esay study Flashcards
The British Constitution: an ancient and “organic” constitution
what does it consist of?
Acts of Parliament
•Common law
•Conventional practices
–the Magna Carta (1215) and the English Bill of Rights (1689)
Challenges to Great Britain?
- The U.S. or the EU?
- The modern monarchy
- Immigrants and terrorism
- Regional autonomy
- devolution
- Independence?
- The West Lothian Question
3 Main Features of the Westminster Model?
- Parliamentary sovereignty
- unitary state
- fusion of powers
- constitutional monarchy
- Parliamentary democracy
- motion of no confidence
- Cabinet government
Explain collective responsibility?
Britain
s
who appoints the cabinet ministers/secretaries that lead each cabinet ministry? and how many are there?
Britain
appointed by PM
more than 20 (currently 23)
What are the duties of cabinet government?
Britain
•serves as check on PM
•supported by vast civil service
•monitored by “shadow cabinet”
collective responsibility
Explain the Effects of the Civil Service in Britain?
•ready-made policy experts who are politically neutral •allows for smooth transitions •unelected body has significant power •policy change tends to be slow –institutional inertia
Explain the British judiciary?
–traditionally weak; reformed as of October 2009
UK Supreme Court
how many members and how are they chosen?
•12 members chosen by selection committee, appointed by Queen on advice of PM
–Life appointment; mandatory retirement at 70 (since 1995)
•Highest court of appeal in Wales, Northern Ireland, and England
•Highest court of civil appeal in Scotland
UK Supreme Court
•Cosmetic Changes?
- Judicial review of secondary legislation only
* Can be removed by parliament
Duties of the House of Commons?
how many members
•650 members –pass laws –authorize all tax bills –parliamentary scrutiny •party discipline is enforced
Duties of the House of Lords?
how many members?
•738 members (peers)
–review and revise legislation
–(within limits)
–host state opening of Parliament
Steps in the Election
British
- Motion of no confidence OR early elections OR 5 years elapse
- PM goes to the Queen
- Election occurs in 30 days
- Based on election results, the Queen invites party (or coalition) to form government
Duties of the Monarch?
Britain
•Constitutional Monarch –formal repository of executive power –acts on “advice of ministers” •Duty to preserve power, legitimacy of parliament •Throne Speech –Queen Opens Parliament
Conditions for Democracy
- Free and fair elections
- Political parties, including opposition parties, are free to organize
- Due process, transparency, and accountability
- Civil/Political rights
- Independent Judiciary
The French President?
•extremely powerful executive
Main Features of French dirigisme?
Capitalism with:
- direct investment in economy
- “national champions” of private industry
- nationalizing major industries
Costs of dirigisme?
•overly centralized economic power bred popular resentment
–Labor unions increased
–May 1968 protests
Benefits of dirigisme?
modernization
steady (modest) growth
The French Social Welfare System: Features?
- free university education
- unemployment insurance
- universal health insurance
- one of best systems in the world
- generous pensions at 62
- maternity leave, 35-hour work week, 6 weeks vacation
The French Social Welfare System: Results?
- broad satisfaction with (and pride in) the program
- comparatively higher rates of unemployment
- slower economic growth, generally
- expensive system
- The opposition
The Constitution of the Fifth Republic?
A semi-presidential system:
What makes it semi-presidential?
•
Presence of PM/Government and parliament, with traditional constitutional powers
What makes it Presidential?
•Legislative and Executive are elected separately and have independent powers
Why not call it semi-parliamentary?
•Whenever conflict arises, constitution sides with the President
Cohabitation?
•Cohabitation: period in which President and PM represent different parties
»President conducts foreign policy; PM conducts domestic
»Usually leads to contentious politics
»Relatively weakened Presidency
Unified government?
•Unified government: period in which President and PM are from the same party
»President becomes very powerful, eclipsing PM
President of France?
- Head of state: sole responsibility for foreign affairs
- Appoints PM, approves cabinet
- Presides over meetings of the government (Cabinet and PM)
- Can propose legislation
- Can invoke emergency powers
- May dissolve National Assembly
- Appoints 1/3 of the Constitutional Council
- Propose Constitutional amendments/referenda
•who???
Appointed by President
•Formally serves at the discretion of the National Assembly
•Informally, during unified government, serves at discretion of President
•Head of government
•In charge of policy, including national defense
•Bureaucracy and administration implements their plans
•no “collective responsibility” and almost no debate
The French Prime Minister and his Cabinet (AKA: the Council of Ministers, the government)
•Subnational governments in france?
devolution
•The judiciary of France?
Constitutional Council (power of judicial review)
»Staggered nine-year terms
»Roman Law
•State Council
The French Parliament 2 parts
The senate?
–343 members
–Elected by mayors and town councilors
–Blend of PR/MMD-two-ballot plurality
–participates in legislation and must consent, but is inferior to National Assembly
The French Parliament 2 parts
The National Assembly
–577 members, SMD (two-ballot plurality)
–directly elected deputies
–Participates in legislation and must consent; holds parliamentary power over Government
Defining the National Assemblies Power
What (4) defines the national assemblies power?
- Limited constitutional mandate
- no real “power of the purse”
- Government sets agenda, can limit debate
- Vote blocqué
- NA can be dissolved
- Less common, since newly elected president get (presumably friendly) NA elected in two months
- Power to pass no confidence vote limited
Trends in French Party Politics?
•Emergence of two-party dominant system –PS and UMP are two main axes •Less ideological platforms •Less stable electorate –increasing popularity of fringe parties/candidates