Power and Authority in Great Britain

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Power and Authority in Great Britain
Is the British GovernmentLegitimate?

• AP Comparative Government
• Unit III

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Great Britain

• This fortress built by Nature for herself,
• Against infection and the hand of war,
• This happy breed of men, this little world,
• This precious stone set in the silver sea,
• Which serves it in the office of a wall,
• Or as a moat defensive to a house,
• Against the envy of less happier lands
• This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this
  England.
• Richard II William Shakespeare

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Question 1 When is a Government considered
Legitimate?

1. Ideology
2. Continuity
3. Familiarity
4. Standing traditions/common issues
5. Propaganda Politicalization.
6. Strength of force

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Gaining Legitimacy in Great Britain

• 1. Ideology
• Have classes have melded together?
• Who is Labour (Whigs) and who is Conservative
  (Tory)?
• Government unsure of where lines of support are
  drawn.
• Prime Minister Tony Blair (Tony Blur) blurred
  the lines even more with his victory in 1997 by
  moving to the Center with left wing Labour party
  victory.

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Gaining Legitimacy in Great Britain

• 1. Ideology
• Obstacle Overcoming class structure
• Classes support each other in many endeavors
• Britain led West in the rights for workers and
  women
• Joining the Franchise (the vote) in 18th and
  19th century

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The British Class System

• 1. Ideology
• Upper Class
• Aristocratic notions of fair play.
• It is the duty of the rich to take care of the
  poor.
• Gentlemen and Law of Primogeniture -- oldest
  son will rule
• Sends sons out to HEAL the masses
• Noblige Oblesse.
• The nobility thinks it is obligated to help the
  masses
• Yuppies
• Military professional civil servants
• Attend Public schools (Private) establish
  Victorian principles of morality
• Build foundation for the Establishment

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The British Class System

• 1. Ideology
• Commoners
• Attends private schools (public)
• Substandard as compared to the well-to-do
  schools.
• Trades people
• 30 of population
• Lower Middle class
• Manual workers
• Underclass
• 20 wallow in severe poverty and immigrants
  threaten livelihood.
• Hurt by recessions and unemployment

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Gaining Legitimacy in Great Britain

• 2. Continuity
• Consensus building.....
• Boring history (?) w/ little real political
  change.
• Flexibility derived from Geography
• Isolation proved to protect Britain
• Sea power to defend itself.
• Fended off outside influences , i.e. Norman
  invasion (Normans became English)
• Changed government only 5 times in 900 years.
• A centralized bureaucracy which led to the
  unitary state Britain has today.
• Strong institutions including the Exchequer

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Gaining Legitimacy in Great Britain

• 3. Familiarity
• FACT There never has been a period, since
  England has been united into a single kingdom,
  when some sort of council or assembly was not
  called, from time to time, to aid the King in
  governing.
• Edward I laid down the principle that "what
  concerns all should be approved by all."
• Royal commissions established legitimacy

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Gaining Legitimacy in Great Britain

• 4. Standing traditions/common issues
• No written constitution but has Tradition of
  Enquiry
• The Magna Carta and other docs
• Concepts Included are
• Common Law Kings Law Rule of Law
• Use of Contracts promoted Rule of Law
• Taxes benefited the masses w/ a benevolent king.
• Law of Primogeniture (oldest son will rule)
• Sends sons out to HEAL the masses
• Noblige Oblesse
• The nobility is obligated to help the masses.

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Gaining Legitimacy in Great Britain

• 5. Propaganda Politicalization
• Parliament What concerns All is approved by
  ALL
• Parliament is the link across class coalitions
• An Assembly of One
• Power from the people
• Interlocking institutions of legislative and
  executive
• Parliament prime minister
• Cabinet and PM
• Exchanging legislative and executive powers.

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Gaining Legitimacy in Great Britain

• 6. Strength of force
• Power went from one person to an institution
• James II (r. 1685-88) attempted to halt
  Parliaments rise to prominence.
• He was successful for 30 years until Charles II
  (1660-1685)
• Led to Glorious Revolution
• The Crown lost power to Parliament
• Parliament then ruled Britain

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Question 2.How does a Government Maintain
Legitimacy?

1. Through Political Institutions and Organizations
2. Through Political Ideologies
3. By establishing Political Symbols
4. By unraveling political and social problems

• These four examples come together to promote the
  political socialization of the state-
• And this establishes the political culture of
  ones society . . . promoting and maintaining
  Legitimacy

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How does a Government Maintain Legitimacy?

• Through Political Institutions and Organizations
• Britain Branches of Government, Political
  Parties

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2007
Gordon Brown Labour
2007-2010 David Cameron Conservative
2010-??
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Public Policy of the 1980s The Thatcher
Revolution

• The Domestic politics of Margaret Thatcher (The
  Iron Lady)
• The retreat from the commanding heights
• Nationalizing and privatizing
• Rolling back the welfare state
• PROS AND CONS
• Thatchers supporters say she saved the British
  economy by bring both inflation and unemployment
  under control and by creating a more dynamic
  private sector.
• Thatchers detractors say she created new
  problems and exacerbated existing ones by
  widening the gap between rich and poor and by
  allowing public services to deteriorate.

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Public Policy of the 1990s The Blair Revolution

• Domestic Politics of Tony Blair
• Did not roll back all of Thatchers (and John
  Majors) reforms
• The New Deal
• Government spending as a percentage of GNP shrank
• Welfare that gave recipients skills to find jobs
  rather than just benefits
• Tuition increase
• Placed a tolling London drivers to reduce traffic
  congestion
• PROS AND CONS
• Blairs supporters say he has create the Third
  Way combining the best aspects of the socialist
  goals commitment to equality with a market
  economy.
• Blairs detractors say he sold out the left and
  created Thatcher lite.

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How does a Government Maintain Legitimacy?

• 2. Through Political Ideologies
• Great Britain has the oldest democratic tradition
  of any country in the world.
• Democracy
• Limited Government
• Church has little role in government

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Other Important Institutions

• The British electorate
• Votes for their districts Minister of Parliament
  (MP)
• Winning party then selects a Prime Minister (PM)
• Elections occur at least once every 5 years

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Other Important Institutions

• Interest groups/Pressure groups
• Interests groups focus their attention on
  decision makers (ministers, party leaders, and
  senior civil servants) BEFORE the bill is drafted
  
• Little lobbying afterwards of MPs unlike in U.S.
  
• The TUC with Labour and the Confederation of
  British Industry with Conservatives wield
  disproportionate influence

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How does the British Government Maintain
Legitimacy?
God save our gracious Queen! Long live our noble
Queen! God save the Queen! Send her victorious,
Happy and glorious, Long to reign over us, God
save the Queen.

• 3. By establishing Political Symbols
• The British flag, anthem, monarch

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How does a Government Maintain Legitimacy?

• 4. By unraveling political and social problems
• The British government work on solving important
  issues
• Terrorism
• Economic issues

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How does a Government Maintain Legitimacy?

• The London Subway Bombings 7/7/05
• Homegrown Terrorism in British cities
• Muslims were arrested by police in England on
  suspicion of plotting a terrorist attack on
  airplanes there has been much debate about what
  makes some British-born Muslims turn radical.

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"The optimist proclaims that we live in the best
of all possible worlds and the pessimist fears
this is true. --Irving
Caesar
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Power and Authority in Great Britain

• Great Britain has many sources of authority and
  political power.
• Includes
• The Monarchy
• Strong, competitive political parties
• Open elections for Parliament

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Legitimacy inGreat Britain

• Legitimacy has developed gradually over time in
  GB
• Tradition plays a very important role and is a
  primary source of stability
• Constitution of the Crown refers to important
  documents created over time including common law
  precedents, legal codes, and customs

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Is the British GovernmentLegitimate? Yes!