British Politics and the Policy Process: An Arena Approach

In British Politics and the Policy Process (originally published in 1987), Grant Jordan and Jeremy Richardson provide an introduction to the workings of British political process and a guide to the ways in which it can be studied. They show how political decisions are taken and policies are adopted inside Parliament, in the political parties, and in cabinet, and how they are mediated and influenced by, for example, the civil service and pressure groups. In doing so, they draw widely on case study material, and systematically utilize the memoir material of ex-Ministers and civil servants to give a realistic feel for policy making at the centre of British politics.

This book is, however, interpretative as well as descriptive. The authors argue that Parliament is usually marginal to political decision making, and powerfully reject the thesis of adversary politics, which holds that British politics undergoes major change when there is a switch in party control of Government. This then is a textbook that will serve as an ideal introduction to students of British government and comparative politics, but which is also a stimulating and original contribution to current debates in political science.