ABSTRACT

The book provides a broad-based introduction to policy-making in Britain, exporing the legacy of the Thatcher era and charting the new context of policy-making in the 1990s.
The authors examine the policy process within its ideological, political and economic context, discussing both the influence of Europe and the influence of local government. Having established a broad framework for analysis, the book focuses on a selection of particular policy areas; public expenditure, the NHS, Next Steps, water privatisation, pensions, education and immigration.
The aim of the book is to give a sense of the actual dynamics of policy-making and to encourage students to think about the likely outcomes of policy-change, while making the connections between British public policy and the environment in which it is shaped.

chapter |9 pages

Introduction

part |106 pages

The context of public policy-making

chapter |20 pages

Political ideas

chapter |17 pages

The political context

chapter |29 pages

The European context

chapter |20 pages

Economic policy options

part |132 pages

Case studies

chapter |18 pages

Public expenditure decisions

chapter |21 pages

Privatisation and water

chapter |17 pages

Health policy

chapter |20 pages

Pensions and politics

chapter |15 pages

The politics of training

chapter |6 pages

Conclusion