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British Cultural Studies (Fach) / parliament (Lektion)

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• Introduction - makes new laws - gives authority for the government to raise and spend money - keeps an eye on government activities  - discusses these activities  - works in building = Palace of Westminster (The house of parliament) --> contains offices, committee rooms, restaurants, bars, libraries, residence --> two larger rooms = 1.) house of lords meetings 2.) house of commons meetings - divided into 2 houses, members belong to one house, only membes of the commons known as MPs (common is more important)
• The atmosphere of parliament - design and layout important: --> 1.) seating arrangments = 2 rows facing each other (left government benches : MPs of the governing party sit) / (right opposition benches)  --> --> according to where they sit MPs are either for or against the government --> --> physical division = table on the floor of the house --> --> speakers chair = raised / debate --> --> arrangement encourages confrontatiom. reinforces psychologically the reality of the british two party system --> --> no cross benches for MPs who belong neither to the governing or opposition party (sit on the opposition benches furthest from speakers chair --> 2.) commons has no special place for ppl to stand when they are speaking = MPs stand up  --> 3.) no desks for the MPs = only benches --> 4.) room is very small = there are about 650 of them, but place for less than 400 = a candidate at an election is said to have won a seat in the commons but this is imaginary  - rather informal atmosphere = MPs speak in a rather conversational tone and not for very long  - house of commons was deliberately designed like this = a belief in the two way for and against tradition / more belief in continuity - ancient habits are preserved in rules and costums of procedure which all new MPs have to learn: --> 1.) forbids MPs to address one anothy by name (all remarks and questions must go through the chair --> my right honourable friend) 
• an MPs life - traditionally to not be a career --> only seen as a hobby, unpaid until 20th cent --> only rich ppl could do it  - politics has become professional - average = spends more time at work than any other professional in the country  --> debates go on for a long time --> mornings = committee work, researchm preparing speeches, dealing with problems of their constituents  --> weekends = visit constituencies they represent  day in the main chamber: 1.) prayer (1 min) 2.) question time (60 min) 3.) miscellaneous buisness, statement from PM (45 min) 4.) main buisness (6 1/2 hours) 5.) adjournment debate (30 min)
• parliamentary business basic procedure = debate on a particular proposal, followed by a resolution which either accepted or rejected - resolution = new law or approving/not approving the governments plan to raise taxes or spend money in certain ways - MPs vote for or against proposal (walking through one of the two corridors (yes or no)) - committees = appointed to examine particular proposals for laws -permanent committees = to investigate the activities of government in a particular field (40 members) --> power to call certain ppl (civil servants) to come and answer their questions
• the party system in parliament - MPs almost always vote for their party - Whips = people making sure that the MPs vote for their own party / intermediaries between backbenchers and frontbench of a party / keep party informed about backbench opinion - if the government looses a vote in parliament on an important issue, has to resign --> when there is a division MPs are expected to go to the house and vote even if they have not been there during the debate  - sometimes the major parties allow a free vote = MPs vote according to their own beliefs and not party policy
• the house of Lords - second chamber = house of lords - no real power/limited influence - can delay a bill, but not stop it - role = consultative one / bills are more discussed in detail  - act as forum of discussion  - can act as a check on any governments which are becoming too dictatorial - until 1958 all lords were aristocrats = law was passed which made it possible to award life peerages = to sit in the lords - 1999 = # of aristocrats with the right to sit in the lords was limited to 92, # of life peerages was increased

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