• easy to get things done
• voters know who to hold responsible

• no checks on government
• minority has absolutely no say
• power in hands of one party
• Prime Minister not actually elected by general public

• New Labour Party
• PM 1997-2007
• support of Iraq War decreases popularity
• new approaches to economic welfare and social policy

• replaces Blair in 2007
• difficult time in office
• world finacial crisis in 2007/08
• "stepped on people's feet"
• 1 term

• senior government ministers at top
• Senior Career civil servants serve ministers/committees (permanent position)
• PM member of Cabinet
• settle disputes between government departments
• determine government business in Parliament (write laws)

• conservaite Prime Minister in office now
• "Big Society" agenda
• sloppy foreign policy

• Globalization: can't make decisions without effecting others
• hard for any pure nation-states to exist (immigration)
• ethnic conflict
• super national organizations (EU) have sovereignty over certain laws/policies on an international level

• leader of Liberal Democrats
• formed coalition with Conservatives

• written down
• hard to amend
• very rigid

• no formal constitution (not written down)
• based on laws, conventions, policy, etc

• need to control all but one variable in comparisons to get accurate results
• (tall kids are smarter example)

• devolution of power to different parliaments w/in GB (Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland)
• Elected mayors in big cities in UK instead of appointed by Parliament
• Freedom of Information Act (proceedings of Parliament made available to public, transparency of government)
• took away many hereditary positions in House of Lords

Collective Consensus 

(in post-WWII UK)

• labour and conservative parties worked together to form welfare state
• social securtiy, healthcare, etc
• Labor in majority, heavy support from conservatives 
• more state involvement in economy

Correlation 

(between variables)

• when changes in the value of the IV produce changes in DV they are correlated
• can be positive (same direction) or negative (opposite direction)
• correlation doesn't = causation

• DV causes IV

• general --> specific
• based on logic, not previous observation
• example: all FPTP systems are two party; US uses FPTP; US must have 2 major political parties

• what we are explainingl; object of study
• what we expect o be affected by other variables
• changes in value

• factor that influences or causes DV to vary
• causal or explanatory factor
• univariate ormultivariate analysis
• If A causes B; A is IV and B is DV

• IV affects the IVV which in turn affects the DV
• example: Income (IV) -> Education (IVV) -> Probability of Voting (DV)

• rule by the people; collective self-rule
• citizen act indirectly through competition and cooperation of their elected officials
• rulers held accountable by citizens

• process of giving power down from central government to local governments
• not constitutionally guarenteed in UK
• can be taken away (Northern Ireland)
• current examples: mayors, parliaments in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland

• citizens directly participate
• vote on everything
• no one representing them in government

• citizens elect people to represent them in government
• politicans make decisions/votes based on what is best for constituents

• specific attributes and societal institutions that make one group culturally different from another
• language, religion, customs, history etc
• born into ethnicities (ascription)

• voting franchise 
• constitution: gradually added onto as laws are passed
• no massive revolutions since alte 1600s

• capable of being proven wrong
• Theories must be falsifiable

• executive is member of majority in parliament 
• executive sets agenda for parliament
• no separation of powers

• Lower house w/ 650 members
• more powerful chamber
• passes laws
• financing issues (budget, taxes)
• scrutiny of gervernment and bureaucracy

• upper house w/ 722 members
• 91 hereditary lords (aristocrats)
• limited powers (symbolic institution)
• can only delay legislation

• educated guess
• if/then statement
• able to test
• cause and effect

• define key terms
• identify variables
• hypothesis
• test
• conclusion

• what reality should be
• Max Weber
• real life Ideal Types are similar to ideal but never fully the same

• drawing conclusions from specific info/evidence/observatioin
• specific --> general

• rising standard of living
• people became wealthier overtime
• greater enfranchisement (more people obtain right to vote)

• wealth and power of Empire grew significantly
• huge Navy 
• 25% of world population in Great Britain (including colonies)
• huge changes in # of socioeconomic classes

• believe in fair procedures in law/government despite the outcome

• Fixed Term Bill: elections held on May 7 every 5 years instead of PM deciding on election date; parliament can only be dissolved by 55% super majority
• New Electoral System (failed): Alternative Vote system- #1 choice and #2 choice vote on ballot 

• Cabinet Minister drafts law in his area, entire Cabient agrees on draft, law presented to Parliament to vote on
• Agenda set by executives; laws written by Cabient; passed by Parliament
• rubberstamp

Consensus Model of Democracy 

(Lijphart)

• as many people as possible involved in governing (large participation)
• broad coaltion of governments
• multiparty system (not only centrists parties)
• federal and decentralized government (power divided)
• goal: share and disperse power

Majoritarian Model of Democracy

(Lijphart)

• the majority governs
• power is concentrated in hands of bare majority
• one party rule; cabinet=most powerful; comprised of members of Parliament
• two party system (centrists)
• minority not included in law making/policy

• current opposition (labor) leader
• beat out brother for position
• very vocal

• lost to brother to be leader of Labour party
• still member of parliament

• start with DV
• pick cases with same outcome
• find one crucial "same" that causes income while everything else varies
• IV = differences between cases

• start with DV
• find cases with difference outcomes
• find 1 major difference in all IV 
• this causes the change in DV 

• group of peopel that show common bond, historical background, have affinity towards each other
• Ex: Cherokee Nation; Kurdish People
• many nations within a state

• set of institutions that bind people together through common political aspirations
• derived from ethnic identity usually
• inherently political

• powerful commitment to advancement of one's nation's interests and welfare
• powerful social and political force
• "nation" more important than one's identity
• worth of pride and personal sacrafice

• territorial boundaries
• citizenry who share 1 primary national identity
• Ehnolinguistic Fractionalization Score
• few in existence today (Portugal close)

Normative Views of "The State"

What should be the role of the state?

Conservative

• uses monopoly on force to maintain social order, protect property rights, preserve traditional values
• defends national interests abroad
• defends against foreign intervention

Normative Views of "The State"

What should be the role of the state?

Liberal (Libertarian in America)

• free market = motivation and coordination element
• state = low-profile watchman
• ensures basic rights, safety, and freedoms
• minimal role of government

Normative Views of "The State"

What should be the role of the state?

The Social Democratic State

(Liberal in America)

• constrains the powerful
• secures collective good of the society
• intervenes on behalf of the poor, weak, and disadvantaged members of society
• large role for state

Normative Views of "The State"

What should be the role of the state?

Marxist State

• traditional state seen as reactionary and repressive tool
• social, political, and economic equality
• eventually Marxist state will "wither away"

• largest party not in majority (Labour)
• shadow cabnet
• dynamic; shapes political process
• question time with PM
• dissenting position 
• very institutionalized

• government for the people
• citizens view political choices and legitimate because they produce desirable results
• promote the general welfare of the people

• prime minister who answers to the Parliament (can be dismissed via vote of no-confidence)
• collective and collegial executives
• important decisions made collectively by cabinet
• executive and legislateure fused
• PM selected by legislature

• parliament free to legislate on anything
• cannot be overturned (no judicial review)
• no parliament can bind its successors (can't prevent future parliament from passing laws)
• new parliament can revoke any previous law

• support the party
• publicly always support decisions of the party (esp. cabinet)

• ministers are jointly responsible for government policy
• publicly stand up for all policy made
• should resign if they cannot support key elements of policy

• convention that minsters are responsible to the parliament for policy of their department, for officials in these departments, for their own personal conduct

• Political structures (arenas for political activity)
• governmental systems, political institutions, parties, interest groups, international organizations

• political processes
• especially decision making and implementation
• electoral campaigns, executive politics, law creation, referenda, government coaltions, informal too

• political outcomes
• outcome of the politics that take place in the polity
• laws, taxes, political programs

• President is head of govt and is responsible to the people
• elected for constitutionally prescribed period
• cannot be force to resign (impeachment/recall possible
• cabinet = responsible to President, not parliament
• separation of powers
• possibility of divided government

Repercussions of WWI for

United Kingdom

• deplete economic resources
• undermines international status
• huge dbt
• economy is disarray

Repercussions of WWII for

United Kingdom

• Britain enters war while still struggling with economy
• pays heavy price for victory
• economy is disarray, dependent on US for rebuilding
• Britain forced to give up its empire

Responsibilities and Powers of the

Prime Minister

• head of government
• party leader
• appointment and dismissal of  ministers
• presides over cabinet
• decides on dates of elections
• represents UK internationally

• it has always been that way
• history, continuity
• monarchies

• revolves around individuals who represent certain ideas
• less institutionalized
• Nelson Mandela/Adolf Hitler

• institutionalized laws and procedures
• modern states
• constitutional mostly
• Obama/Bush/Reagan etc

• Statute law: created by Parliament
• Common Law: cour decisions, legal custom
• Conventions: norms of political behavior
• Authoritative Works: May's "Parliamentary Practice"
• EU Law: EU law takes precedence over UK law (EU Court of Justice)

• ability of a state to carry out actions of policies within a territory independt from external actors or internal rivals

• variables appear to be correlated when in fact they are not related at all
• there is 3rd variable not accounted for that causes both

• territorially bound sovereign entity
• can have multiple nations within a single state

• right to resist regression, invasion, or intervention within territorial bounds

• move away from consensus government and social democracy to liberal government
• cutting taxes/welfare state
• smaller government
• also style in which Thatcher ruled (authoritarian in a sense)

• center-right
• main government party
• led by David Cameron

• centrists/center-left
• caolition party of Conservatives
• "Third Party" in 2 party system
• leader/Deputy PM  = Nick Clegg

• center-left
• main opposition party in Parliament
• leader: Ed Milliband

• a proposition of how we think the world works
• makes a generalization
• can never be "right" but accepted
• must be falsifiable
• parsimony

• principle of using the least resources or explanations to solve a problem/theory

• central governemnt makes all decisions for whole country
• no separate/constitutional local governments

• vote take by legislature as to whether its members continue to support the current prime minister; can force resignation of PM
• Cabinet can threaten to resign in Parliament doesn't support legislation (threat)

• goverment in power only as long as it has at least 50% support in Parliament
• vote of no-confidence
• can sack individual ministers

Key Elements for a Democracy

-Dahl

• elected representatives of the people
• free, fair, frequent elections
• freedom of expression
• alternative sources of information
• freedom of association
• inclusive citizenship