Country Fact Sheet
Directions
Below is some key information you should know about each countries you studied in Comparative Politics. Use this chart to test yourself and see what you need to review
GREAT BRITAIN_ REVIEW SHEET
*NOTE: Letters in BLUE are topics you may need to use outside sources to discuss but MUST discuss)
Federal/Unitary | Roles of Local Government (Discuss devolution and centralization) | What did devolution do in GB? · Devolution has given some autonomy to o New legislatures in o 1998 Good Friday Agreement between Catholics and Protestants in o Established Office of Mayor and General Assembly in o Regional and local authorities have greater legitimacy and more powers than in past, but central governments still controls defense policy, most taxation power, and national economic policy. Also, central government may limit power if chooses. |
Presidential, Parliamentary, or Mixed? | ||
Head of State/Head of Government | Head of State -Queen | Head of Government Prime Minister (terms, elections, relationships with cabinet members, powers) Use Figure 8.1 |
Name of Legislative Branch (Identify both houses if applicable) | Blocs, importance of whips, compared to | · Discuss backbenchers. What are they and what is their role, typically, in legislation · With whom does legislation typically originate? · Vote of no confidence (what is it and how often is it used?) |
Name of Judicial Branch | See “unwritten constitution” - reaction to abuses and secrecy | |
Bureaucracy/Cabinet | role as advisers, most important departments, role of minister…also, discuss how ministers chosen. - Importance of Treasury *Discuss Gordon Brown’s role as PM* - Ministers | |
Political Recruitment | - could discuss how ministers chosen here. Participation (turnout, who votes? Ways to participate) - Recruitment (most important roles and how chosen, geography) | |
Other important institutions (complete only if applicable to the country) | What is government (Whitehall-Westminster…as a teaching suggestion, compare to the Civil Service (roles, efforts to modernize” - Abuses of power among civil service. - Civil Service | |
Media | Prime Minister and Media “double edged sword” *Make sure you talk about BBC!* | |
Legitimacy | 3 Political Justifications of who should be involved when decisions are made. - GREAT QUOTE about role of government in shaping political culture and view of the role of government, compliance of people to basic laws, symbols of common past, habit and tradition (also see Churchill quote) - Negative factor (secrecy) | Discuss in two ways: Sources of and Evidence of legitimacy Discuss traditional legitimacy as a source for the British belief in democracy. |
Features of the Constitution | - Development of Democracy in Table 8.2 (168) - unwritten (discuss authority, civil rights amendments, courts) | Possible discussion topics for constitution: Influence of the Magna Carta, the English Civil War, the Glorious Revolution, and the Great Reform Act |
Historical Evolution of Political Traditions | - Development of Parliament/Voting Political Development in | Discuss monarchy and citizens’ attitutudes towards it here. |
Key Political Leaders and their Policies | - Blair- “ - Thatcher, - additional information about Thatcher - Major - Blair - Box 8.1 - additional information on Blair | You MUST discuss the following leaders:
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Ethnic Cleavages | - - IRA - | |
Political Parties (Identify/describe platforms of 3) | - Labour and Conservative - emergence of a multi-party system, “first past the post system”, contrast with - Leadership of Party, Image and appeals | The Liberal Democrats is the significant 3rd Party in GB. Discuss this party, as well. Define collectivist consensus of 50’s and 60’s and how this mindset changed into the 1970’s. |
Electoral Systems | - emergence of a multi-party system, “first past the post system”, contrast with | Discuss differences between US and British electoral systems |
Role of Political Elites | - higher educated and role in society. | |
Citizens | - - Insularity (1/2 don’t think of themselves as Europeans) - views of Govt. (influence by abuses of political power) - culture as a constraint on policy - Political socialization (family and gender roles)...impact on party membership, voting, social roles, education and impact on voting, class and impact on voting. | |
Interest Group System (identify pluralist or corporatist) | - CBI, TUC *discuss goals, connections to political parties of interest groups* - Keeping pressure at a distance (state-distancing strategy) | Are the CBI and TUC part of a corporatists arrangement in |
Economic System (identify capitalist, socialist, etc.; identify major economic policies government has adopted) | - dependent on world trade *will probably have to research outside resources* - Turning to the market (contrast Labour and Conservative positions on the economy, discuss privatization.) | |
First World/ | - Choice today in | |
Supranational Organizations | -European Union member but unique - member of125 International Bodies | What are citizens’ attitudes towards the rest of |
Public Policy | - Government as a network (power/policymaking consists) - From Trust to Contract (see 198 2nd paragraph and discuss how they save $) - Contingency of Influence (Balance of control/local government, octopus) - Why policy matters (benefits of average citizen, cost of public policy, tax on consumption, social security) - Policy outcomes (National Defense, International Alliances, Economy, Poverty) | Discuss |
Other | - Iraq War a source of controversy | Discuss “quangos” |
TERMS TO KNOW:
MP= Members of Parliament
“backbenchers”- not chosen to be ministers
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