ParliamentParliament

Comparing LegislaturesComparing Legislatures

Westminster ModelWestminster Model

Democratic, parliamentary system Democratic, parliamentary system of governmentof government

Head of state, head of Head of state, head of government, fusion of legislative government, fusion of legislative and executive branches in and executive branches in parliament, opposition partiesparliament, opposition parties

Enables a government to be Enables a government to be defeated (vote of no confidence) defeated (vote of no confidence) and to be dissolvedand to be dissolved

The Houses of Parliament, also The Houses of Parliament, also known as the Palace of known as the Palace of Westminster, in LondonWestminster, in London

Westminster PalaceWestminster Palace

Prime MinisterPrime Minister

““First among equals”First among equals” MP MP leader of majority party leader of majority party Chooses cabinet ministersChooses cabinet ministers Makes decisions in cabinet, with Makes decisions in cabinet, with

agreement of ministersagreement of ministers– Shapes cabinet decisions into policy/lawShapes cabinet decisions into policy/law

Prime Minister David Prime Minister David CameronCameron

Deputy PM Nick CleggDeputy PM Nick Clegg

CabinetCabinet

P.M. and the cabinet are center of P.M. and the cabinet are center of policy-makingpolicy-making

Ministers usually leading members Ministers usually leading members of majority party in House of of majority party in House of CommonsCommons– Politicians, not policy expertsPoliticians, not policy experts

collective responsibilitycollective responsibility – all – all members of the cabinet publicly members of the cabinet publicly support every cabinet decision support every cabinet decision

Comparing ExecutivesComparing Executives

Prime Minister of UKPrime Minister of UK– Serves only as long as Serves only as long as

he/she remains leader of he/she remains leader of majority partymajority party

– Elected as MPElected as MP– Has an excellent chance Has an excellent chance

of getting his/her of getting his/her programs passed in programs passed in ParliamentParliament

– Cabinet members are Cabinet members are always MPs and leaders of always MPs and leaders of the majority partythe majority party

– Cabinet members not Cabinet members not experts in policy areas: experts in policy areas: rely on bureaucracy to rely on bureaucracy to provide expertiseprovide expertise

President of the USPresident of the US– Elected every four years Elected every four years

by an electoral college by an electoral college based on popular electionbased on popular election

– Elected as presidentElected as president– Has an excellent chance Has an excellent chance

of ending up in gridlock of ending up in gridlock with Congresswith Congress

– Cabinet members usually Cabinet members usually don’t come from don’t come from Congress (although they Congress (although they may)may)

– Some expertise in policy Some expertise in policy areas; one criteria for areas; one criteria for their appointment; head their appointment; head vast bureaucraciesvast bureaucracies

Westminster Palace - Westminster Palace - House of Commons House of Commons

House of CommonsHouse of Commons

650 MPs650 MPs Party that receives the plurality of Party that receives the plurality of

the votes becomes the Majority the votes becomes the Majority Party in Parliament, the party Party in Parliament, the party with the second most votes with the second most votes becomes the “becomes the “loyal oppositionloyal opposition””

House of Commons:House of Commons:Set-upSet-up House of Commons set-up with long House of Commons set-up with long

benches facing each otherbenches facing each other Prime Minister sits on front bench of Prime Minister sits on front bench of

majority side, directly in the middlemajority side, directly in the middle Directly across from the PM sits the Directly across from the PM sits the

leader of the “opposition” partyleader of the “opposition” party Between members of the majority Between members of the majority

and opposition parties is a long tableand opposition parties is a long table Cabinet members sit on the front Cabinet members sit on the front

rows of the majority party siderows of the majority party side

House of CommonsHouse of Commons

““Shadow CabinetShadow Cabinet” – influential ” – influential members of opposition partymembers of opposition party

Backbenchers Backbenchers – less influential – less influential members of both parties sit in members of both parties sit in rear benchesrear benches

House of Commons:House of Commons:DebateDebate ““Government” – consists of MPs in Government” – consists of MPs in

majority partymajority party Question Time/Question HourQuestion Time/Question Hour – the – the

hour PM and cabinet must defend hour PM and cabinet must defend themselves from questions from the themselves from questions from the opposition party and from within partyopposition party and from within party

House of Commons: House of Commons: Debate (cont’d)Debate (cont’d) Speaker of the House Speaker of the House – presides – presides

over the debates in Parliamentover the debates in Parliament– Speaker supposed to be objective Speaker supposed to be objective

(no party bias)(no party bias) Opposition party seen as the “check” Opposition party seen as the “check”

on the majority party within on the majority party within ParliamentParliament– Best utilized during times of debate Best utilized during times of debate

over policyover policy

Party DisciplineParty Discipline

If party members do not support their If party members do not support their party leadership, the “government” may party leadership, the “government” may fallfall

Vote of Confidence:Vote of Confidence:– Vote on a key issue within the partyVote on a key issue within the party– If the issue not supported, the cabinet by If the issue not supported, the cabinet by

tradition must resign immediately, and new tradition must resign immediately, and new elections for MPs must be held as soon as elections for MPs must be held as soon as possiblepossible

– Usually avoided by settling policy differences Usually avoided by settling policy differences within majority party membershipwithin majority party membership

Votes of No Confidence Votes of No Confidence very rarevery rare– If the party loses a vote of confidence, all MPs If the party loses a vote of confidence, all MPs

lose their jobs, so there is plenty of motivation lose their jobs, so there is plenty of motivation to vote the party lineto vote the party line

Labour’s Vote of No Labour’s Vote of No Confidence (1979)Confidence (1979) Vote on issue of devolution for Vote on issue of devolution for

ScotlandScotland Opposition leader Margaret Opposition leader Margaret

Thatcher put motion to a voteThatcher put motion to a vote Labour lost by one vote (311-310)Labour lost by one vote (311-310) Led to dissolution of government Led to dissolution of government

and new general electionand new general election Thatcher’s Conservatives won, Thatcher’s Conservatives won,

began 18 year long hold on began 18 year long hold on governmentgovernment

Blair’s Vote of Blair’s Vote of Confidence: The Higher Confidence: The Higher Education BillEducation Bill Vote of confidence took place in 2005Vote of confidence took place in 2005 Bill squeaked by with an approval vote Bill squeaked by with an approval vote

of 316 to 311of 316 to 311 The bill proposed raising university The bill proposed raising university

fees, a measure criticized not only by fees, a measure criticized not only by the opposition, but by outspoken MPs the opposition, but by outspoken MPs from the Labour Party as wellfrom the Labour Party as well

The vote narrowly allowed Blair’s The vote narrowly allowed Blair’s government to remain in control of the government to remain in control of the CommonsCommons

Westminster Palace - Westminster Palace - House of Lords House of Lords

House of LordsHouse of Lords

House of LordsHouse of Lords

Only hereditary/appointed parliamentary house Only hereditary/appointed parliamentary house in existence today (Lords are in existence today (Lords are unelectedunelected))– Hereditary peersHereditary peers: seats that have been : seats that have been

passed down through family ties over the passed down through family ties over the centuries (90)centuries (90)

– Life peersLife peers: people appointed as a result of : people appointed as a result of distinguished service to Britain (672)distinguished service to Britain (672)

– Lords SpiritualLords Spiritual:: senior bishops of the Church senior bishops of the Church of England (26)of England (26)

Lords have declined in authority over last 4 Lords have declined in authority over last 4 centuriescenturies

House of Lords: House of Lords: PowersPowers Since the beginning of the 20Since the beginning of the 20thth century the century the

House of Lords’ only powers are:House of Lords’ only powers are:– To delay legislationTo delay legislation– To debate To debate technicalitiestechnicalities of proposed of proposed

billsbills– May add amendments to legislation, but May add amendments to legislation, but

House of Commons may delete their House of Commons may delete their changes by a simple majority votechanges by a simple majority vote Bills can become law Bills can become law withoutwithout Lords’ Lords’

approvalapproval

Reforms to the House Reforms to the House of Lordsof Lords Supported by Blair’s “New Supported by Blair’s “New

Labour”Labour”– Wanted to remove hereditary peersWanted to remove hereditary peers

Now only 90Now only 90

Lords lost their judicial functions Lords lost their judicial functions upon the establishment of the upon the establishment of the Supreme Court in 2009Supreme Court in 2009

Judiciary BranchJudiciary Branch

Supreme Court established by Part Supreme Court established by Part 3 of the Constitutional Reform Act 3 of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 and started work in 20092005 and started work in 2009– Judicial review seen as violating the Judicial review seen as violating the

principle of principle of parliamentary parliamentary sovereigntysovereignty (parliament’s decisions (parliament’s decisions are final)are final)

So DOES NOT have this powerSo DOES NOT have this power

– Main role is court of appealsMain role is court of appeals

Judicial BranchJudicial Branch

Decisions of courts based on Decisions of courts based on common lawcommon law—use of legal —use of legal precedents to guide legal decisionsprecedents to guide legal decisions

British courts cannot impose their British courts cannot impose their rulings upon Parliament, the prime rulings upon Parliament, the prime minister, or the cabinetminister, or the cabinet

Power of judiciary more limited than in Power of judiciary more limited than in AmericaAmerica