Philip Norton (Lord Norton of Louth) is Professor of Government and Director of the Center for Legislative Studies at the University of Hull. He also serves in the House of Lords.

“This is the best book available on British government. Norton explains perfectly how institutions work in practice as well as in theory; he gives a nuanced and balanced picture of both structure and process.”—James Alt, Harvard University

• Part I: Introduction 1. The Contemporary Landscape 2. The Political Culture 3. Past and Present: Historical Perspective and Legacies Part II: The Political Environment 4. The Uncodified Constitution 5. The Electoral System: Campaigns, Voting, and Voters 6. Political Parties: More or Less than a Two-Party System? 7. Interest Groups: Insiders or Outsiders? Part III: Governmental Decision Making 8. The Executive: Government at the Center 9. The European Union: Government above the Center 10. The New Assemblies: Government beyond the Center 11. Local Government: Government below the Center Part IV: Scrutiny and Legitimation 12. Parliament: Commons and Lords 13. The Monarchy: Above the Fray? Part V: Enforcement and Feedback 14. Enforcement: The Courts and the Police 15. Communication and Feedback: The Mass Media Part VI: Conclusion 16. Future Directions: The Polity under Challenge