westminster is in charge of policy- making & policy-implementation. ► Policy-making emerges from the executive not parliament. (Ministers, civil servants, & members of the policy communities work through informal ties) ► EU authority has had a major impact (more than 80% of the rules governing economic life in Britain are determined by the EU). ► How are the UK-EU relations going to develop?