Britain: A Burgeoning Consociational Democracy Trapped in the Vestiges of A Majoritarian System

Introduction

With regards to the investment climate of Britain in the near future, the First National Bank of Chicago can expect a sustained period of uncertainty over the fate of the country’s electoral system. This uncertainty underlies a gradual, yet fundamental shift in Britain from a majoritarian to a consensus model of democracy. Despite the negative connotations some may assign to this shift, my analysis will show how, given recent precedents of electoral reform and Britain’s extensive history with democracy, it should not affect the inherent stability of the country and thus should not, by extension, affect the business climate. As a result, the Bank should feel reassured about and confident in providing start-up loans to a new chain of drug stores in the country. In order to provide an analytical framework with which to investigate the merits of my claims, two hypotheses regarding the roots of political instability in general and in majoritarian political systems in particular must be explored.

The first hypothesis (HYP A) posits that political stability and just representation result when the relationship between socioeconomic conditions and cultural consensus within a society align with its political system. The legitimacy of this paradigm breaks down when the societal factors change and that change is not commensurably reflected in the electoral structure of its political system. Depending on the circumstances, the resulting instability can manifest itself in a variety of forms, ranging from peaceful pressure aimed at reforming the system to violent revolution in a more extreme case.

The second hypothesis (HYP B) deals with a specific type of political system: the majoritarian democratic model. This theory holds that majoritarian systems exhibit stability alongside high levels social and cultural cohesion. Class differences may exist along socioeconomic lines, but the differences can be adequately represented and voiced by the two main parties in competitive elections. In this case, the emergence of new social classes or class conflict, alongside the breakdown of cultural unity, can correspondingly challenge the legitimacy of the majoritarian model. Again, the challenge may manifest itself in mild or extreme reactions depending on the circumstances.

Introduction

With regards to the investment climate of Britain in the near future, the First National Bank of Chicago can expect a sustained period of uncertainty over the fate of the country’s electoral system. This uncertainty underlies a gradual, yet fundamental shift in Britain from a majoritarian to a consensus model of democracy. Despite the negative connotations some may assign to this shift, my analysis will show how, given recent precedents of electoral reform and Britain’s extensive history with democracy, it should not affect the inherent stability of the country