Suchergebnisse

Devolution in the UK is renowned for its asymmetry. The article comparatively examines the new institutions of Scotland & Wales to show the significance of the reforms that the latter is currently undertaking. A specific focus on the first term's (1999-2003) political changes in Wales allows some tentative conclusions to be reached. The first concerns the irreversibility of the devolution process, after a difficult start caused by the apathy of public opinion (as the narrow margin of approval of devolution in the 1997 referendum attests), further boosted by the "control freakery" of the first First Secretary A. Michael. Another, more important, conclusion regards the possible direction of Welsh devolution in the footsteps of Scotland, through a general process of emulation based on two fundamental principles: the acquisition of primary legislative powers & the consolidation of the parliamentary system of government. 7 Tables, 54 References. Adapted from the source document.

This article suggests that the de facto "presidentialization" of parliamentary democracies represents a growing challenge to the party government model. Taking the classic case of the UK as an example, we can see that party government is being steadily undermined as the long-term conditions on which it has been sustained have altered to the benefit of increasingly powerful & autonomous individual leaders. The evidence reveals ways in which candidate-centered electoral processes, changes in intra-party patterns of power, & the growing structural power of prime ministers within the executive branch have combined to enhance the independence of leaders from their parties. 72 References. Adapted from the source document.