Philip Norton - The British Polity

T he theme of previous editions of The British Polity has been that of continuity and change in British politics. The theme is one that applies to the content of this edition. I have maintained the basic structure of the book, providing for continuity with previous editions. However, within the basic framework, there has been substantial change. This has been necessitated by the sheer scale of change in British politics over the past decade. The last edition was published in 2001. Since then, there has been significant constitutional, political, economic, and social change within the United Kingdom. In 2001, a Labour government under Prime Minister Tony Blair was elected for a second term of office with a large parliamentary majority; the Conservative opposition appeared to be destined for a lengthy stay in the political wilderness; the country was enjoying continued, indeed unparalleled, economic growth; and the constitutional reforms introduced by the Governmentnot least devolution of power to elected assemblies in Scotland and Walesappeared to be bedding in effectively. It appeared to be an era of stability and growth. By the end of the decade, the situation was transformed. A Labour government under a new Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, faced economic turmoil and the legacy of an unpopular war with Iraq; the Conservative opposition looked likely to form the next government; and many of the constitutional reforms were not working out as intended. The British constitution was unsettled or, in the words of one distinguished political scientist, a mess. The constitutional framework lacked coherence. There was no clear sense of direction.

The extent of change is covered in this volume. It has necessitated extensive revision and the inclusion of much new data. I have also introduced material or reworked analyses in response to suggestions made by readers. Every chapter has been subject to some change. The principal features new to this edition include:

more comparative material, not least in locating British society in relation to European and U.S. society (especially in ).

a sharper delineation of the legacies of empire, war, class, and political structures in shaping the contemporary British polity ().

coverage of constitutional change ().

greater opportunities for lobbying by interest groups as a consequence of the dispersal of power to different decision-making bodies ().

the results and consequences of elections to the U.K. Parliament (2001, 2005), the European Parliament (2004, 2009), and the devolved assemblies (2003, 2007) ().

the scale and nature of political change, not least in relation to the fortunes of the political parties and the growth of support for third parties ().

explanations not only of decline in support for a two-party system but also decline in support for political parties ().

the changing face, fragmentation, and uncertain future of local government in England and Wales ().

changes in the U.K. Parliament, the collapse in confidence as a result of the expenses scandal of 2009, and explanations of parliamentary power ().

the changing nature and fragmentation of the mass media ().

greater clarity in terms of theoretical approaches to constitutional change and the challenges facing the parties as they determine their stances on the future of the British constitution ().

Every chapter has been brought up to date, with the employment wherever possible of the most recent available data. Events as disparate as the decision by the British government in 2009 to provide some funding to charities to mount campaigns () have been included.

Since the previous edition, exchange rates have fluctuated, sometimes quite markedly. In this edition, dollar equivalents are calculated on an exchange rate of 1 = $1.64.

The volume has three distinctive features, relating to structure, content, and theme.

The book is structured in order to provide a clear conceptual framework for the understanding of British politics, influenced in broad terms by a systems approach to public policy. As a result, it departs from a fairly common practice of considering the executive and legislature in tandem and focuses in the main section () on the bodies that determine public policy.

examines the different approaches to constitutional change, the basic conflict between what have emerged as the two principal approaches, and the problems facing the political parties in determining a coherent approach to the type of constitution they favor for the United Kingdom. The book is thus designed to offer a comprehensive overview of the contemporary political system of the United Kingdom.

In terms of content, each chapter has been written as far as possible as a self-contained study. This is designed to have pedagogic utility, enabling instructors to select specific chapters for use in thematic as well as countrybased courses. I have employed cross-referencing but, in order to maintain the internal coherence of a chapter it has sometimes been necessary to include a brief summation of material that can be found in the relevant core chapter. This also reduces the need for students to keep checking other parts of the book as they study a particular chapter. Also for pedagogic reasons, the chapters addressing institutions and processes seek not only to identify and explain the nature and operation of the body or process but also to draw out the debate surrounding it. Few aspects of the political process are free of controversy: Each has its supporters and critics. I seek to provide both sides of the argument.