Understanding A/S-Level Government and Politics

Description

The book starts by giving a basic introduction to politics, defining what politics is, the nature of government and the basic concepts of politics and political action. It goes on to deal with popular participation, including democracy, elections, the electoral system and referendums; political parties, their role and functions, ideologies, theories and traditions of UK parties, the current state of parties with regard to policy, and the work of parties at local, national and European level. The book then goes on to look at the government of the UK, including Parliament, Prime Minister, Cabinet, Ministries and the Civil service, the relationship between the UK and the EU, and other representative institutions in the UK. The role of citizenship and the judiciary and the various issues of reform of politics in the UK, including electoral reform and constitutional reform conclude this textbook.

Christopher Wilson is an active member of the Politics Association.