Great BritainGreat Britain

CHAPTER FOUR

Thinking About BritainThinking About Britain

A. Key Questionsi. Gradualism

ii. Relative economic decline and its political implications

iii. The Thatcher revolution

iv. The victory of New Labour

Thinking About Britain

B. The Basicsi. A variety of names

ii. The peoples of the U.K.

C. Signs of decline

The Evolution of the British StateThe Evolution of the British State

A. Sequential, not simultaneous crises

B. The broad sweep of British historyi. More and more democracy

ii. Persistence of class divisions

C. The collectivist consensus

British Political CultureBritish Political Culture

A. The civic culture and collectivist yearsi. Widespread sense of legitimacy

ii. Tolerance of diversity

iii. Nationalism

British Political CultureBritish Political Culture

B. The politics of protest: Toward an uncivic culture?

C. The civic culture holds

British Political CultureBritish Political Culture

D. Will there always be a Britain?i. Polarization and catch-all parties

ii. Devolution

iii. Cultural and racial diversity (food and television)

iv. European Union

Political ParticipationPolitical Participation

A. The Conservativesi. Pragmatic

ii. Noblesse oblige

iii. Organization

iv. Thatcherism and after

B. Labouri. Pragmatism

ii. Crisis-motivated radicalization

iii. Defeat-motivated moderation

Political ParticipationPolitical Participation

C. The Liberal Democrats

D. Minor Parties

E. The British electorate

F. Interest groups

The British State: Enduring The British State: Enduring Myths & Changing RealitiesMyths & Changing Realities

A. Bagehot’s dignified and real parts of the British system

B. The Monarcy and the Lords: Still dignified?

C. Parliamentary Sovereignty, sort ofi. Parliamentary partiesii. Collective responsibilityiii. Party discipline

The British State: Enduring The British State: Enduring Myths & Changing RealitiesMyths & Changing Realities

D. Cabinet government?

E. The rest of the state

F. Labour and constitutional reform

Public Policy: The Thatcher and Public Policy: The Thatcher and Blair RevolutionsBlair Revolutions

A. The retreat from the commanding heights: Nationalizing and privatizing

B. Blair and the Third Way

C. Foreign policy: The U.S.A., Europe, and Ireland

Decision Making in BritainDecision Making in Britain