Institutions of the British National Government
Prime Minister & CabinetParliament
Bureaucracy and Judiciary
Westminster Model
• Westminster Model – is a democratic parliamentary system of government modeled after the political system of the United Kingdom.– Term comes from the Palace of Westminster, the
seat of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
British Government Overview• Britain is a unitary state with political authority
centralized in London.• Government has three branches of government
(executive, legislative, judiciary) & a bureaucracy.• Legislature (Parliament) is a bicameral system –
House of Lords & House of Commons• Parliamentary System – a system of government
where in the ministers of the executive branch are drawn from the legislature.
• Prime Minister is the head of government; Monarchy is the head of state
Prime Minister (PM)• Prime Minister– is the leader of the
majority party in Parliament– Considered to be the “first among
equals” – Head of Government– Leader of the legislative and
executive branch – no separation of powers
– Not directly elected by the people– Chooses cabinet members– Represents the party in parliamentary
elections – Lives at Number 10 Downing Street
Gordon BrownBritish Prime Minister
2007 - 2010
The Cabinet• Cabinet consists of the Prime Minister and the
Ministers – head a major bureaucracy of the government.– Members are party leaders from Parliament chosen
by the Prime Minister.– Collective Responsibility – as leaders of the majority
party elected by the people, the cabinet is the center of policymaking in the British political system
Parliament• Parliament is a bicameral legislature with a
House of Commons and a House of Lords.
House of Commons
House of Lords
House of Lords• Members are either Hereditary
Peers – seats passed down through family ties; or Life Peers – people appointed to seat through distinguished service to Britain
• Minimal power/influence• Powers to delay legislation;
debate technicalities of proposed bills; add amendments to legislation (simple majority vote override by Commons)
House of Commons• Consist of Members of Parliament (MPs)– Currently 646 members
• Only ones who can become party leaders and ultimately the head of government (no outsiders)
• True policy making house of Parliament (Parliamentary Sovereignty – the principle that Parliament’s decisions are final)
• Controlled by the Prime Minister & the Majority Party
House of Commons• Party Discipline – when all members of
Parliament within a party vote together on every subject. – If party members do not support their leadership,
the government lacks legitimacy.– Majority party wants to avoid losing a vote of
confidence – a vote on a key issues.• If lost, by tradition the cabinet must resign immediately
and elections for new MPs must be held ASAP
House of Commons
Loyal Opposition Side Minority Party; left of the SpeakerMajority Party Side
right of the Speaker
Speaker of the HouseOverseer of debates; not a MP; apolitical
Prime MinisterLeader of majority party
Leader of the Opposition
Leader of minority party
Leader of the Second Opposition
Leader of 2nd minority party
Cabinet Members Shadow Cabinet
“Bac
kben
cher
s”“Backbenchers”
House of Commons• Question Time – once a week, the Prime
Minster & cabinet must defend themselves and their policies against the opposition– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsAa9VmwOaI
&feature=related (4:22)
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpZhugomNJE (0:44)
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dziI-ms9Kc&feature=related (9:53)
British Bureaucracy • Top level bureaucrats (civil
servants) are experts in their field and make a career of government service.
• Have a great deal of input into policymaking (discretionary power) due to their expertise.
• Their job is implement policy enacted by cabinet members.
• Usually never run for office or active in party politics
Whitehall Palace in LondonBuildings where Cabinet Offices and British Bureaucracy Offices
are housed.
British Judiciary• Legal system based on common
law (focuses on precedent & interpretation)
• Law Lords – highest court, select members of the House of Lords
• Limited powers of judicial review due to the principal of parliamentary sovereignty (Parliament’s decisions are final)
• Courts may not impose rulings on Parliament, the Prime Minister or the cabinet
Royal Courts of Justice in London