This unique textbook addresses the `big questions' of political science: how the state operates and how it has been conceptualised in the United Kingdom. By focusing on parliamentarism and the key institution of parliament, it analyses and illuminates both the theory and practice of the state. The result is a refreshingly lucid antidote to drier studies of the British constitution.David Judge traces the historic principles of representation, consent, limited and legitimate government. He explores how parliament acts as the point at which the needs of the electorate and the formation of public policy intersect.
The book deals with the fundamental issues of modern British politics:
· the party system
· the challenge of corporatism and interest groups
· the organization and structure of the central state
· the territorial debates around devolution and relations with the European Community
· constitutional reform
This comprehensive and accessible textbook will be essential reading for all students of politics, constitutional history and law, public policy and political sociology.
