1.5 SHAPING THE INSTITUTIONS OF MANX GOVERNMENT: CONSTITUTIONAL POLICY MAKING 1903-2003David Kermode, Emeritus Professor of Political Studies, School of Social Science, Liverpool John Moores University Submitted 5th December 2003, final text submitted 30th January 2004 AbstractThis paper analyses the process of constitutional policy making as the Isle of Man moved from "colonial" to Island self-government, from a Tynwald dominated by the Legislative Council to one led by the House of Keys and from gubernatorial to ministerial government. It examines the respective roles of the UK and Manx authorities in shaping the Island’s executive and legislative institutions and contrasts the essentially "colonial" pattern of decision making between 1903 and 1958 with the Island’s virtual freedom after 1958 to make its own decisions. October 2003 marks the centenary of the demands by the Manx National Reform League for the democratization of Manx politics and the article seeks to explain why, given the initial support of the House of Keys for the aims of the MNRL, the achievement of democratic reform proved so elusive for much of the twentieth century. An earlier version of this paper was presented to a Centre for Manx Studies seminar on 13 March 2003. 
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