The state Representation - Representatives in parliament have multitude of identities/interests to represent e.g. parties, social class, ethnicity Rights Foundational Concepts Representation The State, Representation and rights - Where taxes end up e.g. police - Its good a raising revenue and spending it, 'War made the state and the state made the war'-Charles Tilly - Social Contract Theory suggest that state protects (Thomas Hobbes) us via police, army and without it would be much worse - Freedom- once we are safe and protected, we can express ourselves (John Locke) - Justice provides rights to everyone (John Rawls) - Suggest we consent to authority of state as long as it provides benefits - Legality/Legitimacy- Do you pay taxes because it's the law/right thing to do - - Involves tension between MPs electoral mandate and their own understanding of general interest - Comes in two forms and both revolve around the state 1) Limits of what state can do to individuals (negative) 2) Creates Obligation towards individuals (positive) - Rights based on recognition of risk state poses to us and its potential benfits - Rights are core of modern democratic politics e.g. imiigration/asylum, LGBT rights, opportunity vs outcomes tights, economic rights (basic income) - Cant have these rights without a state e.g. free school meals without taxation - Size of the UK state =tax as % of GDP Two jumps after world war to pay back, rougly at 35% - Size of the UKs national debt, years in which taxation falls short, cutting taxes to win next election, take on debt to pay bills. - Tony blaie- New Labour national debt decreased, limited extra spending. Increases from 40 to 80 % - Corona- debt is 100% , hit 2 trillion - How representative is house of commons - Gnder 34% are women - Age 21 MPs under 30, 21 over 70. Race. 10% from non-white background, less in house of Lords - Schoolong. 41% cons, 30% Lib, 14% Lab went to private schools - Labour MPS and voters have similar economic values, but conservatives MPs and voters do not - Origin of MPS- Labour party for working class but it had decline