AP FOCUS
What is useful about Britain as a case study for AP Comparative Government & Politics?
 Britain is the only country on the AP Comparative Government & Politics course
that provides an example of a developed and stable democratic system.
 Britain is a parliamentary system of government with a two party system.
 Britain has an unwritten constitution with high levels of legitimacy.
 Britain’s geographic isolation has allowed it to develop democratic traditions
gradually. However, it has suffered internal separatist movements and strife.
 Britain is a member of the European Union which holds increasing powers.
What comparisons can be made between Britain and other countries on the Comparative
Government & Politics curriculum?
 Britain is a unitary system that is devolving power to local government. Compare
to Russia which is a federal system that is centralized power under President
Vladimir Putin.
 Compare Britain’s dual head of government with Iran’s dual head of government.
Contrast the levels of power of each.
 Compare the use of referendum in Britain to the use of Referendum in Russia.
 Compare Britain’s bicameral legislature to bicameralism in Mexico.
The following are major concepts and themes from the AP Comparative Government &
Politics outline that are found within the text.
1. Political and Economic Change
 Britain’s gradual establishment of democracy. It is the country on the curriculum
that has retained some formal powers of the monarchy.
 Britain’s market economy and changes made within that framework.
 Strength of the welfare state.
 Labor’s “Third Way.” approach
 Constitutional reform including devolution, reform of the House of Lords, and
incorporation of the European convention of Human rights into British law. Still
on the table are a change to proportional elections, and adoption of the Euro
currency.
2. Social Welfare Policy
 The national health care service (NHS) remains as one of many social services
Britain provides to its citizens.
3. Ethnic Cleavages
 Britian is has a homogeneous population when comparing it to most of the
countries on the AP curriculum (ethnic minorities are less than 8% of the
population).

Ethnic tension is a public policy challenge for the government. Discrimination of
minority job applicants and protest/dissent in low income housing are two issues
the government has had to address.
4. Gender cleavages
 Women have not achieved equality in the workplace or in government. The
government has responded by enacting family friendly policies, such as
maternity/paternity leave.
5. Institutions of Government
 Britain’s Parliamentary system fuses power between the executive and legislative.
MPs serve as both voting members of the legislature and heads of departments.
 The House of Commons is the lower house of the legislature and has almost
complete sovereignty. The House of Lords is the upper house with little power.
 Britain is a constitutional monarchy with the Queen serving as head of state and
the Prime Minister serving as head of government.
 The Cabinet is responsible for proposing legislation.
 The beaureaucracy consists of a professional civil service. There are private and
semiprivate institutions of government (QUANGO).
 The judiciary does not have a powerful role in policy making.
6. Political Institutions (Unitary/federal – centralization/decentralization)
 There has been devolution of power to sub national government in recent years.
This includes a Scottish Parliament with taxation powers, a Welsh assembly and a
directly elected mayor. Britain is still officially unitary as the central government
could revoke these institutions.
7. Party Systems
 Only two parties (Labour and Conservative) have a realistic chance of forming a
government, making Britain a two party system. However, numerous other parties
win seats, including the Liberal Democrats.
 The Labour party represents the ideological left, the Conservatives the ideological
right. The Liberal Democrats are a left of center party that emphasizes civil
liberties and a proportional representation voting system.
8. Electoral System
 Britain has a single member district first past the post voting system. Election of
the Prime Minister is indirect. There is discussion of changing the electoral
system to proportional representation.