Page 129 - Encyclopedia Of World History Vol IV

1430 berkshire encyclopedia of world history

broke the hold of the traditional, wealthy establishment. tution, a form of parliamentarianism was adopted; it was
Culminating a process that had lasted decades, power strengthened after occupied Norway regained its sov-
shifted away from the restricted halls of Parliament into ereignty in 1945, following Germany’s defeat in World
the more public arena.The turmoil of World War I (1914– War II. The monarch, although occupying a hereditary
1918) and the rise to power of the Labor Party spelled position, has to pledge an oath to uphold the constitu-
the end of parliamentarianism in Britain. tion and the laws of Norway, which provide for a univer-
Nevertheless, a modified form of the British parlia- sal franchise.After an election, the monarch appoints the
mentary system continued in existence, especially in the leader of the largest party in Norway’s parliament, the
developing world, in countries that used to be controlled Storting, as the prime minister, who then forms a govern-
by the British (the “Westminster System”).Westminster is ment—if need be, a coalition that enjoys a working major-
the British system of a democratic, deliberative, repre- ity. Members of the cabinet are formally selected by the
sentative parliamentary in control of state affairs through monarch but are nominated by the prime minister. Elec-
a government formed by the party that has a majority in tions are customarily held every four years; the Storting
Parliament and an independent judiciary. In a pattern can be dissolved earlier, but not during in its fourth year.
similar to that leading to the creation of U.S. institutions,
this democratic legacy of colonialism is in competition Israel
with the American hybrid of checks and balances be- The State of Israel was created by the United Nations in
tween a Congress and a president, both of whom are 1948 out of the British Mandate of Palestine. Close to
directly elected by the people, rather than a prime min- three decades of British control left its mark. A govern-
ister selected by a Parliament. ment cannot be established or survive unless it receives
and maintains a working majority in the Knesset, Israel’s
Scandinavia Parliament. In a role analogous to that of the British
Although Scandinavia was never a part of the British monarch, Israel has a president serving as titular head of
Empire, there was enough awareness of and affinity with state, one of whose major responsibilities is to designate
Great Britain—through commercial connections and geo- a prime minister. A loss in a no-confidence vote does
graphical proximity—that the result was that unique ver- cause the fall of the government, but it does not trigger
sions of parliamentarianism as an organizing principle new elections without a specific law dissolving the cur-
within constitutional monarchies developed. rent Knesset. Until a new cabinet is sworn in upon re-
ceiving confidence from the Knesset, the outgoing prime
Sweden minister has full authority.
In Sweden the framework was put into place in 1907, Caretaker regimes can remain in office for a relatively
with the parliament, the Riksdag, as the focal point of long duration. In March 1990, when the national unity
political power.This emulation of the British system was alliance between Labor and the right-wing Likud col-
a major part of wide reforms that introduced universal lapsed over disagreements concerning the Arab–Israeli
franchise and aimed to neutralize class antagonism and peace process, Prime Minister Yitzhak Shmair (b. 1915)
tensions between growing urban and rural populations. took three months to form an alternative coalition.
Unlike those in Britain, however, many governments in Between 1996 and 2001, a mixed system existed, under
Sweden have been coalitions of at least two parties, mak- which two ballots were cast: one for a prime minister, the
ing them inherently less stable. other for a party. The elected leader could start ruling
only after forging a coalition that commands a majority
Norway in the Knesset.
Norwegian independence from Sweden was peacefully In July 2000, following his controversial offers
secured in 1905.Through the subsequent written consti- for peace with the Palestinians, Labor’s Ehud Barak