comparative politics today: a world view

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Comparative Politics Today: A World View

Twelfth Edition

Chapter 7

Politics in Britain


United Kingdom

• United Kingdom created in 1801, merging England,

Scotland, Wales, Ireland

• Britain did not become a democracy overnight.– Evolution not revolution

– Democratization was a slow process

– Contrasts with the dominant European practice of switching between democratic

and undemocratic regimes


Current Policy Challenges

(1 of 2)

• General Election of 2015– The Conservative Party led by Prime Minister David Cameron won an absolute

majority of seats.

– Only 13 months later, Cameron resigned as prime minister after failing to

produce a majority vote in favor of the UK remaining in the United Kingdom.


Current Policy Challenges

(2 of 2)

• British Empire = Commonwealth– Antigua and Australia to India, Pakistan, Zambia differ in wealth, culture,

commitment to democracy.

• Special relationship with U.S.

• Britain’s world position has declined

• European Community (1957) – now EU– Britain did not join until 1973

– Created more policy challenges


The Legacy of History (1 of 2)

• 1940-44, Churchill: laid foundation for welfare state

• 1951-64, Churchill, Eden, MacMillan – Conservatives– maintained consensus on mixed economy welfare state – led to consumer

prosperity.

• 1964, Wilson – Labour

• 1970-74, Heath – Conservatives – Britain becomes member of European Community


The Legacy of History (2 of 2)

• 1979, Margaret Thatcher – Conservatives– Policies of free-market and privatization

– Thatcher never won more than 43% of total vote but division within other parties

helped her win

– replaced by John Major

• 1994, Tony Blair – Labour– 2nd longest serving prime minister of past century

– Successor – 2007 – Gordon Brown

• 2007, Gordon Brown

• 2010, David Cameron


The Environment of Politics

(1 of 2)

• One Crown but five nations– United Kingdom –

▪ England: no English State in international law

▪ Wales: ¼ speak Welch

▪ Scotland: separate legal, religious, educational institutions

▪ Northern Ireland: remainder of Ireland rebelled against Crown in 1916 and a

separate Irish state in Dublin in 1921


The Environment of Politics

(2 of 2)

• Unitary State: political system having one source of

authority, British Parliament

• UK is multinational state

• Historically, Scotland, Wales governed by British Cabinet

ministers accountable to Parliament.– Scotland/Wales (1999): responsibilities for policy given to local elected

assemblies

– Northern Ireland is most un-English part of UK

▪ formally a secular polity

▪ identity questions: Catholics and Protestants

▪ turmoil since 1968, IRA


A Multiracial Britain

• Worldwide British Empire was multiracial and so is

commonwealth.

• Response to terrorist attacks: – increase police powers

– restrictions on asylum seekers

– deportation made easier


The Structure of Government

(1 of 2)

• Crown rather than a constitution symbolizes the authority

of government.– Monarch only ceremonial head of state.

• What constitutes the Crown?– Government

– Government officials

– Whitehall

– Downing Street

– Parliament

– Collectively referred to as Westminster


Figure 7.1 Popular Influence Must Focus

on Westminster


The Structure of Government

(2 of 2)

– Unwritten constitution:

▪ Acts Of Parliament

▪ Judicial Pronouncements

▪ Customs and Conventions

▪ Few constraints in unwritten constitution:

–Vagueness makes it flexible

–Can be changed by majority vote in Parliament or by government

choosing to act in unprecedented manner

–English courts claim no power to declare act of Parliament

unconstitutional


What the Prime Minister Says

and Does

• Political Leader

• Ambiguous Duties

• Imperatives of the Prime Minister:– Winning elections

– Campaigning through the media

– Patronage

– Parliamentary performance

– Making and balancing policies


Figure 7.2 Long- and Short-Term Tenures at

Downing Street


Cabinet Ministers and Civil

Servants

• Cabinet is senior ministers appointed by prime minister

• Must be members of House of Commons or House of

Lords

• Remain important as department heads

• Major Whitehall departments differ greatly from each

other

• Political reputation of ministers depends on success in

promoting interests of their department in parliament, in

media, in battles within Whitehall


The Civil Service

• Largest number of civil servants are clerical staff with little

discretion

• Most important group of civil servants is smallest group– Advise ministers, oversee work of their departments

– Top civil servants are bipartisan, ready to work for whichever party is winner

– Thatcher: focus on making civil service more businesslike


The Role of Parliament (1 of 2)

• Principal division in Parliament is between party with

majority of seats in House of Commons and opposition

party

• If bill or motion is identified as vote of confidence in

government, government will fall if it is defeated

• MPs from majority party generally vote as party

leadership instructs

• Whitehall departments draft bills presented to Parliament

• Government rather than Parliament sets budget


The Role of Parliament (2 of 2)• Functions of MPs:

– weigh political reputations

– publicize issues

– scrutinize legislation

– examine how Whitehall departments administer public policies

– MPs in the governing party have private access to the government ministers

• House of Lords– Unique as second chamber because initially composed of hereditary peers

– 1999: Labour abolished right of all but 92 hereditary peers to sit in House of

Lords

– Government often introduces noncontroversial legislation in Lords if it deals with

technical matters

– Uses Lords as revising chamber to amend bills

– Lords cannot veto legislation, but can amend or delay passage of government

bills


The Courts and Abuses of Power

• Supreme Court created as highest judicial authority, 2009

• Replaced old practice of highest court being committee of

House of Lords

• Court consists of president and 11 justices

• Serves as final appeal on points of law

• Limited powers, cannot declare Acts of Parliament

unconstitutional


Government as a Coalition

• Within Whitehall network, core set of political figures are

important in determining policies– Prime Minister

– Cabinet Ministers

– In coalition government major decisions cannot be made by single politician


Political Culture and Legitimacy

(1 of 2)

• Trusteeship Theory of Government: leaders take initiative

• Collectivist Theory of Government: government balances

competing demands

• Individualist Theory of Government: parties represent

people not groups


Political Culture and Legitimacy

(2 of 2)

• Evidenced by readiness of British people to comply with

basic political laws

• Not related to economic calculations

• Symbols of common past as major determinants of

legitimacy

• Habit and tradition


Figure 7.3 Politicians Least Trusted

Social Group


Political Socialization and

Participation (1 of 2)

• Socialization influences the division between those who

do and do not participate– Family and Gender: create youthful identification with party

– Education: more educated not as likely to be conservative as once were

– Class: Conservative = middle class, Labour = working class

– Mass Media: only a few papers, TV is primary source of news


Figure 7.4 Participation in Politics


Political Socialization and

Participation (2 of 2)

• Voting: competitive elections bring higher turnout

• Sign Petitions

• Contact Politicians

• Party Volunteers


Political Recruitment

• Important political roles: – Cabinet minister

– higher civil servant

– partisan advisers

– intermittent public persons

• Each group has own recruitment pattern

• Starting early on political career necessary for success

• Geography – career will be spent in London


Organizing Group Interests

• Civil society institutions flourished in Britain for centuries– Confederation of British Industries: big business, direct contacts with Whitehall

– Trades Union Congress: labour

– Voluntary/Charitable Associations


What Interest Groups Want

• Most interest groups pursue three goals:– sympathetic administration of established policies

– information about government policies and changes in policies

– influence on policymaking

• Insider Interest Groups: have values in harmony with all

parties

• Outsider Interest Groups: demands are inconsistent with

party in power– Keeping Interest Groups at a Distance: less reliance on negotiations with groups

and more on authority of Crown


Party System and Electoral

Choice

• General election must occur at least once every five

years

• Prime minister is free to call election any time

• Winner is candidate who is first past the post (plurality)

• Winner nationally is party that gains most seats

• Two party system vs. multiparty system

• Distribution of seats in House of Commons different from

distribution of share of votes


Figure 7.5 Ups and Downs of

Electoral Fortunes of Parties


Figure 7.6 Parties’ MPs and Share of

Votes


Centralized Authority and

Decentralized Delivery (1 of 4)

• Unitary state, political authority is centralized– Decisions are binding on public agencies through Acts of Parliament and

regulations

– Treasury must authorize expenditures before bill can be put to Parliament

– Minister must pilot bill through Parliament

– Minister may also negotiate agreement with public agencies outside and with

affected interest groups


• Devolution to Elected Officials:– Local government is subordinate to central government

– Scotland and Wales to representative assemblies

– Local council elections fought on party lines

• Local government divided into two tiers of county, district

councils, each with responsibility for local services

• Central government grants are largest source of local

government revenue




• Non-elected Institutions:– Executive agencies

– National Health Service (NHS)

– Quasi-Autonomous Nongovernmental Organizations

▪ Advisory Committees

▪ Administrative Tribunals

• From Trust to Contract:– Civil service has relied on trust in delivering policies

– Government buying from private sector




• Turning to the Market– Privatization

• The Contingency of Influence:– Theory of British government is centralist

– All roads lead to Downing Street

– Influence varies with problem




Policy Performance

• Government relies on three major resources to produce

benefits of public policy: – Laws – unique resource of government; contracts are only effective if enforced

– Money – taxes on incomes and consumption and stealth taxes

– Personnel – public employees are needed to administer laws and deliver

services

– Social Security most costly program of British government


Figure 7.7 Slicing the Budget Pie


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