British politics for dummies / by Julian Knight.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Knight, Julian, author.

Series:

--For dummies.

For Dummies

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Politics, Practical--Great Britain.

Politics, Practical.

Great Britain--Politics and government.

Great Britain.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (428 p.)

Edition:

2nd ed.

Place of Publication:

Chichester, England : John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., 2015.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Your updated and revised guide to British politics So, you want to be knowledgeable about British politics but don't know where to start? You've come to the right place! British Politics For Dummies is your essential guide to understanding even the trickiest questions surrounding politics in the UK. In no time, you'll have the confidence to discuss the ins and outs of past and present elections, political leaders, parties and ideologies. Packed with understandable information on the origins, history and structure of the UK parliamentary system, British Politics For Dummies offers a fascinating

Contents:

Title Page; Copyright Page; Contents at a Glance; Table of Contents; Introduction; About This Book; Foolish Assumptions; Icons Used in This Book; Beyond the book; Where to Go from Here; Part I: Getting Started with British Politics; Chapter 1: Taking in the Political Universe; Understanding the Difference between Local and National Politics; Splitting the Difference: The Devolved Parliament and Assemblies; Evolving to Democracy: A Very British Story; Assessing the Health of British Democracy; Paying Homage to the 'Mother of Parliaments'; Introducing the Players in the British Political System

Gazing at the political summit: The central role of the prime ministerDeclining importance of the MP; Checking the power of the politicians: The judiciary; Mixing in the monarch; Coming under Greater Scrutiny: Politics in the Media; Britain: Making Its Way in the European Union; Looking Further Afield: The UK and the Wider World; Chapter 2: Understanding Why Politics and Politicians are Important; Looking at Different Types of Authority; Deciphering the Ultimate Purpose of Politics; Gauging the Role of Politicians; Making the law; Changing the constitution and the way government works

Ensuring a more stable stateGalvanising the country in times of crisis; Listening to constituents; Working for the good of the country; Tackling the Big Issues: Current Challenges Facing Politicians; Keeping up living standards - it's the economy, stupid!; Saving the planet; Bringing an end to world poverty; Fighting terrorism; Reckoning with the decline of Western dominance; Becoming Active in Politics; Playing your part; Taking up the paint brush: Political social action; Chapter 3: Looking at Participatory Democracy; Understanding What Qualifies as a Democracy

Starting with Athenian direct democracyGetting into representative democracy; Homing in on British Democracy; Putting the monarchy in its place; Expanding the franchise; Throwing digital democracy into the mix; Understanding the Rights that Come with British Citizenship; Evaluating the Pros and Cons of UK Democracy; Looking at the strengths; Recognising the weaknesses; Being a Citizen; Getting involved; Gauging voter apathy; Chapter 4: Examining Political Ideologies; Understanding What an Ideology Is; Moderating ideologies: The British way

Liberalising the world: The march of the Western democratic modelFocusing on Freedom with Liberalism; Joining Together for the Greater Good: Socialism in the UK; Focusing on the successes of socialism; Rebranding socialism: New Labour; Stirring things up: Revolutionary socialism; Looking far left: Marxism and communism; Keeping with Tradition: Conservatism; Uniting under one nation conservatism; Reforming with a small 'r'; Changing conservatism: The Thatcher revolution; Modernising the Conservatives; Examining Alternative Politics; Focusing on the far right: Fascism

Looking into the darkness: Totalitarian regimes

Notes:

"Making Everything Easier!"--Cover.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (ebrary, viewed November 9, 2015).

ISBN:

9781118971512

1118971515