Politics in Britain The political system

Executive LegislatureCourt Bureaucracies Political partiesInterest groups Domestic economy Domestic cultureDomestic society U.S. France Germany Russia

United Kingdom Size –about two times that of the state of Mississippi Population –about 59 million –non-white immigration since WWII from South Asia, West Indies, and East Asia 4.6 million (8% of total population) –Europeans?

United Kingdom > Great Britain United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland –created in 1801 Great Britain –England –Scotland –Wales

Historical evolution: gradualism Historical challenges to all industrialized democracies: –Building the nation-state –Defining the relationship between church and state –Establishing liberal democracy –Dealing with the impact of the industrial revolution

Monarch versus Parliament 1215: Magna Carta 1500s: the Church of England : Civil War and Restoration 1688: Glorious Revolution 1701: Act of Settlement –royal succession Early 1700s: emergence of prime minister

Unwritten constitution Lack of a written constitution

Parliamentary system Parliament selects the prime minister –prime minister is not elected by popular vote –normally the head of majority party or coalition Cabinet responsibility to parliament –major legislation and votes of confidence voters Parliament Majority party Minority party Prime minister & cabinet

British government Government –Queen’s, Tony Blair’s, or Labour government Whitehall Street –executive agencies Downing Street –prime minister’s residence Westminster –parliament

Democratization continued 1832: Great Reform Act (men’s suffrage) 1911: Reform of House of Lords 1928: Right to vote for all adults

Electoral system Single-member district First-past-the-post (winner-take-all) system

Election results

Parliament The House of Commons –659 members –voting is 100% along party lines in most votes –party versus constituency interests the House of Lords –is not elected reforms

House of Commons the government gets its way MPs weigh political reputations MPs in the governing party have opportunities to influence government MPs talk about legislation MPs scrutinize administration of policies MPs publicizing issues

Executive LegislatureCourt Bureaucracies Political partiesInterest groups Domestic economy Domestic cultureDomestic society U.S. France Germany Russia

Parties and interest groups Postwar collectivist consensus until 1970s consensus about role of government for the collective economic and social good –state should take expanded responsibility economic growth and full employment –state should provide social welfare public education, health care, etc. –publicly owned sector (1/5 of total production)

Collectivist Consensus Both Labour and Conservative gradually expanded the role of government Party identification, electoral behavior, and occupation were strongly correlated –most of working class voted Labour –most of middle class voted Conservative

Margaret Thatcher Economic stagflation in 1970s Neither party was able to manage economy well “winter of discontent” strikes Thatcher’s alternative vision –cut taxes, reduce social services –stimulate the private sector –market and “businesslike” methods

Margaret Thatcher Served ( ) longer without interruption than any other British prime minister in 20th century

Welfare state Even under Thatcher and Major, Britain experienced real growth in both social services and health care provisions

Margaret Thatcher government spending actually rose from 39% of GNP to 44% of GNP –1890: 8% –1910: 12% –1920: 26% 1989 survey: less than 1/3 approved of the “Thatcher revolution”

New Labour Party 1997 electoral victory the largest majority in parliament (419/659) that the Labour Party has ever held Conservative vote fell to its lowest share since 1832 Tony Blair: “New Labour is a party of ideas and ideals, but not of outdated ideology. What counts is what works.”

Tony Blair & “Third Way” “Third way” alternative to collectivism and Thatcherism: –rejected the historic ties between Labour governments and the trade union movement –reversed the tendency to provide centralized statist solutions to economic and social problem A vague philosophy to draw support from across the social-economic spectrum.

% Voted for Labour Party YearWorking classWomen %38% %35% %26% %32% %34% %49%

Hypothetical voter distribution n left social-economic spectrum right

Interest groups Civil society –institutions independent of government Interest groups influence politics –not by contesting elections –regardless of which party wins Distance between party and interest groups –Interest groups criticize partisan allies

Interest groups Organizations of British businesses –Confederation of British Industries dominated by large firms Organizations of British labour –Trades Union Congress (TUC) 38% of workforce is unionized 90% of unionized workers are affiliated with TUC –affiliation with the Labour Party

Interest aggregation Political demands of individuals and groups are combined into policy programs –farmers, environmentalists, business, etc. substantial political resources –popular votes, campaign funds, legislative seats, executive influence, etc. competing policy goals are compromised to produce a single governing program

Interest aggregation