Review
"This book is the best available for students who have to cover a blend of both government and politics in their degree studies. It is invaluable as an introductory text and contains material which will be of continued use in the second and third years. It has also been brought right up to date and thus reflects the most recent contemporary debates and issues." "Dr. Richard Grayson, Head of Politics, Goldsmiths College, University of London"
Product Description
First published in 1991, "Politics UK" is now in its sixth edition and continues to provide the most comprehensive, elegant and up to date coverage of all aspects of the British political system. The book presents a detailed examination of the core elements of the British political scene divided into six classic parts: context, defining the political world, the representative process, the legislative process, the executive process and the policy process. The sixth edition has been thoroughly updated and revised and is now in full colour throughout.
From the Back Cover
“This book is the best available for students who have to cover a blend of both government and politics in their degree studies. It is invaluable as an introductory text and contains material which will be of continued use in the second and third years. It has also been brought right up to date and thus reflects the most recent contemporary debates and issues.”
—Dr. Richard Grayson, Head of Politics, GoldsmithsCollege, Universityof London
Politics UK is the best-selling introductory text on British politics. First published in 1991 and now in its sixth edition, it continues to provide the most comprehensive, elegant and up-to-date coverage of all aspects of the British political system.
Suitable for both A-level students and undergraduates, Politics UK presents a detailed examination of the core elements of the British political scene divided into six classic parts: 1. Context; 2. Defining the political world; 3. The representative process; 4. The legislative process; 5. The executive process; and 6. The policy process. The sixth edition has, of course, been thoroughly updated and revised and is now presented in full colour throughout.
Classic features
· Outstanding, elegant and authoritative presentation with in-text features explaining and analysing complex concepts with the utmost clarity.
· Illustrations by some of the leading political cartoonists of today.
· Comprehensive glossary of key terms.
· Companion Website (www.pearsoned.co.uk/jones) – much-enhanced for this edition – containing regular updates on contemporary issues and keeps pace with the rapidly unfolding political landscape.
New to this edition
· ‘Britainin Context’ – a boxed feature found in every chapter places the issues facing Britain in a global framework and weaves a strong comparative thread throughout the book.
· ‘And another thing...’ – short essays by distinguished commentators, including Andrew Rawnsley and Simon Jenkins, provide interpretative analyses of key issues in British politics.
· Full coverage and analysis of the 2005 general election.
· An analysis of the London bombings in July 2005 and the issues raised by the government’s response, taking in civil liberties, citizenship and the power of the state.
· Coverage of the changes in party leadership, which have enlivened political debate and an analysis of New Labour in power, including an assessment of the Blair/Brown relationship.
· Expanded coverage of the war in Iraq.
About the Author
Detailed Contents EditorsGuided tourPrefaceAcknowledgements PART 1 CONTEXT 1 Introduction: explaining politics Definitions and decision making The critical political questions Politics, government and the state Approaching the study of politics Themes and issues in British politics 2 Historical context - globalization What is globalisation? Why is it important? Britainin the world Sensitivity to globalisation 3 The social and economic contexts Britainin a global setting Urban problems and the city Work and unemployment Wealth, poverty and the social structure Multi-ethnic and multi-cultural Britain The economic structure: the public and the private Economic structure: the balance of sectors The structure of ownership British society and the wider world And another thing. . . Civil societies: social capital in Britain PART 2 DEFINING THE POLITICAL WORLD 4 Ideology and the liberal tradition What is ideology? The liberal tradition Fukuyamaand the end of history 5 Political ideas: key concepts What is a concept? Human nature Nationalism Class Freedom Equality Social justice Rights The market Planning 6 Political ideas: the major parties The Conservative Party Impact of Thatcherism The Labour Policy and socialism The Liberal Democrats 7 Political ideas: themes and fringes Gender issues The English/British sense of identity Green thinking The political fringe And another thing . . . Who's steering this ship? Power in British politics PART 3 THE REPRESENTATIVE PROCESS8 Elections Why elections? What are elections? Who votes? Constituency boundaries The electoral system The electoral process 9 Voting behaviour Explanations of voting behaviour Party support The 2001 general election The 2005 election The liberal democrat dilemma 10 The mass media and political communication Tabloids Broadcasting Media organizations and the political process The political impact of the media: the process The mass media and the theory of pluralist democracy The media and politics: future developments 11 Pressure groups Definitions Civil society and groups Pressure groups and government Theoretical perspectives From the politics of production to the politics of consumption 12 Political parties The role of political parties The Conservative party The Labour party Other parties Problems for parties 13 Pathways into politics Democracy and participation Democracy and non-participation Democracy and political recruitment Changing patterns of participation and recruitment 14 Devolution Core-Periphery theory Nationalism Labour and devolution Ireland Scotland Wales Devolution and the EU Englandand its regions Citizenship Devolution has changed the nature of British government And another thing . . . Voting with our feet: The turn-out ' problem' in Britain PART 4 THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS Introduction to Part 4 15 The changing constitution The constitution Challenges to the traditional constitution Parties and the constitution The continuing debate 16 The crown Development of the monarchy Political significance of the crown The contemporary role of the monarchy Criticisms of the monarchy Proposals for change 17 The House of Commons Origins of Parliament The development of Parliament The House of Commons Scrutiny and influence Members under pressure The House under pressure Pressure for change Explaining Parliamentary power 18 The House of Lords History Membership and attendance Composition Activity Procedures Functions Scrutiny and influence Reform: stage one Reform: stage two The future of the second chamber? And another thing . . . The Premier League: Ranking Tony Blair PART 5 THE EXECUTIVE PROCESS 19 The Cabinet and Prime Minister The Prime Minister's roles The Prime Minister Cabinet Ministers 20 Ministers, departments and civil servants Departments Ministerial power Explaining ministerial power 21 Civil service management and policy Inside the civil service The public-private mix The delivery agenda 22 Local government British local government: from confusion to cohesion Inter-governmental relations: general competence or general dogsbody? Local government and local politics Creating a new form and approach to local politics Local government: a changing policy environment The citizenry: consultation and participation The regional agenda Local government and the European Union 23 The Judiciary A subordinate branch? An autonomous branch? The courts Judicial activism Enforcing EU law Enforcing the ECHR The impact of devolution Demands for change And another thing . . . The marriage of true minds? The Blair/Brown relationship PART 6 THE POLICY PROCESS 24 The policy making process How policy is made Models of policy making The policy cycle Case studies in policy making 25 The politics of law and order Law, order and political ideas The current extent of the problem Responses to crime The security services and related Home Office matters 26 Social policy The nature of social policy Why is the welfare state so important? Issues in welfare policy New Labour and the welfare state: from welfare state to work state? 27 Economic policy The nature of economic policy The machinery of economic policy Three themes in economic policy 28 British foreign and defence policy under the Blair government Background Ethical foreign policy The Strategic Defence Review Relations with the United States 29 Environmental policy The impact of Europeon British environmental policy From environmental policy to sustainable development The sustainable development agenda Devolution and environmental policy Central government and its agencies The rural conservation agencies Local government and environmental policy Pressure groups and government: the case of road transport Climate change and energy policy 30 Northern Ireland The development of Northern Ireland Paramilitary violence Explanations of the problem The political parties: the rise of the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Fein The search for political agreement The peace process 31 Britainand European integration Britainand Europeintegration: the context The EU's institutions and decision making The key policy areas Britainand the EU in the new millennium: continuing The UK, the EU and multi-level government 32 Labour in government: An assessment Blair and abroad Public services The Conservative opposition And another thing . . . Waging wars: foreign policy and terrorism GlossaryIndex
这本书带给我的最直接的收获,是一种重新审视“公共领域”的视角。它不是那种教条主义地告诉你“应该如何”的指南,而更像是一份详尽的“政治病理学报告”。作者对各种政治权谋的描绘,充满了洞悉人性的智慧,但这种智慧并非嘲弄,而是一种深沉的理解。他擅长捕捉那些不易察觉的“政治潜规则”,比如不同层级官僚体系之间微妙的利益交换,以及在看似铁板一块的集体决策背后,个人动机是如何发挥作用的。这本书的叙述风格非常富有画面感,尤其是在描述关键的政治博弈场景时,作者的用词精准而富有张力,仿佛电影镜头般徐徐展开。我尤其欣赏它对“政治伦理”与“政治现实”之间永恒张力的探讨,作者并没有试图解决这个矛盾,而是诚实地呈现了这种张力如何驱动着历史的滚滚向前。这本书的阅读体验是极其充实的,读完后,感觉自己看待日常政治新闻的滤镜都被彻底更换了,变得更加审慎和洞察力十足。
评分我最近读完的这本著作,给我的感受是——它像一把锋利的手术刀,毫不留情地剖开了当代政治肌理中那些看似光鲜亮丽却又千疮百孔的结构。它的行文风格极其犀利,带着一种不容置疑的批判精神,但这种批判并非建立在空洞的道德谴责之上,而是深深根植于对制度设计缺陷的深刻理解。书中对权力集中化趋势的警示,尤其令人不寒而栗。作者用大量翔实的数据和案例,构建了一个令人信服的论证链条,揭示了在信息不对称的时代,精英阶层是如何巧妙地引导公共舆论,实现其既定目标的。这种洞察力,使得许多过去模糊不清的政治事件,一下子变得清晰可辨,仿佛突然开启了“上帝视角”。我特别欣赏作者在描述不同利益集团之间的博弈时所采用的那种近乎冷酷的现实主义视角,它摒弃了所有不切实际的浪漫幻想,直面政治的本质——利益的分配与维护。对于那些习惯于接受官方说辞的读者来说,这本书无疑是一剂强力的“清醒剂”。它不提供安慰,只提供真相,尽管这个真相可能令人感到沉重和不安。
评分如果要用一个词来形容我的整体感受,那就是“震撼”。这本书的格局之大,视野之开阔,实属罕见。它不仅仅局限于探讨某一国度的政治实践,而是试图将局部问题置于更宏大的全球化和意识形态竞争的背景下进行审视。作者对于“体制惰性”的分析,尤其发人深省。他没有将体制视为一个僵死的机械体,而是将其描绘成一个不断自我适应、自我延续的生命体,这种描述极具启发性。书中对“观念政治化”的深入剖析,精准地抓住了当下社会信息碎片化带来的认知偏差。作者展示了当事实被情绪和标签所取代时,政治决策的逻辑链条是如何断裂的。阅读过程中,我不断地被引导去质疑自己习以为常的那些政治判断,去审视那些被我们视为理所当然的政治共识是否真的坚不可摧。这本书的论证过程是极其严谨的,每一步都建立在前文扎实的基础之上,形成了一个逻辑自洽的知识体系,让人不得不佩服作者在构建这个复杂论述结构时所投入的心血。
评分这本书的阅读体验,对我而言,更像是一次沉浸式的田野调查,而非传统的学术研读。作者在描述政治文化的演变时,所展现出的那种细腻入微的笔触,让我仿佛置身于那些历史场景之中,亲眼目睹着社会观念是如何潜移默化地被重塑的。叙事上,它跳脱了传统的线性时间轴,采用了多重交叉叙事的手法,将宏观的政治制度变迁与微观的个人命运紧密地联系在一起。这种结构安排,极大地增强了作品的文学性和可读性。例如,书中穿插的那些简短的、关于普通公民在政治风暴中的侧写,虽然篇幅不长,但其情感冲击力却不亚于任何厚重的历史章节。我发现自己常常会停下来,思考书中所描绘的那些生活在制度阴影下的人们,他们的选择和挣扎,与我们今天的处境有着何种隐秘的关联。这本书的语言风格是富有韵律感的,即使在讨论最晦涩的宪政理论时,也保持着一种优雅的克制,使得即便是对政治学不甚了解的读者,也能被其叙事的魅力所吸引,从而自然而然地进入更深层次的思考。
评分这本书,坦白说,初次翻开时,我怀着一种混合着期待与审慎的复杂心情。封面设计简洁,带着一种老派的学院风,让人想起那些厚重的、内容扎实的政治学教材。然而,一旦真正沉浸进去,我发现它远非那种枯燥的理论堆砌。作者似乎有一套独特的叙事节奏,他不是简单地罗列历史事件或者政策演变,而是将它们编织成一张错综复杂的人性图谱。书中对于不同政治派别内部张力的描绘尤其精彩,那种微妙的妥协、暗流涌动的权力斗争,简直如同观看一场精心编排的室内剧。我尤其欣赏作者在分析重大转折点时,那种抽丝剥茧的能力——他不会武断地下结论,而是将所有可能的变量都摆在桌面上,让读者自己去权衡利弊。比如,在探讨某个特定时期社会福利制度改革的章节里,那种对底层民众生活状态的细致观察,与对高层决策者博弈过程的冷静剖析相结合,产生了一种强烈的代入感。读到那些关于选民心理变化的段落时,我不禁会联想到当下身边正在发生的一些现象,思考我们所处的环境是如何被这些历史的涟漪所塑造的。这本书的价值不在于提供一个“标准答案”,而在于它提供了一套极其精妙的分析工具,帮助我们理解这个复杂系统的运行逻辑。
评分 评分 评分 评分 评分本站所有内容均为互联网搜索引擎提供的公开搜索信息,本站不存储任何数据与内容,任何内容与数据均与本站无关,如有需要请联系相关搜索引擎包括但不限于百度,google,bing,sogou 等
© 2026 book.wenda123.org All Rights Reserved. 图书目录大全 版权所有