Description
Book SynopsisTraces the debate on representative democracy in Britain from its origins to the present. Chapters cover such topics as the constitution (written and unwritten); the balance of powers between different groups in society; and the social contract and the nature of freedom under the law.
Trade Review"An intelligent collection that brings disparate figures and ideas into fruitful dialogue."
New Statesman & Society "This is not an average anthology. At its best, which is much of the time, it is a sustained and marshalled analysis, a wide-ranging dialectical thesis with witnesses for both the prosecution and defence, a historical examination of the continuing, unresolved - and intensely topical - debate about democracy and the nature of the British state." The Guardian
"This collection of essays has something to enrage, inform, and sometimes startle everyone in Britain interested in how we got to here. More fleshed out than a dictionary, it is nevertheless full of succinct definitions." The Observer
Table of ContentsIntroduction.
1. Does the British Constitution Exist?.
2. Crown and Parliament, Government and People.
3. Representation of Groups.
4. Agreeing to be Governed.
5. Parties and Elections.
6. Democracy and Freedom.
7. Nations and Empire.
8. Democracy and the Economy.
9. A Democratic Culture?
