Product Description

The fifth edition of British Politics is a significantly expanded work that draws on the contribution of three new political scientists and redresses the balance between the historical context of British Politics and key theoretical debates. British Politics 5/e overcomes the traditional problem of looking at Britain in isolation and the narrow, institution-based approach to politics by re-focusing on the international context in which Britain operates, and the way in which globalization, Europeanization, and the marketization of the state have conditioned the nature of politics today. The text is both theoretically and practically informed, combining a descriptive account of the institutions and processes of the British political system with a lively and engaging discussion of new issues and policies. It addresses numerous contemporary topics, including the impact of a third term Labour Government; the threat to individual liberty in a post-9/11 world; the London 2005 bombings; Britain's destiny as a European partner; the implications of race and asylum-seeking; the growth and effect of direct action on the political system; and a health-check on democracy in an age of electoral decline. It also considers contemporary issues surrounding the public service; participation and representation; and democracy and accountability; while providing a detailed and accessible examination of a range of policy areas (economic, welfare, transport, education, law, immigration and defence) based on recent interviews conducted by the authors themselves with key political actors. ONLINE RESOURCE CENTRE For lecturers: seminar activities, essay questions, case studies, all figures and tables from the text. For students: annotated web links, political commentaries, multiple-choice questions and a time-line.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #122690 in Books
• Published on: 2006-05-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 732 pages

Review
British Politics 5e is the best textbook I've seen at engaging with current research in a cutting edge way and including summaries of major articles and books. Students sometimes find it easier to engage with these summaries instead of the theory itself. The book has a feeling of quality and substance. (Dr Richard Grayson, Head of Politics, Goldsmiths, University of London )

An excellent introduction to the core themes and issues involved in the study of British politics. Interesting, engaging, and comprehensively thorough. (Dr. Steven Kettell, Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Warwick )

About the Author
Dennis Kavanagh is Professor of Politics at the University of Liverpool.

Customer Reviews

British Politics
This book is very good if you are studying British politics, specially if you are an undergraduate Politics & International Relations student. This book is included in my department's reading list. However, other universities, as I found out, also uses this book for their studies. This book covers major issues in British politics today. It tackles about institution and processes, the structure of British politics, the EU membership of Britain, Policy issues surrounding British politics, and so on. This book was written by Dennis Kavanagh, David Richards, Martin Smith, and Andrew Geddens. Dennis Kavanagh is Professor of Politics at the University of Liverpool; David Richards is a Reader in Politics at the University of Sheffield; Martin Smith is Professor at the University of Sheffield; Andrew Geddens is Professor of Politics at the University of Sheffield. I highly recommend this book to everyone studying British politics. The book contains colourful diagrams and statistics to elaborate major pointers within a chapter. In addition, the book also incorporates 'focus' boxes to further the readers knowledge about certain facts and issues. I find the book good to read. It has its own way of explaining issues to the reader. The book has key questions, recommended websites, and further reading at the end of every chapter. I think this way, students can highten their understanding on certain issues by reading supplimental literatures recommended by the authors. This book is really useful and helpful. I would recommend it to anybody studying politics.