...Weaknesses…………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 8 I. An Obsolete and Non-democratic Institution………...……………………………………………... 8 II. Obstructing the Future Development of the Britain…….………………………………………. 8 III. Expensive……………………………………………...…………………………………………………………. 9 6. Comparison to American Head of State…………………………………………………………………… 11 7. Recommendation……………………………………………..……………………………………………………. 11 8. Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 12 9. References……………………………………………..……………………………………………………………… 14 1. Introduction Monarchy was the primary government form for a majority of European countries before 1914 (Bogdanor, 1995). However, in modern Europe, few countries retain the monarchies. The United Kingdom, as one of the most developed countries, still maintains the position of monarch as the head of state. Today’s British monarchy, which is also called a Constitutional Monarchy, is quite different from the past ‘absolute monarchy’. “The monarchical shell remains intact, but the inner workings have been taken over by party political leaders,” says Norton (2007). In the past, the monarch...
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...Chapel Royal As the title Music at Court denotes, this article discusses the history and evolution of music in England’s royal households. In the early centuries, a group of selected chaplains had always formed a part of the royal household. However, these chaplains generally served as advisers and their roles were primarily political than musical. Nevertheless, these priests also assisted at the ceremonial occasions by some three or four clerici who possessed good singing voices and were drafted into the chapel for such occasions. As time went on, the occasional recruitment of these musical clerics ceased to satisfy the needs of the sovereign and a more permanent, concrete set of musical retainers were selected; a self-contained department of the household called the capella regis, which included chaplains, clerks and choristers. Beginning during the reigns of Edward I and Edward II (1272-1327), a specialized body of liturgical musicians called the “Chapel Royal” began to take shape. The Chapel Royal were a special group of musically inclined personnel maintained by sovereigns of England within the royal household, to perform divine service in the monarch’s presence. The Chapel Royal were in constant attendance to the sovereign and travelled with the royal household and discharged its duties in the chapel of whatever place the king then happened to reside. From these modest beginnings, the chapel eventually developed into one of the foremost secular liturgical choirs...
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...It was later discovered that Thomas Paine wrote it. “In his Common Sense, Paine states that sooner or later independence from England must come, because America had lost touch with the mother country” (Humanities communing). Paine main argument was that America needs to get way from British rule. Paine uses examples to help salsify his argument about gaining Independence. Three topics Thomas pain discusses is the government and society, monarchy system and hereditary succession, and lastly independence. Paine discusses the importance of colonies declaring independence in order for those colonies to be successful. This essay will examine the analyzation of Thomas Paine Common Sense revealing his key ideas and importance of independence by the following topics: government and society, monarchy and hereditary succession, and...
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...Each person is given rights at birth, and nobody should ever break these rights, especially not the government. As freedom and equality were two of these such entitlements, the colonists in British North America believed that the British monarchy broke those privileges. According to scholars, when the government does not give the people their given rights, the people can “withdraw their consent” and leave the country, colony, or takeover the government (Rothman). The Latin American Revolutions compared with the American Revolution in that the imperial power was not giving the colonists their natural human rights. These revolutions only overthrew the government ruling over their colony—the British, Spanish, and Portuguese governments were still ruling, just not in the colonies. However, in the French Revolution, the problems occurred internally in the government and nearby. Therefore, the French Revolution was more violent and dethroned their government a few times, providing a more drawn out...
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...General Info They were formed originally in 1983. Their headquarters is in London. What do they do? Republic look to build up public support, and seek to abolish the Monarchy and transition to a Republic. Their plan would be to replace the Monarchy with a head of state. Interest or Cause? The concept would be that republic are a cause group, as they wouldn’t care who the person is, as long as they didn’t want the Monarchy. Insider or Outsider? Due to their big media and social media gathering of support, they are an Outsider type of Pressure Group. How many Members? They have a supporter base of around 30,000, they also have a board of directors and an executive office. Methods They have a great emphasis on getting a lot of support from Social Media and Media in general, they do this by promoting the campaign on social media, supporting a growing network of local campaigns and encouraging individual activism. As part of this work, they regularly give talks in schools and take part in debates in every part of the country. In order to support all of this, and to help themselves grow, they also run regular membership recruitment campaigns and fundraising appeals. Finances With their own website, they have a ‘Join’ tab, ‘donate’ and also a merchandise online store. With them being quite popular, that would be their main source of income, as for a yearly membership, it is £10, however, with their magnitude of members, that would be a good and steady source of income...
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...no monarch, England had now become a republic called the Commonwealth, something the people of England had never experienced. This left many people frightened due to the extreme change, however, some embraced their freedom and began doing in what they believed in, such as forming new religious groups/cults, something they had been unable to do in the past. Many historians believe that this period was very important in British history as for the first time a monarchy was not in charge and a ‘revolution’ had taken place. In this essay I will explain why Britain underwent a revolution. Firstly, the most important change was the absence of the monarchy. After Charles I’s execution, there was no monarchy and Cromwell and the army took control over England. Also, the Rump parliament had been dismissed when Cromwell had enough of their control. This left poor stability in England, as without a leader, people didn’t know who to listen to. Cromwell became Lord Protector and didn’t rule like a usual monarch. Firstly, he rejected the crown as he didn’t believe in monarchies, Jews (which had been expelled in the 1200’s) were allowed back into England and finally, although a strict Puritan, he was tolerant to many new groups and the beliefs of others e.g. the Quakers. This showed how much Britain itself had changed, people believed in what they wanted and ordinary people felt free united republic, showing there was no real revolution as it ended so quickly. Also, there was still persecution...
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...Montesquieu: Political Philosopher and His Views and Thoughts Montesquieu: Political Philosopher and His Views and Thoughts MONTESQUIEU Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu, was born on January 19th, 1689 at La Brède, near Bordeaux, to a noble and prosperous family. He was educated at the Oratorian Collège de Juilly, received a law degree from the University of Bordeaux in 1708, and went to Paris to continue his legal studies. On the death of his father in 1713 he returned to La Brède to manage the estates he inherited, and in 1715 he married Jeanne de Lartigue, a practicing Protestant, with whom he had a son and two daughters. In 1716 he inherited from his uncle the title Baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu and the office of Président à Mortier in the Parlement of Bordeaux. For the next eleven years he presided over the Tournelle, the Parlement's criminal division, in which capacity he heard legal proceedings, supervised prisons, and administered various punishments including torture. (Shklar, 1987) In 1721 Montesquieu published the Persian Letters, which was highly successful and made Montesquieu known by literary scholars. During this period he wrote several minor works: Dialogue de Sylla et d'Eucrate (1724), Réflexions sur la Monarchie Universelle (1724), and Le Temple de Gnide (1725). After visiting Italy, Germany, Austria, and other countries, he went to England, where he lived for two years. He was greatly impressed with the English political...
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...introducing philosophical and scientific ideas into society. The Glorious Revolution is a manifestation of the enlightenment theme in Britain. James II attempted to consolidate British power but...
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...To what extent does the concept of the ‘rentier state’ account for the continued survival of absolute monarchies in the Gulf? Word count: 2589 Student number: 4827317 In the mid-eighteenth century, the emergence of absolute monarchies in the Gulf States takes root from their traditional royal families that were arbitrarily picked by British imperial interest – Saudi Arabia (the Al Saud family), Oman (the Al Said family), Kuwait (the Al Sabah family), Bahrain (the Al Khalifa family), Qatar (the Al Thani family), and UAE (a federation of seven sheikdoms). After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the traditional royal families in the Gulf States fell under British control, which sought to secure the route to India and pledged to protect the Gulf region from external aggression in return. Moreover, Britain’s imperial policy empowered the royal families’ authorities and gave them a recognized ruling identity. The arrival of Western oil companies, seeking concessions in the 1930s, further consolidated the authority of the ruling families (Cleveland and Bunton, 2009). This essay will focus on the impacts of oil-abundance on the Gulf states, which more precisely explain the resilience of incumbent regimes. The concept of ‘rentier state’ accounts for the continued survival of absolute monarchies such that democracy is forgone in favour of an authoritarian regime. The main argument of this essay is, however, that a combination of rentierism; and traditional Islamic...
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...Democracy, through its merits, is one of the most valuable progressions in political regimes to this day, promoting common welfare and equality, granting individual liberties, imposing a responsibility to the people, and allowing for peaceful and steady changes of government. The foundations of modern-day democracy can be found in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, with the popularity of enlightenment ideals and the rise of an intellectual community that gave way to a growing criticism of absolute governments. All across Europe and even the Americas, dissatisfaction with the government grew as increased taxes and isolation from the ruling classes led to poverty, and ultimately revolts and disturbances targeted towards the absolute monarchies. In Switzerland and the Austrian Netherlands, urban radicals rejected the authority of Emperor Joseph II in Vienna. The American Revolution began with the colonial elite dissatisfaction with the government in London, while Britain and France had a succession of absolutist leaders who refused to share governing rights. The abuse and misuse of power by absolute monarchs inexorably led to the rise of modern democracy, as evident in the gradual decrease of monarchal power in Britain, and the French and American revolutions. The rise of democracy in Britain was a gradual change in power spanning multiple centuries and royal families. The ideals of democracy can be traced back to the Magna Carta, a charter that notorious absolute monarch King...
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...becomes larger, as “moral virtue” alone cannot rule man who is prone to error. Paine describes how a self-governing republic would then be implemented, being the only successful (and fair) form of rule. In comparison to this ideal existence, Paine’s modern world has upheld the long-standing monarchical system which had somehow vanquished the natural equality of man. Monarchies righteously place a man above the rest—although all mankind are God’s children—and gives him the authority to speak, make decisions, create war, and take away on their behalf. In the case of England, it is the king—not the people or their representatives—who is the “will of the land.” Monarchy, Paine states, is not rooted in freedom but prejudice, whereas “the constitution of the people” is the true form of freedom. Paine challenges readers to recognize the underlying evil of monarchy, despite its age-old tradition that may have never been questioned before. In the second section, Paine brusquely refutes the principles of monarchy and of hereditary succession. Paine references the Bible several times to make his case that the foundation of a monarchy is plainly against the path of the scripture. He calls the government of kings outright idolatry, a form of government which did not result from divinity or from nature—but rather from the “Heathens” who sprang from unruly gangs and ruthlessly conquered their way into power against the will of the people. Quite bold...
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...Introduction The monarchy has been described as ‘the keystone in the arch of the British Constitution’. It is, indeed, an extremely significant part of our culture and history, as well as being central to our system of Government. It will therefore be necessary to begin any discussion of the constitutional issues involved in its abolition by outlining the current functions of the head of state in Britain. As ‘a state without a monarch is a republic’, it will then be necessary to consider the constitutional issues which would be implicit in giving effect to such a republic. These issues will include decisions as to the type of president we would have, how they would be selected, and the scope and extent of powers they would possess. This discussion is not intended to be one of the relative merits of a monarchy versus a republic: indeed, the decision to abolish the monarchy has already been made. Rather, it is an attempt to answer the question of how this central feature of our constitution could be replaced. In answering this question, I will look to a possible alternative, namely an elected president, and determine whether, and on what basis they could take over the functions of the monarch. Other constitutional issues regarding the selection of such a President must then be considered, along with other constitutional issues arising in this context. As a preliminary issue, it should be noted that in this hypothetical situation, it is Prince Charles, or rather King...
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...Human Rights Act 1998 which gives further effect to the European Convention on Human rights in the United Kingdom. The Kingdom of Morocco is the most politically stable country in the Arab World. The Alaoui Dynasty reigned and governed the country for several centuries and is still the central pillar of the Moroccan state. The Monarchy is believed to be the rationale for the exceptional stability of Morocco, and few Moroccans would argue the contrary after the events of the “Arab Spring”, yet the country has a long democratization process to achieve. The constitutional reform that was launched by His Highness the King Mohammed VI is a decisive step for Morocco to become a democratic state. Comparing the political systems of the United Kingdom and Morocco is an interesting subject of study. Both countries are very old monarchies but share only some few characteristics. Throughout this essay, we will try to compare the political systems of the UK and Morocco according to the following subjects: the monarchy, the legislative, the executive, and the judicial branches. II. Body A. The Monarchy Also referred to as the Crown, the British Monarchy is an important aspect of the UK’s political traditions. According to the uncodified Constitution of the United Kingdom, the Monarch is the Head of State but does not take significant part in the governing process. The three branches of power are delegated to the respective institutions,...
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...British government is democratic government. So, too, is American government; it roots are buried deep in English political and social history. Yet there are important differences between the two systems of government. Most of those differences grow out of this fundamnetally important point: Unlike government in the United State, government in Great Britain is unitary and and parlimentary in form and rests upon an unwritten constitution. They rule what they call a monarchy. The Monarchy In contrast to such republics as the United States and France, Britain has a hereditary ruler; so Great Britain is a monarchy. Its monarch bears the title of queen or king. While English monarchs once ruled with absolute power, their role has changed , and they are now little more than figureheads. Because her powers and duties are controlled by Britain's unwritten constitution, Elizabeth II, Britain's queen since 1952, is known as a constitutional monarch. In formal terms, all acts of the British government are performed in the name of the queen. The queen does appoint the prime minister, byt her choice is subject to the approval of the House of Commons. So, traditionally, she chooses the leader of the majority party in that house to be prime minister. She has no power to dismiss the prome minister. The house of Lords The upper chamber, the House of lords, is a predominantly aristocratic body of more than1,100 members. More than 750 of its members have inherited their positions. They hold...
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...came to power, he inherited a stable surplus of money. Another way in which Henry VII helped shape his son's reign was because of his involvement in the War of the Roses. When Henry was made king, he fulfilled his promise to his supporters to marry the daughter of Edward IV, Elizabeth of York, after becoming England's new monarch. This resulted in the opposing sides in the War of the Roses, York and Lancaster, becoming united. This meant that Henry VII helped shape the beginning of his son's reign as he left him with a reasonable stable and united country. "How far did Henry VIII's reign begin a new era in Tudor kingship?" Henry VII and Henry VIII were different in many ways, they both had their own intentions and aims for their monarchy as well as different styles in ruling their country. On one hand, it can be argued that Henry VIII's reign didn't begin a...
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