Exploring British Politics (2nd Edition)

Cover......Page 1
Exploring British Politics......Page 2
Brief contents......Page 8
Contents......Page 10
Guided tour......Page 17
Guide to features......Page 20
Preface......Page 26
Acknowledgements......Page 28
Part 1: Context......Page 30
Introduction......Page 32
UK politics, representative democracy and the ‘Westminster Model’......Page 33
Liberal democracy......Page 39
The changing state......Page 45
Conclusion and summary......Page 48
Websites......Page 49
Introduction......Page 50
The Westminster Model and the study of British politics......Page 51
Alternative models......Page 54
Approaches to British politics......Page 59
Research methods......Page 64
Conclusion and summary......Page 68
Further reading......Page 69
Websites......Page 70
Introduction......Page 71
The post-war ‘consensus’......Page 72
The end of consensus, 1970–79......Page 81
Thatcherism, 1979–97......Page 84
Blair and New Labour......Page 90
Conclusion and summary......Page 92
Websites......Page 94
Introduction......Page 95
Britain: a divided nation?......Page 96
Sources of cohesion......Page 111
Further reading......Page 115
Websites......Page 116
Introduction......Page 117
The UK media: not one, but many?......Page 118
Theories of media influence......Page 120
New Labour and the media......Page 125
Conclusion and summary......Page 134
Websites......Page 135
Part 2: Constitution and institutions......Page 138
Introduction......Page 140
The uncodified constitution......Page 141
Sources of the UK constitution......Page 142
Main principles of the UK constitution......Page 145
The constitution under pressure......Page 151
New Labour and constitutional reform......Page 153
A new constitutional settlement......Page 159
Conclusion and summary......Page 164
Websites......Page 165
Introduction......Page 167
The core executive model......Page 168
The Prime Minister......Page 169
Leadership style......Page 179
The Cabinet......Page 184
Ministerial responsibility......Page 189
Ministers and departments......Page 194
Conclusion and summary......Page 198
Further reading......Page 199
Websites......Page 200
Introduction......Page 201
The House of Commons......Page 202
The House of Lords......Page 223
Parliamentary reform......Page 224
Conclusion and summary......Page 228
Further reading......Page 229
Websites......Page 230
Introduction......Page 231
The judicial system in the UK......Page 232
Judicial review and the Human Rights Act 1998......Page 233
Who are the judges?......Page 237
New Labour’s constitutional reforms......Page 244
The police......Page 246
Conclusion and summary......Page 250
Websites......Page 251
Part 3: Multi-level governance......Page 252
Introduction......Page 254
Government to governance......Page 255
Changing attitudes towards the state......Page 256
Reform of the civil service......Page 259
The quango state......Page 263
Multi-level governance......Page 271
Globalisation......Page 272
Conclusion and summary......Page 276
Websites......Page 277
Introduction......Page 279
The structure of local government......Page 280
Functions of local authorities......Page 288
Local government finance......Page 293
Local government in a multi-level polity......Page 298
Local democracy......Page 302
Conclusion and summary......Page 303
Websites......Page 304
Introduction......Page 305
The Union......Page 306
Towards devolution......Page 309
Devolution in Scotland and Wales......Page 312
England......Page 322
Changes to UK government......Page 325
Northern Ireland......Page 329
The post-devolution polity......Page 338
Conclusion and summary......Page 339
Further reading......Page 340
Websites......Page 341
Introduction......Page 342
The development of the European Union......Page 343
The institutions of the European Union......Page 350
Interpreting the European Union......Page 356
Britain and the European Union......Page 358
An ‘awkward partner’......Page 364
Conclusion and summary......Page 375
Further reading......Page 376
Websites......Page 377
Part 4: Political parties......Page 378
Introduction......Page 380
History of a two-party system......Page 381
The UK party system since 1997......Page 387
Party systems in Scotland and Wales......Page 390
The party system in Northern Ireland......Page 391
UK parties and European elections......Page 394
Conclusion and summary......Page 396
Websites......Page 397
Introduction......Page 399
From cadre parties to mass parties......Page 400
Conservative Party organisation......Page 402
Labour Party organisation......Page 407
Liberal Democrat organisation......Page 416
Party finance......Page 419
Back to cadre parties?......Page 423
Conclusion and summary......Page 426
Websites......Page 427
Introduction......Page 429
The nature of ideology......Page 430
Conservatism......Page 432
Socialism......Page 435
Liberalism......Page 438
Ideology and British political parties......Page 442
A new ‘consensus’?......Page 454
Alternative voices......Page 456
Conclusion and summary......Page 460
Further reading......Page 461
Websites......Page 462
Part 5: Participation......Page 464
Introduction......Page 466
Elections in the UK......Page 467
Functions of elections......Page 472
Election campaigns......Page 482
Electoral systems in the UK......Page 485
Electoral reform......Page 494
Impact of the new electoral systems......Page 495
Conclusion and summary......Page 498
Further reading......Page 499
Websites......Page 500
Introduction......Page 501
Class voting and partisanship......Page 502
Dealignment......Page 504
Other social factors......Page 509
Rational choice approaches......Page 511
The 1997, 2001 and 2005 general elections......Page 520
Realignment or dealignment?......Page 526
Conclusion and summary......Page 527
Further reading......Page 528
Websites......Page 529
Introduction......Page 530
Referendums......Page 531
Pressure groups......Page 536
New social movements......Page 544
Pressure groups and democracy......Page 548
Further reading......Page 551
Websites......Page 552
Part 6: Conclusions......Page 554
The old order changes......Page 556
The more things change . . .......Page 560
The condition of British democracy......Page 562
From Blair to Brown......Page 568
Further reading......Page 574
Websites......Page 575
Index......Page 576