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What is useful about Britain as a case study for AP Comparative Government & Politics?

  • Britain is the only country on the AP Comparative Government & Politics course that provides an example of a developed and stable democratic system.
  • Britain is a parliamentary system of government with a two party system.
  • Britain has an unwritten constitution with high levels of legitimacy.
  • Britain’s geographic isolation has allowed it to develop democratic traditions gradually. However, it has suffered internal separatist movements and strife.
  • Britain is a member of the European Union which holds increasing powers.

What comparisons can be made between Britain and other countries on the Comparative Government & Politics curriculum?

  • Britain is a unitary system that is devolving power to local government. Compare to Russia which is a federal system that is centralized power under President Vladimir Putin.
  • Compare Britain’s dual head of government with Iran’s dual head of government. Contrast the levels of power of each.
  • Compare the use of referendum in Britain to the use of Referendum in Russia.
  • Compare Britain’s bicameral legislature to bicameralism in Mexico.

The following are major concepts and themes from the AP Comparative Government & Politics outline that are found within the text.

1. Political and Economic Change

  • Britain’s gradual establishment of democracy. It is the country on the curriculum that has retained some formal powers of the monarchy.
  • Britain’s market economy and changes made within that framework.
  • Strength of the welfare state.
  • Labor’s “Third Way.” approach
  • Constitutional reform including devolution, reform of the House of Lords, and incorporation of the European convention of Human rights into British law. Still on the table are a change to proportional elections, and adoption of the Euro currency.

2. Social Welfare Policy

  • The national health care service (NHS) remains as one of many social services Britain provides to its citizens.

3. Ethnic Cleavages

  • Britian is has a homogeneous population when comparing it to most of the countries on the AP curriculum (ethnic minorities are less than 8% of the population).
  • Ethnic tension is a public policy challenge for the government. Discrimination of minority job applicants and protest/dissent in low income housing are two issues the government has had to address.

4. Gender cleavages

  • Women have not achieved equality in the workplace or in government. The government has responded by enacting family friendly policies, such as maternity/paternity leave.

5. Institutions of Government

  • Britain’s Parliamentarysystem fuses power between the executive and legislative. MPs serve as both voting members of the legislature and heads of departments.
  • The House of Commons is the lower house of the legislature and has almost complete sovereignty. The House of Lords is the upper house with little power.
  • Britain is a constitutional monarchy with the Queen serving as head of state and the Prime Minister serving as head of government.
  • The Cabinet is responsible for proposing legislation.
  • The beaureaucracyconsists of a professional civil service. There are private and semiprivate institutions of government (QUANGO).
  • The judiciary does not have a powerful role in policy making.

6. Political Institutions (Unitary/federal – centralization/decentralization)

  • There has been devolution of power to sub national government in recent years. This includes a Scottish Parliament with taxation powers, a Welsh assembly and a directly elected mayor. Britain is still officially unitary as the central government could revoke these institutions.

7. Party Systems

  • Only two parties (Labour and Conservative) have a realistic chance of forming a government, making Britain a two party system. However, numerous other parties win seats, including the Liberal Democrats.
  • The Labour party represents the ideological left, the Conservatives the ideological right. The Liberal Democrats are a left of center party that emphasizes civil liberties and a proportional representation voting system.

8. Electoral System

  • Britain has a single member district first past the post voting system. Election of the Prime Minister is indirect. There is discussion of changing the electoral system to proportional representation.