Theory and Practice in British Politics – serie

This text is designed to give students a comprehensive view of the British electoral system. Its innovative comparative and theoretical approach will provide a link between courses in British politics, comparative politics and political theory. The book looks at electoral systems in relation to democratic theory and examines the justification for modern electoral rules. It compares parliamentary elections with various other kinds of election, and it looks at the differences between British experience and that of other countries.Andrew Reeve and Alan Ware aim to inform the debate about whether our electoral system should be reformed, by raising such crucial issues as the connection between democracy and the electoral process, the significance of the territorial dimension in the British electoral system, and the role the election system plays in allocating values in a society.

First published in 1990. The Law brings issues of legal theory to life by relating them to real problems in British politics. Questions about human rights, the rule of law, the unwritten constitution, the role of judges, law and politics, and civil disobedience are often discussed as purely abstract issues. Jeremy Waldon, however, considers them in the context of incidents such as the GLC's `Fare's Fair' case, the choice of Prime Minister, interrogation techniques in Northern Ireland, and the 1984-85 Miners' Strike. He shows that the role of law is not a dry conceptual study, but instead raises issues that lie at the very heart of British politics, and maintains that many political controversies in turn cannot be understood without looking at the issues of legal philosophy at stake.This lively text is intended for students of politics as well as law, but it will also interest anyone who is concerned about the rule of law in Britain. In particular, it asks the crucial question, 'How can the people of Britain reclaim the law as their own?' The rule of law should not be regarded simply as an obligation that people have to live with; it is also a responsibility that the government owes to the people to formulate legislation and to operate a legal system that is worthy of our respect.

Social Movements have become a central focus of political study in recent years. Paul Byrne's accessible account of British Social movements introduces students to the relevant theories, and puts them into practice by examining groups such as Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, the Women's Movement and the Green Party. Byrne goes on to look at how the British scene compares with what is happening in the rest of Europe and in America.

Social Movements have become a central focus of political study in recent years. Paul Byrne's accessible account of British Social movements introduces students to the relevant theories, and puts them into practice by examining groups such as Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, the Women's Movement and the Green Party. Byrne goes on to look at how the British scene compares with what is happening in the rest of Europe and in America.

Radical reforms of the civil service during the 1980s and 90s have broken up the old unified hierarchical structures. In their place are peripheral agencies concerned with policy implementation and a central core comcerned with policy-making. The radical reforms are described and assessed in terms of the public choice and public management theories which underpin them. Bureau-maximizing and bureau-shaping models are used to predict the directions we should expect the reforms to take and their likely success. The key central chapter of the book examines the equivocal use of the term "efficiency" used to justify the managerial changes. This is the first textbook which critically examines theories of bureaucracy together with an introductory and descriptive account of the civil service today.

Radical reforms of the civil service during the 1980s and 90s have broken up the old unified hierarchical structures. In their place are peripheral agencies concerned with policy implementation and a central core comcerned with policy-making. The radical reforms are described and assessed in terms of the public choice and public management theories which underpin them. Bureau-maximizing and bureau-shaping models are used to predict the directions we should expect the reforms to take and their likely success. The key central chapter of the book examines the equivocal use of the term "efficiency" used to justify the managerial changes. This is the first textbook which critically examines theories of bureaucracy together with an introductory and descriptive account of the civil service today.

This book provides an excellent insight into the theory and practice of political representation, a concept that is central to the understanding of modern British politics. The book explores the key elements of representation and the inextricable connections between theory and the unique British representative tradition. Using extensive contemporary examples and key theorists, this book will be essential reading for students of British politics.

First published in 1990. The Law brings issues of legal theory to life by relating them to real problems in British politics. Questions about human rights, the rule of law, the unwritten constitution, the role of judges, law and politics, and civil disobedience are often discussed as purely abstract issues. Jeremy Waldon, however, considers them in the context of incidents such as the GLC's `Fare's Fair' case, the choice of Prime Minister, interrogation techniques in Northern Ireland, and the 1984-85 Miners' Strike. He shows that the role of law is not a dry conceptual study, but instead raises issues that lie at the very heart of British politics, and maintains that many political controversies in turn cannot be understood without looking at the issues of legal philosophy at stake.This lively text is intended for students of politics as well as law, but it will also interest anyone who is concerned about the rule of law in Britain. In particular, it asks the crucial question, 'How can the people of Britain reclaim the law as their own?' The rule of law should not be regarded simply as an obligation that people have to live with; it is also a responsibility that the government owes to the people to formulate legislation and to operate a legal system that is worthy of our respect.