Disraeli and Modern Conservatism.
"The Conservative Party has a long history, during which it has passed through many phases and changes. For significant periods of modern British history it has been the dominant governing party, but it has also suffered divisions, defeats and spells in the political wilderness. The Conservative Party has remained relevant because its programme and outlook have adapted to the changing social and political environment, and it has never been exclusively linked to any one issue or group. Continuity is provided by the fact that the Conservative Party has always stood for social stability and the rights of property. Origins The origins of the Conservative Party can be traced to the 'Tory' faction which emerged in the later seventeenth century. This 'Tory Party' established a secure hold on government between 1783 and 1830, first under the Younger Pitt and then Lord Liverpool. However, after Liverpool's retirement in 1827 the unity of the party was destroyed when the Duke of Wellington and Robert Peel, were forced, largely as a result of events in Ireland, to concede full political emancipation to Roman Catholics. The Tory collapse opened the way for a return of the Whigs in the 1830s, and a series of measures including the Great Reform Act of 1832 changed the political scene; in the general election which followed the Act the Tories were reduced to only 180 MPs. It was in the
"Constitutional reform had gone too far, or not far enough?" Discuss
“Constitutional reform has gone too far, or not far enough.” Discuss. (40 marks) Constitutional reform is a process whereby the fundamental nature of the system government (as well as the relationships between governing institutions) is changed, or where change is proposed. In the case of the UK this may also involve the process of codification. Such reforms have arguably been frequently present over recent years, with the introduction of numerous constitutional reforms since 1997-the Golden Date, some might argue. The UK currently has a Two-and-a-Half Party System, with the Liberal Democrats being the half. As such, there are of course many competing points of view, some of which differentiating due to a party’s position on the political spectrum. This essay will identify and explain the differences in opinion concerning whether or not constitutional reform has gone far enough. The Conservative party, made up of many traditionalists of Great Britain, very much believe that constitutional reform has gone too far. They believe that numerous sudden changes have occurred since 1997 under Labour, but there has not been a pause. Britain therefore needs to stop and see if the system is working, before any further/additional-and perhaps unnecessary-changes are made. One of several major constitutional
The Vampires Attack As he walked up the rickety stairs to the graveyard, his hand flaking the paint off the banister
The Vampires Attack As he walked up the rickety stairs to the graveyard, his hand flaking the paint off the banister, listening to the thunderstorm overhead, Jake felt apprehensive. He was startled by the rustling of the autumn leaves in the bitter wind and the dancing of their shadows cast by the orange street light. He had left his friends' house in a good mood but that was long gone as he sensed the peril that he was in. It was back. A creature had been following him on or off for weeks now and Jake could hear the sound of two extra footsteps a few metres behind him. He turned around but, as always, there was no one there. He knew he was not imagining it, but he didn't want to tell his family or friends as they would just laugh at him. While turning round once more he and thought he caught a glimpse of something, too big for a dog but too small for a human. He broke into a run and knew that his follower had done the same. He looked round and saw that his assailant was now making no effort to hide. The ground was being eaten up by this monster like creature that was pursuing him and he knew there was no hope. His screams for help filled the air but it was too late for there to be anyone out to hear him. He looked around for any means of protection and saw a stake with a note about the up-and-coming Easter egg hunt in the graveyard. Wrenching the stake from the ground,
How Democratic is the New Russian Constitution?
How Democratic is the New Russian Constitution? Introduction In 1990, a constitutional commission in Russia was created with the purpose of creating a new Russian constitution which was finalised in 1993 after much debate over the content. The aim was to create a framework under which a liberal democratic or socialist society could develop giving Russian citizens a fairer and more successful system than the one it had replaced. Although the Russian constitution has undoubtedly been drastically changed, it is debatable whether or not the end result is in fact democratic. Main Text When Yeltsin started constructing the new constitution, he introduced 3 key principles - the protection of human rights, that it must maintain the unity of Russia and that the constitutions of the republics and Russia do not contradict each other. These conditions are democratic as they are consistent with the notion of equality. In a democratic society, people need to be treated equally as when elections are held with each citizens having a right to 1 vote, this is acknowledging that each individual in society is as important as the other and therefore each individual has an equal right to choose who will make decisions for them. Another important democratic element of the new Russian constitution is that it has changed from being a 1-party system to a multi-party parliament. The effect
Critically assess the extent to which there is a crisis in participation in UK politics
Critically assess and explain the extent to which there is a crisis of participation in UK politics This essay will highlight the extent to which a crisis is present in UK politics with relation to participation and provide explanation as to why this is. Barnes and Kasse provide a broad yet accurate definition for political participation; “All voluntary activities intended to influence either directly or indirectly political choices at various levels of the political system” (Conge 1988: 242). There are many constituting factors of political participation which must be explored in order to understand the potential decline in political involvement today. Direct political participation through voting, participation through extra parliamentary organisations as well as campaigning and party membership are all crucial areas that must be assessed in order to come to a valid conclusion. The most important factor contributing to political participation is direct participation through voting. The idea of anti-politics, involving the alienation and detachment of the public from politics, is a crucial feature in explaining why turnout has decreased so drastically and also provides a counter argument to the assumption that apathy is the most important determinant in the turnout. It is clear that since 1950 there has been a sharp decline in voter turnout at UK general elections;
During this project, I hope to test out my hypothesis that the BBC War reporting undermined the security of the British troops during the Falklands of 1982, potentially breaking the Treason Act, 1940.
The BBC, the tactless undermining of the British Forces Security and the necessity of news regulation: A Case Study of the Battle of Goose Green, 1982. During this project, I hope to test out my hypothesis that the BBC War reporting undermined the security of the British troops during the Falklands of 1982, potentially breaking the Treason Act, 1940. The debate for and against censorship of information in media coverage is a controversial issue, especially in relation to war reporting as it can be understood that the primary purpose of the media is to provide information to the public and is therefore a public service to provide news on the country's affairs. Free Press enables the audience to be equipped with knowledge to form opinions of their own, independent of the agenda of those in political power. However, it must be highlighted that regulations of media censorship are necessary, purely in the interests of security for those in threatening situations. It can be argued that broadcasting information that defy military censorship, endangering the life of the majesty's forces, is officially breaking the Treachery Act 1940. My objective throughout this project is to convey the BBC as potentially having a detrimental effect to particular individuals they report and therefore must be regulated within strict guidelines in particular circumstances. I will structure this
Discuss the changes in attitude towards Europe that have taken place within and between British political parties over the last forty years.
HNC SOCIAL SCIENCE POLITICS B ASSESSMENT 1 Essay Discuss the changes in attitude towards Europe that have taken place within and between British political parties over the last forty years. Student name: Student ID: Lecturer: Submission date: 08/01/07 Word count: 2226 In 2007 the European Union (EU) will reach its 50th anniversary. Despite its tender age the concept of a union between the European nations is not a relatively new one. In 1851 a French born novelist, play write, poet and politician by the name of Victor Hugo called for a "united states of Europe" [International Peace Congress, Paris 1851.] However in the early 19th century two world wars ensued crippling the economies of the European states and bringing desperation and despair throughout. From the ashes though, emerged a desire for lasting peace and new ideals comprising of supranational co-operation and integration. Between 1945 and 1950 a number of statesmen including Winston Churchill, Konrad Adenauer, Alcide de Gasperi, and Robert Schumann were strong proponents of creating a new order in Western Europe. It was however, Schuman, the French foreign affairs minister who formally proposed a European Coal and Steel Community on the 9th of May 1950. On the 18th of April 1951 the Treaty of Paris was signed, establishing the European Coal and Steel Community, this is the origins of the EU as
To what extent have governments and political parties agreed on how best to raise educational standards in Britain since 1997?
To what extent have governments and political parties agreed on how best to raise educational standards in Britain since 1997? "Education, education, education" was how Tony Blair set out his priorities for office as Labour in their 1997 manifesto campaigned to put classrooms at the top of the political agenda thus education would be a 'number one priority'. 12 years on and Gordon Brown's 'passion' is for education. With the general election drawing near and the global recession taking a toll on public finances, there is a broad-spectrum of agreement on importance of raising educational standards whilst maintain equal opportunities for all both the fortunate and forgotten taken into consideration and career prospects for all. There is however different views on how these standards should be achieved. Since 1997, New Labour has emphasised the importance of raising educational standards. It is now crucial to see how this can be sustained at a time of public spending cuts. All 3 main political parties are in consensus to raise these standards and for front line services to be protected. However where this funding should be injected is where parties differ. Labour has stated £2 billion will be cut from the school budget. A further 3000 senior staffs from heads, deputies and bureaucrats could be cut as schools become federations. This method is believed to save £250 million by
"The House of Commons is a highly effective parliamentary chamber" to what extent do you agree with this view? (40)
________________ "The House of Commons is a highly effective parliamentary chamber" to what extent do you agree with this view? (40) ________________ The House of Commons is without a doubt the dominant chamber within Parliament , with huge influence and supreme power in UK politics. It consists of 650 elected MPs, each one representing the interests and concerns of a particular region of the country, known as a constituency. It has three very important main functions; legislation, scrutiny and representation, but it is often questioned how effectively it carries out these functions. I do agree that it is a highly effective parliamentary chamber, but also think there is evidence for this view to be contradicted. Parliament is Britain's Legislature, where legislation, the process of passing new laws, takes place. It is mainly carried out in the House of Commons and there are many different types of it, with the two most important being; government bills and private members bills. For a bill to become law is must pass through a number of parliamentary stages, which involves a lot of close reading, amending and debating in both the parliamentary chambers, however the House of Commons has far more legislative power, as the Lords can only suggest amendments or delay bills from becoming law (which the House of Commons can actually override anyway). It can be said the Commons
Discuss the indepedence of the UK Judiciary
'Discuss the independence of the UK judiciary' Judicial independence can be defined in three basic points, these are; the independence of judges from the two other branches of government, that is the legislature and executive; the independence from various political ideologies, public and media pressure; and the independence of an individual judge from superiors in the judicial hierarchy, so that a judge can decide each case solely upon his or hers best view of what the law requires. So basically for the judiciary to be independent it must be exempt from interference in its conductivity by the other two branches of government, the legislature and executive, and also pressure exerted from various outside opinions e.g. media, public. In the 1740's a French political philosopher, Baron de Montesquieu came up with the idea of the 'separation of powers'. He suggested that in a democracy no single individual should serve in more than one branch of government, this in result would eliminate the possibility of dictatorship. He believed there were three essential elements of the government: the legislature (which makes the laws); the executive (which administers these laws); and the judiciary (which judges according to these laws). Montesquieu argued that as long as these three branches were kept separate the democracy would survive as a well organised political system. In contrast
