Comparing Westminster

This text explores how governmental elites understand the Westminster systems of Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa. It concludes that Westminster is a flexible family of ideas that is useful for many purposes and survives and, even thrives, because of its varied uses to elite actors

This text explores how governmental elites understand the Westminster systems of Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa. It concludes that Westminster is a flexible family of ideas that is useful for many purposes and survives and, even thrives, because of its varied uses to elite actors.

This book explores how the governmental elites in Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa understand their Westminster system. It examines in detail four interrelated features of Westminster systems. Firstly, the increasing centralisation in collective, responsible cabinet government. Second, the constitutional convention of ministerial and collective responsibility. Third, the role of a professional, non-partisan public service. And finally, parliament'srelationship to the executive. The authors explain the changes that have occured in the Westminster model by analysing four