Government of the United Kingdom

February 4, 2015

What is the difference between The United Kingdom, Great

Britain and England?

The Official name of the state is “The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland”

•The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland includes the four territories: England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. •Great Britain includes the major island of and has three regions: England, Wales, and Scotland.•England is a region of Great Britain and The UK. It has the largest population with five sixths of the entire state.

Common Government Terms

• The Crown – all encompassing term including the all the powers of government (king and queen, Parliament, cabinet, and civil servants)

• Westminister – district of London where many government buildings are located

• # 10 Downing St. – prime minister’s residence and address

• Whitehall – street where many executive offices are located along with the House of Commons and House of Lords

Westminister Hall

The UK a Democratic Regime(remember there are two main democratic regimes parliamentary and presidential) Parliamentary System • Legislative and Executive

Branch are not separate • Head of state (monarch)

and Head of Government (Prime Minister) are held by two separate individuals

• Write two more differences between this democratic regimes.

• Which do you prefer? Why?

Presidential System • Legislative and Executive

are separate branches of government

• Head of State and Head of Government are positions of one person the President

PS: There is a hybrid system called the Semi-Presidential System. These governments Have a combination of both systems. Examples of Semi Presidential Systems exist in France and Russia.

Leadership of the UK of Great Britain and Northern Irealnd • The Monarch

• Head state • “Psychological cement to

hold a country together”• No real political power• “Reigns but does not rule”

• The Prime Minister (PM)• Picks the Cabinet • Well disciplined Party

Whip• Head of Government • Winning elections• Campaigning through

media • Patronage • Making and balancing

policies

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Head of State: Queen Elizabeth II

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Head of Government: David Cameron

Branches of Government in the UK

• Executive = Prime Minister and Cabinet

• Legislative = House of Commons and House of Lords

• Judicial = Courts

Executive Branch Prime Minister

• Head of Government • Head of the majority party in HOC • Usually get their way and are

thought to be powerful because of strong party loyalty

• 2011 Fixed-term Parliaments Act, elections had to be held every five years but the Prime Minister had discretion to call one at any time before that deadline.

• Must maintain the support of party • Take questions once weekly that

are televised • Direct activity of the cabinet • Diplomats and world leaders

Cabinet • Has about twenty members • Can be from HOC or HOL, though

most are from HOC• Appointed by the Prime Minister • Responsible for individual

government departments • Provide answers to Parliament

during the question time.• Collective Responsibility – idea

that cabinet must appear unified and take responsibility for policy

• If Cabinet official can not support a decision of government they must resign and return to legislature (3 of Blair’s ministers resigned over the war in Iraq)

Why Do PMs Not turn into Dictators?

• Elections are every five years (try to keep blocks of support among population)

• Has to keep the support of the party in order for party to stay in power in Parliament

British Cabinet • Lord Chancellor (member of House of Lords)• Foreign Secretary – conducts foreign policy • Home Secretary – oversees the Judiciary • Chancellor of Exchequer (treasury) – financial policy and head of the central bank• Environment • Education • Transport • Social Security • Agriculture • Employment • Northern Ireland • Welsh • Scottish • National Heritage

What is the Parliament?

• It is not George Clinton’s Band (P-Funk).

The UK legislates on 3 person babies

• http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/03/health/uk-ivf-3-person-babies/index.html

What is the Parliament?

It is not George Clinton’s Band (P-Funk). It is the legislative branch of the English

government that selects the Prime Minister (PM) and the Cabinet. Both the PM and Cabinet officials are also members of Parliament (MPs)

It is a bicameral legislature which consists of the House of Commons and House of Lords

http://www.richard-seaman.com/Wallpaper/Travel/Europe/DigitalHousesOfParliament.jpg

MOVIE

How are MPs chosen?• In the House of Commons there is an election every five years for

Parliament or it can be dissolved before.• MPs represent a single district called a constituency• MPs are elected in first past the post system – or single member

plurality districts. MPs win on plurality, who has the most votes not necessarily the majority. (Remember the term first past the post )

• This supports a strong two-party political system in the UK (Labour and Conservative) like in the US. (Remember Duverger’s Law pg. 85 textbook)

• MPs are not required to live in the district they represent and many make their homes in London

• MPs in the House of Lords are inherited positions (heredity peers like dukes, earls, barons, ect.) these positions were eliminated in 1999 and life peers who are appointed by the Crown once recommended by PM generally outstanding citizens, law lords, and top officials from The Church of England. MPs in the HOL are shielded from public scrutiny in terms of legislation. Similar to U.S. Supreme Court Justices.

Parliament (House of Commons)

House of Commons House of Lords

Functions of House of Commons

MPs (Members of Parliament) are expected to : Support their party Assess the political reputations of other MPs to be

cabinet ministers Share the problems they see with policy of ministers

outside of chambers (must look like you are a party loyalist at all times)

Talk about legislation, but do not write legislation. (Legislation is written by cabinet ministers)

Vote on legislation proposed by the government Have oversight in seeing how policy is carried out Publicize government policy to the general public Can check the PM with a vote-of-no-confidence MPs vote with their party 90% of the time

Inside the House of Commons

http://www.c-span.org/video/?323854-1/british-prime-ministers-questions

Red = Majority Party

Blue = Minor Party

Other Colors = Small Minor Parties

Work in the Parliament

Parliament (House of Lords)

Functions of House of Lords

• Made up of inherited seats and Church of England bishops and law lords

• Limited power • Amend legislation from Commons. But the MPs

in the House of Commons can easily delete amendments with simple majority

• Delay legislation (financial bills 30 days and other 2 years)

• Debate topics that are to controversial for elected MPs

Inside the House of Lords

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Judicial Branch• No judicial review • Parliament is always supreme and any

measure created by legislature is constitutional

• Judges on Court are selected by the Lord Chancellor and serve until retirement

• Civil and criminal courts and court of appeals

• In 2009 the Supreme Court was created in the UK to be the last court of appeals.