Major UK Legislation
What was the Bill of Rights (1688)
Parliament enacted the Bill of Rights, institutionalizing for the first time Parliament’s political supremacy and marking a devolution of the authority of monarchs.
"Glorious Revolution" - a key turning point in the creation of the constitutional monarchy
The 2 chambers of Parliament
House of Commons & House of Lords
The head of State in the UK.
The Monarch (King/Queen), the executive role that symbolizes and represents the people both nationally and internationally.
True or False: Britain's system of government has never changed.
True: UK never replaced system of gov’t w/ another, has made changes that built on existing arrangements (Always been a Monarch).
Labor v Tory's
Labor: Party of opposition, equivalent to the US Democrats
Tory: Conservative party, equivalent to the Republicans
The importance of the Magna Carta (1215)
Changed the feudalistic foundation of rule for the Monarch, the first crack in the armor of the king of England, signed by King John.
Who/what has supreme legislative, executive, and judicial authority in the UK?
Parliament
The head of government in the UK
The Prime Minister (PM), The executive role that deals with the everyday tasks of running the state, such as formulating and executing policy
Why we study the UK case.
UK as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution (spurred British economic/political dominance in the 19th C.)
Member(s) of Parliament
One thing the Magna Carta did.
Limited king’s power to arbitrarily seize property from his subjects (The King can no longer take what he deems is ‘his’)
The group(s) that elect Judiciaries, the Executive, and Legislators to Parliament.
Voters (indirectly) elect the Executive
Voters (directly) elect the Legislators
Judiciaries are appointed
The UKs legislature is _____
Bicameral
The type of society Britain once was.
Authoritarianism v Totalitarianism
Authoritarianism: diluted, less strict form of a totalitarian government (ex// China, Iran, Kazakhstan)
Totalitarianism: One party rules the gov’t (& civil societies – unions, clubs, PTA) OR Controls Information (& private lives of citizens) (ex// Cuba, North Korea)
One thing the Magna Carta did.
Forced the king to consult with aristocrats before levying/raising taxes (before - no limits on how he raises taxes)
The first major form of a democratic government and the State where this form of gov't was the 1st of its kind.
Parliamentary Democracy (UK - the 1st)
How the Parliamentary System works
A traditional feature of monarchies
1) Power is inherited
2) Gov’t ruled by nobles (classes)
3) Traditionally authority comes from God (divine rule)
Ex// Morocco, UAE, Saudi Arabia
Presidential v Parliamentary Democracy
Presidential (US): voters elect legislators, president (indirectly), existence of separation of powers & check/balances
Parliamentary (UK): voters elect MPs, 2 chambers of Parliament, No separation of powers & no checks/balances
The (4) significances of the Bill of Rights (1688)
1) Confirmed supremacy of parliament over the monarch
2) Freedom to elect members of parliament (MPs) without interference from the monarch
3) Freedom of speech and debate
4) No taxation by royal prerogative.
In reference to US Politics, this UK group, _____, is thought of as the House of Representatives, and _____ is thought of as the US senate.
House of Commons (US HoR)
House of Lords (US Senate)
Unitary - central gov't is supreme, power isn't share between states or providences, note that Britain has become more decentralized.
The most powerful legislature on Earth
Parliament - due largely to the lack of constitutional constraints, concentration of power is even more impressive when it is considered that of the two chambers of the legislature.
House of Commons v House of Lords
HOC (only 1 w/ real power): Lower house of UK legislature, the political party w/ the most votes in the HOC chooses the PM (leader of gov’t), there are no fixed terms, there are elections every 5 years, representing the interests of the lower nobility and the merchant class.
HOL: Upper house of the UK legislature, whose reform is currently being debated, little power, most members are nobles w/ inherited titles, the clergy is represented, recently the voting power of nobles was taken away, represents aristocracy.