Guest lecture by Professor Steve

Hall:
‘What is British Politics?’
Kevin Hoffin
Crime in its Historical and Political Context
Kevin.Hoffin@bcu.ac.uk
@KHriminology
In the news…

Class Activity
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Class
Key Terms Recap
A political system in which a government is
Democracy removable by the people, and in which they should
be the ultimate decide of who should govern.

An economic and political system in which

property and the means of production and
Capitalism distribution are in private ownership and good
are produced for private profit

A social domain that emphasizes the practices,

discourses, and material expressions associated
Economy with the production, use, and management of
resources

A business cycle contraction which results in a

Recession general slowdown in economic activity
Class Activity
 An economic system that uses the state to
Neoliberal Economy promote deregulation and derivatisation to
stimulate market activity and the economy

A modified form of liberalism tending to

Neoliberalism favour free-market capitalism.

A political and philosophical view which

Liberalism emphasises freedom and equality
What is Politics in Britain?

What did you learn from this lecture and

this weeks reading?

‘Liberal democracy?’

‘British constitution?’
• What IS a Liberal Democracy?
• What does it mean?
• Why do we stick to this model?
Features of a liberal democracy

• Competition between parties

• Competition within trade
• Limiting the power of Government over the
individual.
• The ability to remove an unsatisfactory
Government.
Aspects of a liberal democracy
• Unbiased Media
• Informed Public
• Universal Suffrage
• Secret Ballot Elections
• Periodic Elections
• Political Parties
• Interest/Lobby Groups
• Fair/Equal Representation
• Power of the Purse
• Judicial Branch
• Freedom of: Speech, Association, Peaceful Assembly
Group Task….
• Within your groups:
• 1. Justify these aspects.
• 2. How well do you think we’re doing?
The British Constitution
• Where is the British Constitution?
• Why do we like it like that?
• Discuss the British Constitution in respect of:
• Crime Control;
• Firearms laws;
• Punishment.
Presentations…

Group
Activity
 In your group research the given political event and
prepare to present your research to the class

1: The decline of traditional British Industries

2. The first past the post voting system

3. The introduction of voting for women in the United Kingdom

4. The Great Depression

Group
Activity
The decline of traditional British
Industries
Upon taking the role of Prime minister in 1979 Margret Thatcher attempted to overhaul the declining
economy by reversing the global flow of trade and commodities. Instead of producing in the west and selling
abroad the country shifted production to abroad creating a service economy. This was the birth of Neo-
liberalism. Within this period the conservative party, inspired by right realism and Ronald Regan began
reversing the welfare state. This time period included;
• The sale of council houses
• Privatisation of industries
• Tax cuts
• A manufacturing recession (lack of investment)
• The disruption of trade unions (the miners strike)
• The support of a single market in Europe
Class Activity
Continued…
British Industry in 1952:
• Manufacturing employed forty percent of the UK workforce
• Equated to a quarter of the world’s manufacturing exports
• Accounted for a third of the national gross domestic product
• Key industries including ship building and the production of steel.

British Industry in 2012:

• Manufacturing employed eight percent of the UK workforce
• Equates to two percent of the world’s manufacturing exports
• Accounts for eleven percent of the gross domestic product in the UK.

Class Activity
The first past the post voting system

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7tWHJfhiyo

Class Activity
The introduction of voting for women in the
United Kingdom
Women's right to vote began with the formation of the East London
Federation of Suffragettes which was formed in 1914 by Sylvia
Pankhurst.

• In 1918 any woman who was a householder and aged over thirty was
given the right to vote. This power was granted in the Representation
of People Act.

• The Parliament (Qualification of Women) Act 1918 ensured women

could become members of parliament.
The decline of traditional British
• In 1928 any woman over the age of twenty-one was given the right to
Industries
vote
The Great Depression

• In October of 1929 the stock market crashed triggering the greatest

recession in history.
• The recession is commonly known as the Great Depression and lasted
for ten years (From 1929-1939)
• The output of British industry fell by one third.
• By the Summer of 1932 there were 3.5 million people in the United
Kingdom unemployed.
The decline of traditional British
• The great depression brought forth a rise in the far right, resulting in
the election of Adolf Hitler and the ensuing World War!
Industries
Kevin.Hoffin@bcu.ac.uk

Kevin Hoffin
Crime in its Historical and Political Context
@KHriminology