Comparative Government and Politics
Unit 2: Britain
Readings: Kesselman, pp. 50-87
O’Neil, pp. 39-89
learning objectives
After reading this chapter, you should be able to:
1. Understand the critical junctures in British political development and underscore the relatively smooth progression of democracy.
2. Describe the evolution of the British economy from one based on a high degree of state ownership, to neoliberalism, partially back to Blair’s economic third way, and then to a state of economic crisis necessitating a contraction of the state.
3. Identify the sources of Britain’s constitutional framework, despite the lack of a formal written constitution and understand the basic outlines of the Westminster parliamentary model.
4. Discuss the principle of parliamentary sovereignty and understand the structure, function, and evolution in the power of the British Parliament.
5. Understand the basic outline of the British two-party dominant system and be able to differentiate between parties.
6. Explain and understand trends in post–World War II electoral behavior and parliamentary composition and the significance of the UK recent coalition government.
7. Identify the major challenges ahead for Britain including constitutional reform, identity politics, relations with the United States, and terrorism.
Chapter Outline
I. The Making of the Modern British State
A. The development of the British state has been shaped by its isolation from the European continent and several critical junctures that helped to shift power gradually from the aristocracy to the people and lay the foundations for parliamentary democracy.
B. Britain is interesting comparatively because it was the first country to industrialize, it was the dominant world power in the nineteenth century, and it had influence in a vast number and array of colonies.
C. Britain was a model for other countries both with respect to its early consolidation of democracy and the basic format of its political institutions, particularly the Westminster model.
D. While Britain is usually characterized as a country with a two-party system, in 2010 an unusual two-party coalition government took the reins of power in the form of a Conservative–Liberal Democratic alliance.
II. Political Economy and Development
A. In the immediate postwar period, the Labour and Conservative Parties agreed on a consensus for a Keynesian approach to economic management. This period became known as the collectivist consensus.
B. Thatcher’s election prompted a more monetarist free market orientation that lasted through much of the 1980s and early 1990s.
C. Labour Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown’s economic policies were characterized by a third way between statist and pure free market approaches though the world economic crisis that began in 2008 has necessitated cuts to government spending.
D. The British welfare state is much less generous than many on the continent, and levels of inequality, especially for minorities, are high.
E. Britain enjoys a favorable position with respect to foreign direct investment (FDI) in comparison to other European countries given its more market-based orientation, political climate, large pool of potential nonunionized workers, and diminished trade union power.
III. Governance and Policy-Making
A. The British constitution is unique, lacking a single authoritative document and relying instead on a combination of acts of Parliament, common law, conventions, and interpretations.
B. The core principle of the British political system is parliamentary sovereignty, which grants parliament the ability to make or overturn any law.
C. Britain’s Westminster model of fusion of powers and cabinet government is a model for parliaments around the world.
D. Unlike in the United States, where policy-making is concentrated in Congress and congressional committees, policy-making in Britain emerges primarily from within the executive.
IV. Representation and Participation
A. Though the British Parliament is constitutionally sovereign, in practice in contemporary Britain it does not legislate as much as it assents to government legislation.
B. The House of Commons, the lower house of Parliament, is the main legislative power in Britain and is charged with passing laws, providing finance by authorizing taxation, and reviewing and acting as an oversight on public administration and government policy.
C. The upper legislative chamber, the House of Lords, is a partially elected body made up of hereditary peers, life peers, and law lords. Though the House of Lords has roughly 740 members, the 1999 initiative of the Tony Blair government limited voting rights to its 92 elected members.
D. Though Britain is usually characterized as a two-party system, in addition to the Conservative and Labour parties, the Liberal Democrats are an important party player despite their consistent underrepresentation in Parliament.
E. The “first-past-the-post,” winner-take-all legislative election system overrepresents large parties, yet at the same time tends toward stable, single-party government (but does not guarantee it, as the 2010 election showed).
V. British Politics in Transition
A. Constitutional reform is a major issue on the British political agenda with respect to Lords reform, power sharing and devolution, and issues of citizen accountability.
B. Issues of immigration, refugees, and asylum stir fear in an increasingly multicultural Britain, while the majoritarian political system does an insufficient job in representing minority populations.
C. The unbending support for the United States in Iraq demonstrated by Tony Blair’s government created warmth in transatlantic relations. David Cameron has built on this relationship and attempted to widen it to other key allies.
D. British decline has placed the UK among mid-level European powers, and it faces challenges across all for themes set out in the text as framing comparative politics.
GlossaryChapter 2
cabinet government / A system of government in which most executive power is held by the cabinet, headed by a prime minister.
constitutional monarchy / System of government in which the head of state ascends by heredity but is limited in powers and constrained by the provisions of a constitution.
foreign direct investment / Ownership of or investment in cross-border enterprises in which the investor plays a direct managerial role.
fusion of powers / A constitutional principle that merges the authority of branches of government, in contrast to the principle of separation of powers.
gender gap / Politically significant differences in social attitudes and voting behavior between men and women.
hegemonic power / A state that can control the pattern of alliances and terms of the international order and often shapes domestic political developments in countries throughout the world.
hung parliament / A situation after an election when no single party comprises a majority in the Commons.
Industrial Revolution / A period of rapid and destabilizing social, economic, and political changes caused by the introduction of large-scale factory production, originating in England in the middle of the eighteenth century.
judicial review / The prerogative of a high court to nullify actions by the executive and legislative branches of government that in its judgment violate the constitution.
Keynsianism / Named after British economist John Maynard Keynes, an approach to economic policy in which state economic policies are used to regulate the economy to achieve stable economic growth.
laissez-faire / A term taken from the French, which means “to let be,” in other words, to allow markets to act freely, with a minimum of state regulation.
macroeconomic policy / Policy intended to shape the overall economic system by concentrating on policy targets such as inflation and growth.
monetarism / An approach to economic policy that assumes a natural rate of unemployment, determined by the labor market, and rejects the instruments of government spending to run budgetary deficits for stimulating the economy and creating jobs.
neoliberalism / A term used to describe government policies aiming to promote free competition among business firms within the market, including reduced governmental regulation and social spending.
parliamentary democracy / System of government in which the chief executive is answerable to the legislature and may be dismissed by it.
parliamentary sovereignty / The doctrine that grants the legislature the power to make or overturn any law and permits no veto or judicial review.
quangos / Acronym for quasi-nongovernmental organizations, the term used in Britain for nonelected bodies that are outside traditional governmental departments or local authorities.
special relationship / Refers to relations between the United States and Britain and is meant to convey not only the largely positive, mutually beneficial nature of the relationship but also the common heritage and shared values of the two countries.
unitary state / In contrast to a federal system, a system of government in which no powers are reserved for subnational units of government.
welfare state / A set of public policies designed to provide for citizens’ needs through direct or indirect provision of pensions, health care, unemployment insurance, and assistance to the poor.
Westminster model / A form of democracy based on the supreme authority of Parliament and the accountability of its elected representatives; named after the Parliament building in London.
Respond to the following (typed please) after completing the readings from Kesselman and O’Neil. I suspect that many of these questions may require additional outside research. Please document your sources.
Exploration
1. Identify the pros and cons of nonelected legislative chambers. Should the House of Lords be eliminated? What purposes does it serve? Do its benefits outweigh its disadvantages?
2. What is Britain’s relationship with the European continent? Explore Britain’s grudging acceptance of the European Union and its rejection of monetary union. What are the sources of this ambivalent relationship.
3. Visit the UK Parliament website and review and outline the guidelines for question time (http://www.parliament.uk/works/occasion.cfm). Does any similar oversight of the sitting government exists in the United States? Should the United States institute some form of question time? Are there other institutions or norms in the United States that effectively play the role that question time plays in Britain?
Critical thinking questions
1. Britain lacks a formal written constitution. What are the pros and cons of such an arrangement?
2. Britain is a unitary state, whereas the United States is organized along federal lines. What are the benefits and drawbacks of each form of organization with respect to the geographic distribution of power?
3. Britain’s Westminster model of parliamentary democracy has been quite successful. Outline this model. Would the United States benefit from the adoption of a parliamentary model of government?
Comparing Countries
1. Explore the significance of the British and American first-past-the-post election system with special reference to its effect on the party system in each country. How does it limit the development of third parties? Why have the Liberal Democrats been successful in joining the government despite the strong limits on representation that the electoral system provides?
2. The trajectory of Britain’s constitutional history has been evolutionary and gradual, whereas France’s constitutional development has been characterized by continual upheaval, revolution, and change. Why is this the case?
3. Both the UK and Japan are island nations with strong national identities, yet British immigration policies have been relatively more permissive than those in Japan. What are the pros and cons of immigration? How are the benefits and challenges caused by immigration evident in the chapter?
CHAPTER 2 EXAM
Britain
Multiple CHOICE
1. The term United Kingdom refers to
a. England only.
b. England and Scotland only.
c. England, Scotland, and Wales only.
d. England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
e. England, Scotland, Wales, and all of Ireland.
2. Great Britain’s position as an island has made it less subject to invasion and conquest. It has also had the added effect of
a. complicating matters with the European Union, due to a feeling of separation from mainland Europe.
b. causing Great Britain to practice isolationism for much of its history.
c. causing Great Britain to develop an advanced space program, due to its geographical benefits for space shuttle and rocket launches.
d. causing Great Britain to seek closer relations with mainland Europe to avoid being isolated.
e. making Great Britain one of the strongest supporters of a more powerful European Union to avoid more wars with mainland countries.
3. The Magna Carta was a document that
a. eliminated the monarchy in Great Britain.
b. unified the Scottish and English crowns.
c. established Norman rule throughout the British Isles.
d. created Great Britain’s current constitution establishing a prime minister, Parliament, and the current legal system.
e. placed the first restrictions against absolute power by the monarch.
4. All of the following are TRUE of the Industrial Revolution EXCEPT that it
a. was a major contributing factor in Great Britain establishing its colonial empire.
b. created pressure for democratization but did not affect the average citizen.
c. involved the rapid expansion of manufacturing production and technological innovation.
d. led to major social and economic transformations.
e. allowed Great Britain to become the dominant international power.
5. The Napoleonic Wars had which of the following consequences?
a. They confirmed Britain’s preeminence and set the stage for free international trade.
b. They marked the end of Great Britain as a power on the European continent.
c. They marked the rise of France as the preeminent European power.
d. They led to the Louisiana Purchase by the United States.
e. They were so costly to Great Britain that they lost most of their colonies.
6. Universal suffrage for both men and women above the age of 21 was achieved in the UK in
a. 1832.
b. 1884.
c. 1918.
d. 1922.
e. 1928.
7. The Reform Act of 1832
a. relieved class-based tensions.
b. enfranchised all male house owners in rural and urban areas.
c. represented the first in a rapid series of voting reforms that politically transformed the UK.
d. nearly doubled the size of the electorate.
e. extended the franchise to a select section of the middle class.
8. All of the following were laws passed by Parliament to extend the franchise EXCEPT the
a. Reform Act of 1832.
b. Representation of the People Act of 1867.
c. Franchise Act of 1884.
d. Representation of the People Act of 1918.
e. Peoples Charter of 1830.
9. Collectivism is the term applied to
a. the governing philosophy of Tony Blair’s New Labour.
b. the appeal of the Conservative Party to working-class voters.
c. the process by which the first post–World War II Labour government took over private industries and moved them into the state sector.