Part I: Getting Started with British Politics
by Michael Pattison, Julian Knight
British Politics For Dummies, 2nd Edition
- Introduction
- Introduction
- Part I: Getting Started with British Politics
- Chapter 1: Taking in the Political Universe
- Understanding the Difference between Local and National Politics
- Splitting the Difference: The Devolved Parliament and Assemblies
- Evolving to Democracy: A Very British Story
- Assessing the Health of British Democracy
- Paying Homage to the ‘Mother of Parliaments’
- Introducing the Players in the British Political System
- Coming under Greater Scrutiny: Politics in the Media
- Britain: Making Its Way in the European Union
- Looking Further Afield: The UK and the Wider World
- Chapter 2: Understanding Why Politics and Politicians are Impotant
- Chapter 3: Looking at Participatory Democracy
- Chapter 4: Examining Political Ideologies
- Chapter 5: Forming the British Political State
- Getting to Grips with the Normans: From Conquest to Magna Carta
- Doing the Splits: Church and State Clash
- Gearing Up for Revolution: Parliament Takes on the King and Wins
- Throwing Political Parties into the Mix
- Ending the Power of the Lords
- Expanding the Franchise: Democracy Arrives in Britain
- Switching Parties: The Ebb and Flow of Party Influence
- Concentrating Power in the Hands of the Prime Minister
- Breaking Up the Union: Scotland and Wales to Go It Alone?
- Encroaching on Britain’s Turf: The European Union
- Chapter 1: Taking in the Political Universe
- Part II: Elections and Britain’s Parties
- Chapter 6: Counting the Votes: Differing Electoral Systems
- Chapter 7: Voting Behaviour and Trends
- Chapter 8: Homing in on Political Parties
- Understanding Political Parties and How They Operate
- Recognising the role of the major UK parties
- Forming party policy: The approach of the Conservatives, Labour and the Lib Dems
- Choosing and following the leader – and other senior party figures
- Whipping up discipline: Keeping party members on the same page
- Looking at the role of the whips
- Living it up at party conferences
- Forgoing party to form a national government
- Looking at the Benefits of the Party System
- Exploring the Tories
- Looking at the Labour Party
- Taking in the Lib Dems
- Tearing up the Establishment: The Rise of UKIP
- Focusing on the Minor Parties
- Taking a Look at the Nationalists: SNP and Plaid Cymru
- Dipping into Northern Irish Politics
- Understanding Political Parties and How They Operate
- Chapter 9: Piling on the Pressure Groups
- Taking in the Universe of Pressure Groups
- Going Inside, Outside, Up and Down with Pressure Groups
- Looking at How Pressure Groups Exert Influence
- Placing Pressure Groups in the System
- Identifying the UK’s Big Pressure Groups
- Working on a Bigger Stage: Pressure Groups and the EU
- Pushing the Intellectual Envelope: Think Tanks
- Chapter 10: Scrutinising Politics and the Media
- Chapter 11: Taking Politics to the Masses: Social Media
- Part III: The Ins and Outs of Parliament
- Chapter 12: Examining Britain’s Constitution
- Chapter 13: Britain’s Parliamentary Democracy
- Honouring the Mother of Parliaments
- Taking It to the Top: The House of Commons
- Lording It Up: The Job of Peers
- Introducing Bills
- Getting Bills Passed: The Process
- Poring Over the Detail: Parliamentary Committees
- Keeping Order: The Role of the Speaker
- Tying Up the Loose Ends: The Other Parliamentary Players
- Climbing the Greasy Pole to the Top Jobs in Government
- Chapter 14: Gazing at the Summit: The PM and Cabinet
- Chapter 15: Assessing Ministers and Civil Servants
- Chapter 16: Taking in the Courts and Judiciary
- Explaining the UK’s Three Legal Systems
- Recognising the Difference between Civil and Criminal Law
- Examining the Basic Rights of the British Citizen
- Focusing on the Criminal Courts of England and Wales
- Hearing Civil Cases in England and Wales
- Taking in the Scottish Court System
- Considering the Courts in Northern Ireland
- Introducing the UK Supreme Court
- Looking at the Role of the Judge
- Glancing at Courts and the Constitution
- Throwing the European Union into the Mix
- Fighting the Good Fight: Courts and Civil Liberties
- Chapter 17: Laying Bare Local Government and Devolution
- Chapter 18: Focusing on Devolution and the Independence Debate
- Part IV: Politics Worldwide
- Chapter 19: Understanding Britain’s Place in the World
- Declining Fortunes: From Empire to the Middle Ranks
- Forging a New Role in Europe
- Assessing the Special Relationship with the United States
- Looking Further Afield to the Rise of China
- Leading the Commonwealth of Nations
- Ruling the Waves: British Overseas Territories
- Playing the Role of World Police Officer
- Sitting at the Top Table: The UN Security Council
- Chapter 20: Taking In the International Stage
- Chapter 21: Expanding Horizons: Europe and the EU
- Chapter 22: Leading the Free World: US Politics
- Chapter 19: Understanding Britain’s Place in the World
- Part V: The Part of Tens
- Chapter 23: Ten Great Prime Ministers
- Our Finest Hour: Winston Churchill (1940–45 and 1951–55)
- The Welsh Wizard: David Lloyd George (1916–22)
- The Iron Lady: Margaret Thatcher (1979–90)
- The Trailblazer: Robert Walpole (1721–42)
- The Great Reformer: Clement Attlee (1945–51)
- The First Spin Doctor: Benjamin Disraeli (1868 and 1874–80)
- The Grand Old Man: William Gladstone (1868–74, 1880–85, 1886 and 1892–94)
- Shaking Things Up: Robert Peel (1834–35 and 1841–46)
- The Second Master of Spin: Tony Blair (1997–2007)
- Wiser than His Years: William Pitt the Younger (1783–1801 and 1804–06)
- Chapter 24: Ten Major Political Scandals
- A Very British Sex Scandal: John Profumo
- From Moats to Maltesers: The MPs’ Expenses Scandal
- Running Out of Control: The Westland Affair
- Scandal of Mass Destruction: The David Kelly Affair
- Roll Up, Roll Up: How Much for This Knighthood?
- How the Mighty Fall: Jonathan Aitken and Jeffrey Archer
- Murder Plot? The Jeremy Thorpe Affair
- The Fall of a President: Watergate
- More Sordid Scandal Stateside: The Monica Lewinsky Affair
- Murder in the Orient: The Neil Heywood Affair
- Chapter 25: Ten Political Events That Shaped the Modern World
- Hell on Earth: The Second World War
- Breaking Down the Barriers: Nixon and China
- Ending Communism in Europe: The Fall of the Berlin Wall
- Coming Together: The March of the European Union
- Pulling Aside the Bamboo Curtain: China’s March to Superpower Status
- Long Wait for Freedom: The Release of Nelson Mandela
- Terror from the Skies: 9/11
- Bringing Down a Dictator: War in Iraq
- Gazing Over the Brink: The Great Credit Crunch
- Crazy for You: Obama-Mania
- Chapter 26: Ten Political Trends for the Future
- Broadening Democracy: Internet Voting
- Rising Power: Indian Modernisation
- Loosening the Shackles: Chinese Democracy
- Securing Natural Resources: Chinese Control of Africa
- Out with the Old: Replacing the Dollar
- Constructing a Super-State: Expanding the European Union
- World Going Dry: Shortages of Water
- Black Gold: Scrambling for Oil
- Risking Our Future: Climate Change
- Upping Sticks: Global Population Moves
- Chapter 23: Ten Great Prime Ministers
- About the Author
- Cheat Sheet
- More Dummies Products
Part I
Getting Started with British Politics
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In this part …
- Find out all the things you always wanted to know about British Politics.
- Discover what is so special about democracy and why politicians are considered to be so important.
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