The tone of British politics has shifted from the ideology-driven years of Conservatives Margaret Thatcher and John Major to the relatively ideology-free years of their Labour successors. The fabric of British politics has also shifted--from the institutional reforms of the 1980s and 1990s to the constitutional reforms of the late 1990s through the early years of the twenty-first century. In this highly readable text, American scholar Bruce Norton, who has lived in Britain since 1987, examines these shifts in British politics and offers a stimulating, balanced perspective on the changing nature of political leadership; electoral reforms and major trends in voting behavior; the evolving relations between central government and local governments and the newly devolved governments of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland; the increasing impact of the European Union on British government and politics; and the emergence of the judiciary as a significant force in shaping public policy in twenty-first century Britain.

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1. Nation Building: Making Britain British

2. The British Body Politic

3.The British Constitution

4. Political Parties and Party Government

5. Parties in Parliament and Beyond

6. Pressure Groups

7. Campaigns and Elections

8. Parliament

9. Prime Minister and Cabinet

10. Administering Government at the Center

11. Administering Government: Town Hall and the Nations

12. Law, Courts, and Judges

13. Britain and the European Union

"This is a very readable book: lively and well written, concise, informative, and pitched at the right level of detail and sophistication for a smart and curious undergraduate student audience. The text is very logically organized and the chapters flow well from one to the next. It covers all the necessary subjects and themes, takes care to define, concisely and without distracting the reader, the broad terms that are necessary to understanding their applicability within the British context, and judiciously and effectively uses public opinion polls and informational tables."

"This is a very fine, comprehensive introduction to British politics, obviously written by somebody whose heart is in the subject. It is very well organized and very rich in empirical detail. This book certainly would make a required reading in either a specialized course in British politics or in courses on different political systems."

"Writing from an Anglo-American perspective, Bruce Norton displays a refreshingly light touch in his handling of serious and important themes in British government and politics."

Bruce F. Norton was a member of the faculty of the School of Public Affairs at American University for most of his professional life. He has also worked as an analyst in the Congressional Research Service at the Library of Congress, a legislative assistant for a member of Congress, a staff member of the Brookings Institution, and, on occasion, a consultant on Capitol Hill. He is the author of several works on American politics and is the recipient of university awards for teaching and university service. In 1975 he founded American University’s London Semester Program and later served as its resident director for ten years. He has lived in the United Kingdom since 1987 and resides in the Lake District National Park.

Politics in France

Politics in Germany