Introduction to Great Britain

What is the difference between the United Kingdom, Great Britain and England??

The British Economy

GDP: 2.14 trillion GDP per capita: $35,200 Trade:

Exports- manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals, food, beverages, tobacco

Imports: manufactured goods, machinery, foodstuffs, fuels.

Major Markets: US, Germany, France, The Netherlands, Ireland

GDP - market value of all final goods and services made within the borders of a nation in a year

Per capita GNP - value of all goods and

services produced in a country in one year, plus income earned by its citizens abroad, minus income earned by foreigners in the country

People

Population: 61 million Major ethnic groups:

British, Irish, Welsh, Scottish, West Indian, South Asian

Major languages: English, Welsh, Irish Gaelic, Scottish Gaelic.

Government Intro Constitutional Monarchy Unwritten Constitution: partly statutes, partly common law

and practice Changes come through new acts of Parliament,

informally through acceptance, or by judicial precedent Branches:

Executive: Monarch (head of state) - purely ceremonial

Prime Minister (head of government)Legislative: Bicameral ParliamentJudicial: magistrates’ courts, county courts, high

courts, appellate courts, House of Lords,

Supreme Court (2009)

Queen and Prime Minister

Queen Elizabeth II David Cameron

Head of State v. Head of Government

• Head of State• Carries out

ceremonial functions associated with representing the state both at home and in foreign policy

• Attempts to appear above party politics and to represent the interests of the nation as a whole

Head of Government

Person responsible for carrying on the business of government and for leading the team that controls the central institutions of the government and the state

Head of StateTransfers by Heredity

Prince CharlesThe Prince of WalesEldest son of Queen Elizabeth II

and Prince Philip (Duke of Edinburgh)

Heir Apparent to the throne

Prince William Elder son of The Prince of Wales

and the late Diana, Princess of Wales

State Opening of Parliament

Each new parliamentary session has to be opened by the monarch

They read the speech prepared for them by the government of the day

Sets out the legislative agenda for the coming parliamentary session

The Prime Minister

Head of the Government

Must be an elected member of Parliament

Head of the largest party of the lower house – House of Commons

Extremely Powerful Parliament majority

expected to approve all legislation

Party discipline strong in UK

Few checks on central power

Elected to 5 year terms – they alone decide to call elections before that term expires

Subject to vote of no confidence

Recent Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher

May 1979 – November 1990

John Major November 1990 – May

1997 Tony Blair

May 1997 – June 2007 (stepped down)

Gordon Brown Appointed June 2007

by Labour Party (no election)

Elections May 2010

• David Cameron new Prime Minister

• Gordon Brown steps down as Labour Party leader

• Coalition Government– Liberal

Democrats & Nick Clegg appointed Deputy Prime Minister

PM's Cabinet

Comprised of about 20 members (called ministers)

Must be MPs Collective

responsibility Cabinet must

appear unified – even if someone opposes policy

Foreign Office Conducts foreign

policy Home Office

Oversees judiciary Exchequer

Oversees financial policy as head of the central bank

Parliament Responsibilities

Members actively debate issues Participate in legislative committees Vote on legislation Power of vote of no confidence The government (executive) proposes

most of the legislation

Parliament

Represents the entire country Maximum parliamentary term is 5 years

the prime minister may ask the Monarch to dissolve parliament and call a general election at any time

Judiciary is independent of the legislative and executive branches but cannot review constitutionality of legislation

Majoritarian – the majority in Parliament has virtually unchecked power

Parliamentary Sovereignty

• Parliament can make or overturn any law

• Only Parliament can nullify its own legislation

• Increasing pressures to change this system as the pace of globalization continues– EU, UN

Fusion of Powers

• Parliament is the supreme legislative, executive, and judicial authority

• The legislature and executive are fused– The PM and his Cabinet are “the

government” and they are all members of Parliament

– Effect on Gridlock?

ParliamentThe British Legislature

House of Commons 646 members

349 Labour 193 Conservative 63 Liberal Democrat

Represent individual districts throughout the UK

Follow party lead Whips enforce the

party line MPs vote with party

90% of the time

House of Lords Virtually powerless

anachronism No veto power, but can delay

legislation up to a year Court of last appeal

746 members Life peers

Distinguished citizens appointed for life by the crown

Hereditary peers Members of the aristocracy

who until 1999 could bequeath their seats to their offspring

Unitary State

• Unitary v. Federal State

FEDERAL (US) UNITARY (UK)

Codified (this is especially necessary given the complexity of the federal/state relationship)

Often uncodified

Division and separation of significant powers

Centralisation of powers

Separate institutions sharing powers. Branches of government separated.

Fusion and overlap of powers

Presidential system. Parliamentary system.

Based on popular sovereignty. Parliamentary sovereignty.

Characterised by high levels of democratic participation.

Low levels of democratic participation.

Bicameral, fully elected. Partially bicameral, not fully elected.

Pros and cons

FEDERALISMPros Cons

Permits diversity (different legal and political consequences)

Can mask social/economic/racial inequalities

Increases accessibility Frustrates national will. Problem solving more difficult.

Better protection of individual rights

Federal/state relationship cause of continual controversy

States experiment with new solutions to endemic problems

Overly bureaucratic and costly.

Well suited to geographically large nation

Pros and cons

Unitary

Pros Cons

Strong national will and administrative focus

Central government may not be perceptive to localised issues, can become isolated.

Less bureaucracy and cost Excessive centralisation still amounts to significant cost.

Fewer complex relationships to manage

Less chance for participation, involvement and representation.

Clear, decisive leadership possible, strong government

Relatively unchecked powers, tyranny of democracy.

Information sharing, more cooperative branches of government

Conflict of interests, excessive government strength, insufficient checks and balances

Devolution Devolution - the statutory granting of powers from the central

government of a state to government at national, regional, or local level

Differs from federalism in that the powers devolved may be temporary and ultimately reside in central government, thus the state remains unitary

Parliament of the United Kingdom Following a majority referendum in 1997 the following

were created in 1999: Scottish Parliament Welsh Assembly Northern Ireland Assembly

Judicial System Parliamentary sovereign (parliament’s decisions are

final) did not allow the development of judicial review No Judicial Review Gaining authority with the passing of international laws

(European Convention on Human Rights) British governments have begun to consult legal

interpretations of their actions House of Lords is the highest judicial authority (Law

Lords) Supreme Court – created by the Constitutional Reform

Act of 2005 to align with EU requirements – Separates judicial system from legislative

12 judges – not MPs