Prime Minister: British System of Government

Prime Minister: British System of Government INTRODUCTION This essay mirrors the roles of the Prime Ministers and their Cabinet members, and discusses how dominant the role of Prime Minister is in the British system of Government, and to what extent can the power be exercised. The essay begins with a vivid explanation of what the core executive arm of the British government is made up of, what position the Prime Minister stands for in the business of coordinating the affairs of the well-meaning British citizens. Moreover, on the other hand, this essay seeks to address the roles Prime Ministers have played in the Civil Service and the changes they have effected in the past decades. The next point will describe, compare and contrast the leadership styles of some dignitaries who have served in the capacity of a Prime Minister to the British government in the twentieth century to the present Leader Gordon Brown. The next important area this essay will address includes historical decisions former Prime Ministers have made in shaping the British polity and policy formulation. We will resume our discussion with a brief consideration of the structure of the British system of government and gladly guide our discussion into the roles and powers of the Prime Minister in the affairs of the government. THE BRITISH SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT The British system of government is known to be Europes oldest parliamentary democracy. The British parliament was established in the eleventh century and, after King John signed the Magna Charta in the year 1215, it came into power and became the main figure in the British system of government. By this singular act, England piloted the idea of democracy in the whole of Europe. The British constitution, unlike that of most of other countries in Europe and the world at large, is not written as a single document. It is partly formed by statute, and partly by common law and conventions respectively. The constitution can be altered by an Act of Parliament, and/or by general agreement to change convention(s) (Coxall et al, 2003:179-181; 2006: 182-189; Kavanagh 2006: 247-250). Britain is a constitutional monarchy and currently has her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II as the head of state. Practically, she reigns but does not rule. The country is administered, in the queens name, by the Government comprising of a body of ministers, which is referred to as the Cabinet and consists of 22 leading ministers, who are responsible to carrying out Parliamentary functions. The origin, traditions, customs and beliefs of the Great Britain are derived from its four countries (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland). Each of these countries is well represented in the British Parliament, which sits at Westminster (at the heart of London) this is the ultimate legislative authority in the kingdom. The Parliament is composed of three arms: the Sovereign, the House of Lords, and the House of Commons (Coxall et al, 2003:182-186; 2006: 185-190; Kavanagh 2006: 247-250). In practice, the Sovereign arm officially summons and dissolves the Parliament and generally begins every new yearly assembly with a speech from the throne. The House of Lords consists of traditionally inherited peers and peeresses, which also includes the law Lords. They are so appointed to undertake the judicial duties of the House, and the Lords Spiritual (made up of the Archbishops of Canterbury and York and other 24 bishops). On the other hand, the House of Commons is elected by universal adult suffrage and made up of Members of Parliament (MPs) there are approximately 650 seats for the MPs. The chief responsible officer of the House is the Speaker, who is elected by the MPs to take charge of the affairs of the house and presides over the house meetings. The ultimate authority for lawmaking resides in the House of Commons (Coxall et al. 2006: 185-188; Kavanagh 2006: 250-251). Every five years, a general election must be conducted only citizens who are eighteen (18) years of age and above are allowed to participate in the voting exercise; and candidates for various elective positions must be over 21. There are four major political parties, namely: Social Democratic, Labour, Liberal, and Conservative parties The winning party forms the Government. Ministers are chosen by the Prime Minister (leader of winning party). The second party becomes official Opposition to the ruling party and forms the Shadow-Cabinet. MPs who are members of the Opposition blocs are called back-benchers. THE PRIME MINISTER In modern era, the United Kingdoms Prime Ministers lead a major political party, and command a majority in the House of Commons (the Legislative arm), who is also the leader of the Cabinet (the Executive arm). However, it should be noted that under the British system of government, there is a unity of powers rather than separation. The Premiership was not deliberately created as an official position, but has however, evolved into a much structured official power. The office gradually evolved over three hundred years, and defined by customs in the form of conventions that later became generally accepted by everyone. The Prime Ministers relationship with the Sovereign, Parliament and Cabinet was completely defined by these conventions until the twentieth century. Despite its growing supremacy in the constitutional chain of command, the Premiership was accorded with little formal recognition the legal imaginary tale upheld was that the Sovereign still governed directly. For example, many of the Prime Ministers legislative and powers are largely derived from Royal sanctions and are still formally vested in the Head of State the Sovereign (Coxall et al, 2003:180-182; 2006: 185-190; Kavanagh 2006: 247-250). Under this arrangement, UK appears to possess two independent executives: the Prime Minister and the Sovereign. However, the notion of the crown settles this paradox. The Royal Crown stands as a symbol of the states authority to govern making laws and executing them, imposing taxes and collecting them, declaring war and making peace. Until the Glorious Revolution of 1688, the Sovereign had worn the Crown and exercised the powers it stands for. Thereafter, Parliament gradually took Sovereigns out of the corridor of political powers to a more neutral position. Parliament placed the Crown in commission, thereby entrusting its authority to responsible Ministers including the Prime Minister and the Cabinet crew, who are made accountable for their policies and actions to the Parliament and the people Great Britain. Nevertheless, the Sovereign still wears the Crown and her sanction powers are still legally intact in practice, Parliament has taken everyday governance from her, leaving her with three constitutional rights: to be kept informed, to advise, and to warn (Coxall et al. 2006: 185-188; Kavanagh 2006: 247-250). The Prime Minister is responsible for recommendations of dignitaries for honour in the various annual special honours lists. The Prime Minister has a distinctive role in the area of national security; being the national leader, the PM represents the country at global events, such as, playing host to heads of government of other countries and international conferences, (Coxall et al, 2003:187-189; 2006: 182-202). The PM also appoints top civil servants. Dating back to the late seventies, it is gathered that quite a lot of key reforms of the civil service has evolved. Margaret Thatcher (the then Prime Minister) highly scrutinised the civil service commission; her civil servant reforms meant making the civil servants more efficient. This effectively reduced the numbers of civil servants in office. The Blair government also continued with this reform. This reform was, however, formally initiated by the previous Conservative government, (Martin 2003:69-70). Notwithstanding, the leadership styles of Prime Ministers have varied historically. Thatcher is famous with having a dominant leadership style in which she had a direct approach, however, the political writer Martin J Smith has described her leadership style as being autocratic. Generally, the Prime Minister seeks advice from the Chancellor of the Exchequer and treasury before economic, foreign policy proposal are made, nevertheless, the final decisions are made by the PM who is central in shaping policies. Over the past forty-five years in the UK government, Prime Ministers had to take an important role in various schemes bothering the different quarters of the economy such as challenges facing the industrial trade unions and issues in Northern Ireland. On the other hand, PMs might delve into areas they fervently believe in, which might sometimes risk being displeasing to other ministers. For example while Margaret Thatcher bought in the poll tax, James Callaghan the PM during the late seventies intervened in educational and health matters, however, Tony Blair, on his opinion, put into operation the millennium dome, had an enthusiastic interest in law and order and supported President Bush in the Iraq war. Gordon Brown has made several decisions (such as cl osing the gaps that exits in the tax haven) that he believes will lead his people out of the current financial crisis. The PM has the power to advise the monarch the arrangement of disbandment of parliament within a five-year period. This strengthens the PMs authority against the oppositional parties; however this political weapon can sometimes flop, for instances James Callaghan in failing to call for a general election in 1978, while his predecessor Edward Heath called an election in 1974, can mean defeat. Final decisions on election dates are generally made after proper consultations with chief whips and cabinet have been initiated. Historically, British Prime Ministers possess distinctive responsibilities to discharge healthy governance to the people of Great Britain, notably in world wars and recent crisis like foot and mouth and fuel crisis. Prime Ministers importantly must govern in a democratic way, by getting a consensus if they are to do well in office. The support of the party gives the prime minister the right and influence to carry out their duties, relationships within the party are paramount and are two way. The relationships the PM has between cabinet ministers and close associates do not necessary have to do with personally as generally they are part of a structural relationship which is linked by the rules of the Whitehall circle, which are made up of institutions of governments, past policy decisions and by outside political and economic matters. Cabinet ministers and the prime minister have resources available to them; however, to achieve this they have to go through a process of exchange. This clearly has to do with the particular framework, which the prime minister would have achieved on the election result, if the PM were unpopular in the polls, and then they become more reliant on others for advice (Coxall et al 2003: 187-193; 2006: 182-202). A prime minister has the most authority after an election victory. CONCLUSION The PM achieves little or nothing in office if they do not have the support of their cabinet ministers. Furthermore, the Prime Minister being in office is based on legitimacy; hence, the PM is reliant on the cabinet. Tony Blair, being aware of how support is vital, owed his position, in many ways, to Browns loyalty. In return, Blair has given Gordon Brown the authority and autonomy to administer the governments socio-economic policies/affairs. Although, Blairs leadership style making of executive decisions which he (Blair) feels is best for the country irrespective of what the bulk of the cabinet members think is more superior to Browns. In conclusion, British Prime Ministers are clearly in a powerful position of authority in the British system of government, which has evolved over time. REFERENCES Coxall B., Robins L., and Leach R. (2006): British Politics. Palgrave Macmillan. Coxall B., Robins L., and Leach R. (2003): Contemporary British Politics. Palgrave Macmillan, 4th ed. Kavanagh D. (1996): British Politics: Continuities and Change. Oxford University Press, 3rd ed. Kavanagh D. (2006): British Politics: Continuities and Change. Oxford University Press, 6th ed. Martin J. S. (2003): Governing as New Labour. Palgrave Macmillan

What is Plagiarism?

Based on the Oxford dictionary plagiarism is the practice of taking someones work or ideas and passing them off as one's own. Plagiarism is a crime, just like stealing and fraud. Many universities do not have strong penalties, either a student is expelled or suspended. Plagiarism in the real world is different and you can see up to ten years in prison based on the amount of work is plagiarized. There are four types of Plagiarism. This was stated by Annakay Aitken and I do agrees this her but this is my take on each  Direct plagiarism – not citing some one else workSelf-plagiarism – using a previous assignmentMosaic plagiarism – using some one else work with out quoting the informationAccidental plagiarism – forgetting to give credit where a writer should or not paraphrasing the informationWhy plagiarism is bad?Destroyed Student ReputationThis will cause a student to be expelled or suspended. As a student you do not want this on your record at your college or university.Destroyed Professional ReputationA professional person plagiarism can cost them there career.This may cause you not to be able to get a good job again especially in the public eyes. Politician, writers, journalist have to be very careful when it comes to plagiarism.Legal RepercussionsCoping another person information in a research, publishing or using the information with out cit ation is a crimal offence. Plagiarism can also be considered a felony under certain state and federal laws.For example, if a plagiarist copies and earns more than $2,500 from copyrighted material, he or she may face up to $250,000 in fines and up to ten years in jail. Creutz .C (2010, June 23) How to prevent Plagiarism, Demand Media Inc. (NYSE: DMD) is a leading content and social media company that informs, entertains and connects millions of people every day. Demand Media not only has the highest level of plagiarism detection on the market today, but they have also made a significant investment in new, custom technology that puts their plagiarism detection system well ahead of that used by any other publisher. Creutz. Robert(2011, Jan 27)Seven ways to prevent Plagiarism.ParaphrasingThis is reading the information and writing it you own wordsCitingWhen coping using someone's research information from web sites, books, or articles etc you should refer to the author, website this will allow the reader to know that the information in from that authorReferencingReferencing is citing source that you receive information fromQuotingWhen repeating or coping words or speech either written or spoken by another person it should be quoted.Example â€Å"Most plagiarists, like the drone, have neither taste to select, industry to acquire, nor skill to improve, but impudently pilfer the honey ready prepared, from the hive.† – Walter Colton S ource: FamousQuotesandauthors.comBe informedOne of the most importance way to prevent plagiarism is to information student about what is plagiarism, how to prevent it plagiarism and the penalties plagiarism. Before this topic I was aware of plagiarism but I did not know it was should a serious issues.Do not write blind.When doing a research where you have to quote or use other people information , it is a good idea to make sure all quotes are check before putting in your paper. Do not submit this information with out checking citation and quotes.Use Plagiarism Checkers onlineThere are several plagiarism checkers online, you can use to make sure your work is cited and referenced properly,one of such sites is https://www.aresearchguide.com/plagiarism-checker.htmlReference6 Ways tp Avoid Plagiarism in Research PapersTurnitin, LLC (2017)http://en.writecheck.com/ways-to-avoid-plagiarism/Demand Media Leads Publishing in Plagiarism Detection and Prevention Creutz. Robert (2011, Jan 27)http ://www.ithenticate.com/plagiarism-detection-blog/bid/52940/Demand-Media-Leads-Publishing-in-Plagiarism-Detection-and-Prevention#.WqI0bujwbIU Plagiarism PunishmentRobert Creutz on Jun 23, 2010 2:37:00 PMhttp://www.ithenticate.com/plagiarism-detection-blog/bid/52974/Plagiarism-Punishment#.WqEfGXBOmaM 5 Biggest Plagiarism Stories of 2016Jonathan Bailey – January 20, 2016http://www.ithenticate.com/plagiarism-detection-blog/bid/52974/Plagiarism-Punishment#.WqEfGXBOmaM http://www.ithenticate.com/resources/6-consequences-of-plagiarism Oxford University Press (2018)https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/plagiarism

Birdwood-fringe 2013 Essay

Birdwood-fringe 2013 consisted of many shows but the one that really caught my eye was â€Å"The Terrible Infants†. The play was cast with previous and current students who attend Birdwood High. Many, if not all have had drama production background, working in school productions and the local theatre group TOTTS (Top of the Torrens) productions. Knowing these students, I expected to be wowed from the start and my expectations were not let down. Right from the start, every character was switched on, working as one, moving as one. They knew where they were meant to be, what they were meant to be doing at every second. Every lights down they knew what props they needed to collect and did it with no noise. Even when one of the props weren’t collected or in their right place each character chipped in without it being noticed by the audience to show/point/grab where the prop was. When the butcher‘s (Courtney Bryant-Leray) apron didn’t go on as planned she still placed it onto her, even though it was on sideways. Ignoring she had it on wrong, she still went on with her lines and actions as though it was meant to be like that only fixing it when the spotlight was on a fellow cast member. The whole play in general was exciting. Using lighting changes e.g. green for the forest (Betrice scene) was very smart. Just changing the lights from amber to green instead of ending the scene, turning the lights off, setting up the scene so it looks like an actual forest would have been time wasting and then at the actual end of the scene having to turn the lights off, put the forest set away then getting the set back to normal would have been an even more waste of time, but instead they changed the set to a tree silhouette whilst the scene was in progress. The atmosphere of the entire play was warming, and enjoyable, making the audience feel welcome, without even saying a word to them. We were always laughing, feeling each and every emotion the cast was portraying, when they had a funny moment, we laughed, we were probably laughing most of the time, except when it came to â€Å"Thingummy Boy† scene. The scene Thingummy Boy was serious, the most intense scene in the whole play. During the play each character was facing the audience, making their moves over exaggerated, they emphasised words that were needed, but in the scene of â€Å"Thingummy Boy† they faced away from the audience, not moving or making a sound. It made the scene, sad, and if it had more of a meaning then the other scenes. When they did turn to speak they had no exaggeration, no emphasis in their words, their faces were blank, no smiles yet no frowns. The scene was the one that impacted the audience the most. Even though the play wasn’t an original that the group wrote themselves, they made it their own, adding lines and taking actions out. They put their own twist in every scene, in every character. It was a unique play, that was shown beautifully.

The Status Of The Ideal American Family - 1182 Words

Change is inevitable, and history has shown us that change in family status has been both positive and negative. Historically, the flux in family diversity can be traced back for centuries, and we see many different practices that have had successes and failures amongst families in the United States. Over the last six decades, the image of the ideal American family has changed, as well as the political and economic status of women. The development of relative economic power for women has led to a change in family structure. The evolution of families can be seen in the media and television shows, and the contrast between shows in the mid 20th century and now, is shell shocking. As new developments in human society continue to grow, family†¦show more content†¦In the show, the father was seen giving advice and lecturing the children while the wife was folding laundry, or setting the table for a meal. The viewers were exposed to the show, which enforced the societal norm of mal e dominated gender stratification. However, the rushed marriages and desire for children following the war was no longer the American dream. In the early 1960 s the employment of women increased exponentially and their economic status increased. A national poll of American housewives claimed, 90 percent of them said they did not want their daughters to follow in their footsteps, and to postpone marriage longer and get more education and work experience. (Coontz, 51) By 1970, fifty percent of the women in the United States were employed. Women became independent from a breadwinning husband and divorce rates increased with about half of all marriages end[ing] in divorce. (Rutter, 329) Women liberation movements promoted the liberating feelings of new family possibilities with a visions of independent success. Throughout the 70 s the expansion of social freedoms and economic opportunity for women led to a difficult time for families to function. Women began to feel a new sense of pow er and were the mostly the decision makers when it came to divorce. These patterns continued up into the 90 s with more than two thirds of the women in theShow MoreRelatedThe Nuclear Family is no Longer the American Ideal Essay954 Words   |  4 Pageschanged; the nuclear family is no longer the American ideal because family needs have changed since the 1950s. This American convention of a mother and father and their two children, were a template of films and early television as a depiction of the American family life. Now seen as archaic and clichà © by today’s standards, but the idea is common throughout many of the first world nations in the world. 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