Contemporary British Politics: An Introduction

Front Matter....Pages i-xiv
Front Matter....Pages 1-1
What is Politics?....Pages 3-19
The Social Context of Politics....Pages 20-38
Ideology and Politics....Pages 39-71
The Organisation of the State....Pages 72-91
Front Matter....Pages 93-93
The British Constitution....Pages 95-114
Prime Minister and Cabinet....Pages 115-137
Ministers, Departments and Civil Servants....Pages 138-159
Quasi-government....Pages 160-178
Local Government....Pages 179-202
Parliament....Pages 203-226
Political Parties....Pages 227-263
Voting Behaviour and Elections....Pages 264-282
Pressure Groups....Pages 283-305
The Mass Media....Pages 306-328
Politics, Police, the Courts and Redress....Pages 329-366
National Security and Defence....Pages 367-384
Front Matter....Pages 385-385
Government, the Economy and Public Spending....Pages 387-399
Education, Health and Housing....Pages 400-416
Wealth and Poverty....Pages 417-425
The Unions, Unemployment and Industrial Relations....Pages 426-437
Front Matter....Pages 385-385
Ethnic Minority Politics....Pages 438-448
Women, Inequality and Politics....Pages 449-459
Politics and the Environment....Pages 460-473
Devolution, Integration and British Sovereignty....Pages 474-491
Doctrines of Nuclear Defence and the Disarmers’ Protest....Pages 492-502
Front Matter....Pages 503-503
Power in British Society: Pluralist and Ruling Class Theories....Pages 505-528
The Consequences of Thatcherism: The End of Consensus, and the Forging of a New Consensus....Pages 529-551
Postscript: From the fall of Thatcher to the election of Major....Pages 552-574
Back Matter....Pages 575-585