British and French Politics

Paper Summary:

"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely," according to Lord Acton. This statement sums up the basic challenge facing many democracies in past history and even today. In a democracy, the people must give the government enough power to rule effectively. However, if they give the government too much power, the ruling elite may dominate the government, rule in a totalitarian manner, and seize the rights of the people. The paper shows that Britain created a government that was dominated by an authoritative parliament, while France developed an powerful head of state. This paper examines how Britain and France took different paths in developing a stable democratic government and how historical factors, such as the Industrial Revolution, violent revolutions, and other events have shaped each country's government today.

From the Paper:

"Both Britain and France experienced a good deal of decentralization in their histories, which has made them more successfully democratic. France experienced major reforms in 1981, in which supervision of local governments was reduced, regional governments were created, and localities were authorized to levy taxes and engage in a wide range of activities (Kesselman, p. 114). In Britain, similar reforms have occurred. In the past the mayor of London was appointed; now, the mayor and assembly are elected. In addition, Wales and Scotland have their own parliament. These reforms strengthened the principles of the country's democracy. Before decentralization, the people did not have the power to choose their representative at the local level because they were appointed; now the people choose their representatives."

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