ABSTRACT
Anumber of introductory texts on British politics do not have chaptersdevoted specifically to political history. The omission is a surprisingone. When the proposal for this book was under consideration by the publishers, a number of American professors were asked for their comments. One responded with this advice: “Make sure you incorporate as much historical detail as possible. American students don’t know much about British history.” The need for historical detail, however, is not confined to Americans interested in the subject; it encompasses all those who seek to make some sense of the institutions and complex relationships that form the British polity.
