The United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Northern
Ireland
Where Big Ben is the only thing
marking forward progress
Summary of Britain’s
Significance
Firstcountry with a limited monarchy
Early 20th century, undoubtedly the
world’s greatest superpower
Empire is lost, but still retains global
significance and influence
Part of EU, yet not fully embracing
being “European”
Sovereignty, Authority, and
Power
Sources
– Long, very gradual tradition
(gradualism)
Original belief in Divine Right of a family to
rule gave monarchs power over people
– Constitutionalism
No written constitution, but a long series of
compacts and acts of Parliament has formed
an understood “Constitution of the Crown”
Components of British
“Constitution”
Rational-Legal Authority
– Magna Carta (1215) – limited power of
the monarch, guaranteed trial by jury,
consent of Parliament to raise taxes
– The Bill of Rights (1688) – expanded
policymaking power of Parliament
relative to the crown
– Common Law – (opposite of code law)
customs and precedent have strong
bearing on the law in addition to written
rules
Historical Evolution of Political
Traditions
The monarchy – once powerful, then
limited, now much less powerful and
mostly ceremonial
Oh, woe is
me!
Historical Evolution of Political
Traditions
The monarchy – once powerful, then
limited, now much less powerful and
ceremonial (still head of state)
The Parliament
– English Civil War (1640)
– Glorious Revolution (1688)
– Prime Minister becomes firm Chief Executive in
the 18th Century (head of government)
Challenges of the Industrial Revolution (18th
and 19th Century)
Diminishing Empire in the 20th and 21st
Century
– Strong welfare state became a burden, led to
backlash of “Thatcherism”
Political Culture
Geography
– Island
– Small - Little fertile soil and short growing
seasons
– Temperate climate, but cold, chilly, and
rainy
– No major geographical barriers
Nationalism – great deal of pride in being
“English”, or “Scottish”, or “Welsh”
Insularity – feeling of separation from the
rest of Europe
Political Culture
Cleavages
– Social Class
Not as strong as in the past, but still very
significant
This photo was taken outside of Lord’s cricket
grounds in 1937, and came to symbolize the
class divide in England
Political Culture
Cleavages
– Social Class
Not as strong as in the past, but still very
significant
Noblesse Oblige – a term for the upper
classes’ willingness to embrace the welfare
state and support the poor
– Formerly duty of lords to care for serfs
– Multi-Nationalism
Lots of cultural homogeneity, but there are
Scots, English, Welsh, Irish, Protestant, and
Catholic living together and insisting on
some local sovereignty
Political Culture
Cleavages
– Ethnic Minorities (comprise less than
10% of British population)
Largest group is Indian
Largely young, becoming increasingly
Muslim
Tight restrictions on immigration imposed by
Thatcher kept in place by Labour Party
Many reports of unequal treatment by
police, most minorities are disaffected and
unemployed
Poorly integrated into British society
Institutions
Linkage Institutions – provide people
with a connection to government and
the political process
– Political Parties
Originally Liberal (Whigs) vs. Conservative
(Tories)
Emergence of voting rights for commoners
gave rise to Labour vs. Conservative (still
Tories)
Liberal Democrats emerged as a third party to
compromise between Thatcher Conservatives
on the right and Labour on the Left
– Undermined by Blair’s “New Labour” movement
Ed Miliband
David Cameron
Nick Clegg
Institutions
Linkage Institutions – provide people
with a connection to government and
the political process
– Elections
650 constituencies each elect an MP (Member
of Parliament)
– Party leaders run in “safe” constituencies, MPs
often aren’t from their district
Winner-take-all, “First-Past-The-Post” – only
winner gets to take office
Plurality – no majority necessary
Party with Parliamentary majority chooses the
Prime Minister, who “forms a government”
Institutions
Linkage Institutions – provide people
with a connection to government and
the political process
– Regional Elections
Devolution – Blair policy under Good Friday
Agreement allowing regional parliaments to
exercise some local authority
Proportional representation in Northern
Ireland, Scotland, and Wales respective
parliaments
Mayor of London is now directly elected for
the first time
Institutions
Linkage Institutions – provide people
with a connection to government and
the political process
– Interest Groups
Pluralist system with some patterns of neo-
corporatism
– Quangos – quasi autonomous non gov.
agencies- act as interest advocates and
policy advisors in many cases, fusing the
relationship between interest group and
state
Institutions
Linkage Institutions – provide people
with a connection to government and
the political process
– Media
Available media outlets reflect social
class divisions in readership/viewership
BBC was created during the collectivist
era to educate citizens on politics
Heavily regulated by government (ex. –
no ads can be purchased for parties or
candidates)
Institutions
State Institutions
– Unitary state, power
concentrated in
London, devolved to
regional parliaments
in 1997
No “separation of
powers” in central
government
Institutions
Cabinet and Prime
Minister, The Executive
– Cabinet members are
MPs chosen by Prime
Minister, who is “first
among equals”
– Collective responsibility
– cabinet members all
share policy
responsibility, and
members resign if they
do not support decisions
of the PM
Institutions
Parliament, The Legislature
– House of Commons, the “Lower House”
Holds all meaningful power in Britain
Majority party chooses PM, makes all policy
Minority becomes “loyal opposition”, sitting
directly across the aisle during debate
– Shadow Cabinet – group of minority party
MPs who would be in cabinet if they were
the majority
– Backbenchers – MPs who are less
influential sit further back in Parliament
Speaker of the
Backbenchers House Backbenchers
Prime
Minister and Shadow
Cabinet Cabinet
Other minority
parties
And now… Question Time
for the Prime Minister!
Institutions
Parliament, The Legislature
– House of Commons, the “Lower House” (650)
Vote of Confidence
– If a key issue is brought up for a vote and
the PM and cabinet lose, they resign and call
for new elections immediately by tradition
– The House of Lords, the “Upper House”- (567)
The original parliament, now nearly
meaningless
Can delay legislation, debate technicalities, and
add amendments
– Amendments may be deleted in Commons
by a majority vote
Institutions
Parliament, The Legislature
– House of Commons, the “Lower House” (650)
Vote of Confidence
– If a key issue is brought up for a vote and
the PM and cabinet lose, they resign and
call for new elections immediately by
tradition
– The House of Lords, the “Upper House”
567 “life peers,” appointed by PM for
achievement and service to Britain
92 “hereditary peers,” whose seats were
passed down through family connections
– Blair and Labour substantially reduced
number of hereditary peerages
The
Sovereign Supporters
of the
Opposition
Party
Supporters Neutral
of the Members
governme
nt
Institutions
The Bureaucracy
– Powerful force in policy formation,
implementation
– Bureaucrats are experts, ministers are
likely not, so ministers take direction
from top bureaucrats informally
– Bureaucrats stay in place from
government to government
Institutions
The Judiciary
– Limited in authority compared to U.S.
Parliamentary sovereignty – principle that
Parliament has the final say
Courts can strike acts of government that
violate common law or previous acts of
Parliament, but rule very narrowly
May not impose “judicial review” on
Parliament, PM, or cabinet
Judges are usually independent, apolitical
Expected to resign at age 75
Highest court formerly the Law Lords, but a
new Supreme Court has been created
(2009)
3 Major Steps in the British
Judiciary
Supreme
Court
Appeals
High Courts
Appeal
s
District
