Britain and Comparative Welfare States Jan. 12

Overview British Politics  British Political Development  The British Empire  British Decline  Postwar Britain: From Atlee to Thatcher/Blair The Welfare State  Explaining the rise, differentiation and retrenchment of the welfare state

British Political Development Magna Carta 1215 Unification of English and Scottish Crowns 1603 English Civil War 1640s Glorious Revolution 1688 Act of Union 1707 Industrial Revolution, approximately 1750s

British Empire During the reign of Queen Victoria, , the British Empire included 25% of the world’s population. By 1870 at the height of its glory, British trade represented nearly one-quarter of the world total. Britain exercised direct colonial rule over some 50 countries. As well, Britain developed an extensive informal empire – a worldwide network of independent states whose economic fates were linked to it.

“the empire on which the sun never sets”

British Decline By the end of the Second World War, Britain was clearly a diminished global power. Over the next twenty years or so, the Empire was dismantled. In economic terms, the decline of British power had been clear earlier. By the 1890s, Britain was being challenged for the position of global leader by Germany and the USA.

Postwar Britain: From Atlee to Thatcher 1945 Election, the Labour Party and Clement Atlee defeats the Conservative Party and Winston Churchill. Decisive victory with Labour receiving close to 50% of the votes cast. Having won the party leadership in 1975, Margaret Thatcher transforms the Conservative Party and, after the 1979 election, Britain.

Postwar Britain: From Thatcher to Blair In 1997, the Labour Party (‘New Labour’) finally returns to government, led by Tony Blair.

The Welfare State Explaining the rise of the welfare state: Functionalist Approach Class Mobilization Institutionalist Approach

The Welfare State The three (or more) worlds of the welfare state: Anglo-Saxon, liberal regime Scandinavian social democratic regime Continental conservative regime (Southern Europe) (Australia and New Zealand)

The Welfare State Explaining the retrenchment of the welfare state: Economic Crisis Ideological Shifts Globalization Demographic challenges