Governance stories / Mark Bevir and R.A.W. Rhodes.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bevir, Mark.

Contributor:

Rhodes, R. A. W.

Series:

Routledge advances in European politics ; 34.

Routledge advances in European politics ; 34

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Political culture--Great Britain.

Political culture.

Great Britain.

Great Britain--Politics and government.

Politics and government.

Physical Description:

xiv, 206 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

London ; New York : Routledge, 2006.

Summary:

In contrast to conventional approaches to political science, this book develops an interpretative approach to governance theory. In their earlier book Interpreting British Governance, Bevir and Rhodes sought to understand changes in British government by setting out an interpretative approach to British political science, which focused on an aggregate analysis of British political traditions. Here, Bevir and Rhodes argue that situated agency, the analysis of people's webs of belief and actions located in the inherited traditions and practices that inform them, plays a key role in interpretative political science. This book: provides a theoretical defence of situated agency, compares their approach to British political science with other forms of enquiry, including post-structural and institutional analysis, provides a general account of governance as the context for ethnographic analyses of governance in action, includes studies of the 'Blair presidency', the National Health Service, government departments and the police.

This new volume presents a major challenge to present-day political science. It will be of interest to advanced students and researchers in political theory, public policy, British politics and British history.

Contents:

1 Introduction: Meaning in action 1

2 Interpretation and its others 15

Part I Interpreting traditions 33

3 British political sciences 35

4 Westminster models 56

5 Decentring governance 74

Part II Reading practices 87

6 The Blair presidency 89

7 Everyday life in a ministry 109

8 National Health Service reform 127

9 Police reform 145.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [183]-199) and index.

ISBN:

0415376602

OCLC:

60373470

Publisher Number:

9780415376600 (hardback : alk. paper)