Jan 15 – Comp Gov

Agenda:• Voting Policies Discussion

• Political Parties• Group Work• Presentation

• Notes: • Bureaucracy• Cleavages and the

Creation of Parties

Take Out:• Pen/Pencil• Notebook• Work from Yesterday

Homework:• Read and annotate articles

Which is More Democratic?• First Past the Post• Single Transferrable Vote• Alternative Vote

What political cleavages exist in the UK?

Parties are the vehicle between the people and the state. - How did the creation of the parties address these

cleavages? - How does economic change impact parties? - How does gradual democratization change who

holds power?

Cleavages Political Parties• First Cleavage – Rich vs. Poor

• Poor are poor – don’t matter, don’t vote• Rich who support monarchy vs. rich who oppose

• Division under Charles II (late 1600’s)• Support Monarch (Tories) AKA “Irish Catholic Bandits”

• The Conservative party• Noblesse Oblige – elite rule while accounting for all

• Oppose Monarch (Whigs) AKA “Scottish Presbyterian Rebels”• The Liberal Party• Began to incorporate the commercial class

• Allowed democracy to evolve without revolution• Economy shifts from feudal to colonial mercantilism

Industrialism leads to change and reform…

• The Industrial Revolution shifted economic power from landowners to men of commerce and industry• Demanded that the system respond to the people

•Great Reform Act of 1832: About 300,000 men gained right to vote, House of Commons gained more power in relation to House of Lords•Reform Act of 1867: electorate reaches 3 million, many working class people allowed to vote•Representation of the People Act of 1884: electorate is further expanded to make sure that majority of electorate is working class•Women’s Suffrage: all women over the age of 28 and all men over 21 granted the right to vote in 1918. By 1928, all women over 21 allowed to vote.

Catalyst: Industrialism• Tories and Liberal Party (not known as Whigs anymore)

still exist during Industrialization• The Labor Party emerges by WWI

• Coincides with the trade unions• Represents the working class• Desire basic social services for citizens• Support a welfare state

Catalyst: WWII• War brings need for economic health

• Prior rto war – laissez faire economy• Wars inspired more state control

• 1918 – Labor Platform – Clause IV • “to secure for the workers by hand or brain the full fruits of their

industry…upon the basis of common ownership of the means of production, distributions, and exchange”

• Tories still exist• Liberal party dissolves into/because of Labor• Labor wins support in Parliament

• Create the welfare state• Nationalize coal, utilities, rail roads, healthcare

1945 - 1979 • CATALYST FOR CHANGE: • 1960s disillusionment

• Decrease in industrial production• decline in international influence• loss of colonies

• Economic hardships of 1970s • OPEC – raise prices• Major recession

• High unemployment• Drop in GDP• Inflation • Strikes• Fewer workers in blue-collar jobs.

• Collectivist Consensus• Major parties all accepted and

were committed to full employment, social services, and government intervention

• “Womb to tomb coverage”

• Labor held the party line• Tories revise party priorities:

• Support for free market economy• Decreasing support for labor

unions• Increased violence in Northern

Ireland

1970’s• Labour became more conservative, and split into

“Moderate” and “Radical” factions• Moderates held initial party line• Radicals called for shifts in power to favor the working class, social

contracts with the government, and extensions of public ownership• Trade unions became increasingly frustrated with “their” party• Labour Party encouraged wage restraints and trade union

concessions. • Tories (Conservatives) move right

• Push for a pure market economy• Liberal parties emerge (centrist)

• Trying to split the divide between Labor and Conservatives• Nationalist parties gain support

Rise of the Iron Lady• 1970’s see the rise of Margaret Thatcher• Elected MP in 1959• 1975-1990 – Conservative Party Leader• 1979-1990 – PM• Blamed Britain’s decline on its softness (too many on the dole)

• retreated from the welfare state• Wanted to:

• lower taxes, cut spending on social services and some privatization • Allowed aging firms to go bankrupt & confront unions during strikes

• Instituted poll tax to move local governments’ tax burden from property owners to all citizens

• Introduced “Workfare” instead of “Welfare”• Selling council houses – British public housing – to tenants (big electoral payoff)• Conservatives and Thatcher swept to power• Trade Union ties to Labour strained• Keynesian Welfare state discredited

1980’s & 1990’s• 1988 – The Liberal Party and the Social Democrats officially merge

to form the Liberal Democratic Party• Become the major third party

• NEW LABOR – becomes a party of MODERATION• Weaken trade unions• Abandon commitment to socialism• Accept more limited social expenditures and privatization.• Free-market policies with constitutional reform = “Third Way” politics• Devolution

• LibDems and Conservatives begin seeing eye to eye• Individual freedom and weak state • Emphasis on collective equality• European integration• Opponents of war in Iraq• Want increased taxation and social spending at times