Deciding Factors in British Politics: A Case Studies Approach

First published in 1992, Deciding Factors in British Politics is an invaluable work that introduces students to the decision-making process in British politics.

The book combines detailed case studies with a comprehensive and approachable review of the key theoretical perspectives on how decisions are made. The case studies selected cover a wide range of issues and illustrate many facets of British political life - AIDS policy, the Falklands war, the nuclear power programme, the reform of the Civil Service, the introduction of trade union legislation, and the decision to adopt the Trident missile. These case studies are presented in the context of a thorough review of differing theoretical perspectives on decision-making, encouraging readers to think analytically about the processes of policymaking and to test their analyses against the known details of actual decisions.

Finally, the theory and the case-study material are synthesized to provide a rich and complete understanding of the British political process.

John Greenaway is Emeritus Professor in the School of Politics, Philosophy and Area Studies, University of East Anglia (UEA). He joined UEA in 1975 when Politics was first introduced to the University. He read History as an undergraduate at Cambridge before receiving a Ph.D in Politics at the University of Leeds in 1974. He previously taught at the University of Durham 1973-75. In the 1990s he was co-ordinator of the Norwich and mid Norfolk Charter 88 group. His research areas include British government; British Civil Service (historical perspective); history of political parties; British Conservatism; history of alcohol policy and temperance in Britain; policy-making theory.

Sir Steve Smith is the UK Government International Education Champion. He was previously Vice-Chancellor of the University of Exeter from 2002-2020. In November 2020 he was also appointed as the Prime Minister’s Special Representative to Saudi Arabia for Education. Sir Steve holds a BSc, an MSc, and a PhD in International Relations from the University of Southampton. He served as President of the world academic body in his field (the International Studies Association) from 2003-2004. He is currently a Fulbright Commissioner, a Non-Executive Director of Unite Students, Chair of the Liveable Exeter Place Board, and a Patron of Exeter College.

John Street is Emeritus Professor of Politics in the School of Politics, Philosophy, Language and Communication Studies at University of East Anglia (UEA). He joined UEA in 1980, having completed his DPhil at the University of Oxford. His teaching and research have focused on the politics of media and culture. He is a member of the Political Studies Association, the Subcultures Network, the International Association for the Study of Popular Music, and MeCCSA. He is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He was until recently an Honorary Professorial Fellow at the University of Melbourne.