Great Britain

Governance, Policy Making, Political Participation

Understanding the GeographyStatistics

•Size:•2/3 the size of Japan•½ the size of France

•Population: •60.4 million

•Current Monarchs:•Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Albert

•Current Prime Minister:•Gordon Brown (Labour)

Understanding the Geography• The British Isles:

1) Largest Isle:a) England, Scotland, Wales

2) Second Largest Islea) Northern Ireland, Independent Republic of Ireland

• Great Britain– England, Scotland, & Wales

• United Kingdom– Great Britain &– Northern Ireland

Governance and Policy-MakingEngland’s Constitution

• Britain lacks a single, unified, authoritative Constitution

• Magna Carta (1215)– The great charter of liberty, signed by King John, which

proved to be the foundation of personal rights and freedoms now enjoyed in the UK and the US.

• Petition of Right (1628)– Important document setting out the rights and liberties of

the common English subject.

• Bill of Rights (1689)– The document confirming the principles of "The Glorious

Revolution" of 1688, including free speech, parliamentary supremacy and Protestant succession

Governance and Policy-MakingOrganization of the State

1) Unitary Statea) Unlike our Federalist Systemb) No powers are reserved for the sub-central units of

Governmenti. Blair did create a quasi-Federal System

i. Specific powers have been given to legislative bodies in Scotland, Wales, and North Ireland

ii. Some powers redistributed to London from Westminster

2) Constitutional Monarchya) Sovereignty lies with “Queen-in-Parliament”b) Head of State passes by hereditary succession

but

c) Government and state officials must exercise nearly all powers of the crown

Governance and Policy-MakingOrganization of the State

3) Parliamentary Sovereigntya) Parliament can make or overturn any law• The executive, judiciary, and throne do not have any

authority to restrict or rescind parliamentary action

4) Parliamentary Democracya) The prime minister is answerable to the House of

Commons • Elected and dismissed by it as well

The Crown

The Royal Family

• The Queen is Head of State of the UK and 15 other Commonwealth realms.

• The elder daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, she was born in 1926 and became Queen at the age of 25, and has reigned through more than five decades of enormous social change and development.

• The Queen is married to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and has four children and eight grandchildren.

• The Queen is supported in her official duties by other working members of the Royal Family who carry out a wide range of public engagements.

The Royal Family• The succession to the throne is regulated

not only through descent, but also by Parliamentary statute. The order of succession is the sequence of members of the Royal Family in the order in which they stand in line to the throne.

• The basis for the succession was determined in the constitutional developments of the seventeenth century, which culminated in the Bill of Rights (1689) and the Act of Settlement (1701).

• The succession to the throne is regulated not only through descent, but also by statute; the Act of Settlement confirmed that it was for Parliament to determine the title to the throne

• It therefore came to be established not only that the Sovereign rules through Parliament, but that the succession to the throne can be regulated by Parliament, and that a Sovereign can be deprived of his title through misgovernment.

Britain’s Political Parties

United Kingdom House of Commons Party Membership

United Kingdom House of Commons Party Membership

Conservative Party

• Dominant party between WWII and the late 1990s, holding majority in Parliament.

• Main party on the right-wing.• Pragmatic as opposed to ideological• Supported a market controlled economy,

privatization, and fewer social welfare programs under Margaret Thatcher in 1980s.

• Under Prime Minister John Major (1990-1997), movement towards center.

Conservative Party (Continued)• Characterized by Noblesse Oblige• Power centered in London• Party organization viewed as elitist• Leadership must now submit to annual elections• 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

Thatcherism• Rightist reforms instituted by Margaret Thatcher in 1980s

– Privatized business and industry– Cut back on social welfare programs– Strengthened national defense (staunch anti-communist)– Tough with labor unions in response to Labour Parties

distinct movement left, which had strengthened labor unions politically

– Returned to market force controls on the economy– Resisted complete integration into the European Union– Replaced property tax on houses with a poll tax on individual

adults– Froze income tax increases– Foreign policy dominated by securing British interests

internationally

Liberal-Democratic Party• Alliance between the Liberal and Social Democratic Parties

during the 1980s.• Formally merged in 1989 into the Liberal Democratic party.• Attempted to create strong “in the middle” compromise to the

two dominant parties• Won a party high 26% of vote in 1983, but because of single-

member district plurality system only secured 23 seats in Parliament

• Campaigned for proportional representation and a U.S. style Bill of Rights.

• Secured only 62 MP seats in 2005 even though they won 22% of the popular vote. Remains very underrepresented.

• Managed to gain support in reference to their stance on issues such as health, education, the environment, and the Iraq War

Labour Party• Largest party on the “left” of political spectrum.• Began in 1906 as alliance between trade unions and

social groups , strengthened by expansion of workers’ rights.

• Traditionally, labor unions have provided majority of funds for the party.

• Early history of the party 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 long been a force in British politics.

• Removal of clause from Labour Party Constitution in early 1990s.

Labour Party in 1990s

• Shift in policies toward more moderated and centrist views.

• Originated with Neil Kinnock, party leader in the 1980s.

• Moderate-centrist views have continued under leadership of John Smith (1993-94) ,Tony Blair (1994-2007), and Gordon Brown (2007-present)

• Tony Blair adopted “Third Way” platform and created “New Labour” Party to attract middle class and intellectuals to the party.

Summary of Major Political Parties1) Labour Party-• Launched by trade union representatives and

socialist societies• Adopted a collectivist consensus• Divisions in trade unions over foreign policy• Moderate, left-of-center

2) Conservative Party-• Flexible and organized• Divided over Britain’s role in E.U.

3) Liberal Democrats-a) Critic of New Labourb) Centrist challenger

In the chart below, we look at the three largest UK parties and the positions that they've occupied on The Political Compass in recent years. We see that New Labour, for example, is actually significantly to the right of the pre-Thatcher Conservative Party. The change under Gordon Brown's leadership is one of style rather than substance, with the Blairite agenda

continuing in all but name. As the centre of political gravity moves generally rightwards, the Liberal Democrats, who have held the most consistent ground, now occupy similar economic

turf to the other parties, while maintaining a markedly greater concern for civil liberties. Although David Cameron is popularly perceived as "less right wing" than other recent Tory

leaders, his real difference is on the social rather than the economic scale.

•In 2008, we're hearing more than ever from politicians that 'right' and 'left' are no longer meaningful terms.

•To the contrary, they're as meaningful as ever, providing that it's understood that they're simply defining economic positions.

•However, with all the main parties embracing to a greater or lesser extent the prevailing neoliberal economic orthodoxy, it's increasingly difficult for them to define their economic differences.

The Legislature

The LegislatureParliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern

Ireland

Type

Type Bicameral

Houses House of Lords

House of Commons

Leadership

Lord Speaker Lady Hayman, PC (Non-affiliated)

since 4 May 2006

Speaker of the House of Commons

John Bercow MP, (Non-affiliated)

since 22 June 2009

Structure

Members 1,386740 Peers646 Members of Parliament (MPs)

Lords Political Groups Labour PartyConservative PartyCross Benchers Liberal Democrats Lords SpiritualUK Independence PartyNon-affiliated peers

House of Commons Political groups

Labour PartyConservative PartyLiberal DemocratsDemocratic Unionist Party Scottish National Party Plaid CymruSinn FéinSocial Democratic-Labour PartyUlster Unionist Party Respect – The Unity Coalition

The House of Commons• Lower House of Parliament• 646 Seats (next election- 650)• Chaired by the Speaker. – Non-political – The political parties do not contest the position held by the

Speaker. • Functions

1)To pass laws2)Provide finances for the state by authorizing taxation3)Review and scrutinize public administration and

governmental policy• Visible arena for policy debate

4)Limited Legislative Function• Since governing party had a majority, and requires no cross-party

voting to pass bills, Commons agrees to votes more than legislates

The House of Lords

The House of Lords• Powers:– Final court of appeal for civil cases throughout Britian– Final court of appeal for criminal cases through out

England, Wales, and North Ireland – Amend or delay legislation– Chamber of revision

• Re-draft legislation

• Reform of Lords– 1999- Blair appointed a Royal Commission on the reform

of the House– Introduced legislation to remove hereditary right of lords

to speak and vote.– Fate is still in flux

The Executive

The Executive

Margaret Thatcher(1979-1990)

John Major(1990-1997)

Tony Blair(1997-2007)

Gordon Brown(2007- )

The ExecutiveThe Prime Minister and Cabinet

1) Appointment of Prime Ministera) After election, crown invites the leader of the majority

party to form a government and serve as P.M.

2) Selection of Cabinet Membersa) P.M. has a high degree of control over the cabinet• However, must gain majority support to make decisions• P.M. is not independent of his/her cabinet

b) The P.M. selects approximately 22 ministers to constitute his cabinet• selected primarily from the elected members of House of

Commons, but also from the House of Lords• Only representatives and not public officers are directly elected in

the UK

The ExecutiveCabinet Government

• The Cabinet-is the ultimate decision-making body of the executive• The Cabinet is technically the executive committee of

Her Majesty's Privy Council– a historic body which has legislative, judicial and

executive functions, and whose large membership includes members of the Opposition.

a) Remain members of the legislature

b) Collectively responsible for all government policy.

c) Must publicly support the policy of the government• regardless of any private reservations

The ExecutiveCabinet Government

• Responsibilities:1) Responsibility for policy making

a) Decides the government's policy and tactical directionb) Formulate the policy to be placed before Parliament

2) Supreme Controlling body of the Executive Brancha) Shapes, directs, and takes responsibility for government

3) Coordination of all government departments1) serve as the head of one segment of the national bureaucracy2) Head civil servant to which all other employees in that department report.

4) Check on P.M.1) Only routine check on the P.M.

• Roles1) Loyal Followers2) Ideological Combatants3) Potential Challengers4) Advocates for pet projects

ComparisonForeign (U.K.)- State (U.S.)

Home (U.K.)- Office of Justice (U.S.)Exchequer (U.K.)- Treasury (U.S.)

Comparing ExecutivesPrime Minister of UK– 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

David Cameron’s Cabinet in 2011

The ExecutiveThe Shadow Cabinet Government

• The Shadow Cabinet (Shadow Front Bench)

• is a senior group of opposition spokespeople in the Westminster system of government

• under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition form an alternative cabinet to the government's.

o It’s members shadow or mark each individual member of the government. o Appointed to a Cabinet post if and when their party gets into government. o Pass criticism on the current government and its legislation

o offering alternative policies.

• Role:a) scrutinize their corresponding office holders in the government,

b) develop alternative policies

c) hold the government to account for its actions and responses

Policy Making

• Policy making & Policy Implementation– Not in Westminster in Whitehall• The administrative center of the U.K. Government

– Unlike the U.S., Parliament has little direct participation in policymaking

– Emerges primarily from the Executive • Policy Communities- informal networks with extensive

knowledge, access, and connections

(Note: 80% of Economic Policy is determined by the E.U.)

The Policy Making ProcessWhitehall

The Policy Making ProcessWhitehall

• England has two types of policy “makers”– Cabinet Member Coordinators – Civil Servants

1)Cabinet Member Coordinators – Permanent Secretaries

• Chief Administrators responsible for running a department• Has a deputy secretary, under secretary, private secretary, gatekeeper,

and liaison assistant• Answerable to Parliament

2)Civil Servants (New Public Management- NPMs)– Refine legislation– Assume operational duties– Not technically part of the government, not answerable to

Parliament

1) Ideas for prospective legislation may come from political parties, groups, P.M.’s political unit, or government departments.

2) Drafted by Civil Servants

3) Circulated in Whitehall

4) Approved by Cabinet

5) Refined by one of thirty lawyers in Parliament’s Counsel

Making a Bill

How A Bill Becomes A Law

• The main Bills to be considered are announced by the Queen – In a speech opening that year's session of

Parliament.

• All legislation has to be approved by both Houses of Parliament.

• Much of the work of Parliament is done in Committees rather than on the floor of the chamber.

Committees of the British Parliamentary System

• The House of Commons has two types of committee:

1) Select Committees • Appointed for the lifetime of a

Parliament• ‘Shadow' the work of a particular

Government Department, conduct investigations, receive written and oral evidence, and issue reports.

• Membership is made up only of backbenchers and reflects proportionately the balance of the parties in the Commons.

2) General Committees (previously known as Standing Committees) • Temporary bodies• Examine the detail of a particular

piece of proposed legislation and consider amendments to the Bill.

• The House of Lords

1) Only has Select Committees • (it does not need Standing

Committees because the details of Bills are considered on the floor of the chamber).

• Finally there are some Joint Committees of the Commons and the Lords.

1) First Reading –a) the Bill is introduced with simply a reading by a Minister of the long title of the Bill

• Printed, distributed, debated, in general terms

2) Second Reading – a) the general principles of the Bill are debated by all the members of the House and a formal

vote is taken

3) Committee Stage –a) Clauses plus amendments is examined in detail,

i. In the Commons by a small, specially chosen group of members meeting as Public Bill Committeeii. In the Lords by the members as a whole on the floor of the House

4) Report Stage – the changes made are reported to and debated by the whole House a) Which is invited to consider the Bill as a whole, approve the changes by the Committee, and

consider any further proposed changes that might be suggested

5) Third Reading – the final version of the Bill is considered by the whole House in a short debate

a) (in the Commons without the facility for further amendments)

6) Royal Assent - the Crown gives assent to the Bill which then becomes an act a) the provisions becoming law either immediately or at a date specificed

How A Bill Becomes A Law

Miscellaneous Legislative Facts

• Under normal circumstances, all these stages must be completed in both Houses in one session of Parliament; otherwise the process must begin all over again.

• Debates on most Bills are timetabled through a:1) Programme motion- (when Government and Opposition agree)2) ‘Guillotine' motion- or an allocation of time motion which is

popularly known as a (when Government and Opposition do not agree).

• The House of Lords has much more limited legislative powers than the House of Commons. – Money Bills can only be initiated in the Commons – Lords can only reject legislation from the Commons

• The Salisbury Convention – Lords can not block legislature in fulfillment of the election

manifesto of the elected Government.

• Industries of England are Nationalized

• Non-departmental Public Bodies– NDPBs are also known as quasi non-governmental

organizations (Quangos)• Administrative functions that have been transferred to bodies

that are part of the government (financed by), but operate separately from the ministers.

• Military and Police– Enjoy Populare support– Distanced from Politics

• Lately more controversial– Thatcher and Major used them to strengthen global

presence and political position

Public and Semi-Public Institutions

The Judiciary

THE U.K. Judiciary

Judicial branch in Britain• Due to the doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty, the court is limited in its

powers of judicial review. It cannot overturn any primary legislation made by Parliament.[3]

• Under section 4 of the Human Rights Act 1998, the court may make a declaration of incompatibility which means that it believes that the legislation subject to the declaration is incompatible with one of the rights of the European Convention on Human Rights .

• powers under section 10 of the act are triggered to allow ministers to amend the legislation by statutory instrument to remove the incompatibility

Miscellaneous Information

Interest Groups• Neo-corporatism- sometimes dominate the state• Greatest influence through quangos = policy advisory boards

appointed by the government• Between 1945-1980, business interests and trade union

organizations fiercely competed for influence over the policy-making process.

• Trades Union Congress (TUC) – represents coalition of unions, had great deal of political power at one time and government often consulted them on important policy decisions – traditionally aligned with Labour Party

• Confederation of Business Industries (CBI) – a coalition of business groups and private interests, usually supportive of the Conservative Party

Media

• British newspapers reflect social class divisions.• Divided between quality news that appeals to the

middle and upper classes, and mass circulation tabloids that target working and lower classes

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) – During collective consensus era, monopolized to educate citizens– Usually respectful of government officials– Had significant clash with Blair government in 2003-2004

over policies regarding the Iraq War. In 2004 Chairmain of BBC Board resigned.

Public Policy and Current Issues• The British government is trying to redefine and balance

these policy issues:– Liberalism regarding economics- evolving interaction

between government and the economy– British relationship with the European Union– Balancing special relationship with the United States – Terrorism and military deployments– Devolution– Constitutional reform – written documents