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PSC 321: British Politics Philip Norton, The British Polity, 4/e. Related Lectures, including other material revised 19 Feb. 2008, by Jeremy Lewis .

Ch. 1: The Contemporary Landscape (4 versions)

Ch. 2: The Political Culture

Ch. 4: The Electoral System

Ch. 5: The Uncodified Constitution

Ch. 6: Political Parties

Ch. 7: Interest Groups: Insiders or Outsiders? (parts 1 & 2)

Ch. 8: Executive: Gov't at the Center

Ch. 9: The European Union: Government Above the Center

Ch. 10: New Assemblies: Gov't Beyond Center

Ch. 11: Local Gov't: Below the Center

Ch. 12: Parliament: Commons and Lords

Ch. 13: Monarchy: Above the Fray?

Ch. 14: Enforcement: Courts & Police

Ch. 15: Communication and Feedback, The Mass Media

Ch. 16: Flux and Strength: A book with Two Themes

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Chapter 1:  The Contemporary Landscape

Chapter 2: The Political Culture

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• plumping
• hustings
• privacy concerns led to preprinted 'Australian' ballot and secret ballot
• pocket boroughs (landlord)
• rotten boroughs, e.g. Old Sarum /Salisbury
• women and poor men not enfranchised
• population had moved to factories in C18-19th
• Electoral system had to be matched to the industrial age.]

• Conservatives
• based on landed wealth in C19th
• rural areas, symbolized by fox hunting
• traditional family, social class, C. of E.
• professional organization
• name signifies conservation of social order
• based in Conservative HQ
• 1922 Committee of MPs
• the "natural party of government"??
• moderate Butskellism of 1950s: "me too but less so"
• Thatcherism, revolution for free market in 1980s.
• Labour
• a social movement that formed a party
• trade unions barred by Combination Acts
• 6 Tolpuddle martyrs
• 1900 conference
• Clause IV
• bloc voting of trade unions till 1980s
• intellectual left, radical in 1970s and 1980s
• based on urban workers, led by intellectuals
• unruly in organization until Blair
• NEC
• based in Transport House (TGWU)
• PLP
• Fabian society
• Friendly societies and building societies
• Liberals
• celtic fringe liberals mixed in with Labour
• especially Scottish lowlands
• Cornwall and Devon in SW England
• local issues, human rights, and environmentalism
• 1981 Social Democrats
• gang of 4
• top down party with no grass roots
• Alliance
• Liberal Democrats merged
• Problem of first-past-the-post
• disproportional representation
• call for electoral reform and STV
• hung parliament would give Lib Dems power.
• New Labour emerged in 1990s
• more moderate, Blairite, historic victory in 1997
• deleted Clause IV
• influenced by Clinton campaign
• Third Way equivalent of Clinton's triangulation
• Post 2000, in power, more traditionally social democratic
• boosted spending on social services, education and health care
• Parliamentary deliberation and sovereignty
• referendum for EC 1973 -- but not EU constitution in 2000s.

focus on the Executive

insider's game

Types:

Sectional - economic interest basis

Labour - Trade Union Congress

             Business - Confederaton of British Industry.

             Agriculture - National Farmers Union.  70% of all farmers are members

[Professional: NUT, NUS]

Types:

       Promotional [causal]- promote particular causes, have support from disparate individuals

        Insider - legitimate [interest of the realm]; consulted on issues

        Outsider - not consulted

• Innovators
• Reformers seek power to implement a party program
• Egoists
• Balancers either seek to balance power by choice or because thrust upon them.

Commanders

Ideologues

Managers

Agents

Team Players

• Local Govt expanded in cities in C20th
• 1963 GLC created by Cons to set suburban majority over Lab.
• 1974 Local auths decimated following Redcliffe-Maud Report
• 1970s Labour and Militant won cities like London, People's Republic of Liverpool
• 1979-97 Conservatives tightened controls of local gov taxing and spending.
• 1986 Parliament eliminated GLC.

• Lib Dems and Nats continued to press for local democracy.
• 1997- New Labour committed to devolution to regional assemblies.

• 20K councillors on renewable four year terms, age 21 and residents.
• Party labels though looser bonds; male and middle class usually.
• Unsalaried but allowances and perks; some local corruption.
• Maladministration: Ombudsman and Audit Commission since 1980s.
• Powers from statutes 1972, 1988 limited.
• 2M workers, $64 B per year spending
• Income from central grants, local service fees, rates/poll tax (1990 riots).