The Blunders of Our Governments PDF Download

Author: Anthony King
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1780746180
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 668

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Book Description
With unrivalled political savvy and a keen sense of irony, distinguished political scientists Anthony King and Ivor Crewe open our eyes to the worst government horror stories and explain why the British political system is quite so prone to appalling mistakes.

Author: Great Britain: National Audit Office
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780102963618
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 40

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Book Description
Between May 2005 and June 2009, there were over 90 reorganisations to central government. This report finds that these cannot demonstrate value for money, given that most had vague objectives and that costs and benefits were not tracked. The average annual cost of reorganisations is almost £200 million, around 85 per cent of which is for the reorganisation of arms length bodies. Since 1980, 25 central government departments have been created, including 13 which no longer exist. By comparison, in the United States only two new departments have been created over the same period. Central government bodies are weak at identifying and securing the benefits they hope to gain from reorganisation. There is no standard approach for preparing and assessing business cases setting out intended benefits against expected costs. More than half of reorganisations do not compare expected costs and benefits of alternative options, so there can be no certainty that the chosen approaches are the most cost effective. Furthermore, no departments set metrics to track the benefits that should justify reorganisation - making it impossible for them to demonstrate that the eventual benefits outweigh costs. There is no requirement for bodies to disclose the costs of reorganisations after they happen - meaning the true cost of reorganisation is often hidden. The decisions to reorganise departments and arms length bodies are often taken at short notice and with inadequate understanding of what could go wrong.

Author: Alan Alexander
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1040130704
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 180

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Book Description
Originally published in 1982, this book was the first comprehensive, critical assessment of the outcome of the controversial reorganisation of British local government outside London which took place between 1973 and 1975. The book deals with the new systems in England, Wales and Scotland, drawing upon the results of almost 100 in-depth interviews with leading members and officers from Shetland to Cornwall, from major cities to rural districts. Liaison between the tiers, the effects of corporate management, the spread of the office of chief executive, the increasing levels of partisanship and the changing face of central-local relations are examined on the basis of close observation and practical experience rather than theoretical preconceptions.

Author: Keith Robbins
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 9780198224969
Category : Great Britain
Languages : en
Pages : 962

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Book Description
Containing over 25,000 entries, this unique volume will be absolutely indispensable for all those with an interest in Britain in the twentieth century. Accessibly arranged by theme, with helpful introductions to each chapter, a huge range of topics is covered. There is a comprehensiveindex.

Author: Patrick Dunleavy
Publisher: LSE Press
ISBN: 1909890464
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 521

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Book Description
The UK’s Changing Democracy presents a uniquely democratic perspective on all aspects of UK politics, at the centre in Westminster and Whitehall, and in all the devolved nations. The 2016 referendum vote to leave the EU marked a turning point in the UK’s political system. In the previous two decades, the country had undergone a series of democratic reforms, during which it seemed to evolve into a more typical European liberal democracy. The establishment of a Supreme Court, adoption of the Human Rights Act, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish devolution, proportional electoral systems, executive mayors and the growth in multi-party competition all marked profound changes to the British political tradition. Brexit may now bring some of these developments to a juddering halt. The UK’s previous ‘exceptionalism’ from European patterns looks certain to continue indefinitely. ‘Taking back control’ of regulations, trade, immigration and much more is the biggest change in UK governance for half a century. It has already produced enduring crises for the party system, Parliament and the core executive, with uniquely contested governance over critical issues, and a rapidly changing political landscape. Other recent trends are no less fast-moving, such as the revival of two-party dominance in England, the re-creation of some mass membership parties and the disruptive challenges of social media. In this context, an in-depth assessment of the quality of the UK’s democracy is essential. Each of the 2018 Democratic Audit’s 37 short chapters starts with clear criteria for what democracy requires in that part of the nation’s political life and outlines key recent developments before a SWOT analysis (of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) crystallises the current situation. A small number of core issues are then explored in more depth. Set against the global rise of debased semi-democracies, the book’s approach returns our focus firmly to the big issues around the quality and sustainability of the UK’s liberal democracy.

Author: R. Rhodes
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 0230512933
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 313

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Book Description
Examines the changing roles and relationships of the Prime Minister, ministers and civil servants. Edited by Rod Rhodes and written by a team of distinguished political scientists and historians these volumes provide an authoritative account of how British government has changed over the past fifty years.

Author: Terry Gourvish
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134165447
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 688

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Book Description
Commissioned by the Cabinet Office and using hitherto untapped British Government records, this book presents an in-depth analysis of the successful project of 1986-94. This is a vivid portrayal of the complexities of quadripartite decision-making (two countries, plus the public and private sectors), revealing new insights into the role of the British and French Governments in the process. This important book, written by Britain’s leading transport historian, will be essential reading for all those interested in PPPs, British and European economic history and international relations. The building of the Channel Tunnel has been one of Europe’s major projects and a testimony to British-French and public-private sector collaboration. However, Eurotunnel’s current financial crisis provides a sobering backcloth for an examination of the British Government’s long-term flirtation with the project, and, in particular, the earlier Tunnel project in the 1960s and early 1970s, which was abandoned by the British Government in 1975.

Author: Nigel Forman
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134581734
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 464

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Book Description
The years since New Labour came to power in 1997 have seen changes to the British institutions of political power on an unprecedented scale. The reforms have been widespread, ranging from devolution of power in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, to the reform of the House of Lords and the changing role of the Monarchy. This book is the first to examine these changes collectively and in detail, placing each in its historical context, analysing problems, solutions and what the future holds for this ambitious period of reforms. The book is comprehensive in coverage, and accessibly written. As such it should be the ideal resource for undergraduate students of British Politics seeking to make sense of this complex subject.

Author: Jon Davis
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 0826436331
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 266

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Book Description
The study of prime ministers and the reforms of British central government in any era are fascinating. The interaction between the temporary, often inexperienced, but largely elected ministers and the experienced, but theoretically subservient, senior civil servants provides enormous interest. It is a matter that relates directly to many of the battles going on in British politics today. This book concentrates on the Harold Macmillan, Harold Wilson, Alec Douglas-Home and Edward Heath years when the battle between the Civil Service and the Government was at its most intense. What makes this book even more compelling is that many of the key players have given their own published accounts since leaving office - including Richard Crossman, Barbara Castle and Tony Benn. Dr Jon Davis` book is based on years of meticulous research and it will be essential reading for any historian or student of British politics during the post-war years.

Author: Martin J. Smith
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 134927237X
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 297

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Book Description
The study of central government has been dominated by the recurring questions of Prime Ministerial versus Cabinet government and civil service versus ministerial power. Using the idea of 'power dependence' this book challenges these simplicities to provide a definitive assessment of - and introduction to - power and policy at the core of British political life. It undermines traditional approaches by demonstrating that power in the core executive is complex, and flows between actors and institutions. The Prime Minister can only exercise power with the support of the Cabinet, and ministers and officials are often partners rather than competitors.