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Development of Parliamentary Democracy


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Is there anywhere specifically I can find out more about the subject of the development of parliamentary democracy? It's a subject that has always fascinated me. Though I have never written a book or think I really could write one, maybe I ought to try.

As I understand it, George I couldn't speak English and needed a proxy to command his legislative agenda in parliament. Or something like that. So he chose the First Lord of the Treasury to be his parliamentary liaison, and the position developed from that.

I may of course have that wrong...

Edited by JamesHackerMP
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In the UK the monarch has had his/her position since the 18th century; that meaning to be totally subject to the will of Parliament. That is a lot to be said since still in the final days of both the German and the Russian empires during WW 1 their monarchs had all but absolute rule over their countries.

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I read that, constitutionally, Mr Trudeau doesn't technically exist. I am told there is actually no mention of a prime minister in the 1867 Act: just the Queen, a GG, the privy council and parliament; and the provincial governments. Is that actually true?

I think the last British monarch before the UK became a "crowned republic" was Victoria.

Any thoughts?

Edited by JamesHackerMP
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On 10/19/2018 at 10:04 PM, -TSS- said:

In the UK the monarch has had his/her position since the 18th century; that meaning to be totally subject to the will of Parliament. That is a lot to be said since still in the final days of both the German and the Russian empires during WW 1 their monarchs had all but absolute rule over their countries.

Of course WWI would be the destruction of "old europe". But the replacements of those regimes were less than desirable as well.

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On 10/19/2018 at 1:34 PM, JamesHackerMP said:

Is there anywhere specifically I can find out more about the subject of the development of parliamentary democracy? It's a subject that has always fascinated me. Though I have never writen a book or think I really could write one, maybe I ought to try.

......

There must be a lot written on the subject allready, but IMO you can start with the Magna Carta, the Genesis of Democracy  

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The big advancement in the power of Parliament occurred under King George IV. Every time he went to Parliament to ask for more money, they held out for more power. However, King George V was probably the most powerful King in centuries, not for constitutional reasons, but because he was very politically astute. Had his cousins posessed his political talents, Germany would still have a Kaiser and Russian a tsar, and the Great War would not have been so great.

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10 hours ago, Don Jonas said:

Before writing your book, why not try reading a few on the subject, rather than solicit information from an obscure message board with only a few members, most of whom have a screw loose and don't know what they're talking about?

well I was hoping to be pointed in the right direction, first. Canadians, after all, do live under parliamentary government. And I doubt I'm really going to write a book per se, but plenty of other stuff will come up.

Edited by JamesHackerMP
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On 10/31/2018 at 4:31 AM, JamesHackerMP said:

Seriously, anyone? grrrrrr......

The development of parliamentary democracy unfolded within a cultural milieu in which accountability for powerful people rested on the belief that their fear of God would keep them honest. 

That's worked swimmingly right?

Whatever other direction parliamentary democracy takes it will be doomed without total public awareness and the means to monitor politicians and senior public officials to an extent that would make Orwell blush.

That said simply outlawing in-camera lobbying would probably revolutionize democracy.

Edited by eyeball
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On 10/31/2018 at 3:41 PM, Queenmandy85 said:

The big advancement in the power of Parliament occurred under King George IV. Every time he went to Parliament to ask for more money, they held out for more power. However, King George V was probably the most powerful King in centuries, not for constitutional reasons, but because he was very politically astute. Had his cousins posessed his political talents, Germany would still have a Kaiser and Russian a tsar, and the Great War would not have been so great.

That's an interesting position. George V was never brought up to be King, he was third in line for the throne, a professional naval officer with a limited education.

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Aren't you thinking of George VI? He wasn't brought up to be king, he was Duke of York. I had thought George V was the eldest son of Edward VII. But then again, I get these people mixed up sometimes.

I agree about the lobbying. That's one of the principal problems with the U.S. government is its susceptibility to lobbyists and their corruption. (I have a friend who's a lobbyist, but it isn't for big oil or anything like that. )

Anyhoo, I found an article on the 10 Downing Street website about the institution of the prime minister in the UK. It was never an official position until the 1900s at least. The first law that actually named the person of the prime minister by the title "prime minister" was an act in the early 20th century that granted the property of Chequers as the PM's country estate. So apparently, the position of prime minister is a rather nebulous one, at least in the UK. I would think it would be similar in Canada.

Whoops, I just checked. You were right. My bad. (About George V).

Edited by JamesHackerMP
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6 hours ago, eyeball said:

An alien from the movie The Day The World Stood Still who assessed us. He reported that we seemed to sense we were doomed yet unable to do anything about it.

Fact:  The actor who played him in the first movie dated my mum.

Carry on.

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