...this may affect some political agendas in order to attract more votes. For example in 2010 large amounts of young people opted to vote for the liberal democrats as they offered to cut the price of tuition fees, sometimes a defeat in elections may lead to a party to alter their policies to still have their ideology as the foundation for their policies but make them more attractive to the citizens. One other way that elections effectively promote democracy is that it holds the government accountable for their performance over the term that they have been in power. This accountability also means that citizens can make proper decisions over what party can offer the best rules in the country for that period of time. For example on 21st January 2008 many families on low income were displeased this then forced the Labour MPs to rethink the policy of the 10p tax band. However in 2010 most people were displeased with the Labour party and it ended in them being overthrown and was replaced by the conservatives who won the most seats. However one way that elections may not promote democracy is that there are flaws in the FPTP voting system. This is because most MPs are elected on the less than 50% of the votes this means that more people voted against that particular party yet they still manage to get power and win the election. The problem for this way of voting is that it excludes the smaller parties like the Liberal democrats from ever gaining power this can be argued that this is against...
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...1. Explore the significance of the British and American first-past-the-post election system with special reference to its effect on the party system in each country. How does it limit the development of third parties? Why have the Liberal Democrats been successful in joining the government despite the strong limits on representation that the electoral system provides? Britain and America are quite commonly known as first world countries (highly developed countries) and they are known to be the most powerful countries in the world. Britain and America practice the same type of electoral system that is first past the post. Their political system is large and intense mainly due to the size of the countries. As mention in the book Introduction to comparative politics: poltical challenges and changing agenda( fifth edition) ,Britain have a democratic parliamentary government headed by a Monarch and Prime minister and on the other hand the US (America) has a Presidential system and a Federal government with power share between the National government and fifty (50) states government. Both America and Britain have a bicameral system. In Britain, the Heads of state and Heads of Government are different in the role they play in that the monarch (which is the queen) and also the Head of state is responsible for mainly ceremonial duties, the Prime minister (Head of government) looks after the day to day affairs of the government. Any decision that is made needs the queen approval. In...
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...as there is still involvement on a local level. This suggests that political participation should not just be judged on turnout for general elections but also other acts of political participation. Using your own knowledge as well as the extract, consider why some commentators have spoken of a ‘participation crisis’ in recent years. In recent general elections, declining levels of turnout have led some to believe Britain is having a participation crisis. Meaning, political participation is so low it threatens to undermine Britain’s democracy. In the 2005 general election just 60% of registered voters cast a ballot and this increased slightly in 2010 to 65%. Low levels of turnout cause numerous problems. If not enough of those able to vote do, it calls into question the legitimacy of the result and any decisions made by the winning party. For example, the Conservative party...
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...Government is, in theory, accountable to Parliament, however it is difficult for this to be the case when government makes up a large part of Parliament. So when examining how effective Parliament is at controlling the power of the executive, all of the below has to be considered. The role of select committees and departmental select committees are very important in the control of government’s power. These committees scrutinize government policy, as well as raising public awareness of it, in great detail. The line of questioning is very different, and considerably more in depth, than if the queries were raised in the House of Commons; this is because evidence is gathered in advance and the committees demand answers with substance, opposed to filibustering or rhetoric. Evidence has shown that 40% of committee recommendations to government has then been applied to policy. However, it is not so much that the recommendations are a control of the executive, but the fear the committees induce in the government; the government knows that, if they make a policy that is not in the public’s interest, they will be exposed. That being said, in a legal sense, select committees have no control or power over government, which could be argued makes them ‘watchdogs without teeth’. The committees are also, in part, made up of MPs belonging to the governing party and may not want to scrutinize their party as it may be damaging to their career prospects. The House of Lords cannot block government...
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...The Election Process 2010 General Election The last UK General Election was held on 6th May 2010. No single party won an overall majority of the 650 House of Commons seats. The conservatives won 305 seats, representing 10.7 million votes (36%). Labour won 258 seats, representing 8.6 million votes (29%). The Liberal Democrats won 57 seats, representing 6.8 million votes (23%). The Liberal Democrats and The Conservatives joined together to make a coalition because no one had enough votes to win on their own. The Process of a General Election Fixed Term Parliament Act was passed on 15 September 2011, meaning that General Elections are now held on the first Thursday in May every five years. The date of the next general election is set at 7 May 2015. There are two situations in which a General Election will be called earlier than at five intervals. (i) A motion of no confidence has been passed by the House of Commons against the Government and 14 days has passed without the House of Commons passing a confidence motion in any newly formed Government; or (ii) A motion for a General Election is agreed by two thirds of the total number of MP’s in the House of Commons (currently 434 out of 650). You don’t do that unless you’re confident you can win that election. Once the Government has decided to call a General Election (either because the five years is up or an early election is needed), the Prime Minister will ask the Monarch to dissolve Parliament by Royal Proclamation...
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...How has Coalition Government affected Party Politics in the U.K? The arrival of a coalition government formed between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservative Party in 2010 has affected UK party politics in various ways, the nature of which is looked into below. The governing of a country by a coalition of two political parties with differing political stances will involve negotiation between and some degree of compromise on behalf of the two parties. This is necessary in order to come to some form of agreement on key policies, such as those affecting the economy, unemployment, crime, environmental concerns, welfare, law and order and education, amongst other policy areas. The agreements reached are also, to a certain degree, in a balance of compliance with key political beliefs or philosophies of both the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats in terms of their respective guiding principles on areas such as social justice, the appropriate degree of state intervention and the importance of equality and availability of opportunity within society. The rise to power of a coalition government has made Consensus politics a key feature of UK party politics, since the nature of a coalition involves broad agreement on most basic policies between the two major political parties forming the coalition; the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats. The ability and will to negotiate and agree is of key importance if a coalition is to be able to govern effectively, in an organised...
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...Explain the main impacts of any two electoral systems other than First Past the Post (10 marks) Proportional systems such as closed party list are distinctly more in favour of smaller parties than most other systems. This is attributed to the fact that the percentage of votes cast in favour of a party directly corresponds to the percentage of seats they gain; this leads to an exceptionally more accurate result than majoritarian systems. Because of this, parties which are marginalised in a majoritarian or plurality system are not discounted from seats if they fail to win a constituency vote. As such, under a proportional system, in 2010 parties other than the Lib Dems, Tories, and Labour would have over double the seats they did; 77 compared to the actual 35. This highly representational form of election would lead to the proliferation of numerous smaller, perhaps more radical parties, promoting a multi-party norm; many of these parties may well be more akin to pressure groups in their narrow issue focus, though now they would have legislative power. As such, it would likely be very difficult for any party to gain an absolute majority in parliament as the makeup of the parliament would be exceptionally diverse. In Germany for instance, there have only ever been 2 majority governments in the Bundestag; the rest have all been coalitions. This has led many to state that a proportional system will usually lead to a coalition government. The potential for intense political diversity...
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...individual government. There are 19 committees, each one representing their expertise. Most committees have a chair who is seen as having notable knowledge and understanding on the specific area, for example Ed Smith CBE for health committee. They do research into the policies made, and then pose questions and thoughts to the ministers, and scrutinise them. Opposition days, whereby they have 20 each session (year), are another method, whereby they can determine the agenda of the day (Labour is the opposition now). Furthermore, the most important feature of holding the government to account is the fact that the electorate have a general election every 5 years, which was introduced in the Fixed Term Parliament Act 2011 by the Coalition government. A vote of no confidence, can be used during the 5 years, which infamously happened in the ‘Callaghan’ government. Therefore, government scrutiny is a key function which is effective. However, it is argued that...
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...majority of seats in a house of parliament in its own right. Minor parties include The Democrats, Greens, Family First and Nationals. ♥ Significant because; ♥ They hold the balance of power in the senate ♥ Their preferences may determine result of elections ♥ Provide an alternate choice for voters Classifications of a minor party ♥ Secessionist parties – form as a result of a split in the “parent” party ♥ Aggrieved minor parties – usually form after the group failed as a pressure group ♥ Doctrinal parties – firm, narrow rigid doctrine Why do major parties dominate? ♥ Australia is basically a two-party system and other parties have found it difficult to establish themselves ♥ Media tends to concentrate on major parties ♥ Minor parties find it difficult to raise finance ♥ Use of single member electorates has made it very difficult Strategies used by Minor Parties ♥ Gaining major party support of their policies in exchange for their preferences ♥ Form coalitions with major parties, eg Nationals and Liberals ♥ Holding the balance of power in the senate ♥ Use electoral preferences as threats/compromises The Australian Democrats The Democrats have had a greater impact than any other minor party in the history of federal politics – emerged as a distinctive third force in federal politics – relative success over a period of 25 years. Origins – * Democrats emerged in the 1970s during period of dissatisfaction with the performance and...
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...important knob to maintain the party in check (patronage powers, institutional (agenda setting) powers, information powers). In a coalition government there is a more formal need to get the approval of the other party. The experience of coalition government has strengthened the prime ministerial power as it has given the prime minister more power from both parties. The prime minister has a minority party that he can run as well as his own party, which makes him have an advantage of making any amendments, he will have the approval if his party ministers and the Liberal democrats ministers. This increases the level of legitimacy because it enables the coalition to have simple agreements with no disagreements (often some disagreements occurs). An example of this is the pupil premium. This is when support is given to some schools that are in dept. This support is given by the Conservatives which appeals to the Liberal democrats and they support it. Another similar factor that has strengthened the prime ministerial power is that once policies have been agreed by the coalition partners, they have additional authority because they are supported by two parties and so represent a consensus view. The coalition also has a strong mandate as the two parties together were elected by a majority of the electorate. This is effective as because they have a strong mandate, it will be unproblematic for them to win the next general election. Furthermore, the constant threat of government collapsing has...
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...Central Government This level of government works across the whole country and has specific duties. The UKs central government is situated in London; it is formed from MPs from the elected party which is currently the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats. Procedures and Roles Questions- Benchmarking may submit oral and written questions. Debates- There is three kinds of debates that are brought up: 1. General- Where both the Houses of Commons and Lords hold debates in which members discuss government policy, proposed new laws and present matters. 2. Adjourned- An adjourned vote is a way in which the Commons can debate but do not have to vote. 3. Emergency- Emergency issues are discussed and debated, but this rarely happens. The most important role of parliament is to make new laws and The House of Commons play a big role in this. County Councils County Councils are responsible for all different roles within their county e.g. Kent. They are responsible for many important duties which include:- * Education • How much money is spent in a place of education e.g. Schools, colleges. • How places of education are maintained. * Refuse Disposal • Collecting their county’s rubbish and waste to dispose of it. * Planning and Development • Building Permission...
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...Jeffrey A. Young Jeffrey A. Young Org. Comm. Org. Comm. LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR’S RACE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR’S RACE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR’S RACE The Facts A debate over who voters should elect to look after the state’s seniors devolved into a battle over whether a 30-year-old Democratic state representative or a 67-year-old Republican former state attorney general has the experience and vision needed to lead South Carolina. In Monday night’s ETV debate, Republican Henry McMaster trouped himself as the experienced candidate with the ruling and development needed to step in for the governor “in case something happens,” to run the state’s $40 million Office on Aging and to preside over the state Senate. “Presiding over the Senate’s 46 members, some powerful, been there a long time? Not easy,” said McMaster of Columbia. “They must have respect for that person to get things done.” But Bakari Sellers, also an attorney and a state House member since 2007, said he is the only candidate who has “actually created a job for someone other than themselves.” “We have an ‘experience’ discussion, and the irony is, I’m some 30 years the junior, but I think I actually bring more experience to the table.” Sellers said that as a state representative, he helped bring 2,800 jobs to Bamberg, Barnwell and Orangeburg counties when a manufacturer moved to Denmark, Sellers’ hometown. “I can’t take credit, like the governor does, for all those jobs,” Sellers...
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...of tuition fees In 1997, a report by Sir Ron Dearing recommended that students should contribute to the costs of university education. The Labour government under Tony Blair passed the Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998 which introduced tuition fees of £1,000 to start in the 1998/9 academic year.[2] In addition, maintenance grants were replaced with repayable student loans for all but the poorest students. The total loans provided by the Student Loans Company increased from £941 million in the 1997/8 academic year, to £1.23 billion in the next year, when tuition fees took effect.[1] [edit] Tuition fees in Scotland and Wales In January 2000, the Scottish government, which consisted of a coalition between Labour and the Liberal Democrats, decided to abolish tuition fees for Scottish students studying at Scottish universities.[3] In a similar vein, the Welsh government gives Welsh students studying at Welsh universities a tuition fee grant, reducing the amount owed.[4] [edit] Higher Education Act 2004 The Higher Education Act 2004 increased tuition fees from £1,000 to £3,000. By the 2005/6 academic year, the Student...
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...The House of Lords an effective institution? an effective institution? Introduction Since the reform of the House of Lords in 1999 by Tony Blair’s ‘New Labour’ government, the status and legislative scope of the ‘upper house’ has steadily risen. Its role as a ‘revising chamber’, scrutinising bills sent to it from the House of Commons, is an important one. However, unlike upper houses in many modern democracies such as the Senate in the USA, theoretically it cannot stop, and at best can only delay, legislation sent from the Commons. As a largely appointed chamber, doubts remain as to its legitimacy and as recently as 2012 the government tried to replace the Lords with a largely elected chamber. This initiative however failed, perhaps partly because MPs were worried that a wholly elected Lords might in the future question the primacy of the Commons. Task Objective * This task requires you to explore the workings of the Lords and consider how effective it is as a parliamentary body. * It will ask you to consider whether the House of Lords should be reformed further. * It will guide you through a range of reading material and pose key questions for you to post on as you complete each section of reading. Task 1: Overview of Functions____________________________________________________________________ You can get a very quick overview of the role and work of the House of Lords by skim reading the following pamphlet and watching the YouTube clip: http://youtu...
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...Module: Public Law& Civil Rights ‘The Government is pledged in its manifesto to complete reform of the Lords to remove the hereditary element entirely and to reconstitute the House on a modern representative basis.’ Government White Paper (The House of Lords: Completing the Reform 2001). Consider the political and legal reasons as to why, some 13 years after stage 1 of House of Lords reform (the House of Lords Act 1999), Parliament has only now started to consider Stage 2 legislation (House of Lords Reform Bill 2012). Abstract During the past 100 years, the British government has never ceased trying to bring democracy to the House of Lords. However, having examined the reform history, one could conclude that all the reforms proposed after 1999 are not carried out as planned. This essay, therefore, attempts to provide descriptions on the major reforms of Lords proposed or implemented since 1911. It will focus particularly on discussing the main political and legal difficulties on the incompletion of reform of Lords since 1999. 1. Introduction The House of Lords has long been known as a historical curiosity of this country. Together with the Canadian Senate, the chamber remains one of the only two unelected second chambers in the modern and major democracies. Owing to the undemocratic composition of the Lords, it was reluctant to utilize its legitimate powers in the 20th century for which some local political scholars described as having ‘a little public profile...
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