A. This lecture we examine Britain’s interesting electoral system as well as its 2 main political parties. Let’s get right to it.
B. Last Word on House of Commons
-House of Commons -House of Lords
-House of Commons -Inside the House of Commons
Remember:
- H.Commons IS where the real power is b/c it is the body that determines who governs and which laws will be passed
- However, in the Commons, real influence lies w/the leadership of the party in the majority--ie the PM and cabinet
- 646 members (MPs) which represent single-member districts and are elected in winner take all elections (more on that shortly): however, unlike US reps, MPs aren't expected to represent their constituencies interests--don't even have to live in the district.
- In short MPs are not elected to represent the narrow interests of the home district but rather Britain as a whole
- KEY to politics in Commons: Party--leader of party that wins majority becomes PM and can almost always count on the support of his/her party in Commons.
- In the commons POWER lies in hands of the govt. = PM and Cabinet
Fused Powers
- Cabinet governed by principle of collective responsibility--means individual cabinet members MUST publicly support all cabinet decisions, including those they disagree with. If can't do that, must resign (very diff in US)
Cabinet produces almost all major pieces of legislation and once debated, the legislation is almost always passed by party in power: example--of 213 bills proposed by Margaret Thatcher and John Major in 1987-92 Parliament, 202 passed (95%)--on balance the govt gets what it wants. Big contrast with US
-John Major -Margaret Thatcher -Thatcher Triumphant, 1983
A. The UK is divided into 646 constituencies or electoral districts of roughly = pop size, each represented in the House of Commons by 1 member of Parliament
- At LEAST once every 5 years, all 646 seats MUST be contested in a general election, on a date chosen by the PM.
- Almost everyone over the age of 18 can vote, and turnout is normally about 75%
- In GB, ntl election campaigns are short, sharp and dominated by the political parties. As stated, they last b/n 3 to 4 weeks which contrasts w/the very long US Presidential campaign
- Incumbents and challengers do not have to contest primary campaigns, and fund raising is the task of the local party organizations not the candidates
- candidates are selected locally by the parties, and the parties provide the finance and the organization for the campaign
- The maximum permitted expenditure is calculated on the basis of a fixed sum plus a limited amount based on the # of electors: in 2001, $5,000 (US $) was spent on average per candidate per constituency
- One other interesting thing is that the parties enjoy the benefit of free but limited TV time. Paid pol advertising on TV is not allowed: each party is allocated a set # of 10-minute party political broadcasts that are ntly transmitted
B. A Few Other Things about Elections
- Selection of Candidates: In order to be placed on the ballot, candidates must collect signatures on a petition and pay a deposit of 500 pounds (about $800) which is returned if the candidate wins more than 5% of the vote
- Anyone can run, but selection of candidates precedes the elections and is done by a committee of the local party org w/the assistance of the ntl party
- Single-Member, Winner-take-all Electoral System: Means each constituency or district has 1 member, and winning candidates need a plurality to win the election. So winning less than a majority will often win an election for a candidate
Last updated: July 12, 2008
Please email mturetzky@gavilan.edu for questions or comments