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