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by Michael Pattison, Julian Knight
British Politics For Dummies, 2nd Edition
Introduction
Introduction
About This Book
Foolish Assumptions
Icons Used in This Book
Beyond the book
Where to Go from Here
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
Gazing at the political summit: The central role of the prime minister
Declining importance of the MP
Checking the power of the politicians: The judiciary
Mixing in the monarch
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
Looking at Different Types of Authority
Deciphering the Ultimate Purpose of Politics
Gauging the Role of Politicians
Making the law
Changing the constitution and the way government works
Ensuring a more stable state
Galvanising the country in times of crisis
Listening to constituents
Working for the good of the country
Tackling the Big Issues: Current Challenges Facing Politicians
Keeping up living standards – it’s the economy, stupid!
Saving the planet
Bringing an end to world poverty
Fighting terrorism
Reckoning with the decline of Western dominance
Becoming Active in Politics
Playing your part
Taking up the paint brush: Political social action
Chapter 3: Looking at Participatory Democracy
Understanding What Qualifies as a Democracy
Starting with Athenian direct democracy
Getting into representative democracy
Homing in on British Democracy
Putting the monarchy in its place
Expanding the franchise
Throwing digital democracy into the mix
Understanding the Rights that Come with British Citizenship
Evaluating the Pros and Cons of UK Democracy
Looking at the strengths
Recognising the weaknesses
Being a Citizen
Getting involved
Gauging voter apathy
Chapter 4: Examining Political Ideologies
Understanding What an Ideology Is
Moderating ideologies: The British way
Liberalising the world: The march of the Western democratic model
Focusing on Freedom with Liberalism
Joining Together for the Greater Good: Socialism in the UK
Focusing on the successes of socialism
Rebranding socialism: New Labour
Stirring things up: Revolutionary socialism
Looking far left: Marxism and communism
Keeping with Tradition: Conservatism
Uniting under one nation conservatism
Reforming with a small ‘r’
Changing conservatism: The Thatcher revolution
Modernising the Conservatives
Examining Alternative Politics
Focusing on the far right: Fascism
Looking into the darkness: Totalitarian regimes
Looking to the heavens: Theocracy
Pulling everything apart: Anarchism
Releasing the bonds: Feminism
Saving the planet: Environmentalism
Understanding Why the UK Doesn’t Do Extremism
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
Working hand in hand
Chafing under Charles I and enduring Cromwell
Reaping the benefits of the Glorious Revolution
Throwing Political Parties into the Mix
Ending the Power of the Lords
Expanding the Franchise: Democracy Arrives in Britain
Earning a stake
Recognising the rights of women
Switching Parties: The Ebb and Flow of Party Influence
Making a play for power: The Labour Party is born and thrives
Playing musical chairs: Labour and the Tories swap power
Leaving out the Lib Dems
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
Part II: Elections and Britain’s Parties
Chapter 6: Counting the Votes: Differing Electoral Systems
Listing the Big UK Elections
Coming Up On the Rails: The First-Past-the-Post System
Looking at the advantages
Taking in the disadvantages
Securing Over 50 Per Cent of the Vote: Majority Electoral Systems
Laying bare the two-ballot system
Playing the alternative vote system card
Throwing in the supplementary vote system
Perusing Proportional Representation
Refining PR: Single transferable vote
Varying PR: Candidate list system
Dividing in the D’Hondt method
Looking North and West to the Additional Member System
Chapter 7: Voting Behaviour and Trends
Looking at Who Can and Can’t Vote
Understanding Voter Turnout
Counting declining voter turnout
Observing the reduction in local democracy
Reversing the decline in voter turnout
Considering What Sways Voters
Taking in the big issues
Throwing personality into the mix: The leadership wild card
Looking at the voters themselves
Enticing Voters to Vote: Party Strategies
Appealing to the core vote
Broadening party appeal
Gazing at Election Campaigning
Glancing at the Effects of Media Bias
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
Re-inventing the Tories: Cameron’s conservatism
Tapping natural Tory supporters
Looking at the Labour Party
Forming the Labour Party
Gauging Labour’s followers
Breaking with the unions: Hard to do
Taking in the Lib Dems
Understanding the balance of power
Supporting proportional representation
Looking at Lib Dem supporters
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
Chapter 9: Piling on the Pressure Groups
Taking in the Universe of Pressure Groups
Sorting out sectional pressure groups
Seeing to cause-related groups
Going Inside, Outside, Up and Down with Pressure Groups
Differentiating between inside and outside
Watching the political ups and downs of pressure groups
Looking at How Pressure Groups Exert Influence
Getting the ear of ministers and civil servants
Focusing on backbench MPs
Courting public opinion
Joining the throng at party conferences
Taking it to the streets: Direct action
Appealing over the heads of politicians
Placing Pressure Groups in the System
Looking at the downsides of pressure groups
Taking in the plus points of pressure groups
Identifying the UK’s Big Pressure Groups
Bossing for business
Charting the influence of charities
Advocating human rights
Pulling for the planet
Promoting professions
Working for the workers
Working on a Bigger Stage: Pressure Groups and the EU
Pushing the Intellectual Envelope: Think Tanks
Chapter 10: Scrutinising Politics and the Media
Exposing an Uneasy Relationship: Politics and the Media
Wheeling out the sound bite
Being media savvy: Special advisers
Reading the UK’s Newspapers
Detecting a waning influence – or not?
Taking in the qualities
Meeting the mid-markets
Checking out the red-tops
Digging into the grass roots: Regional newspapers
Balancing Politics at the BBC
Offering News around the Clock
Looking at the Media in an Election Campaign
Testing the Temperature: Opinion Polling
Chapter 11: Taking Politics to the Masses: Social Media
Understanding that Politics Is Now Mobile
Climbing aboard the social media express
Reaching out: How politicians can bypass mainstream media
Treading carefully: the political gaffe
Putting Your Thoughts in Writing: Political Blogging
Talking ’bout a Revolution: Twitter and Street Protest
Part III: The Ins and Outs of Parliament
Chapter 12: Examining Britain’s Constitution
Focusing on Why Countries Need a Constitution
Exploring Differing Types of Constitution
Recording the differences between written and unwritten constitutions
Taking in unitary and federal constitutions
Changing the rules: Rigid and flexible constitutions
Celebrating Britain’s Constitution
Granting parliamentary sovereignty
Limiting parliamentary sovereignty
Quantifying the success of the UK’s constitution
Moving towards a written constitution
Crowning the Constitution: The Monarchy
Stirring Things Up: Republicanism
Chapter 13: Britain’s Parliamentary Democracy
Honouring the Mother of Parliaments
Taking It to the Top: The House of Commons
Aiming for a seat in parliament
Looking at the job of MPs
Recognising that the House of Commons holds the power
Lording It Up: The Job of Peers
Inherited power: Hereditary peers
Nominating peers for life
Introducing Bills
Explaining government bills
Introducing private members’ bills
Getting Bills Passed: The Process
Detailing the passage of bills
Talking it over: Debating
Icing the legislative cake: Receiving royal assent
Poring Over the Detail: Parliamentary Committees
Looking at standing committees
Examining select 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
Going Straight to the Top: The Prime Minister
Getting to be the PM
Gauging whether the PM is really ‘first among equals’
Limiting the power of the PM
Concentrating on the Cabinet
Taking in the great offices of state
Observing the big beasts of the cabinet jungle
Looking down the political food chain to other ministerial posts
Assuming Cabinet Responsibilities
Explaining collective cabinet responsibility
Taking in individual responsibility
Working Behind the Scenes: Cabinet Committees
Shaking Up the Cabinet
Falling on their sword: Ministerial resignations
Shifting the seats: Cabinet reshuffles
Whispering in the PM’s Ear: Special Advisers
Turning to the Opposition: The Shadow Cabinet
Chapter 15: Assessing Ministers and Civil Servants
Examining What Government Departments Do
Ranking the Departmental Hierarchy
Oiling the Wheels of Government: The Civil Service
Becoming a civil servant and doing the job
Behaving as a civil servant
Climbing the Ranks to the Senior Civil Service
Running the day-to-day: The permanent under-secretary of state
Serving as a link: The cabinet secretary
Evaluating the Good and Bad Points of the UK Civil Service
Reforming the Civil Service
Ignoring the Ibbs Report
Reducing head count: The Gershon Review
Calling the civil service to account
Chapter 16: Taking in the Courts and Judiciary
Explaining the UK’s Three Legal Systems
Recognising the Difference between Civil and Criminal Law
Committing crimes against the state
Suing your neighbours in civil court
Examining the Basic Rights of the British Citizen
Focusing on the Criminal Courts of England and Wales
Starting off in a magistrates’ court
Advancing to a crown court
Making your way to the Court of Appeal
Hearing Civil Cases in England and Wales
Gazing at the civil law process
Appealing civil cases
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
Understanding that All Politics Is Local
Looking at what local government does
Funding local government
Taking in the structure of local government in England
Heading north: Scottish local government
Heading west: Wales and Northern Ireland
Re-energising local government
Policing the police: The advent of police and crime commissioners
Granting Power from the Centre – Devolution
Chapter 18: Focusing on Devolution and the Independence Debate
Looking at the United Kingdom
Considering each member of the union
Forming the United Kingdom
Understanding the success of the union
Breaking down of the union?
Devolution Defined: Granting Power from the Centre
Deciding to devolve
Focusing on the Scottish parliament
Welcoming in the Welsh Assembly
Priming the peace process: The Northern Ireland Assembly
Paying for it all: The Barnett Formula
Treading the Path to Scottish Independence
Deciding to hold a referendum
Voting for ‘Better Together’ rather than ‘Yes’
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
Starting at the Top: The United Nations
Delving into how the UN works
Taking in UN agencies
Bringing Out the Big Guns: The Role of the G8 and the G20
Starting small with the G8
Changing times: G8 morphing into G20
Looking at the Regional Trading Blocs
Factoring in the World Trade Organisation
Playing the Power Game: China Taking Over from the United States
Providing the Military Might: NATO
Chapter 21: Expanding Horizons: Europe and the EU
Understanding the EU and How It Works
Checking the goals of the EU
Examining EU institutions
Looking at law-making and the legal system
Forming Relationships Within and Outside the EU
Looming giant: Russia on the doorstep
Testing question: Is Turkey really part of Europe?
Bringing peace to the Balkans
Pigging out: Financial crisis causes fault lines in EU
Understanding Britain’s thorny relationship with the EU
Putting Pen to Paper: Major European Treaties
Holding the Purse Strings: EU Budgets
Accounting for the Common Agricultural Policy
Getting a rebate
Chapter 22: Leading the Free World: US Politics
Understanding US Influence in the Wider World and in the UK
Being buddies: The US–UK special relationship
Growing apart? Recent problems with the special relationship
Looking at the US System of Government
Building the houses of Congress
Establishing the presidency
Judging disputes: The US Supreme Court
Passing a Bill into Law
Throwing Political Parties into the Mix
Voting with the Democrats
Siding with the Republicans
Rallying the religious right
Linking up: UK and US political parties
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
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