Plagiarism—the appropriation of material from books and websites, either copied word-for-word or closely paraphrased—will result on a 0 grade for any assignment found to contain it. Persistent plagiarism will result in a 0 grade for the whole course.
Exam:
The exam will consist of a two hour test, in which you will be required to answer two essay questions. It will NOT be an open book exam, however you will be given guidance as to what subjects will be covered.
You may not answer a question in the exam on the same subject as you have covered in your essay.
COURSE PROGRAMME
|Session 1 |13 September |Images of Britain |
|Session 2 |20 September |Monarchy |
|Session 3 |27 September |The Prime Minister and Cabinet |
|Session 4 |4 October |The Role of Parliament …show more content…
He/she is also the leader of the majority political party in and outside parliament. The Prime Minister appoints over a hundred government ministers, a number of whom he/she chooses to form the Cabinet, which oversees and coordinates government policies and plans parliamentary business. But the role of the Prime Minister is also defined by personal style, for example Margaret Thatcher dominated her cabinet, whilst John Major was far less confrontational and more consensual. The Civil Service is the administrative arm of the British executive, with a responsibility to advise ministers on policy and see to its implementation. Civil servants are not appointed by politicians, and are ideally pragmatic and politically neutral. They are not replaced after an election, but instead serve each successive government regardless of party. This session will examine these institutions and the current debates over their powers and functions. Themes to be explored include the following: What powers does the British Prime Minister have? How have these powers transformed over time? Are we seeing the emergence (with Tony Blair and Margaret Thatcher before him) of a type of presidential government in the UK? The session will go on to evaluate the power of the cabinet and the ministers which comprise it. How have the powers of the cabinet changed over time? Has ‘cabinet government’ (which is often considered