The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Politics (117 page)
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Hansard
The Official Report of Debates in the UK Parliament. There are separate volumes for the House of Commons and House of Lords. Hansard contains a verbatim report of all speeches, questions and answers, and statements. It takes its name from Luke Hansard who succeeded William Cobbett shortly after he began the reporting of the House of Commons in 1807.
JBr
JBr
Hare , Thomas
(1806–91)
Self-taught British lawyer and enthusiast for
proportional representation
. Hare's scheme was vigorously promoted by J. S.
Mill
as the way to ensure that all, not just the majority, were represented in a legislature. The details of Hare's scheme were wildly impracticable, and its descendant,
single transferable vote
, though often called the ‘Hare scheme’, in reality owes more to C. G. Andrae (1812–93) and H. R.
Droop
than to Hare.
Self-taught British lawyer and enthusiast for
proportional representation
. Hare's scheme was vigorously promoted by J. S.
Mill
as the way to ensure that all, not just the majority, were represented in a legislature. The details of Hare's scheme were wildly impracticable, and its descendant,
single transferable vote
, though often called the ‘Hare scheme’, in reality owes more to C. G. Andrae (1812–93) and H. R.
Droop
than to Hare.
Harrington , Sir James
(1611–77)
Political theorist, active in the Interregnum (the interval between the execution of Charles I and the Restoration of Charles II). Harrington was convinced of the need to create a republican settlement, reflecting the distribution of property and thus establishing political stability in England. He set out his argument at length in
Oceana
(1656), drawing on classical sources and his knowledge of contemporary republican forms, and incorporating aspects of
Machiavelli's
thought. He advocated a complicated mixed constitution in which each ‘class’ of citizens was allocated a role appropriate to its capacity and property. He adopted the idea of a citizen army and made elaborate stipulations about its formation and training. The complexity of his proposals, and the level of detail he provided, invited both mockery and incomprehension, and he tried to present his central ideas in simpler form in response.
AR
Political theorist, active in the Interregnum (the interval between the execution of Charles I and the Restoration of Charles II). Harrington was convinced of the need to create a republican settlement, reflecting the distribution of property and thus establishing political stability in England. He set out his argument at length in
Oceana
(1656), drawing on classical sources and his knowledge of contemporary republican forms, and incorporating aspects of
Machiavelli's
thought. He advocated a complicated mixed constitution in which each ‘class’ of citizens was allocated a role appropriate to its capacity and property. He adopted the idea of a citizen army and made elaborate stipulations about its formation and training. The complexity of his proposals, and the level of detail he provided, invited both mockery and incomprehension, and he tried to present his central ideas in simpler form in response.
AR
Hayek , F. A. von
(1899–1992)
Austrian political economist who spent much of his life in Britain. In
The Road to Serfdom
(1944) he portrayed state intervention and collectivism, even in their moderate forms, as inevitably leading to an erosion of liberty. In both Britain and the United States, the book became a text for supporters of
laissez-faire
and opponents of Keynesian economics and the welfare state for more than three decades in which their views were largely unrepresented in government. Hayek was far from a simplistic supporter of
laissez-faire
and in
The Constitution of Liberty
(1961) he was concerned to explore the necessary framework of government and the rule of law in which freedom and commerce could prosper.
LA
Austrian political economist who spent much of his life in Britain. In
The Road to Serfdom
(1944) he portrayed state intervention and collectivism, even in their moderate forms, as inevitably leading to an erosion of liberty. In both Britain and the United States, the book became a text for supporters of
laissez-faire
and opponents of Keynesian economics and the welfare state for more than three decades in which their views were largely unrepresented in government. Hayek was far from a simplistic supporter of
laissez-faire
and in
The Constitution of Liberty
(1961) he was concerned to explore the necessary framework of government and the rule of law in which freedom and commerce could prosper.
LA
head of government
The head of government has the responsibility for carrying on the business of government and for leading the team of ministers who control the central institutions of the government and the state. In democratic presidential systems such as Russia since the abolition of the Soviet Union in 1991, and the United States, the head of state also serves as head of government. In parliamentary systems the head of government is normally the leader of the largest party in the legislature. In a presidential system the head of government draws legitimacy from popular election, in a parliamentary system from the strength of support in the legislature. In France the head of state, a president elected for a seven-year term, does not serve as head of government, but may chair meetings of the cabinet and exercises direct responsibility for matters of defence and foreign policy. In addition, the president may also appoint and dismiss the prime minister. In non-democratic systems the head of government, who may also be head of state, may have been appointed as a result of military intervention, or some other device for managing power.
Most heads of government are responsible for appointing and dismissing their cabinet colleagues who head the principal offices of government. Heads of government enjoy security of tenure so long as they retain the confidence of their immediate colleagues in government, their parties in the legislature, and the electorate, but the loss of any one of these three chief sources of power is sufficient to cause the head of government to fall and for a replacement to be appointed from the same party or governing coalition of parties, or from the opposition parties. Hence, in Britain Margaret Thatcher was appointed head of government after winning the general election in 1979, retaining the post until overthrown by a vote within her own party in 1990 when she was succeeded by an erstwhile colleague. In Germany Helmut Schmidt was overthrown as Chancellor in the Social Democratic-led government in October 1982 by the defection of the Free Democrats, leading to the long-lived Christian Democrat dominated government headed by Helmut Kohl . In the multiparty systems characteristic of much of the rest of Western Europe heads of government have enjoyed even less security of tenure.
PBy
Most heads of government are responsible for appointing and dismissing their cabinet colleagues who head the principal offices of government. Heads of government enjoy security of tenure so long as they retain the confidence of their immediate colleagues in government, their parties in the legislature, and the electorate, but the loss of any one of these three chief sources of power is sufficient to cause the head of government to fall and for a replacement to be appointed from the same party or governing coalition of parties, or from the opposition parties. Hence, in Britain Margaret Thatcher was appointed head of government after winning the general election in 1979, retaining the post until overthrown by a vote within her own party in 1990 when she was succeeded by an erstwhile colleague. In Germany Helmut Schmidt was overthrown as Chancellor in the Social Democratic-led government in October 1982 by the defection of the Free Democrats, leading to the long-lived Christian Democrat dominated government headed by Helmut Kohl . In the multiparty systems characteristic of much of the rest of Western Europe heads of government have enjoyed even less security of tenure.
PBy
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