UNITED KINGDOM
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

England's exceptionalism

• Democracy evolved without revolution or civil war

• Distinctiveness evidenced in failure to transplant institutions

Britain’s current political challenges

• Economics and distributive policy

• Devolution

• International involvement

– NATO and EU

Constraints of history

• Crown established as central political authority when Henry VIII broke with Roman Catholic Church and established Church of England

• Struggle between Parliament and Crown in 1600's

• 1832 Reform Act enfranchised majority of males by 1885

Ramifications of World War I and World War II

• Social services, “fair shares for all” – Keynesian welfare state

– Beveridge Report on Social Welfare

– Full Employment White Paper, 1944

– Butler Education Act, 1944

• National defense

1960's disillusionment

1970's Conservative then Labour government

1979-1991 Margaret Thatcher

• Falklands

• Economic policies

• Leadership style

• Relationship to party, public, and Parliament

1991-1997 John Major

• Decline of the Conservative Party

1997 - today Tony Blair and the New Labour Party

• Popularity in 2001 landslide election

• Could remain in power through 2006

• The Euro and Great Britain

Environment of the political system

Political divisions: One crown, five nations

• States: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern

• Ireland: union not federal system

• Great Britain: England, Scotland and Wales

• England, 56 percent of the territory of Great Britain

• Identification as English, Welsh and Scots – multinationalism

• Northern Ireland

– Identification as Protestant and Catholic

– Pattern of internal conflict

Multiracial England

• 80 percent of population of Great Britain

• Multiracial due to immigration from colonies

Insularity vs. involvement

• Contracting military and diplomatic commitments

• Dependency on world trade

• World organizations, Commonwealth, U.N., E.U.

Structure of government

The constitution

• No written constitution

• Symbolizes authority of government

The government

Downing Street: the Prime Minister – imperatives

• Winning elections

• Campaigning and use of media

• Patronage

• Parliamentary performance

• Making and balancing policy

• Leadership styles of key prime ministers

Whitehall: cabinet and cabinet ministers

• Fusion of executive and legislative powers

• Decision making in committees

• Not fixed positions or portfolios

• Bureaucracies: Chancellor of the Exchequer, Treasury

• Home Office

• Department heads

• PM support

Civil service

• Higher civil servants

• Duties include drafting legislation, preparing briefs

• Permanent secretary

Parliament

• House of Lords

• Debating club

• Can delay but not veto legislation

House of Commons (659 members)

• Weigh political reputations

• Backbenchers

• Forum for debate

• Scrutinize Whitehall

• Publicize agenda

• Role of party loyalty

Government as a network

• Exercise of power

– Trusteeship of government theory

– Collectives

– Individualist theory

• Legitimacy

• Abuse of power

Political socialization

• Cumulative effect of

– Family, strongest agent

– Gender

– Education (public and private traditions)

– Class

– Media

– Judgments as to government performance

Participation and recruitment

Participation

• Voting – low voter turnout

• Associations

Recruitment of bureaucracy

• From ranks of MPs

• Safe seats and constituency

• Not area experts

• Civil Service Commission

• Life long tenure

• Recruited from “best and brightest”

Intermittent Public Persons recruitment

• From public position of responsibility

• Representing interest group

• Expert advisers

Organizing group interests

• Parties vs. interest groups

• What interest groups want

• Civil society – insiders vs. outsiders

• Permanent insiders

The party system and electoral choice

• Multiparty system

– Three major parties; Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrats (merger between Liberal Party and Social Democrats)

– First past the post system

• Control of party organization

• Images and appeals

Policy preferences

• Centralization and its limits

• Decentralization and its limits

• Turning to the market

• From trust to contract

• Contingency of influence

• Why public policy matters

Policy outcomes and changes in society

Outcomes

• Relatively high levels of extractive capabilities

• High levels of regulatory ability

• Welfare increases in health, education and housing

• Growth economy

• High levels of satisfaction

• Legitimacy measured by compliance and popular expectations