Influences on Political Culture

1
Influences on Political Culture

• Island
• Small Size
• Short supply of fertile soil and growing season
• Temperate climate
• No major geographic barriers

2
Influences on Political Culture

• Noblesse oblige and social class
• Duty of the upper class to take responsibility
  for the welfare of the lower class
• Major concern today is cost

• Multi-nationalism
• England
• Scotland
• Wales
• Northern Ireland
• National identities are still strong

3
How is the legitimacy of the British government
evident?
4
History

• World Power
• Industrial Revolution
• Napoleonic Wars
• Queen Victoria
• Direct colonial rule
• Ruled as a hegemonic
• Control pattern of alliances
• Control terms of the international economic order

5
Industrial Change and Struggle for Voting

• Pressed to expand the right to vote
• Reform Act of 1832
• Peoples Charter
• Representation of People Act of 1867
• Franchise Act 1884
• People Acts of 1918
• Took place without violence

6
British Gradualism at its BEST AND WORST

• Educate the people
• Prepare them
• Work the kinks out
• Gradualism at its best
• Move at a snails pace in this hares world

• State takes control of economy
• Took control of industry
• Set prices and restricted flow of capital abroad
• Used power to fragment labour unions

7
Challenges to the Collective Consensus since 1970
8
Industrialization

• Rapid Expansion of manufacturing production and
  technological innovation
• Economic and Social transformation
• External
• Internal
• Changes
• Peasant and craftsman
• Cash market transaction
• Commercialization of Agriculture
• Mechanization of Manfacturing

9
Collective Consensus (1945-1979)

• Coalition Government minister from both major
  parties
• Reconstruction and dreams of new prosperity took
  priority
• Determination to rebuild and improve conditions
  of life
• Govt should take an expanded responsibility for
  economic and social welfare

• Creates a Welfare state
• Political system that redistributes wealth from
  rich to poor
• Standard in western Europe
• Economic stagnation
• Declining competitiveness fueled industrial
  strife and kept class based tentions

10
Economic Crisis

• Loss of colonies
• OPEC
• Labor Unions
• Higher wages
• Strikes
• Movement toward Liberal and Conservative parties
• Margaret Thatcher

11
Margaret ThatcherIron Lady

• 1979-1990
• Weakened economy b/c socialist policies
• Privatized business and industry
• Cut back social and welfare programs
• Strengthened national defense
• Market

12
Tony BlairThird Way

• 1997-2007
• New Labour
• Third Way
• Political Organization
• Countrys values
• Institutions
• Policies
• Promised
• New economic, welfare, and social policy, British
  leadership in Europe, revitalize democratic
  participation
• Devolve power from central govt to Scotland,
  Wales, and Northern Ireland

13
Tony Blair

• War in Iraq
• Allie to US on the War in Terrorism
• Led moral, diplomatic, and military support
• Created a Special Relationship
• War shifted from Afghanistan to Iraq

14
Citizens, Society, and the State
15
Multi-national Identities

• England largest in the region
• Wales West of England (16th century)
• Scotland James I still have a strong national
  identity
• Northern Ireland remained under British rule
  after 1949 Independence

16
Social Class Distinctions
17
Social Class Distinction

• Working v. Middle Class
• Education differences
• 65 of 17 years old are still in school
• Elite class
• Now more widespread

Oxbridge Oxford and Cambridge combined
18
Ethnic Minorities

• 7.1 non-European origin
• Ethnic population grew 53 (91-01)
• 3 mill to 4.6 mill
• Despite immigration restrictions
• Mixed race population is increase (2001 census)

19
Political Beliefs and Values

• Civic Culture trust, deference to authority and
  competence, pragmatism, and harmony
• High of people vote in elections
• Values of free market economy

20
Political Beliefs and Values

• Decreasing support of Labour unions
• Increased violence regarding Northern Ireland
• Thatcherism
• New Labour
• Protest over the Iraq War

21
Voting Behavior

• Social Class
• Lines have been blurred
• Reflection by the Third Party way
• Labour strongest among people who feel
  disadvantaged Scots, Welsh, and poor

22
Voting Behavior

• Regional Factors
• Labour Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle,
  Yorkshire, Scotland, Wales, and urban, industrial
  areas
• Conservative England, rural and suburban areas

23
Political Institutions
24
Linkage Institutions

• Political Parties
• Labour
• Conservative
• Liberal Democarats

25
Linkage Institutions

• Interest Groups
• Pluralism
• Neo-Corporatism
• Quangos (quasi-autonomous nongovernmental
  organization)
• 5,000 organization
• Most influential
• Linked to class and interest
• TUC coalition of unions

26
Role of the Media

• Quality News and Tabloids
• BBC
• Sought to educate
• Clash b/w Blair government
• Strictly regulated by Government

27
Institutions of National Government
28

• Parliamentary System
• Executive branch is fused with the legislative
  branch
• Separation of powers does not exists
• Judicial Branch lacks power of judicial review
• Unitary System
• Centralized in London

29
Comparative Executives
Prime Minister of Britain President of the U.S.
Serves only as long as he/she remains the leader of the majority party Elected every four years by an electoral college based on popular election
Elected as a member of Parliament (MP) Elected as President
Has an excellent chance of getting his/her programs past Parliament Has an excellent chance of ending up in gridlock with Congress
Cabinet members not always MPs and leaders of the majority party Cabinet member usually not from congress
Cabinet members not experts in policy areas rely on bureaucracy to provide expertise Expertise in policy areas one criteria for appointment to cabinet members head cast bureaucracies
30
The Cabinet and the Prime Minister

• Collective Cabinet
• center of policy-making in the British political
  system
• Do not vote
• Publicly support PMs decisions
• Prime Minister
• Responsibility to Shape their decisions
• Take Collective Responsibility

31
The Prime Minister

• Speaks legitimately for all Members of Parliament
• Chooses ministers and important subordinate posts
• Makes decisions in the cabinet, with the
  agreement of the ministers
• Campaign for and represents the party in
  parliamentary elections

32
Parliament
33
House of Commons

• One Party will get the majority of the seats
• Another will serve as the opposition
• loyal opposition
• Multi-party system at the polls
• Two party system in the HC

34
Set up of the House of Commons
35
Debate

• Debate is quite spirited
• Trying to gain attention
• Question Time
• PM and cabinet must defend themselves
• Speaker of the House
• presides over debate
• Supposed to be objective
• Not a member of the maj. Party
• Allow everyone to speak
• Opposition is consider the check
• Since there is no checks and balances

36
Party Discipline

• Very important
• If the government do not support crisis because
  if lacks legitimacy
• Majority party wants to avoid vote of
  Confidence
• Issues if not supported
• Cabinet must resign immediately
• Elections for new MPs is held
• Try to settle policy issues
• If a party losses confidence everyone losses
  their job

37
Party Discipline

• Example
• 2005 Higher Education Bill squeaked by 316-311
  votes
• Allowed Blairs government to continue to control
  the Commons
• Backbenchers
• John Major power was weakened
• Blair over the use of force in Iraq

38
Powers of Parliament

• Debate and refine potential Legislation
• The only ones who may become party leaders and
  ultimately may head the government
• Scrutinize the administration of laws
• Keep communication lines open between voters and
  ministers

39
House of Lords

• Hereditary parliamentary
• Minimal influence
• Only power to delay legislation
• Debate technicalities of proposed bills
• May add amendments

40
House of Lords

• Five Law Lords
• Highest Court of Appeals
• Cannot rule acts of Parliament unconstitutional
• Hereditary Peers
• Passed through the family
• Life Peers
• Distinguished service to Great Britain

41
Criticism of British Parliament

• Lack separation of between the Prime Minister and
  the legislature
• Dangerous concentration of Power
• Praise efficiency
• No gridlock

42
The Bureaucracy

• Civil Servants
• Administer laws
• Deliver public service
• Clerical work
• Higher level
• directly advise ministers
• Oversee work of the departments
• Stable and powerful
• Experts

43
Judiciary

• Trial By Jury
• Henry II
• Modern limited powers
• Parliamentary Sovereignty
• Determine government decisions have/have not
  violated common law
• Relationship with EU

44
Public Policy and Current Issues
45
Public Policy and Current Issues

• The evolving relationship between government and
  the economy
• British relationship with the European Union
• Blairs balancing act between the U.S. and the EU
• Direction of post-Blair policy
• Terrorism
• Devolution and constitutional reform

46
Government and Economy

• Until 1970s collective consensus
• Social democratic values that support government
  control
• Keynesianism govt took action to secure full
  employment, expand social services, maintain a
  steady rate of growth, keep prices stable
• Thatcher neo-liberalism
• Free market economy and denationalization of
  industries
• Currently middle way

47
European Union

• 1978 joined the Common Market
• Thatcher was opposed to quick integration
• Opposed adoption of the Euro
• Major and Blair govt favorable of EU
• Labour supported EU and Euro till they obtained
  office
• Conservatives are divided
• Public
• Wants to keep the British way

48
Post-Blair Policy

• The Legacy of Blair
• Economy has stabilized
• Globalization has made London a dynamic city in
  the world
• Schools and hospitals improved
• Devolution
• Paying more attention to climate change,
  worldwide poverty

49
Post-Blair Policy

• Brown
• Low key nature how can affect place in
  international politics
• Meet with George W. Bush in 2007
• May or may not change the future

50
Terrorism

• Over ten years I have watched this terrorism
  grow. (if you had told me a decade ago that I
  would be tackling terrorism, I would have readily
  understood, but thought you meant Irish
  Republican Terrorism.)
• Tony Blair

51
Terrorism

• Brown
• Committed to nonviolence
• Started a pilot program to teach nonviolence
  among British Muslims
• Still struggle with how to isolate Muslim
  extremist

52
Balancing Act b/w US and EU

• Tony Blair
• Domestically sustain economic prosperity and
  social equality British tradition
• Internationally develop new relationships with
  Europe and maintain a relationship with US
• Iraq damaged relationship with France, caused
  dissent in the Labour leadership (lost votes),
  lose of popular support

53
Devolution and Constitutional Reform

• Devolution
• Problems with Northern Ireland
• Desire for Scotland and Wales to be independent
• Delayed by Thatcher (1977 failed)
• Supported by Labour Party
• 1999 referenda in both regions passed and now
  have regional assemblies
• 1998 Good Friday Agreement
• A parliament was set up for NI
• b/c of violence the assembly was suspended for 5
  years
• May 2007 reopened
• Affects of the new assemblies is not known
• Creation of office of mayor and GA for London

54
Devolution

• Other reforms
• Written Bill of Rights for individual citizens
• Written Constitution
• Freedom of information
• New electoral system
• Retains strong attachment to traditions
• Role model for the development of democratic
  traditions in the modern world