September 15th
9/15/2014 4:57:00 PM
Britain is the oldest parliamentary democracy in the world
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
David Cameron does not have to honor the result of the Scottish referendum
Scotland will need
 Army
 Currency
Britain, traditionally speaking, for the past two centuries plus has been like
France, unitary
Up until we broke from Britain the monarchy and aristocracy had the power
to make the rules
Magna Carta - rights of the baron
 Property is protected in an arbitrary way
Late 18th century Britain became a democracy
There had always been a parliament, but it had little power
The parliament began to assert itself over the monarchy
The monarchy gradually seceded more power to parliament
House of Commons – the most powerful part of parliament
 Place where the common people could vent their demands
Has the economy began to change people began to demand more
accountability from their government
The monarchy began to find it in their interest to give power to parliament
Queen
 Neutrality
 Consider
The transfer of power is a very slow process
Succession has become more peaceful
 Voting instead of violence
Violent successions:
Algeria from France
India from Britain
Change happens very incrementally in Britain
 Unitary – devolution – handing down authority over various
domestic affairs particularly since the 90s of the various countries
of Great Britain
 Passing down power in certain areas to assemblies
 Scottish assembly, welsh, northern Ireland – similar to our state
legislators
o Don’t have the power to tax
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Not a federal system because the power of taxing has not been
passed down
The power to tax is held in London
In 1974 they could not have held this referendum
Cameron had to approve the referendum
In Canada the federal government has never approved the
referendums held by Quebec
The Scottish assembly only started to gain power about 15 years
ago
The Scotts want to keep the pound
9/15/2014 4:57:00 PM
9/15/2014 4:57:00 PM