Contemporary Britain

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

The comprehensively revised and updated third edition provides a lively and concise introduction to political, economic and social life in Britain. It offers an ideal starting point for students and general readers looking for an introduction to contemporary Britain that is readable, informative, sophisticated and thought-provoking.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• List of Illustrative Material (p. vii)
• Preface and Acknowledgements (p. x)
• List of Abbreviations (p. xii)
• Introduction (p. 1)
• 1 The Historical Context (p. 7)
• The Emergence of the British State (p. 8)
• Postwar Adjustment, 1945-79 (p. 18)
• The Thatcher Revolution, 1979-90 (p. 26)
• From Blair to Cameron (p. 28)
• 2 Land and People (p. 35)
• The Geography of Britain (p. 36)
• Natural Resources (p. 40)
• The Environment (p. 43)
• The People of Britain (p. 47)
• Nationalism and Regionalism (p. 52)
• Immigration and Race (p. 58)
• 3 The Social System (p. 64)
• Social Class (p. 65)
• The Changing Family (p. 72)
• Social Services and Health Care (p. 74)
• Education (p. 80)
• Law and Order (p. 87)
• 4 Government and the Political System (p. 92)
• Principles of Government (p. 93)
• The Constitution (p. 97)
• The Monarchy (p. 100)
• Prime Minister and Cabinet (p. 104)
• Parliament (p. 110)
• The Judiciary (p. 116)
• The Bureaucracy (p. 117)
• Local Government (p. 119)
• 5 Politics and Civil Society (p. 121)
• Political Culture (p. 122)
• Elections (p. 130)
• Political Parties (p. 136)
• Interest Groups (p. 142)
• The Media (p. 145)
• 6 The Economy (p. 150)
• The Structure of the Economy (p. 151)
• From Hands-off to Hands-on, and Back Again (p. 160)
• Britain in the Global Economy (p. 168)
• The Economic Implications of Europe (p. 172)
• 7 Culture and Lifestyle (p. 180)
• Culture (p. 181)
• The Changing Identity of Britain (p. 185)
• The Arts (p. 189)
• Sports and Leisure (p. 197)
• Religion (p. 202)
• 8 Britain and the World (p. 208)
• The Changing British Role in the World (p. 209)
• The Commonwealth (p. 211)
• The Atlantic Alliance (p. 215)
• Britain and the European Union (p. 219)
• The Changing Role of the British Military (p. 231)
• Conclusions (p. 237)
• Recommended Reading (p. 241)
• Britain Online (p. 246)
• Bibliography (p. 249)
• Index (p. 261)