Essentials of UK Politics by Heywood, Andrew -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Cover Title Copyright Contents List of Illustrative Material Using this Book Preface Acknowledgements 1. Introducing Politics and Government

Understanding politics

What is politics? What is government?

UK politics in context

Historical context Social context The UK, the EU and the world

UK politics: an overview

The Westminster model Key themes in UK politics

PART 1: Political Participation in The UK

2. Democracy and Participation

Nature of democracy

Types of democracy Direct democracy Representative democracy

Democracy in the UK

Features of the UK’s democratic system

A participation crisis?

Explaining declining participation

Enhancing democracy

Initiatives and other forms of direct participation Reducing the voting age Compulsory voting Digital and e-democracy

3. Elections and Referendums

Elections in the UK

Functions of elections Forming governments Ensuring representation Upholding legitimacy

Electoral systems

First-past-the-post Majority systems Proportional systems

Which electoral system is best?

The electoral reform debate

Referendums

The wider use of referendums Scottish independence referendum EU referendum

4. Voting Behaviour and Electoral Outcomes

Theories of voting

Sociological model Party identification model Rational-choice model

Factors that affect voting

Long-term factors and voting Short-term factors and voting

Explaining declining turnout

The media and voting behaviour Debating the political role of the media The mass media and electoral outcomes

5. Political Parties

Parties and the party system

Functions of parties Who has power within parties? The changing party system

Party ideas and policies

Left and right Post-war social democracy Thatcherism Post-Thatcherite consensus

Ideas and policies in the ‘age of austerity’

Conservative ideas and policies Labour ideas and policies Liberal Democrat ideas and policies Ideas and policies of ‘other’ parties

6. Pressure Groups

Nature of pressure groups

Pressure groups and political parties Types of pressure group Functions of pressure groups

Pressure group power

How pressure groups exert influence Which pressure groups are the most powerful? Are pressure groups becoming more powerful?

Pressure groups and democracy

How do pressure groups promote democracy? How do pressure groups threaten democracy?

PART 2: Governing The UK

7. The Constitution

Understanding constitutions

Types of constitution

The UK constitution

Sources of the constitution Principles of the constitution Strengths of the UK constitution Criticisms of the UK constitution

Constitutional reform

Constitutional reform under Blair and Brown The constitution under Cameron and Clegg A codified constitution?

8. Parliament

The role of Parliament

The make-up of Parliament Functions of Parliament Parliamentary government

The effectiveness of Parliament

Theories of parliamentary power Parliament and government

Reforming Parliament

Commons reform under Blair Commons reform under Brown Commons reform under Cameron and Clegg Reforming the Lords

9. Prime Minister, Cabinet and Executive

Prime minister, cabinet and ministers

Prime minister The cabinet Ministers and civil servants

Who has power in the executive?

Theories of executive power Understanding prime ministerial power Powers of the prime minister Constraints on the prime minister

Coalition government and beyond

Cameron as prime minister May as prime minister

10. The Judiciary

Role of the judiciary

What do judges do? The rule of law

Judges and politics

Judicial independence Judicial impartiality The wider use of judicial review Judges and the Human Rights Act

Reform of the judiciary

The Supreme Court A UK bill of rights?

11. Devolution and The European Union

Multilevel governance

Devolution Devolution and nationalism How does devolution work? Quasi-federalism? The English question

The European Union

Development of the EU The workings of the EU The impact of the EU on the UK