ABSTRACT
Jeremy J. Richardson’s insightful Policy Styles in Western Europe (1982) highlighted the difference between country level reputations and actual policymaking practices. The United Kingdom, for instance, is often presented as the archetypal example of a majoritarian system with a top-down governing style, but its consultation practices and incrementalism nevertheless resemble those of consensus democracies. This latter argument became increasingly more difficult to sustain during and after the period of Thatcherism, which significantly reinforced the United Kingdom’s majoritarian image. Ever since 1999, however, the United Kingdom’s devolved governments have developed a reputation for relatively consensual policymaking styles – in stark contrast to practices at the United Kingdom level. That said, it is important to demonstrate the nature of these policy styles rather than simply basing their reputations on face value and anecdotal analyses. While the United Kingdom has often lived up to its majoritarian reputation, its governments generally exhibit pragmatism in the face of policymaking complexity.
