Is this a ‘Disunited Kingdom?’ Flashcards
Describe Benedict Anderson’s concept of the ‘imagined community’ - Is this a ‘Disunited Kingdom?’
Anderson’s imagined communities refers to the fact that groups will be themselves bound together by shared identity and cultures into a ‘nation’ without knowing the majority of that ‘nation’s’ members.
Describe Max Weber’s concept of the state having a monopoly on violence. What consequences does this have on the state’s behaviour? - Is this a ‘Disunited Kingdom?’
Weber believed that the state’s dominance over its people was asserted by it being granted the legitimacy to use force/violence over its citizens. This allows the state to coerce its people, through means from tax to incarceration to execution.
What is the concept of a ‘nation’? What is the concept of a ‘state’? - Is this a ‘Disunited Kingdom?’
A nation is a collection of people who share the same cultural identity or have aspects in common.
A state is a series of institutions which operate within a geographical area and is constrained by borders.
Describe the creation of a nation state - Is this a ‘Disunited Kingdom?’
A nation state is formed when a distinct national community joins together and formulates its own system and structures of government.
Describe Bessinger’s concept of nationalism. How does this link to Triandafyllidou’s ideas of an ‘other’ when discussing nations? - Is this a ‘Disunited Kingdom?’
Bessinger sees nationalism as being a desire for one nation to impose their nationality onto another.
This links to Triandafyllidou’s belief that the recognition of a nation excludes outside groups, an ‘other’ that exists outside that nation.
What is devolution? What are the three types of devolution? - Is this a ‘Disunited Kingdom?’
Devolution is the transfer of power from the nation state to a sub-state body.
- administrative - power to carry out specific functions transferred
- executive - power to make decisions transferred
- legislative - law making powers transferred
What is the difference between reserved and conferred devolved powers? - Is this a ‘Disunited Kingdom?’
Reserved = all powers transferred to devolved administration, apart from those that are explicitly outlined.
Conferred = specific areas are outlined that can be controlled by devolved administration… everything else they have no power over.
Describe how the rise of sub-state parties accelerated the move towards devolution? - Is this a ‘Disunited Kingdom?’
1960s creates rise of sub-state nationalist parties in SCO and WAL. State wide parties must now compete against parties in sub-states and changes the tactical element in elections.
EG. rise of SNP in Scotland and Plaid in Wales, which posed a major challenge to Labour in by-elections.
Describe how the rise of Thatcherism created a movement towards devolution - Is this a ‘Disunited Kingdom?’
Thatcherism - creates major contrast between London, South of England and SCO and WAL.
Begins to create a crisis of Britishness by eliminating many of the main national structures with consent and buy in from nations of UK eg. nationalised industry, welfare, etc.
Describe how the political success of New Labour accelerated moves towards devolution - Is this a ‘Disunited Kingdom?’
New Labour embraced the idea of a modernised state under devolution, aims to diminish threat of sub-state parties to main parties at national level. Seen as method to dilute national power of sub-state parties, preserving power of main parties at national level.
Explain why Welsh nationalism rose from the 1960s-1990s? (electoral politics, paramilitary/peaceful action, Thatcher years) - Is this a ‘Disunited Kingdom?’
Electoral - success of Plaid in having MPs elected (eg. Gwynfor Evans unseating Labour)
Paramilitary - attacks on English-owned holiday homes
Peaceful - setting up of multiple Welsh language societies and services
Thatcher - Miners’ strike, economic collapse of Wales
Describe the state/results of Welsh devolved politics under New Labour - Is this a ‘Disunited Kingdom?’
Welsh politics under New Labour saw Welsh Labour elected either in coalition with Lib Dems or Plaid or in majority. Pursued more traditionally social democratic policies than WM government to maintain difference.
Describe the state/results of Welsh politics since 2010 - Is this a ‘Disunited Kingdom?’
Since 2010, Welsh Labour have maintained their presence in government, taking half the seats in the most recent devolved elections. They have tried to maintain even greater distance between the Welsh Government and Tory Westminster.
Describe the process by which Scottish movement towards devolution occurred (mention electoral politics, oil, Thatcherism and the Cunningham amendment) - Is this a ‘Disunited Kingdom?’
Electorally - the SNP began to have minor electoral success beginning with Winnie Ewing being elected to Parliament.
Oil - discovery of North Sea oil heightened fears that WM would seize this. Led Independence calls.
Thatcherism - decline of heavy industry and mining/poll tax created significant discontent. Scotland ‘voted Labour and got Thatcher’
Cunningham - referendum held in 1979 in which majority voted for independence yet did not bypass turnout clause meaning referendum failed.
Describe the state/results of Scottish devolved politics pre-2007, after 2007 and then in 2011 - Is this a ‘Disunited Kingdom?’
pre-2007, Labour governed Scotland in coalition with the Lib Dems but did not brand themselves differently as in Wales.
In 2007, the SNP came into government in minority, a huge shift.
In 2011, the SNP won a majority, which was not intended to happen under the AMS electoral system. Leads to 2014 IndyRef.
