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Constitution
rules of the political game, determining how the political system should operate. It’s created by consensus (a general agreement).
The UK does not have a single written constitution, it comprised of a combination of laws, statutes, conventions, and practices.
Statute law
Law derived from Acts of Parliament and subordinate legislation
created by Parliament
when legislative proposals are approved by both Houses of Parliament and receive the Royal Assent (automatic - constitutional monarchy), they become Acts of Parliament and enter into law.
Common law
Law derived from decisions in court cases and from general legal custom
Prerogative powers
powers which have belonged to the Crown, but in modern times are exercised by ministers.
Conventions
rules and norms in the UK.
Binding but Flexible: they're important, but they can change without an official decision making process
Not Written in Laws: these rules aren't written down in laws
Example: the Prime Minister should be a member of the House of Commons (not a law, but a norm)
Authoritative works
reliable guides (no legal status) to the workings of institutions and of the political system.
Example: Erskine May's Treatise on the Law, Privileges, Proceedings and Usage of Parliament - ‘Bible’ of parliamentary practice and is used by senior officials (publishes in 1844 and is regularly updated)
2016 referendum (Brexit)
the United Kingdom's vote on whether to remain a member of EU or leave.
Brexit → ‘British exit’
Liberalism
Rejects what is viewed as traditional social ideas and emphasis on personal freedom, equality.
Liberty
Individualism
Rationalism
The liberal state
Social justice
Socialism
opposes capitalism, property and resources are commonly owned by the community or the state. Revolutionary socialists: Marx, Lenin, Trotsky - ‘classless‘ society
Collectivism
Common humanity
Equality
Workers’ control
Social classes
Conservatism
commitment to traditional values with opposition to change. It seeks to uphold what is the organic structure of society. (French Revolution)
Pragmatism
Tradition
Paternalism
Libertarianism
Belief in an organic state.
Attlee revolution (1945-1951)
one of the doctrinal waves, period of transformative social and economic changes in the UK. (Clement Attlee - prime minister)
„post-war settlement” - various reforms to rebuild British society
"fair shares for all"
the high point of British social
democratic collectivism
the welfare state constructed - creation of institutions and programs to provide social support
sternly centralizing - centralize decision-making and authority
Thatcher revolution (1979-1990)
one of the doctrinal waves, the transformative period of economic and changes implemented by Margaret Thatcher - prime minister.
believed in rewarding hardworking individuals
system of tendering
poll tax - every adult citizen pays, no matter their income or specific situation
revive the faltering British economy
Blair revolution (1997-2007)
one of the doctrinal waves, 'what matters is what works' (Tony Blair - prime minister)
New Labour - makeover of the Labour Party to modernize old socialist views
socialism disowned
party leader Neil Kinnock - was the Labour Party leader, changed the party's direction
Gordon Brown - Chancellor of the Exchequer, focused on being financially responsible for economic stability
Free Enterprise Capitalism
One of the Most Pro-Business Governments
Westminster model
a type of parliamentary democracy
First-Past-the-Post Electoral System
Single-Party Government
Two major parties competing for the all-or-nothing electoral victory
Characteristics of the Westminster Model
Constitutional Monarchy - monarch → ceremonial head of state, Parliament → day-to-day governance
Parliamentary Sovereignty - Parliament is the supreme law-making authority
Bicameral Legislature - two champers: HoC, HoL
Political Parties
Prime Ministerial Government
Cabinet System - ultimate decision-making body of the executive
Collective Responsibility - all Cabinet members must publicly support government decisions
Adversarial Politics - engagement in confrontational interaction
Rule of Law - everyone is subject to the law
Parliament
legislature, responsible for making and passing laws. Made up of the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the monarch.
Legislation
Representation
Recruiting and maintaining the government
Legitimacy
Scrutiny
Legislature
The law-making body in a country or state. In the UK, this is Parliament.
House of Commons (HoC)
lower house of the Parliament
debating and proposals of new law
first-past-the-post electoral system
the term to mandate from 1911 is 5 years
it has 650 MPs
House of Lords (HoL)
upper house of the Parliament
consist of four kind of peers/Lords
not elected (inherit or appointed)
review and revise legislation proposed by the House of Commons (can’t block but can delay)
Life peers
dominates HoL, majority of peers
appointed to the nobility for their lifetime
appointed by the Prime Minister based on their achievements, contributions
People’s peers
appointed on the basis of individual recommendations made to the Lords Appointments Commission
by the end of 2018, 70 had been appointed
criticism: lack of resemblance to ‘ordinary’ citizens
Hereditary peers
inherit their membership in the HoL
the past → 700+ members - from 1999 max. 92 members
elected by other members of the House
Lords Spiritual
26 bishops of the Church of England
appointed by the Prime Minister
link between the Church of England and the state in the United Kingdom
Vote of confidence
a parliamentary vote to determine whether a government has the support of the majority of the legislative body.
yes → assurance of continued support
no → may be required to resign
Head of state
the top official and symbolic leader of a state, representing its power.
Official Opposition
usually the second-largest party in the House of Commons.
opposes and criticizes the government's policies
Speaker
the presiding officer of the House of Commons. Roles:
calling upon MPs to speak in debates
ensuring fair share of debating time
disciplining MPs when they break the rules
announcing the results of votes in the House
The King's speech
a speech at the beginning of each Parliamentary session and informs Parliament of the government’s legislative programme.
It is written by the Prime Minister’s office → delivered by the monarch.
The Royal Assent
the final stage of the legislative process, when the monarch signs a bill to officially make it an Act. Monarchs never refuse to grant Royal Assent.
Elections
central to the practice of democracy. They are held to choose representatives of the government.
Main elections of the UK: General, Local and Devolved assembly.
General elections
held to elect the House of Commons. Every 5 years but may occur before.
Local elections
elections for local government authorities. Include: the Greater London Assembly, the London Mayor and mayoral elections (4-5 years)
Devolved assembly elections
elections to the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Parliament and the Northern Ireland Assembly. (every 4 years)
Electoral systems
translate votes cast by citizens into seats for candidates.
There are three main types: Majoritarian, Proportional and Mixed systems.
Majoritarian systems
the winning candidate is the one who secures the most votes.
Proportional systems
electoral system using multi-member constituencies in which a mathematical formula is used to match the share of the vote to the allocation of seats.
Mixed System
electoral system in which some are elected by a majoritarian system and the others are elected by proportional representation and allocated to parties on a correct basis.
First-past-the-post (FPTP)
electoral system used in general elections where the candidate with the greatest number of votes is elected.
The Executive
branch of government, which formulates policy and proposes draft laws for approval by the legislature. Consists of:
PM and cabinet
ministers and civil servants
departments of state
‘quangos’ - non-governmental organisations
Role of the Prime Minister
Forming a government
Directing government policy
Managing the Cabinet system
Organising government
Controlling Parliament
Providing national leadership
Patronage
the power to appoint and dismiss members of the government and other significant appointments.
Cabinet
the group of leading ministers (about 20 chosen by PM) which is empowered to make official government policy.
Cabinet committees
subcommittees of the Cabinet, typically established to focus on specific policy areas or address particular issues
Secondary legislation
powers given to the executive by Parliament to make changes to the law within certain specific rules.
Judiciary
a complex structure responsible for interpreting and applying the law. It is independent from the government and plays a crucial role in upholding justice.
The Supreme Court
the highest court in the UK (2009). Handles cases of significant legal importance, constitutional issues, and appeals from lower courts.
The Court of Appeal
the second highest court in the UK and consists of two divisions: Civil Division and Criminal Division. It hears appeals from lower courts and reviews decisions made by certain tribunals.
The High Court
third highest court in the UK, divided into three divisions: King’s/Queen's Bench Division, Chancery Division, and Family Division. Deals with civil disputes, administrative law, and serious criminal cases.
Crown Court
handles serious criminal cases (murder, rape, or drug offenses). The Crown Court conducts trials by judge and jury.
Magistrates' Court
deals with less serious cases (petty theft or minor offenses)
Tribunals
specialized courts that handle specific areas of law, such as employment, immigration, and social security.
Judicial appointments
Judges in the UK are appointed based on their legal expertise and experience. They hold office until they reach a mandatory retirement age.
Legal precedent
UK judiciary follows the principle of common law, which means that decisions made by higher courts are binding on lower courts, creating a system of legal precedent.
Devolution
in the case of the United Kingdom devolution therefore means transferring powers from Westminster and Whitehall to the devolved bodies and administrative offices across the United Kingdom.