British Politics

Description

British Politics provides a cutting-edge, analytical introduction to the subject, encouraging students to think about methods and theory, whilst building a fundamental understanding of the current debates shaping British politics and public policy.

• A theoretically rigorous overview that explores key methods in political science such as the principal-agent model, rational choice theory, and Bulpitt's framework of territorial politics
• Explores the theme of political turbulence in British politics, helping students to make sense of recent changes and ongoing instability
• Gives students the tools they need to understand Brexit, from the referendum vote through to the future of the UK-EU relationship
• Provides a clear overview of the British political system as a whole, with chapters on the institutions of government, the executive, and legislature
• Also available as an e-book with functionality, navigation features, and links that offer extra learning support

About the Author(s)

Peter John, Head of the School of Politics and Economics and Professor of Public Policy, King's College London

Peter John is Professor of Public Policy in the Department of Political Economy at King's College London. He is author of Analysing Public Policy (2012) and Agenda-Setting in British Politics (2013). He works on public policy and evaluation, and uses experiments to understand citizen behaviour in Britain.

Table of Contents

Part A: Constitutional and Institutional Foundations
1:The Starting Point: Understanding the Political System
2:Leadership from the Top
3:Debating Politics and Making Laws
Part B: Political Behaviour and Citizenship
4:What People Think and Do about Politics
5:Winning and Losing Elections
6:The Media and Agenda Setting: Political Turbulence
Part C: Policy-Making and Delegation
7:Interest Groups, Advocacy, and Policy-Making
8:Governing Through Bureaucracy
9:Governing From Below
10:Delegating Upwards: Challenges of International Politics
11:Conclusion: The State of British Democracy?

Reviews

"This is a path-breaking textbook that will help significantly advance the teaching of undergraduate British Politics courses." - Dr Philip Catney, Senior Lecturer in Politics, Keele University, UK

"A very lively and interesting exploration of contemporary UK politics. British Politics is admirably analytical, balanced and thoughtful. It will get undergraduates to think, which is key. It encourages them to consider rival perspectives on a debate. It covers a lot of ground and is authoritative and rigorous but always accessible." - Professor Jon Tonge, Professor of Politics, University of Liverpool, UK

"An accessible yet sophisticated exposition of the British political system. Empirically rich and theoretically driven, it is a must-have resource for students of British politics." - Dr Richard Hayton, Associate Professor of Politics, University of Leeds, UK

Additional Resources

Digital formats and resources
British Politics is available for students and institutions to purchase in a variety of formats, and is supported by online resources.
· The e-book offers a mobile experience and convenient access along with hyperlinks to multiple-choice questions, to help you test your knowledge and understanding of British politics: www.oxfordtextbooks.co.uk/ebooks
· Student resources: Multiple choice questions, web links to media sources and datasets, and biannual online updates organised by chapter are available online.
· Lecturer resources: Adaptable PowerPoint slides for each chapter are available online.