Government and Politics in Britain

John Kingdom has taught politics and public administration at the universities of Exeter and Sheffield. He is currently a visiting fellow at Sheffield Hallam University. His other publications include The Civil Service in Liberal Democracies, Local Government and Politics in Britain, No Such Thing as Society, contributions to edited collections and various articles. The first edition of his Government and Politics in Britain was awarded the Politics Association book prize.Paul Fairclough is deputy head (sixth form) at Sedbergh School, having worked as a head of politics for more than two decades; most recently at Wellington College. He has authored a wide range of books and articles, whilst also co-authoring the UK Government & Politics Annual Update and AS UK Government & Politics for Philip Allan Updates. He is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors.

• PrefaceAcknowledgements1 Introduction: Studying PoliticsPART I POLITICS IN CONTEXT2 Ideology: The Western Tradition3 Ideology: Beyond the Western Tradition4 The Constitution: the Unwritten and the Unknowable5 The Global Context: This Sceptred Isle6 Britain and Europe: Awkward Partners?7 The European Union: Anatomy of a Superstate?PART II MOBILIZING THE DEMOS8 The Social Context: Our Divided Society9 Mind Politics: What We Think10 The Machinery of Democracy: the Electoral System11 The Vox Populi: How People Vote12 The Political Parties: Masses, Leaders and Powers behind Thrones13 Party Politics: From Elites to Mass ParticipationPART III GOVERNMENT AT THE CENTRE14 Pomp and Circumstance: Monarchy, Lords and Commoners15 Parliament at Work: Not to Reason Why16 The Heart of Government: of Cabinets and Kings17 The Village of Whitehall: of Ministers and Mandarins18 Getting and Spending: the Politics of Public Expenditure19 The Politics of Influence: Who Gets What, When, How?PART IV THE OUTER REACHES OF THE STATE: WORLDS BEYOND WHITEHALL20 Territorial Politics: A Disunited Kingdom? 21 The Grass Roots of Democracy: Local Government22 Trials and Errors: Justice and Politics23 The Coercive State: the Politics of Law and Order24 Thinking HolisticallyChronology of eventsGlossaryBibliographyIndex

"This must-have book for any student of British politics could be subtitled ‘Everything You Wanted to Know About Power In Britain But Were Afraid to Ask’ as it is a veritable cornucopia of information, analysis and provocative criticism aimed at a thorough understanding of this country’s government structures, how they work in principle, and how they operate in practice. No dry rehearsal of facts but written to engage the reader."LSE Review of Books "Like its predecessors, this revised and updated edition is comprehensive and engaging, offering readers a continuous invitation to think critically about the subject. It will be a key resource for all serious students of UK politics."Mark Garnett, Lancaster University "Kingdom and Fairclough have produced an excellent textbook. It manages to weave together detailed information, historical context and conceptual understanding to provide a sophisticated introduction to British politics today."Martin Smith, University of York "Kingdom and Fairclough have produced a detailed, thought-provoking and dissenting analysis of British politics. This book will be an invaluable resource for A-level and undergraduate students of government and politics."Matt Beech, University of Hull "This thorough, detailed and authoritative text should be required reading for politics students and tutors wishing to acquire a broad historical understanding allied with an excellent range of contemporary examples. Engagingly written with numerous opportunities for debate and analysis, it is an excellent text for sixth-form students."Paul Brennan, Runshaw College