King Trends and the Future of Public Policy

HUGH COMPSTON is Reader in Public Policy at Cardiff University, UK. His recent publications include Handbook of Public Policy in Europe: Britain, France and Germany (edited, 2004), 'Beyond Corporatism: A Configurational Theory of Policy Concertation' (European Journal of Political Research 42, 2003) and Social Partnership in the 1990s: The West European Experience in Historical Perspective (edited with Stefan Berger, 2002).

'This innovative and ambitious book seeks to identify the already evident trends which are affecting the lives of large numbers of people in West European societies and which are likely to persist for the next two decades.' - Richard Rose, Political Studies Review

• List of Tables List of Abbreviations Acknowledgements Introduction: Policy Networks and Advocacy Coalitions in Action PART I: THE MARCH OF NEW TECHNOLOGY Information and Communications Technology Biotechnology Healthcare Technology Military Technology PART II: GROWING AFFLUENCE AND STRUCTURAL CHANGE Growth and Diversification of Production and Consumption Greater Energy Use Increasing Mobility The Shift To Services The Growth of Women's Employment The Expansion of Trade The Internationalization of Production The Internationalization of Finance The Expansion of Mass Media PART III: CLIMATE CHANGE Climate Change PART IV: AGEING, EDUCATION AND SOCIAL LIBERALIZATION Population Ageing Rising Levels of Education Smaller Households Secularization Sexual Liberalization PART V: THE BIG PICTURE The Shape of Things to Come References Index