Politics in Britain

Politics in Britain The political system U.S. Domestic economy Russia Legislature Executive Bureaucracies Political parties Court Interest groups Domestic culture France Domestic society Germany 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 1642-60: 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 Majority party voters Minority party Parliament 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 U.S. Domestic economy Russia Legislature Executive Bureaucracies Political parties Court Interest groups Domestic culture France Domestic society Germany 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 • 1978-79 “winter of discontent” strikes • Thatcher’s alternative vision – cut taxes, reduce social services – stimulate the private sector – market and “businesslike” methods Margaret Thatcher • Served (1979 - 1990) 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 • 1979-1984 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 • • • • • • • Year 1974 1979 1983 1987 1992 1997 Working class 57% 50% 38% 42% 45% 58% Women 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