Wiki+Assignment+2


 * Legitimacy (LW)**

Legitimacy is the right the government has to rule. The legitimacy of the United Kingdom, a constitutional monarchy, is a combination of traditional legitimacy and rational-legal legitimacy; power is derived from an unwritten constitution - a collection of rules and traditions respected and acknowledged by a majority of the populace. This combination of customs and common laws is often referred to as the “Constitution of the Crown” There are two documents central to this “Constitution of the Crown”; The Magna Carta, signed in 1215 by King John, laid the basis on limited government; the king agreed that he would consult nobles before making important political decisions, particularly those regarding taxes. The Bill of Rights, signed by William and Mary in 1688, lists the rights by Parliament and gave the “power of the purse” ability to Parliament. One notable difference between the constitutions of both the United States and the United Kingdom is that, unlike the U.S., no law can be deemed "unconstitutional" by the United Kingdom's Constitution.

[|The Strange Tale of Tony Blair] // This article discusses Britain’s dissatisfaction with Tony Blair in 2005. Blair, having reinvented the Labour Party, is now viewed with distaste by the U.K. population. This article demonstrates the legitimacy of the U.K. government by showing how the people, now displeased with “the strangest Tory ever sold”, have and most likely will use their power to choose another leader for their country. Blair's popularity diminshed rapidly because, according to polls, the British people had lost trust in their government; they believed Blair had lied to them, particularly in regards to Iraq. To compare, George W. Bush was starting his second term in 2005 - a term which had been preceded by one that was "the most fiscally restless in decades" says the Economist. Bush, like Blair, faced a nation in 2005 with their reputations hanging in the balance. //

[|Dark before the dawn?] //This article discusses the talks between the Democratic Union Party and Sinn Fein. The question of Northern Ireland has been hotly debated for years - this attempt by both prime ministers is yet another. Mr. Robinson, the head of the Democratic Union Party, stands to potentially lose his leadership if Sinn Fein walks out of the conference. This article discusses the idea of legitmacy because it demonstrates how Britain's government is interacting with that of Northern Ireland. It also raises the hotly debated question of Britain's right to rule in Northern Ireland. Groups such as the IRA have long contested British rule of the area and so these talks between the prime ministers serve to both attempt a solution at the problem as well as address the larger question of Northern Ireland in the context of the United Kingdom. //

The constitution of the U.K. is unique because, as said before, it is considered an “unwritten constitution”. Based upon **common laws**, **customs**, and **traditions**, as well as the **Magna Carta** and the **Bill of Rights**, the **“Constitution of the Crown”** of the United Kingdom is flexible and has been able to change as needed throughout the years.

As an advanced democracy, Britain refelcts many Post-Moderen(Post-Industrial) values. Post-Modernism places value on social programs such as health care,education, and the environment. Economically, most people are employed in service sector jobs, while the industrail and agricultural sectors remain small. [|The Politics of the Environment] //This article discusses the continuing commitment of Parliament to environmentalism. It notes that while Labour is concerned with environmental stability globally, Conservatives are carrying on with a tradition of local conservation. Though many British voters are willing to forgo environmentally friendly policy making due to costs, politicians in both parties still see it as a major issue.
 * British Political Culture(EB)**

Britain is isolated from the continent of Europe. This insularity has contributed to the strong nationalism that is ingrained in British culture. Distinction between Britain and European Continent is the reason that Britain has been reluctant to take part in the E.U. and adopt the Euro. Britain's unique geographic situation led to its role as an imperial power in the 18th and 19th centuries. http://www.economist.com/surveys/displaystory.cfm?story_id=E1_RVRNPRT //This article discusses both the historical and current roles of globalization in the british economy. As an imperial power Britain used globalization to greatly further its economic growth during the industrial revolution. Today it must adjust the services it provides in order to continue to benefit from global economic growth. //

 Britain's tradition of social class is still deeply ingrained in the political culture. It manifests itself through the tradition of // noblesse oblige //, the idea that the upper classes are socially responsible for the lower classes. This is what makes Brits willing to accept a social welfare state. http://www.economist.com/world/britain/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15407957

This article discusses the gap between the classes in Britain. It states that despite the commitment of British citizens to a welfare state after WWII, the social structure has still remained. Equality of opportunity still remains a priority for many politicians, however the results are not promising.//



Political Institutions ** One of the most prevalent political institutions in the United Kingdom is interest groups. Their power has been declining since the Conservative rule of Margaret Thatcher One of the most affected groups has been the Trade Unions Congress (TUC). The groups first began to lose public support, which turned into a decline in political power. After the Trade Unions Congress began to lose power, union membership began to decline as well. [|Historical Figures: Margaret Thatcher] //This article discusses the everlasting role that Margaret Thatcher conservative rule had on the United Kingdom. Her party's policies reduced the amount of state-owned factories and the amount of interest groups. The government is legitimate because Margaret Thatcher was elected through a popular vote and stayed in power until her popularity declined. // 
 * Political/Historical Traditions (CS)

The role of the media has always revolved around social class. Quality newspapers like The Guardian appeal to the upper classes, while tabloids like The Sun have traditionally appealed to the lower classes. Television in the United Kingdom is publically funded, for example BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation). Compared to the United States, there are less local news programs and more centralized national news coverage that appeal to an international audience. [|Media Landscape in the United Kingdom] //This article discusses the unique media system of the United Kingdom in depth. It discusses the division of the written press and the ten daily public papers. Regional and local papers comprise of the majority of written media, sharply contrasting with the national nature of the audiovisual media. The government of the United Kingdom is legitimate because journalists have freedom of the press, there is no censorship. // 
 * The Media**

The United Kingdom is unique because it contains four countries: England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Because the government is centralized in London, the remaining three countries have been demanding more power and more home rule. Northern Ireland has been the most turbulent in its demand for power, with the militant attacks of both the Irish Republican Army and the British Army. Devolved government in the country has been sporadic and parliament has been suspended many times. Power sharing officially began in 2007. Scotland and Wales haven’t used violence, but have achieved similar goals. Tony Blair recreated both the Scottish Parliament and a National Assembly of Wales in 1998. England has not experienced such devolution, although London experienced regional devolution, controlled by the Greater London Authority. [|Northern Ireland Talks Near Collapse] //This article discusses the continuing devolution problems in Northern Ireland. A power sharing summit reached a stalemate in late January of this year. Both of the leaders of the country's majority parties, Martin McGuinness of Sinn Féin and Peter Robinson of the Democratic Unionists, refused to compromise with their rival party. The devolved governments were popularly voted upon in the late 1990's and are continuing being voted upon today.//
 * Public Policy and Current Issues**



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Political/Historical Traditions Cont. (CZ) **

Britain is characterized by its gradualism. This means that in the arena of political change, instead of revolutions or uprisings, Britain's change has come in small discrete increments. Over time policy making shifted from the monarch to the parliament when the king needed the support of the nobility to keep his claim to the monarchy. Another gradual change or evolution that occurred was the House of Commons becoming more powerful than the House of Lords. Many factors contributed to this change, one was the growth of commercialism and a new middle class. The Great Reform Act of 1832 and other extensions of voting rights //over many years// also contributed to the further growing strength of the House of Commons. The gradual inclusion of the "common man" into the political process prevented Marxism from surfacing as it did in other European countries. However, there are important marker events that show these transitions such as: the signing of the Magna Carta, the English Civil War, and the Glorious Revolution. Another important result of Britain's gradualism is that it has established a strong sense of tradition. A good example of this is that the monarchy still exists even though its power has deteriorated much from its past glory.
 * Political Change**

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Video: Monarchy vs. Democracy - time for an elected head of state This video demonstrates the strength of tradition - even though there are those who are for getting rid of the monarchy (POV of this video), there is no real movement to eliminate the Queen. //Description of video content:// Labour MP Andrew MacKinlay sets out the case for an elected head of state. Hitler may have lost the war, but a monarch of German descent sits on the throne of Britain. Queen Elizabeth II is a descendant of the German Royal House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. The real issue is, of course, not the non-British heritage of the British Royal Family, but the fact that we have an unelected and largely unaccountable monarch as our Head of State. Monarchs get the job for life, no matter how appallingly they behave. Imagine the embarrassment of having a king like the insensitive, gaffe-prone Prince Philip. The alternative to royalty is not a US-style executive president. We could have an elected president, but a low-cost, purely ceremonial one, like the Irish. This would ensure that the people are sovereign, not the royals. And we get an important safeguard: if we don't like our head of state, we can elect a new one. Is it time for a democratic republic?

Unlike the American System of Government, Britain's lacks separation of powers. While the British government does have three branches and a bureaucracy, because their system is parliamentary based the interactions between the branches are very different. The exectuive branch is fused with the legislative branch because the prime minister and cabinet are leaders of parliament. Cabinet members are party leaders from Parliament chosen by the prime minister. As the collective cabinet they are the center of policy - making in Britain. Also, the judicial branch lacks the power of judicial review. This is because there is a principle of parliamentary sovereignty - parliament's decisions are final.
 * Institutions of National Government**

[|Article: 1997 Revisited: Explaining Gordon Brown's mysterious new enthusiasm for electoral reform]​

//This article shows the current Prime Minister Gordon Brown acting as a legislative force.//