Lecture Overview

1. Lecture Overview • What is Western Europe? • Impressions • Why Study it? • Themes and Challenges • Country vs. Comparative • Conflict vs. Cooperation • Parliamentary vs. Presidential • Integration vs. Disintegration

2. What is Western Europe? • now many former Soviet satellite states have accession agreements with the European Union • Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, the Slovak Republic, and Slovenia are set to join on 1st May 2004

3. Traditional definition all countries - about 2 dozen to 30 states that were located west of the “iron curtain” all countries of the ‘first world’ - that is, advanced industrial and often liberal democracies Since 1990 fall of Berlin wall, decomposition of the former Soviet empire diminished the importance of the traditional distinction b/w East and West Europe What is Western Europe?

4. Defining Western Europe • For now, though, it makes some sense to adhere to the traditional definition of Western Europe • the common experience with capitalist development • in most cases, the longer experience with liberal democratic institutions

5. What is Western Europe? • - two dozen countries and city states • counting Andorra, Lichenstein, Vatican City, San Marino • some ‘outside’ the geography of Western Europe • (egs Cyprus, Iceland, Finland, Greece)

6. Democracies, but… • those states in Europe which did not come under Soviet control/influence • first world states • some dictatorships until very recently (Portugal until 1974; Spain until 1975-77; Greece until 1975)

7. Why Study Western Europe? • Three broad reasons: • cultural/philosophical significance of the region over history • geopolitics - esp. during Cold War • Europe a battleground for Superpower confrontation • comparative political laboratory • despite shared heritage, geography • wide variations in political conditions and institutional structures

11. Main variations in Political Regimes • Countries fall into three broad types based on role of political authority in the economy: • a) pluralist • e.g., UK and the EU • State involvement primarily via regulation • b) étatist (‘statist’) • More interventionist – industrial policy; state ownership & control • e.g., France and to a much lesser extent Italy • c) democratic corporatist • e.g., Sweden and to a more limited extent Germany

12. Themes and Challenges • Country versus Comparative approach • integral nature of the components of the political systems • appreciate the evolution of political life and institutions, and the historical rootedness of contemporary practices • common framework of text facilitates comparison across systems

13. Themes and Challenges • Conflict versus Cooperation in West Europe • a troubled continent • two world wars in the past 100 years • battleground during Cold War

14. A Common Future? • Emergent supranationalism in EU • broadening from original 6 states (BENELUX, Italy, France, West Germany) in 1957 to 15 member states in 1995 • 13 more states lined up for membership, with prospects of more to come!

15. Themes and Challenges • Parliamentary versus Presidential Systems • most European states are parliamentary democracies • A fusion of executive & legislative power • France, however, an interesting ‘hybrid’ system • encourage you to make comparisons with the more familiar Presidential model as epitomized by the US • Powers separated w/ checks & balances • do different configurations of executive/legislative relations matter?

16. Themes and Challenges • Integrationversus Disintegration • some see it as paradoxical that West European state sovereignty being simultaneously eroded from above (EU) and below (regional autonomist movements) • UK • Scottish and Welsh parliaments; Northern Ireland’s Assembly • France • Breton, Basque, Corsican separatist movements • Italy • Lombardy League, etc. • Spain • Catalan & Basque nationalism

17. Hancock et al. (2003) Third edition Country – by – country organization (and EU) Only materials on countries covered included on exams You are not responsible for materials on Sweden & Russia in the text

18. Second Lecture Overview • Themes and Challenges in Study of Western Europe • Country vs. Comparative • Conflict vs. Cooperation • Parliamentary vs. Presidential • Integration vs. Disintegration • State-Building in Western Europe • The United Kingdom • State-building • The Unwritten Constitution • Sources of constitution • Parliamentary supremacy

19. Main variations in Political Regimes • Countries fall into three broad types based on role of political authority in the economy: • a) pluralist • e.g., UK and the EU • State involvement primarily via regulation • b) étatist (‘statist’) • More interventionist – industrial policy; state ownership & control • e.g., France and to a much lesser extent Italy • “dirigisme” – “state led” development • c) democratic corporatist • e.g., Sweden and to a more limited extent Germany

20. Themes and Challenges • Conflict versus Cooperation in West Europe • a troubled continent • two world wars in the past 100 years • battleground during Cold War

21. A Common Future? • Emergent supra-nationalism in EU • broadening from original 6 states (BENELUX, Italy, France, West Germany) in 1957 to 15 member states in 1995 • 13 more states lined up for membership, with prospects of more to come!

22. Themes and Challenges • Parliamentary versus Presidential Systems • most European states are parliamentary democracies • A fusion of executive & legislative power • France, however, an interesting ‘hybrid’ system • encourage you to make comparisons with the more familiar Presidential model as epitomized by the US • Powers separated w/ checks & balances • do different configurations of executive/legislative relations matter?

23. Themes and Challenges • Integration versus Disintegration • some see it as paradoxical that West European state sovereignty being simultaneously eroded from above (EU) and below (regional autonomist movements) • UK • Scottish and Welsh parliaments; Northern Ireland’s Assembly • France • Breton, Basque, Corsican separatist movements • Italy • Lombardy League, etc. • Spain • Catalan & Basque nationalism

24. Emergence of States in Europe • Geopolitical map of Europe made and remade continuously over past 2000 years • Empires • Egs., Rome; Austria-Hungary; Napoleon • Mini-states/principalities • “Modern” sovereign territorial state normally dated from Treaty of Westphalia, 1648

27. The State-building Process • State-building essentially involves consolidation of control over territory by a political force/system • Extraction of resources by political authorities (taxation) • Establishment of legitimacy against rivals (e.g., Church) • ‘successfully claim a monopoly of the legitimate use of force’ (Weber) • “War makes the state, and states make war.” (Charles Tilly) • Establish uniform legal codes, measurement systems that make transactions and exchange easier • In some cases, cultural penetration/standardization (France) • conducive to market-based capitalist development

28. Emergence of States in Europe • Establish uniform legal codes, measurement systems that make transactions and exchange easier • conducive to market-based capitalist development • 1700-1800s emergence of nationalism to legitimize the new state formations • political ideology in which nations should govern themselves; the boundaries of the nation should be congruent with the boundaries of the state

29. The ‘Mother of Parliaments’ – The United Kingdom first country to industrialize Coal mining, iron & steel, railways & canals, weaving, all ushered in the Industrial Revolution by early 1800s, Britain the ‘workshop of the world’ A “pattern state” (Hans Daalder) Gradual democratization over centuries Naval versus army bases of state power expanded as world’s leading imperial power by 1900, 25% of all world’s population lived under the British empire

30. The British Empire

31. British State-building • England ‘unified’ under Roman occupation • Julius Caesar invades 55 BC • "All the Britons paint themselves with woad, which gives their skin a bluish color and makes them look very dreadful in battle."

32. Roman Britain (55BC ~ 400AD) • A lasting legacy • Cities/Forts • Roads

33. Anglo-Saxon/Norman England • After Romans left, return to regional kingdoms • Core expansion out of Wessex (Hampshire) • Norman invasion (1066) • William the Conqueror 

35. Patterns in State-Building • United Kingdom comprised of four components • England & the “Celtic Fringe” • Each has its own history of independent statehood • Each has its own distinctive form of integration within the UK state

36. Component Parts of the UK • Core/Center • forms by gradual expansion of this core, eventually to encompass entire UK • Prior advantages in economy – fertile ground

37. Constituent Parts of the UK • Wales • Unified in 950; developed an elaborate governmental/legal system • Centuries of conflict w/ kings of England • 1301 – English king made eldest son “Prince of Wales” • Tradition continues today • 1536 - conquest & institutional (though not cultural) assimilation • First “act of union” in 1536 announced the English intention "[henceforth] . . .to utterly extirpate all and singular the sinister usage and customs differing from the same nglish laws]."

38. Scotland • Wars of independence – 13th-14th centuries • “Declaration of Arbroath”- 1320 - one of the earliest expressions of nationalism • "It is not for honour nor riches, nor glory that we fight but for liberty alone, which no true man lays down except with his life." • Scotland • 1603 – “Union of Crowns” • 1707 -- “Act of Union” • elite accommodation and considerable Scottish autonomy • separate Church; Bank (currency); educational system; and legal system

39. Ireland • English armies invaded Ireland for centuries • Elizabeth I – Protestants sent to colonize Ulster – 1600s • Union -1801-1921 – integrated into UK • Ireland given 100 seats in Commons and 32 in Lords • Protestant minority, with British backing, discriminated against Catholics; spawned Irish nationalism • Easter 1916 uprising • Partition (1921) • Eventually 26 counties in south given independence in 1922; 6 counties in north (Ulster) remain with UK as “Northern Ireland”

40. Regional Differences 1980s –(UK = 100)

41. Third Lecture Overview • British Constitutionalism • The Unwritten Constitution • Sources of constitution • Parliamentary supremacy

42. The Unwritten UK Constitution • “In England (sic) the Parliament has an acknowledged right to modify the constitution; as, therefore, the constitution may undergo perpetual changes, it does not, in reality, exist. The Parliament is at once a legislative and a constituent assembly.” • Alexis de Toqueville (1805)

43. Sources of UK Constitution • Four main ones: • Statutory law • passed by Parliament in normal legislative process • e.g., 1679 - Act of Habeus Corpus • Common law • judicial interpretations of laws become precedents • ‘stare decisis’ -”let the decision stand” • Convention/tradition • e.g., that Monarchs give consent to laws • last royal veto in 1707 • Works of Authority • academic commentaries on constitution (e.g., Wheare, Jennings)

44. Constitutional Principles- 1 • Bicameral parliament • House of Commons • House of Lords • Bills need to be approved by both houses • Development of “asymmetrical bicameralism” • House of Commons ascends; House of Lords descends in importance.

45. Parliamentary supremacy • Parliamentary sovereignty (or parliamentary supremacy) • A.V. Dicey - 19th Century constitutional lawyer and author of several ‘works of authority’ • “…the right to make or unmake any law whatever; and, further, that no person or body is recognized by the law of England as having a right to override or set aside legislation of Parliament.” • NO meaningful JUDICIAL REVIEW! • In reality, however, there are some checks on parliamentary power

46. Constraints on Parliamentary Supremacy • Norms, traditions, liberal democratic values • Party organizations (esp. traditional Labour Party) • Bureaucratic power • European Union law / institutions • emergence of ‘qualified majority voting’ (QMV) in Council of Ministers • European law takes precedence over domestic for all member states • Referenda • European Union membership in 1975“ • “Devolution” in 1979 and again in 1997 Pro Welsh devolution poster, 1997

47. Constitutional Principles- 2 • Constitutionalism • ‘rule of law’ • judicial independence • government not arbitrary but follows rules • respect for civil rights • (but no written ‘Bill of Rights’)

48. Charter 88 (excerpt) • “You don’t have the right to a fair trial. • “You don’t have the right to be treated equally whatever your race, religion, or sexuality. You don’t have the right to privacy, the right to protest, or the right to an education. • “We’re talking about Britain. • “Your rights have no protection. • “We have no positive legal rights in this country. We only have the permission to do what the law doesn’t expressly forbid. So any government can pass laws that whittle away at fundamental rights we thought were secure.” • Source: http://www.gn.apc.org/charter88/politics/bill.html

49. Fourth Lecture Overview • British Constitutionalism • Democratization in Britain • Institutions of Parliamentary Government • The Westminster Model • Dual Executive • House of Lords

50. 19th Century Democratic Transitions • 2 routes for gradual democratization • Democratizing the Commons • Reform of the House of Lords