GREAT BRITAIN/UNITED KINGDOM COUNTRY PROJECT GB is the country that is most representative of liberal democracies.

Liberal democracies usually have global influence through restrictive group memberships, high quality of life indicators, democratic regimes where majority rule restrained by minority rights, tradition of respect for private property and individual rights, large service sector of economy, etc. Evolution, not revolution. Gradualism. Model to study other parliamentary systems and is an example of a government with extremely high legitimacy (both traditional and rational-legal) British Political System: Unwritten constitution and common law, parliamentary sovereignty/supremacy limits development of judicial review. Dignified Institutions Unelected, have comparatively little political power (House of Lords, monarchy), provide stability, pride and continuity and are respected by populace. Lords cant block legislation, can delay it, can initiate bills nad serve as Britains highest court of appealsLaw Lords (called into question by European Court of Justice) Efficient Institutions House of Commons and cabinet, led by Prime Minister, elected, hold almost all actual political power. Britain has fusion of power Prime Minister is both elected MP representing a district and the countrys executive head of govt, plus leader of majority party in parliament and party discipline is strictly enforced, so legislation PM wants, will usually be passed, no crippling gridlock Elections: first past the post or SMDP, country is a two-party system Conservative Party (Tories) and New Labour Party. Liberal Democrats are strongest minor party, now farther left than Labour, regional parties like Scottish Natl Party or Sinn Fein. Elections must be called within 5 year period of taking office, ideally during 4th year, usually is polling says public opinion is favorable. If they wait the full five, likely to lose and are delaying. By-elections (special one off election to fill vacancy between general elections in case of death or resignation), good political barometer. Major Check on power: LOYAL OPPOSITION and SHADOW CABINET leadership of major party out of power, exists to watch and criticize the govt, offer alternative programs if they get elected, Question Time for PM and his cabinet to be held accountable by shadow leader and backbenchers. Party Discipline backbenchers want a safe seat, vote with party leadership, dont have to live in their district, so indiv candidates views are less important than party Cabinet members collective responsibility, can vehemently disagree, but once policy is proposed everyone is behind it. Prime Minister can do annual cabinet reshuffle and

reward loyalists with prestigious posts and stepping stones to party leadership Ministry of Defence, Foreign Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer Vote of No Confidence, all loseimmediate elections Free vote is vote on a bill where party discipline is not enforced (Ex: age of consent for homosexuals, ban on fox hunting, etc.)

Bureaucracy or British Civil Service based on merit and personnel doesnt change with elections, source of stability and professional expertise (not a source of political support or patronage), esp important since cabinet positions arent experts in area usually, based on party discipline, etc. Noblesse Oblige and social class. Social cleavages: class (public schools, Oxbridge, middle class still implies old money, Becks is still working class), region (English, London, not Welsh, Scottish or from Ulster), ethnic cleavages (minoritiesIndian, Paki, Afro-Car, black africanMUSLIM issues, esp with radicalization of disadvantaged and terrorism threats, lack of integration of minorities, hijab is ok, but) Collective Consensus (post war, well into 1960s) Welfare State: National Health Service and mixed economy based on Keynesianism, Thatcher reversed this by emphasizing neoliberalism (free market economy, denationalization of industries), Blair with Gordon Brown, brought misery index (inflation plus unemployment) to a new low, held income tax rates, funded welfare programs, reform Third Way Political Parties: Labour Party, Conservative Party (traditional wing/one nation Tories, Thatcherite Wing w/euroskeptics), Liberal Democrats (PR, Bill of Rights), Plaid Cymru, Scottish National Party, Sinn Fein, Democratic Unionist party Margaret Thatcher: loved and hated, 1979 British Disease blamed it on the labor party, shifted tories to right, neoliberal economic reforms. Broke the unions winning battle over strinking coal miners in 1984-1985, privatization (sold off nationalized industries like BP, British Steel, Rolls Royce, British Airways, British Rail, water supplies, etc), council homes sold off (homelessness and unemployment increased, although inflation and taxation decreased). Falklands War. Iron Lady. John Major: took over a divided tory party after Thatcher in 1990, moderate on EU issue, promised referendum on Euro, Euroskeptic backbenches demanded a statement saying Britain would never do the single currency, Major resigned as party leader. Divided over Mad cow scare, sleaze scandals, no new ideas thrashed by New Labour under Tony Blair in 1997. Tony Blair: more moderate, pragmatic party, THIRD WAY, removed partys controversial Article IV(socialist party), referendum has been used or offered on many issues (devolution for Scotland, Wales, Good Friday Peace Agreement, EU Constitution and maybe on the euro). Devolution, first minimum wage, hereditary peers stripped of voting rights in House of Lords, peace in N Ireland. Gordon Brown: labour leader for many years, contemporary of Blair, served as chancellor for blair and gained a lot of power in areas including health, education and foreign aid. Much more low-key, not as eloquentstill rather wait and see Major Issues in Britain: Relationship between government and economy (limits to welfare state, etc.) Britain and the EU

Insularity has always been a characteristic of the British. 1978, Britain finally joined the Common Market, Thatcher opposed to rapid integration and anti-euro. PM John Major signed Maastricht Treaty that created the EU. Tony Blair at first openly advocated euro in place of pound and integration, but backed away once in power. Promised future referenda in 2005 on EU Constitution and euro, never happened. And Conservative Party is openly split over this issue. Cat and mouse game will likely continueBrits like the pound despite its dropping value. "The European Union is essential to the success of Britain and a Britain fully engaged in Europe is essential to the success of the European Union."Gordon Brown special relationship between UK and the US Early in Blair years, he was very successful at making UK play central role with Europe and keep special relationship with US that had been in place since WWII, Iraq war made most of the world be against US and Britains support and Blairs vision that the UK would be the bridge across the Atlantic damaged Britains relationship with France, Europe and caused dissent within Labour and lost popular support as people questioned wisdom of this policy and criticized him for being Bushs poodle, eventually led to his resignation in 2007. Gordon Brown has had to do damage control and distanced himself symbolically, but still maintained close relations. Terrorism: 2005 transit system bombing was shaking, uncovered two major plots in 2006, 2007car bombings in nightclub,, Trafalgar Square, Glasgow airport. Arrested main players. M15 and mosque watchdog group. Gordon Brown launched a pilot curriculum of nonviolence to be taught in some Muslim religious classes, criticized for singling out young Muslims for civics lessons. Devolution and Constitutional reform Great Britain is unitary state with most authority from Londoncontinuing desire by Scottish, Welsh for more autonomy/independence and Northern Ireland problems led to a policy of DEVOLUTION (turning over of some political powers to regional governments). 1977referenda on Scottish and Welsh Assemblies failed and Thatcher stopped process, Blair in 1999 had referenda in both regions and created regional assemblies with powers in taxation, education, and economic planning. 1999-Devolution Day! Process, not an event. Northern Ireland1998 Good Friday Agreement, parliament set up, shut bc of violence in 2002, reopened in May 2007. Mayor of London and general assembly for London, ex of DEVOLUTION http://www.guardian.co.uk/Devolution/ After almost 10 ys of devolution, debate is still ongoing, what do national programs like NHS look like under devolved management?, injustices under devolution, taxes, spending (university and health care), language? Independence referenda in 2010. Other reforms under consideration: written Bill of Rights for individual citizens, written constitution, freedom of information, new electoral system with more PR, etc. Elections http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/04/18/opinion/18schott_ready.html?emc=eta1