Title:
British politics
Author:
Leach, Robert, 1941-
ISBN:
9780230272347
9780230272330
Personal Author:
Edition:
2nd ed.
Publication Information:
Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire ; New York : Palgrave Macmillan, 2011.
Physical Description:
xvi, 464 p. : ill. ; 25 cm.
Series:
Palgrave foundations
General Note:
Includes index.
Contents:
Machine generated contents note: 1.Politics, Democracy and Power -- What is politics? -- The scope of politics: the role of the state -- Authority, power and influence -- Democracy -- power to the people? -- Power in Britain -- Perspectives on power -- Ideas and interests -- Ideologies -- Policies -- who gets what, when, how? -- British politics? -- 2.The Shadow of the Past: British Politics since 1945 -- Britain after the Second World War -- the end of empire and the Cold War -- Post-war Britain: the welfare state and the mixed economy -- The under-performing economy, `stagflation' and crisis: 1964--79 -- From Empire to Europe -- Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales -- Social change and the politics of protest: the Sixties and after -- Conservative dominance: Thatcherism and the free market -- New Labour: Blair and Brown (1997-2010) -- Constitutional change and devolution -- From Brown's boom to the financial crisis and Labour's defeat --
Contents note continued: The 2010 election and the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition under David Cameron -- British politics today compared with 1945 -- 3.Economy, Society and Politics -- The changing British economy -- The nations and regions of Britain -- Town and country, inner cities and outer suburbs -- Allegiance and identity -- Inequalities in income and wealth -- Occupation and social class -- Changing class structure? -- Housing tenure and the distribution of property -- Economic inequality and political power -- Economic and social divisions -- the time dimension -- 4.Participating in Politics -- Political knowledge and interest -- Political participation -- Voting and non-voting -- More direct democracy? -- Political participation beyond voting -- Who participates, and why? -- Political culture and socialization -- Citizenship -- Community -- 5.Elections and Voting -- The 2010 general election -- Electoral reform -- Single party and coalition government --
Contents note continued: Further electoral reform in Britain? -- Persistence and change in voting behaviour -- The shaping of party allegiances -- A north-south divide? Regions and neighbourhoods -- Issues, values and preferences -- Party leaders -- Party images -- Party campaigns -- Media influence -- Electoral trends: weakening support for the two major parties and increased electoral volatility -- Tactical voting -- Coalition politics: the 2011 referendum and elections -- 6.Political Parties -- Why parties? -- Party systems -- Mass parties? -- British parties: ideological or pragmatic? -- Parties and pressure groups -- Party cohesion -- factions and tendencies -- The organization of parties: power and decision-making -- The finance of political parties -- The future of the British party system -- 7.Ideologies, Parties and Interests -- Ideology and pragmatism -- Mainstream ideologies and political parties in Britain -- Liberalism -- Conservatism -- British socialism --
Contents note continued: Ideological divergence or convergence? -- Other ideologies: beyond left and right? -- Feminism -- Nationalism -- Populist radical right ideologies: racism and populism -- Green thinking -- Mainstream and other ideologies -- 8.Pressure Groups and Social Movements -- What are pressure groups? -- Types of pressure group -- Pressure group targets and methods -- New social movements -- Pressure groups, power and democracy -- 9.Political Communication and the Mass Media -- The mass media and society -- Traditional and new media -- The medium is the message? -- The British press -- British radio and television -- The British media, political bias and democracy -- The power and influence of the media -- The `dumbing down' of politics? -- Politicians and the media -- the uses and abuses of image and spin -- The internet and traditional media: the 2010 election -- 10.The Changing British System of Government -- The constitution -- The powers of the state --
Contents note continued: Changing the constitution -- Key features or principles of the British constitution -- British parties and the constitution: from consensus to conflict -- Incremental constitutional reforms in the UK 1945--97 -- Radical constitutional reform: Charter 88 and New Labour -- The Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition and constitutional reform -- Where is the British constitution today? -- The coalition and the constitution -- 11.Prime Minister and Cabinet -- The executive in the United Kingdom -- The Prime Minister -- Patronage (`hiring and firing') -- Direction and organization of the government -- National leadership -- The Prime Mnister, communication and the media -- The Cabinet -- Collective responsibility -- Managing a coalition government -- Constraints on prime ministerial government -- Prime ministerial power: an irrelevant debate? -- 12.Ministers, Departments and the Civil Service -- The organization of British central government --
Contents note continued: The impact of constitutional reform on the organization of central government -- The internal organization of government departments: politicians and civil servants -- The civil service: size and distribution -- Traditional features of the British civil service -- Recruitment of the higher civil service: issues of expertise and bias -- Reforming the civil service: the Thatcher and Major governments -- Standards in public life -- Labour and the civil service: competition and co-ordination -- The rise of special advisers -- Ministerial responsibility revisited -- Where does power lie? Decision-making within departments -- Managing coalition government -- 13.Parliament and the Legislative Process -- The functions of the House of Commons -- Reform of the House of Commons -- The House of Lords -- Powers and functions of the Lords -- The composition of the House of Lords -- Reform of the House of Lords -- The 2010 coalition government and the Lords --
Contents note continued: The Westminster parliament and other parliaments -- 14.The Law, Politics and the Judicial Process -- The rule of law -- English, Scottish, European and international law -- The courts -- Labour's reform of the justice system -- Lawyers, judges, and politics -- The police and policing -- Human rights and civil liberties -- Administrative law: protecting civil liberties and redressing grievances -- The European Convention on Human Rights and the Human Rights Act -- 15.Britain and Europe -- Britain and Europe 1945--97 -- The development of the European ideal: integration and enlargement -- Britain and Europe 1997--2010 -- The European Union: superstate or inter-governmental organization? -- The institutions and processes of the European Union -- Bureaucracy in the European Union -- The impact of the European Union on the British state and government -- The impact of European Union membership on British parties --
Contents note continued: The impact of the European Union on pressure group politics -- The impact of the European Union on the British public -- The impact of the European Union on UK policies -- A new crisis for the European Union? -- The Cameron coalition and the European Union -- 16.Devolution: A Disunited Kingdom? -- Nationalism and the British state -- Northern Ireland and Irish nationalism -- The troubles in Northern Ireland -- The search for peace in Northern Ireland -- The peace process after 1997 -- Scottish nationalism and devolution -- The Scottish Parliament and Government -- Devolution in Wales -- Asymmetrical devolution -- The English Question -- English regional government -- Devolution, federalism or separation? -- Coalition government and the future of the Union -- 17.Local Government and Politics -- Democratic local government? -- Local government, local politics and community -- Changing local government --
Contents note continued: From central-local relations to `multilevel governance' -- Local government in hard times: from enabling authority to `easyCouncil'? -- Prospects for local government under the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition -- 18.The New British State -- The end of the Westminster model? -- The state and the market -- Restructuring the state -- Partnership with the private and voluntary sector -- `Steering, not rowing': networks, enabling and governance -- The regulatory state -- From the secret state to open government? -- The surveillance state and civil liberties -- The disintegration of the British state -- or towards multi-level governance? -- 19.Issues, Problems and the Policy Process -- Policy-making and decision-taking -- The policy cycle -- Issues, problems and the political agenda -- Defining the problem -- Appraising options -- Policy formulation -- Legislation and legitimation -- Implementation -- Monitoring and review -- 20.Managing the Economy --
Contents note continued: Who makes and shapes economic policy in Britain? -- The tools of economic management: direct intervention, fiscal policy and monetary policy -- The under-performing economy: economic management 1945--97 -- Economic management under New Labour 1997--2007 -- Managing the global financial crisis and recession 2007--10 -- Coalition economic management -- Reducing the deficit -- 21.Government Spending: Delivering Public Services -- The welfare state: consensus and controversy -- Conservative reforms to public services 1979--97 -- Labour and the public services -- a third way? -- Targets and league tables -- Public services in a cold climate -- coalition spending cuts -- Shrinking the state? -- 22.Rights, Equality and Social Justice -- Rights -- Equality and inequality in Britain: tackling poverty -- Increasing inequality -- Combating discrimination and disadvantage -- Women's rights: towards more equality between the sexes? -- Gay and lesbian rights --
Contents note continued: Disability and age discrimination -- Race and ethnicity -- Discrimination and prejudice on grounds of religion -- Multiculturalism and rights -- Social justice, equality and rights: New Labour's record -- Social justice and fairness: the coalition approach -- 23.Politics and the Environment -- The rise of green politics in Britain -- Making environmental policy in Britain -- The greening of British political parties? -- The Green Party -- New Labour and the environment -- Coalition politics and the environment -- Climate change and international action to combat it: from Kyoto to Copenhagen and Cancun -- Obstacles facing environmental policy in the UK and elsewhere -- 24.Britain and the World: Making Foreign Policy -- Making foreign policy -- National interests and international obligations -- British foreign policy -- between Europe and America? -- New Labour's foreign policy -- Blair's wars -- Terrorism -- Coalition foreign policy --
Contents note continued: British foreign policy and the upheaval in the Arab world.
Geographic Term: