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British Cultural Studies (Subject) / Political Life (Lesson)

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• the public attitude to politics - politicans don't have a good reputation with british ppl - to describe politicans = lack of trust - expect to be frequently dishonest - 1st rule of politics = never believe anything until it has officially been denied - lack of enthusiasm = ppl don't know the name of their local member of parliament MP, don't know the names of the important politicians, lack of generosity with regards to politicans expenses - expected that politics is a dirty, evil buisness 
• the style of democracy - deep respect for the principle of law - little systematic lawbreaking by large sections - unethusiastic about making new laws - best to do w/o laws - country has few rules and regulations - 1.) britains citizens don't have identity cards, no obliged to carry identifications, not forced to have driving licence - 2.) not until the century that a law was passed which entitles ppl to demand info held by public boodies --> Freedom of Information Act (ppl pay to get info) - 3.) 30 year rule = restricts access to government papers for 30 years - law = Official Secrets Act = obliges many government employees not to tell anyone about the details of their work - no national service, not obliged to vote, don't have to register a change of addrees with a government authority - government = comparitively free hand / if government wants to make a change it doesn't have to ask the ppl - democracy never meant that the ppl have a hand in the running of the country, rather it means that they choose who is to govern the country and then let them get on with it
• the constitution - a constitutional monarchy = governed by a queen/king who accepts the advice of a parliament - a parliamentary democracy = a country whose government is controlled by a parliament elected by the ppl / basic system is not so different from anywhere else - highest position in the government = filled by members of the directly elected parliament  - doesn't have a constitution - no single written document which can be appeled to as the highest law of the land - principles and procedures come from a number of sources --> some were written down by parliament, some spoken and then written down, some have never been written down 
• the style of politics - political life --> influenced by tradition and informal - features of parliament which causes its MP to feel belonging: --> 1.) constitutional theory says that parliament has absolute control over its own affairs and the highest power in land --> 2.) ancient traditions of procedure  - habit of genuine cooperation among polticians of different parties 
• the party system - two party system = more than 85% of all of the seats in the house of commons and one by itself controls the government --> 1.) reason = electoral system  --> 2.) reason = origin of british political parties (formed inside parliament) = parties don't extend into every area of public life & a party's MP has most control over party policy  --> --> none MP's of a party have power = 1.) elect party leader 2.) make their views known at the annual party conference 3.) local party has power  to decide who is going to be the party's candidate for MP in its area at the next election  (powers are limited by one important consideration - the appearance of unity)   - 18t cent = MP divided into 2 camps = support government and not support - 19th cent = habit that the party which didn't control the government presented itself as an alternative government  - the leader of the 2nd biggest party in parliament receives title = leader of her majestys's opposition + extra salary --> chooses shadow cabinet ( a team to fill the shoes of the government at a moments notice) - no party exists to look solely after the interest of one particular group - Conservatives = developed from a group of MPs 19th  - labour = formed at the beginning of 20th cent from an alliance of trade unionists and intellectuals / first government in 1923 - liberal democrats = formed in late 1980s from a union of liberals and social democrats - nationalist parties = plaid cymru (wales) / SNP (scottish national party) - parties in north ireland = catholic and protestants
• the modern situation - traditional confidence weakened --> 1.) style of politics  --> 2.) style of democracy  - identity cards = ppl don't want them  - right to free speech and public protest = under threat / understood to be a basic principle - politically stable for centuries 

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