Political system of the uk
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outline
British Political System
Political life
The Monarchy
The Government
The Parliament
Elections
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Content1.The public attitude
to politics2.The style of
democracy3.The constitution4.The style of politics5.The party system
Political life
The Monarchy
The Government
The Parliament
Elections
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Public attitude to politics
However
1st rule in politicNEVER BELIEVE ANYTHING
UNTIL IT’S BEEN OFFICIALLY DENIED
Are unknown
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Style of democracy Have high respect for the law
• Little systematic law breaking by large number • Not evading taxation Comparatively unenthusiastic about
making new laws• Best to do without them• Few rules and regulations in many aspects (for Government and individuals)
Relationship between Individual and the State Both should leave each other alone
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Style of democracyIndividual Government
Not breaking the law and paying taxes
Not having to vote at elections
Not having to register their change of address when moving houses
Having less participation by ordinary citizens in governing and law making No concept of “By the people”
Not having to ask the people for a change in law
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Style of democracy
People choose who is to govern the country and let
them get on with it
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The constitution
Is a constitutional monarchy – governed by a King or Queen– accepts the advice of Parliament
How
ever
Doesn’t have a “constitution” at all
No written law:- Says anything about who can be the MP and what his powers and duties are- asserts people’s rights
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The style of politics Political life is still influenced by the traditional British respect for privacy and love of informality
Comparatively informal Important decisions are to be taken at lunch, over dinner, or in chance encounters in the corridors of power
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The party system
A two – party system
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The party system
The party that wins the majority of seat forms the Gov. and its leaders (= MPs)
The parties choose candidates in elections (independent candidates are rarely elected)
The largest minority party = opposition (criticize the party running the country )
Without agreement between the political parties, the British parliamentary system would break down
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1.The appearance2.The reality3.The role of the monarch4.The value of the monarch5.The future of the monarch
outlinePolitical
life
The Monarchy
The Government
The Parliament
Elections
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The appearanceIn written law, the Queen has absolute power to: Choose the Prime Minister Dismiss ministers and governments Dissolve Parliament Refuse to agree to legislation passed by Parliament Dismiss the governments of other countries of which she is monarch Embody the law in the courts Can do nothing that is legally wrong
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When she opens Parliament each year, the speech she makes has been written for her
• she makes no secret of the fact• She reads word for word• She might ask the Gov. minister to
change the wording
In reality: Different Can’t choose anyone she likes to be P.M P.M decides the other government ministers P.M requests a dissolution of Gov. The Royal assent to a bill passed by Parliament is automatic
The reality
The Queen has almost no power at all
Can’t stop the Gov. going ahead with any of its politics
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The Role of the monarch
Symbol of government
A final check on
a Gov
Ceremonial duties
The Monarch can refuse the royal assent for a bill to
become law and the
request of a dissolutionof Parliament
People can be as critical as they like about the real Gov without being accused of being
unpatriotic
The real G has more time to get on with the actual job
of running the country
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The Value of the monarch
Important to the economy
Popular with the majority of the British peopleMake up for the lack of colour and ceremony A source of entertainment
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Future of the monarchy
• Not a burning political issue• The Q= popular• Prestige of Royal family has lowered due to various marital problems
Changing Guard at Windsor Castle
Future of royal style a little grand,
a little less distant
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1.The Government Structure2.Collective Responsibility3.The cabinet4.The Prime Minister5.The civil service6.Central and local government
outline
Political life
The Monarchy
The Government
The Parliament
Elections
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Government structure
• The Government includes:– The Prime Minister: most powerful– 20 MPs:
• Heads of the Gov. Departments (Minister of...)
• Belong to the same political party• Appointed by the monarch (on the advice of
the PM) but are accountable to Parliament• Take on various responsibilities of managing
Parliament but have COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY
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Collective responsibility
All share the responsibilities for every
policy made by Government
No member of the Gov. can
criticize Gov. policy in public or
must resign to do so
Having different opinions, they must keep these private
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The Cabinet
• Which?• Who?• Where
? • When?• What?• How?
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The Cabinet
Which?
Who?
Where?
The committee at the centre of the British political system and is the supreme decision-making body in government
Prime Minister and all Ministers in the governing party
In the Cabinet room in
Downing Street
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Take decisions about new
policies, the implementation
of existing policies and
the running of the various
Gov. Departments
The Cabinet
When?
What?
How?
Traditionally Thursday,
now Tuesday morning
- Cabinet meetings are confidential - The PM chairs the meeting-Who says what is secret- Reports are made and circulated to Gov. Depart.-Gov. Depart. summarizes the topic discussed and decisions taken
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The Prime Minister
Has a great deal of power in reality– Appoints the cabinet and change his
cabinet– Makes final decisions on major issues – Decides the agenda for cabinet meetings
which he also chairs – Dissolve Parliament
Has the power of public image
the leader of his party in the House of Commons
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The civil service
Helps run the Government day-to day and implement policies
Remains though Governments come and go
Knows the secrets of previous Gov which the present minister is unaware of
Is reputed for absolute impartiality Top civil servants exercise quite a lot of
control over their ministers
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The civil service
Unknown to the larger publicIs a career
get a high salary have absolute job security stand a good chance of being
awarded an official honour
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Its efficiency
The civil service
Criticism
- Doesn’t have enough expertise in matters such as economics or technology- Lives in its closed world, cut off from the corners of most people in society
• From the same narrow section of society– Have been to a public school and
then Oxford and Cambridge– Studied history and classical
languages
Solutions
Ministers have their own political advisers working
alongside with their civil servants
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Central and local government
Local Government has similar system of national Government– Elected representatives = councilors ≈
MPs– Meet in council chamber in the Town
Hall or County Hall ≈ Parliament– Make policy implemented by local
Government officers ≈ Civil Servants
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Central and local government
Local Government authorities (= councils) only have powers given by the Central Government
Most people have far more direct dealings with local Gov.– Manage nearly all public services– Employ 3 times as many people
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1.The House of Lords2.House of Commons3.The Atmosphere of Parliament4.The Stages of legislation5.Parliamentary business6.MP’s way of working7.MP’s life
outlinePolitical
life
The Monarchy
The Government
The Parliament
Elections
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- Committee rooms- Restaurants- Bars- Libraries- Some places of residence- 2 larger rooms:
- House of Lords- House of Commons
Parliament Like parliament in other
western democracies:– Make new laws– Give authority for the Government to raise
and spend money– Keep a close eye on Government activities
and discuss these activities
Activities
Place of working offices
Palace of Westminster
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House of lords
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House of lords• The upper chamber• No fixed number of members, now 747
– Historically most members = hereditary peers undemocratic Labour Government abolished the right of all Now 92
– Almost all = life peers = no fixed number but the current one is 629 (senior politicians + distinguished figures)
– The rest = 26 Archbishops and Bishops of the Church of England.
• Its main job is to 'double check' new laws, but not on Money Bills
• Is a forum for public discussion
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House of commons
• The lower chamber • Chaired by the Speaker• Currently 646 seats, each seat =
geographical constituency (60,000 rural– 80,000 urban voters)
• Sits most days of the week for about half of the weeks of the year
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House of commons Design and layout US House of British
House Representatives of
Commons
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Facing each other
Government benches Opposition benches
Speaker chairs the debate between two rows
• Either For or Against (No opportunity for a reflection of all various shades of political opinions)• Encourage confrontation between Gov and opposition• Reinforce the reality of the British two-party system
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MPs speak in a conversational
tone and don’t normally speak
for long
MPs are encouraged to co-operate
House of commonsOther features
1. Has no front2. Has no desks for MPs3. Is small
Creates fairly informal atmosphere
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The atmosphere of parliament
MPs are forbidden to address one another directly or use personal names• All remarks and questions must go
“through the chair”• Use “the honourable Member of
Winchester” or “my right honourable friend”
Take the “heat” out of debate and decrease the possibility that violence may break down
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The Stages of legislation
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Parliamentary business• Much of the work is done in Committees (not
on the floor of the chamber)– Select Committees: lifetime of a Parliament;
conduct investigations, and issue reports – General Committees: temporary bodies;
examine the detail of a particular piece of legislation and consider amendments to the Bill
• MPs have to vote for or against by walking through one of 2 corridors at the side of the house (page 91)– Aye: agree– No: disagree
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Parliamentary business
• Prime Minister's Question Time on any subject for 30 minutes every Wednesday
• Easy accessibility for the press • There are also permanent committees
to investigate the activities of government in particular field– include 40 members– have power to call certain people such as
civil servants to come and answer their questions
The committees are becoming a more and more important part of the business of the Commons
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MPs nearly vote the way that their party tells them to do
WHIP• Each of the 2 major parties has several
MPs who perform this role• Those make sure MPs do this by
informing all MPs in their party how they should vote
MP’s way of working
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MP’s life• Traditionally, MPs weren’t supposed to be
specialist politiciansshould be ordinary peopleideally come from all walks of life
• MPs weren’t paid until early 20th
supposed to do a public service, not making a career
only rich people could afford to be MPs
• MPs have incredibly poor facilities: sharewith at least more than 2 MPs
an officea secretary
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MP’s life
Politics in Britain in the last 40 years has become professional Most MPs = full-time politicians
and do another part-time job (if at all)
Spend more time at work than any other professional in the country
However
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MP’s life
• Mornings are taken up with committee work, research, preparing speeches and dealing with the problems of constituents
• Afternoons = meetings in the house• Weekends are not free:
– Visit their constituencies– Listen to the problems of anybody who
wants to see them
A busy life
So busy that they have little time for • pursuing another career• for families (higher rate of divorce)
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The system• The electoral system used in Britain doesn’t
seem to add up The “first-past- the-post” system E.g.: General Election in May 2005
- Labour party = 355 seats- Conservative Party = 198 seats- Liberal Democrat Party = 62 seats- Other small parties= 31
• Nearly everybody votes for a candidate on the basis of the party (s)he represents, not on the qualities or political opinions of the candidate
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Voters
• Voters can choose only one candidate; otherwise, the ballot paper is “spoiled” and not counted
• Voters ≥ 18 years old and on the electoral register H
ow
ever Nobody is obliged to vote
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Time for New Election
• It is the Government which decides when to hold an election
• An election has to take place at least every five years
usually shorter
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The campaign
– Local newspapers give coverage to the candidates
– Candidates hold meetings– Party supporters stick up posters in
their windows– Local party workers spend their time
canvassing
Comparativelyquiet affairs
no large rallies or parades like in USA
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the campaign
Limited amount of money have to submit detailed
accounts for their expenses for inspection
Any attempt to influence voters improperly is outlawed
Strict regulations on the campaign
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the real campaign
• Takes place at a national level• The parties spend millions of pounds
advertising on hoardings and newspapers
• They don’t buy time on TV= USA but given a number of strictly timed “party election broadcasts”
• Each party also holds a daily televised news conference
Emphasis is on the national party personalities rather than local candidates
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Process of Election
The country is divided into a number of areas of roughly equal population = constituencies
Anyone wishing to become an MP must declare himself belonging to one of these constituencies (after depositing £500 with the Returning Officer)
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Process of election
The date of general election (polling day) is fixed
- always on Thursday- not a public holiday
On polling day, voters go to polling stations and put a cross next to the name of one candidate on a ballot paper
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Process of election
After the polls close, the marked ballot papers are taken to a central place in the constituency and counted
The Returning officer makes a public announcement for the votes cast for each candidate and declares the winner to be the MP for the constituency
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At the election night, TV start their programmes
By midnight, experts will be making predictions about the composition of the newly elected House of Commons
By 2 in the morning, ≥ ½ of the constituencies will have declared their results.
Process of election
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validity of election
Candidates are entitled to demand as many recounts as they want until the result is beyond doubt
Fairly conducted
ExceptionIn Northern Ireland
“Vote early, vote often”
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By- electionWhenever a sitting MP can no longer fulfill his duties, there has to be a special new election
in the constituency which he represents
No system of ready substitutes
By elections can take place
at any time
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Suggestions for further reading
1. Conservative party and labour party – which is better for the British
2. Stages of legislation: how a bill becomes law
3. British judiciary system4. British general election