Chapter 13 System of Government

1. Chapter 13 System of Government

2. Chapter 13 System of Government • What is the basic structure of the central government of the United Kingdom? • What is the role of the Sovereign? • What are the major responsibilities of Prime Minister and Cabinet in Britain? • How do you understand the British Civil Service system: its past and present? • How are the Members of Parliament in the House of Commons elected? How are those in the House of Lords selected?

3. A 1 Basic Structure of UK Central Government

5. The Monarch • Constitutional Head of State • Bound by statute: • not be a Roman Catholic or marry a Roman Catholic • on the death of a monarch, the oldest male heir The Crown is the permanent

6. Queen Elizabeth II Real name: Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor Birth: 21 April 1926 in London Children: 3 sons, 1 daughter Personifies the state The Monarch head of the judiciary head of the executive an integral part of the legislature commander-in-chief of all armed forces of the Crown the ‘supreme Governor’ of the Church of England

7. The Monarch • Q1 If there were a referendum on the issue, would you favour Britain becoming a republic or remaining a monarchy? • Republic 19% • Monarchy 70% • Would not vote 3% • Don't know 8%

8. The System of Government • RepresentativeDemocracy • AKA Parliamentary Democracy • Elected representatives: P216 • Rights (civil liberties) • The separation of powers The Crown is the permanent

9. Parliamentary Sovereignty • Parliamentary Sovereignty – Parliamentary Supremacy :absolute & ultimate power within the British system • Can pass, repeal and alter any of Britain’s laws • A law passed by Parliament– cannot be declared as unconstitutional (the European Court)

10. Parliamentary Elections • Parliament ‘dissolved’—general elections • 659 constituencies—659 MPs, the House of Commons • The relative majority method: the ‘first past the post’ (FPTP) principle -- the candidate with more votes than any other is elected • To form a government: to win most seats (although not necessarily most votes) or to have the support of a majority of members in the House of Commons

11. Legislature Palace of Westminster—home of government • Parliament: highest legislative authority–making and repealing UK law • Three constituent parts (the two-chamber system): • House of Commons • House of Lords • Crown (ceremonial)

12. House of Lords The Lord Chancellor (seat--the Woolsack) Limited responsibility Hereditary Peers or Peeresses; Life Peers; bishops Elected & appointed House of Commons The Speaker Keeping order and making sure rules are followed Elected MPs: General Elections (5 years) By-elections

13. Constituency

14. 1 Speaker 2 Pages 3 Government Members* 4 Opposition Members* 5 Prime Minister 6 Leader of the Official Opposition 7 Leader of the Second Largest Party in Opposition 8 Clerk and Table Officers 9 Mace 10 Hansard Reporters 11 Sergeant-at-Arms 12 The Bar 13 Interpreters 14 Press Gallery 15 Public Gallery 16 Official Gallery 17 Leader of the Opposition’s Gallery 18 Members’ Gallery 19 Members’ Gallery 20 Members’ Gallery 21 Speaker’s Gallery 22 Senate Gallery 23 T.V. Cameras House of Commons

15. What Goes on in the House of Commons? (P220) • Debates—issues of national and international importance • The Speaker—presding over debates • The MPs—voting for or against the motion; ‘lobbies’, ‘aye’, ‘no’

16. What Goes on in the House of Commons cont. • Question Time • Four times a week; each 55 minutes • Questions by MPs • Short, oral answers by government ministers • The PM: 30 minutes, once a week

17. EXECUTIVE(polictical) PM, leader of majority party ‘Ministers’ or ‘Secretaries of State’ All MPs (front benchers + backbenchers Cabinet Junior Ministers Civil Service(non-political) Permanent officials ‘mandarins’ (accountable to Parliament) Executive (P215)

18. A 2 The Executive (P217) • The State Opening of Parliament: Queen’s speech, drawn up by the Government and approved by the Cabinet • An outline of the Government's policies and proposed legislative programme for the new parliamentary session.

19. From Buckingham to Westminster Sovereign’s Entrance at Westminster The State Opening of ParliamentMay, 2005

20. The Prime Minister • the leader of his party in the House of Commons • the head of government • chief spokesman for the government • represents the country abroad • Informs the Queen of government decisions

21. The Prime Minister & the Cabinet • Can select cabinet • hand out departmental positions, dismiss ministers • amalgamate or split government departments • decide the agenda for cabinet meetings

22. The PM & the government • directs and controls policy for the government • exercises wide powers of patronage and appointments in the civil service, church and judiciary • decides the date for a general election within the five-year term • decides the timetable of government legislation in the House

23. Downing 10, No. 10

24. The Cabinet *** • The Cabinet: appointed by PM • The Cabinet Ministers: 15-20 MPs • Shadow Cabinet: oppositions • Collective responsibility: the Cabinet acting unanimously as a single unit • Ministerial responsibility: the ministers responsible for the work of their own department and answerable to parliament about it (mistakes—resignation) • Cabinet “reshuffles”: PM reassigning responsibilities or dropping members

25. The Cabinet *** • Biggest and most important departments • The Treasury: the financial running of the country including taxation • The Home Office: internal affairs within the UK, eg. law and order and the court system • The Foreign Office: dealings with foreign governments • The Department for Education • The Health and Social Security Department • The Trade and Industry Department • The Agriculture and Fisheries Department

26. The Civil Service (P217) • Civil servants: servants of the Crown, no political or judicial office, paid with public money, not elected • Serve the elected political government of the day • Career officials • Top civil servants: advice about policy, implementing the policies • A rigorous civil service exam

27. THE CIVIL SERVICE Permanent, well-educated elite, dominated by Oxbridge (75%) &politically neutral (unlike USA) Recruited by meritrocracy (Northcote-Trevalyan reforms) Anonymous (since Minister takes responsibility)

28. Judiciary • The Constitutional Reform Act 2005: provision for the creation of a new Supreme Court for the UK • The new Supreme Court: a UK body legally separate from the England and Wales Courts; also the Supreme Court of both Scotland and Northern Ireland • The office of Lord Chancellor: no longer official head of judiciary

29. Judiciary • The new, independent Supreme Court: independent appointments system, own staff and budget, own building • Scheduled to be open: October 2009 • 12 judges: Justices of the Supreme Court; not allowed to sit as members of the House of Lords; the current Law Lords—Justices, Lord Bingham—President of the Supreme Court

30. Separation of Power, British Style • The Prime Minister: an active member of the legislative, the leading member of the executive • The Lord Chancellor: a member of the cabinet (the executive); head of the judiciary • The House of Lords: part of the legislative (a right to vote on bills); the Law Lords: part of the judiciary • Members of the Cabinet: members of the legislative (the right to vote on issues) , the executive

31. Constitutional Reform • Constitutional Reform • Devolution • House of Lords reform • Partial independence for Bank of England • Freedom of Information • Parliamentary select committees • Electoral reform • A written constitution; a “bill of rights” • Constitutional Reform Act 2005

32. Local Government (P223) • County level: education and social services (full-time specialist officials) • District councils: rubbish collection, disposal (full-time specialist officials) • Community or parish councils: may affect decisions • ‘councillors’ representing ‘wards’ (about 1200 people at county level)

33. The Devolution • Devolution is where power is transferred from a superior governmental body (such as central power) to an inferior one (such as at regional level). • Devolution, V Bogador: • The transfer of power to a subordinate elected body • The transfer of power on a geographical basis • The transfer of functions at present is exercised by Parliament

34. The Devolution cont • Devolution: the setting up of an elected regional assembly whose powers are carefully and clearly defined by national government • Powers not included: major financial powers, eg. tax collection, the raising of taxes etc, the control of the armed forces or an input into foreign policy decisions • Central government: a huge amount of power over a regional one

35. The Devolution • The Greater London Authority • The Scottish Parliament and Welsh and Northern Ireland assemblies

36. The City of London • Greater London Authority Headquarters

37. http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/process/house/RTC2008/rtc2008_03-e.htmlhttp://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/process/house/RTC2008/rtc2008_03-e.html • http://elt.britcoun.org.pl/elt/g_gov.htm • http://www.payvand.com/news/08/feb/1069.html