Britain

History—settling and invading populations

• Settled by Celts• Roman invasions, then Angles and Saxons• 1066 Conquered by Dukes from North of

France

History—first limitations on king’s powers

• 1215 Nobles force the concessions in Magna Carta

Age of Absolutism

• Henry VIII and daughter Elizabeth cow opposition

Reaction against (Catholic) Absolutism

• 1640-60 Civil War and rule by Republic—giving way to protectorate under Cromwell

• Then restoration • 1688 Glorious Revolution• Bill of rights

Imperial Conquests and naval superiority

Territory--Wales

• Annexed in 15th century• Since 1998 devolved a Welsh Assembly with

limited powers

Territory--Ireland• Conquered by Cromwell• Independent in 1920—except mostly

protestant northern Counties• “The troubles”• 1998 Good Friday Agreement

Territory--Scotland

• 1707 United with England• 1998 granted its own parliament and some

powers of taxation

Decolonization

• First US, Ireland, then India and all

Parties—early history

• Maybe invented parties in 1600s—Tories and Whigs

• In 19th C, became mass parties—eventually Tories and Labor

• Essentially two party system—single member districts—”constituencies”

Parliament

• House of Commons• 646 Constituencies for (max) 5 year terms• No confidence vote or call for early elections

• House of Lords• Power to delay• Phasing out inherited peers

Parliamentary and Cabinet govt

• Leader of largest party becomes PM• Either alone, or in coalition forms the govt• Chooses fellow ministers—pment has no say• “backbenchers”• “fusion of powers”• Shadow government• “question time”

Monarchy

• “Invites” leader of winning party to form a govt, and disbands Parliament for elections.

• Assents to legislation• Politically “neutral”• popular

Constitution

• Almost unique among democracies for having no “written” constitution

• Consists of laws, judicial decisions, customs• Even experts disagree what is in it

Judiciary

• No judicial review• But European Court of Human Rights can

invalidate British laws and court decisions• Beginning 2009 a Supreme Court of Great

Britain will take over from house of Lords as highest court of appeal

Class—upper, middle, working

• Especially distinct—work, language, customs, education, religion, politics

• Becoming more fluid—eroding manufacturing sector, expanding services, immigration and multiculturalism

Why nationalization?

• Great Depression showed irrationality of free market

• Some projects are too big with too distant a pay-off for private business to undertake

• Manage business and profit for society as a whole, not just the capitalist owners

Post-war econ management consensus

• Keynes over Hayek• Allow some inflation to combat

unemployment

Winters of Discontent

• In the 70s, oil crises and:• High inflation• High taxation• Constant strikes• Low growth• Talk of emigration

Falling govts

• Neither Tory nor Labor parties were able to bring order

• Heath’s “U-turn”

The Revolution

• Thatcher runs for leadership• Rejects Keynes • Rejects goal of equality• Entrepreneur the true backbone of society• Economy for the consumer, not the producer• Wins general election in 1979

The fight begins

• Cuts back on govt spending• Extremely unpopular—but no “u-turn”• 1982 Falklands War• Wins re-election

Round 2

• 1984 Orders unprofitable coal mines closed• Refuses to negotiate with strikers• Breaks the strike

Round 3

• “New Steps”—”reinventing government”• Begins selling off nationalized industries

—”privatization”• British Telecom, Steel, Air, Rail, utilities,

airports, etc• “share-holder society”

Reflection

• Greater efficiency• Eventually relatively low unemployment and

higher growth• Society of individuals • Inequality

Modern Parties

• Labor victory in 1945 brings welfare state• After malaise of 1970s, Thatcher pushes party to the

right• Labor at first responds by turning more to the left,

but then moves to the center• When Tony Blair becomes leader, successfully

rewrites Clause 4 of the parties 1918 constitution—abandons commitment to socialism for New Labor’s “Third Way”

• New consensus—elections more about competence

And Europe

• Conservative Party is largely split on further integration

• UK “opted-out” of Europe’s social legislation and common currency

European Parliament

• UK uses party list system for EU elections• In 2004, leading vote getters were Tories,

Labor, UKIP, . . .

London--congestion pricing

• Cars pay to enter downtown London• Reducing congestion—but still controversial