Forecasts of the death of democracy are often heard and the United Kingdom is on the death watch list. This book challenges such a gloomy view by carefully examining the health of the British body politic from Tony Blair's time in Downing Street to the challenges of Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic. It finds some parts are in good health, for example, elections are free and losers as well as winners accept the results, unlike the United States. Other parts show intermittent symptoms of ill health, such as Cabinet ministers avoiding accountability. There is also a chronic problem of managing the unity of the United Kingdom. None of the symptoms is fatal. The book identifies effective remedies for some symptoms, placebos that offer assurance without cure, and perennially popular prescriptions that are politically impossible. Being a healthy democracy does not promise effectiveness in dealing with economic problems, but a big majority of Britons do not want to trade the freedom that comes with democracy for the promises of undemocratic leaders.
| ISBN: | 9783030731250 |
| Publication date: | 23rd May 2022 |
| Author: | Richard Rose |
| Publisher: | Palgrave Macmillan an imprint of Springer International Publishing |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 178 pages |
| Series: | Challenges to Democracy in the 21st Century |
| Genres: |
Politics and government Political leaders and leadership Public administration Central / national / federal government |
Forecasts of the death of democracy are often heard and the United Kingdom is on the death watch list. This book challenges such a gloomy view by carefully examining the health of the British body politic from Tony Blair's time in Downing Street to the challenges of Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic. It finds some parts are in good health, for example, elections are free and losers as well as winners accept the results, unlike the United States. Other parts show intermittent symptoms of ill health, such as Cabinet ministers avoiding accountability. There is also a chronic problem of managing the unity of the United Kingdom. None of the symptoms is fatal. The book identifies effective remedies for some symptoms, placebos that offer assurance without cure, and perennially popular prescriptions that are politically impossible. Being a healthy democracy does not promise effectiveness in dealing with economic problems, but a big majority of Britons do not want to trade the freedom that comes with democracy for the promises of undemocratic leaders.
How Sick Is British Democracy? features in the following genres: Politics and government, Political leaders and leadership, Public administration, Central / national / federal government
How Sick Is British Democracy? is available in Paperback, Hardback
How Sick Is British Democracy? was written by Richard Rose and published by Palgrave Macmillan an imprint of Springer International Publishing
How Sick Is British Democracy? has 178 pages
Yes it is part of Challenges to Democracy in the 21st Century series
£89.99