The Challenges of France and England - Case Study Example

COMPARATIVE POLITICS: CHALLENGES TO FRANCE AND ENGLAND Aims and Objectives The main aim of this study is to scrutinise these two nations and compare the challenges that they have faced as countries and the effects that these challenges have had on them. The effects of these challenges will be viewed from political, economic and social standpoints. I will also examine the role of the state in these two challenges and the different roles that are played by the respective nations. Research Question The paper herein seeks to answer the following questions; what forms of government are ascribed to the two nations? How the different forms of government differ from each other? What challenges are attributed to the composition of the state, and what effects has this had on the social, economic and political aspects of the two nations? England and France both have the distinction of being among the first true bases of civilization. Both were huge colonial beneficiaries, with the two nations controlling almost two thirds of all the colonies in the world at the peak of their colonial rule. This means that these two nations had a profound influence on many of the nations that are in existence today. Colonies that were under British rule adopted a British way of life. They adopted their legal systems, spoken language, as well as social norms. Even to this day, these nations still look up to their former colonial masters for financial aid, trade ties and other forms of support. The same goes for the nations that were colonised by France. Therefore, in order to understand the proceedings of the contemporary world, it is only fair to focus on these two nations as they represent the source of policies and practices that are adopted around the world. These two nations have also been known to be fierce competitors in almost every aspect of human life. These research questions make for an interesting reading because the policies that are adopted by these nations usually have a spill over effect on the rest of the world. Therefore, it is of importance to examine these two nations in order to examine if they influence each other’s policies and how they relate to each other, especially as they are very close neighbours. Literature Review The government system in England is one that is based on a system known as a Parliamentary Monarchy. The monarch is in most cases referred to as the Crown. The current monarch of England is Queen Elizabeth II. The monarch serves as the head of state in the country. The monarch has the powers to summon members of the cabinet. This institution also has the powers to dismiss cabinet ministers and holds other functions such as the reconvening and dismissal of parliament, issuing out of honours to individuals and institutions. The monarch is also the head of the judiciary system in the country and the commander in chief of the forces (Fandel, 2008). It emerges that the monarch serves a very important role in light of governance and political activities. The prime minister of the country takes up the role of a chief executive officer. The prime minister is elected through popular vote by the public. He/she is the leader of the majority in parliament and appoints the members of the cabinet. The prime minister also makes diplomatic appointments, judicial appointments, military appointments and the appointing of archbishops. The legislative duties in England are carried out by parliament that is comprised of the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The members of the House of Lords are appointed by the Crown. The members of the House of Commons are elected by the public through popular vote. They represent constituencies usually consisting of at least 60,000 voters. In France, the head of the state is the president, who is elected through popular vote. The president serves for a 5-year term. The president is also the head of the executive and the commander in chief of the armed forces. This institution appoints a prime minister who has the responsibility of forming the government. Policies for the country are formulated by the president with the help of his council of ministers. In certain cases, the prime minister does not necessarily have to come from the same party as the president. In France, the parliament is comprised of two houses; the national assembly and the Senate. Members of the national assembly are elected by the public and also serve for a five year term. Historical Background In England, the constitution was based mainly on the traditions of the people and the principles that made up what was known as common law. During the earlier days, the Monarch played an important role in the day to day running of the country and was not just a symbolic institution like it is nowadays (Fandel, 2008). Only individuals that came from the royal family or the royal household could ascend to the throne. The monarch was a combination of the English monarchy system and the Scottish monarchy system. The monarch played an essential role in the running of the lives of the nation. It came up with royal decrees that were considered to be the law and were expected to be followed by the subjects of the Monarchy. Today, the Queen plays a formal role in the government. The monarch is only a symbolic representation of the head of state and does not have any real powers. All the monarch does as represented by the current occupant Queen Elizabeth II is to award titles and recognitions upon individuals and receive specific visitors. She has the responsibility of summoning parliament as well as dismissing it (Fandel, 2008). Unlike the case in England, France is a nation that has very strong democratic roots. The head of state has always been appointed by the members of the public and initially served for a 7-year term. This was, however, changed in the year 2008 and the terms reduced to a five-year period. This was done in a bid to improve the democratic status of the country by enabling the citizens of the nation to choose their leaders at a more frequent rate. Thesis Statement From the comparison of these two nations, it is evident that different political systems do not necessarily translate into different social and economic challenges. Thesis Statement Argument It is evident that the political systems in the two nations are very different in their setup and operation. The political system in England centres on the monarch and the powers that are wielded by this institution. In France, the modus operandi is more democratic, with the system being a government that is elected by the people and for the people. The main challenge that is faced by the system in England is ascribed to its practicability. This monarchy system may have worked well in the medieval ages where the King or Queen at the time ruled over the subjects. The system is currently incapable of functioning well and has even led to the adoption of a hybrid system that has incorporated the concept of a popularly elected individual by the public. The second challenge experienced by the system in England is associated with the Mornachy’s role. The role of the Monarch has been reduced to mainly a ceremonial one with very few tacit powers being wielded by the institution. This has caused many pundits to wonder if it is still relevant to have this institution, especially in light of the recent happenings where the Monarchy’s role has been greatly reduced into a ceremonial role. Despite these discrepancies in the operation of the government, they face similar challenges with their democratic counter parts from France. One of the most serious challenges that both nations are facing is the issue of illegal immigrants. Owing to to the proximity of the two nations to large water bodies, they find themselves dealing with illegal immigrants almost on a daily basis. England is grappling with how to deal with illegal immigrants, especially those from the eastern European nations such as Poland, Bulgaria and others (Ryan, 2010). France is also grappling with this problem, especially in light of immigrants from the former French colonies in West Africa. Most of these immigrants come under the pretext of being asylum seekers. The presence of the immigrants in the two nations has led to the emergence of additional social and security issues. There have been racial tensions in both countries especially in the areas where these individuals have settled on. This has led to incidents of violence and other occurrences. This has also led to the emergence of anti-immigrant movements, especially in England such as the ‘Go back home’ movements. The additional immigrants have led to the increase in crime rate within the respective nations. This is because; most of these individuals enter their host nations illegally, hence they do not have the proper documentation that is required to get proper employment (Gangon, 2011). As such, they find themselves having to resort to illegal activities in order to survive. This has, therefore, led to an increase in the crime rates in both nations as well as the establishment of sex rings and other forms of social ills. The illegal immigrants have also led to the exertion of pressure on social amenities. Both nations are also being faced with the challenge of unemployment. Due to the global recession that emerged in 2008, there was a downturn in the economic activities of both nations (Guingi, 2009). This prompted many companies lay off their staff as a cost-cutting measure in an effort to keep afloat. However, the economies have not yet recovered to the levels that were seen during that particular period in time. This means that the individuals that were laid off are yet to get back their jobs back and are still unemployed. This situation is also made more serious by the fact that there are more and more individuals who are joining the labour force with very few job creation opportunities taking place and low vacancy creation. This has led to high unemployment rates that have left the governments of both countries grappling with the quest for a solution. It is, therefore, quite clear that despite the fact that both nations have very different systems of government; the challenges experienced by their respective states are similar in nature. Research Design The research will be an exploratory type of research. In my quest to prove the problem thesis, I will employ the extensive use of case studies. This method will not only help me study the cases keenly but also espouse in-depth analysis of the factors and the situations. The use of the case study method will also enable the application of different tools of analysis in order to get a required perspective (Grand, 2012). I will also employ the use of secondary sources of data. These sources of data d are also advantageous in that they can be quoted and even presented as evidence in order to support laid out claims. The secondary sources of data also give access to a greater variety of information that gives different perspectives to the issue being looked into. The use of secondary sources of data allow for the application of statistical methods during data analysis in order to make inferenes. It is also a cheaper method of acquiring the information that is needed. I will come up with a time schedule that will guide the allocation of time to various activities that need to be undertaken. It will also ensure that all activities are covered adequately and that the research will be done in a systematic manner. It will also eliminate the duplication of efforts. Moreover, a certain period will be allocated for the verification of the results obtained throughout the process and the ultimate compilation of a report (Grand, 2012). Bibliography Fandel, J. 2008. Monarchy. Mankato, Minn.: Creative Education. Fougère, D., & Kramarz, F. 2006. Youth unemployment and crime in France. London: Centre for Economic Policy Research. Gagnon, J. 2011. Tackling the policy challenges of migration: regulation, integration, development. Paris: OECD. Giugni, M. 2009. The politics of unemployment in Europe policy responses and collective action. Farnham, England: Ashgate Pub.. Grand, S. 2012. Mapping design research. Basel: Birkhäuser. Laurence, J., & Vaïsse, J. 2006. Integrating Islam: political and religious challenges in contemporary France. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press. Reisinger, D. S. 2007. Crime and media in contemporary France. West Lafayette, Ind.: Purdue University Press. Ryan, B. 2010. Extraterritorial immigration control legal challenges. Leiden: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. Schütz, U. 2008. Regional economic policy in Europe: new challenges for theory, empirics and normative interventions. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar. Sobel, A. C. 2009. Challenges of globalization: immigration, social welfare, global governance. London: Routledge. State of healthcare 2007: improvements and challenges in services in England and Wales.. (2007). S.l.: TSO. Stefoff, R. 2008. Monarchy. New York: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark. Sterett, S. M. 2006. Immigration. Aldershot, England: Ashgate. Werding, M., & Werding, M. 2006. Structural unemployment in Western Europe reasons and remedies. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. Whitley, E. A., & Hosein, I. 2008. Global challenges for identity policies. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Read More