Structure 2014-2015

Introduction to GV311
Considers British government and politics in its wider context and discuss the case for understanding the constituent parts of the system

Philosophical influences and ideas
The Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrats are underpinned by concepts and ideas that have been formed over several hundred years. Introduces the key philosophical influences that affect contemporary British politics and intellectual debate

Evolution of State and Constitution
The development of the key institutions, notably the Monarchy and Parliament, which constitute today’s system of government, plus possible reforms to the Constitution

Development of modern British government
Changes since 1945, in particular, will be examined, including the creation of a fully-democratic franchise, the development of mass welfare, the end of Empire, the increase in the scale of the State and demands for increased transparency and accountability

Parliament and government
Will consider the operation of the UK Parliament today, including key officers, the Parliamentary roles of government and Opposition, the legislative process, committees and all-party special interest groups

The Civil Service and quangos
The development of the contemporary civil service, in particular its traditions of impartiality and generalisation, the structure of central government departments and the willingness of successive governments to reconfigure Whitehall will be analysed

Sub-national and local government
The importance of 19^th century municipal development and the subsequent decline of local government power will be examined, along with its constitutional implications. Devolution to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will also be analysed

Public finance and taxation
Examines the way taxation is determined and levied, and how public expenditure is planned and controlled. The operation of the Treasury as Britain’s ‘finance ministry’ within the context of the Parliamentary and legislative frameworks will be described

Political Parties and Elections 1/2
The development of political parties will be described as will party loyalty and bases of support. Protest voting and extremist parties will be analysed. The voting systems used in UK national and local elections will be examined

Political Parties and Elections 2/2
As Above

The judiciary, the courts, justice
Judges, the court system and wider justice arrangements are a major element in the British constitutional arrangements. European institutions also have a role. This lecture will consider the institutions concerned, recent reform and the range of views about possible future change

Recent Reform
Reforms to Parliament and other key institutions, including issues such as the number of MPs and constituencies, changes to Parliamentary procedures, new types of committee and reform of the House of Lords will be examined

Scotland and the UK
Devolution to Edinburgh has created a radically separate political and governmental system since 1999, with further fiscal reform due to take place in 2016. The issues which emerged from the 2014 referendum and consequent demands for ‘devo-max’ will be examined

Policy-making and external influences
Will consider the ways policy is made and the processes it goes through prior to implementation. Party election manifestos, the use of special advisors, independent inquiries, think tanks, lobbyists and other elements in the evolution and delivery of government policy will be considered

Media, politics and government
To consider the way the press, TV and radio have traditionally been seen as a key feature of British government and politics. Can new media sustain investigative journalism and expose wrong-doing in government? Statutory restrictions on the media and the way politicians relate to powerful media organisations will be examined

Select Committees
To examine the evolution of Parliamentary select committees within the UK Parliament, in particular the reforms initiated in the early 1980s. How have select committees evolved and what are their key functions today?

British government’s relations with Europe
These lectures will consider the UK’s formal relations with the European Union, the Council of Europe, and other European institutions. Europe has had massive impacts on UK politics which affect domestic politics, with a continuing debate about the country’s relationship with the EU