Conference of the British Sociology Association, 1955. VII Public Opinion and Foreign Policy.

The article focuses on public opinion and foreign policy in Great Britain, discussed at the Conference of the British Sociology Association in 1955. The British Parliament has no independent power over foreign policy comparable with the power of the U.S. Senate. Even treaties do not require parliamentary ratification. If parliament wishes to reject a government proposal it can do so by bringing down the government, and with two-party system and party discipline it is only in the exceptional circumstances that the government majority can be shattered to achieve that. This distinguishes the House of Commons from the French Chamber. Whatever else may be uncertain, it is clear that public opinion may become irresistible whenever a policy decision involves issues of war and peace, or the acceptance of substantial loss of British lives. No government could survive British losses in a war whose justice was attacked by the opposition in parliament. There have been instances where British public opinion has stepped in to check or veto a policy being followed by its government. The reason for this is that there are mechanisms at work which, if they are properly operated, keep the public in step with government policies as they develop, and give the government warning if they are separating themselves from popular sentiment.