Comparative Politics Early Quiz (UK Case Study)
When is the UK scheduled to leave EU?
01/31/20, 3.5 years after start
Democratize of Parliment and weakening of Monarchy
1. Rise of political parties (Tories=support Monarach, Liberals/Whigs=opposed Monarch policies) 2. Expansion of suffereage
UK Facts
1. World's oldest democracy 2. No written constitution 3. Birthplace of industrial revolution 4. First major industrialized country to experience extended economic decline after WWII
How many commonwealth countries are there?
15
Economic and political union. How many it in?
EU, 28 European countries
Percents on Brexit vote
52% to 48%
How many in House of Commons? Lords?
650, 800(nearly powerless)
Who joined Cameron in "remain"?
All major parties except Tories
Voters can rank candidates
Alternative vote —> failed
Individual cabinet ministers oppose a policy, the entire cabinet must appear unified and take responsibility for the policty
Collective Responsibility
Legislative Branch
Bicameral Parliament —> House of Lords appointed by monarch on recommendation from PM, House of Commons elected by simple majority popular vote
Who took responsibility for Brexit vote?
Cameron
Why/how did England leave Catholic Church?
Catholic Church wouldn't give Henry VIII a divorce, used Parliment to pass law to remove England from Catholic Church —> Protestant
Wasn't conquered by Germanic Angles/Saxons, didn't adopt the language
Celtic Fringe (Wales and Scotland)
What is the Crown?
Ceremonial figure, commander of armed forces
Executive Branch
Chief of state=Queen Elizabeth II Head of government=PM Boris Johnson Cabinet appointed by PM
Conservatives supporting welfare state
Collectivist consensus
System based on local customs and precedent rather than formal legal codes, bases of US legal system
Common Law
UK and 54 former colonies
Commonwealth
No direct link to Tories but favor their policies
Confederation of British Industry (CBI)
Moderate right, embrace democratic rule
Conservative party
Which party is divided about traditionalism, limited welfare and neoliberal reforms, split over policy with EU integration?
Conservatives
In power until 1997, replaced by who?
Conservatives/Tories, Labour Party
Branches of government
Crown, legislature, prime minister, cabinet, judiciary
Conservative, won majority in 2015, neoliberal platform
David Cameron
Who brought conservatives together in 2005?
David Cameron
Country
England
Defenders of Charles vs. Parliment supporters
English Civil War
Agreement between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland What did it allow?
Good Friday Agreement 1998 Reestablishment of Northern Ireland assembly
Members of aristocracy
Hereditary peers
Lower house, represents nobility and merchant class
House of Commons
Upper house, represented aristocracy
House of Lords
What was the Supreme Court formally?
House of Lords, 2009
No party has a majority of seats? What year did this happen?
Hung Parliament, 2019
Why did Parliment reject May's Brexit deal?
Irish backstop (ensured no border posts/barries between N. Ireland and Ireland to keep UK in close trade relationship with EU)
Divisive figure, initially well-loved, unpopular by conservatives and Labour, left-leaning
Jeremy Corbyn
Formed by trade union movement, gives working class a voice in Parliament
Labour Party
Wanted to soften neoliberalism but keep some
Labour Party
What party took over after WW11?
Labour Party
Who supported US wars in Afghanistan and Iraq
Labour and Tories
UKIP on Brexit
Leave
After Cameron was replaced as PM...
Leave proponents appointed to cabinet
What parties make the UK and 2.5 party system?
Liberal Democratic and UK Independence Parties
Merge of liberal and Labour Party defectors
Liberal democrat party
Distinguished citizens appointed for life by the crown, recommended by PM
Life peers
Which house can amend anything with a majority vote?
Lower house
Majority in parliament has basically unchecked power
Majoritarian
Majority party controls government
Majoritarian parliamentary system
Document where British nobles obliged King John to sign in 1215, limited royal power/uphold feudal customs and rights of England's Barons
Manga Carta
Elections in UK
Monarchy is hereditary, following elections the leader of majority party/coalition=PM, 5 year terms
Most important and controversial prime ministers
Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair Redefined their political parties
Conservative, 1st leader of industrial democracy to experiment with neoliberal economic policies to stop economic decline
Margaret Thater
Who sought to reform Brexit but actually lost seats?
May
Decrease government role in economics
Neoliberal
Tories embracing classical liberal values of little state intervention
Neoliberals
UKIP leader that got lots of support
Nigel Farasge
Who is split between Catholics and protestants
Northern Ireland
Why hasn't Brexit happened yet?
Origionally scheduled for March 2019 but delayed 2x under May and pushed to October 2019, MPs failed to pass Johnson's revised Brexit deal
Legislature
Parliament (lower=Commons, upper=Lords)
Who chooses cabinet and prime minister?
Parliment
Who won the English Civil War?
Parliment, executed Charles in 1649
Legislative-Executive System
Parlimentary
Who can declare war, sign treaties, selects cabinet?
Prime Minister
Elected member of legislature, head of the majority party in Commons
Prime minister
Shrunk state role in economy
Privatization
What may Brexit do to the world?
Put world into new recession
Policy advisory boards that bring government officials and interest groups together to develop policty
Quangos (quasi-autonomous nongovernemental organizations)
What was Johnson's new Brexit deal?
Replaced Irish backstop with new customs arrangements that allowed the UK to have their own trade agreements with anyone, goods entering N. Ireland from GB were subject to checks and EU import taxes
What happens if a cabinet member can't support a decision?
Resign and return to the legislature
Who voted to create their own legislatures? Most powerful/autonous?
Scotland and Wales, Scotland (Catholics have greater say in government)
Are campaigns short or long?
Short, about 1 month
Electoral system for lower house
Single member district with plurality
System based on plurality voting (like the US)? Favorites who?
Single-member district Main parties (Labour and Conservatives)
Role of judiciary
Small, any law passed is constitutional
Class identity
Social division and education
Chief judicial body
Supreme court
Iron lady
Thatcher
International action of Thatcher and Blair
Thatcher=war with Argentina (Falklands) Blair=supported US in Iraq
3 decade long period of conflict resulting in Good Friday Agreement
The Troubles
Former Prime Minister
Theresa May
Confederation of UKs largest trade unions, most important interest group
Trades union Congress (TUC)
Political compromise between right and left
Third Way
What is good about EU?
Trade and investment benefits
Used to dominate Labour Party, less blue collar workers=shrinking
Trades union Congress (TUC)
Why did critics oppose the Irish backstop?
Thought it would prevent trade with other countries
Led the Labour party
Tony Blair
Gained support for anti-EU and immigration platform
UKIP party
1707 Act of Union and 1689 Bill of Rights
Unified Scotland and England
What type of division of power?
Unitary
Real name of UK
United Kingdon of Great Britain and Northern Ireland -England, Scotland, Wales, N. Ireland
Similarities between Thatcher and Blair
Unpopular and resigned
Transition period of Brexit, trading relationship with EU?
Until 12/31/20, same as they negotiate free trade deal
Why Brexit?
Unwilling to adopt Euro, 2015 migrant crisis, stagnating economy
Chamber rejects a measure deemed high importance? Results?
Vote of no confidence, entire cabinet must resign or new election called