British Government and Politics: Balancing Europeanization and Independence(Europe Today)

This deeply informed text sets the government and politics of Britain firmly in the context of Britain's enduring membership in the European Union. Michael L. Mannin thoroughly applies the concept of "Europeanization" across the political system to explore how far change is a product of Britain's interdependent relationship with the EU. He shows how the EU's treaty relationships present new challenges to sovereign states, especially Britain, whose psyche has long revolved around iconic notions of Parliamentary sovereignty, imperial power, national independence, and an assumed cultural homogeneity. Examining the cultural, economic, and social background to Britain's twenty-first century politics, Mannin challenges some of the historical myths on which Britain's exceptionalism is founded. He then analyzes contemporary political institutions and processes in the context of Europeanization, as well as the impact of the EU on policy and policy making. Ideal for courses in British and European politics, this book breaks new ground in exploring the complex interdependence that the EU should bring to the study of European political systems.

Table of Contents:
Introduction: British Politics and Europe Chapter 1: The Development of the British State: Stories and Models Chapter 2: Economic and Social Change Chapter 3: British Politics and Constitutional Change Chapter 4: Parliamentary Representation and the Legislative Process Chapter 5: Beyond Parliament: Multilevel Representation Chapter 6: Parties and Why Citizens Vote for Them Chapter 7: Participation, Pressure Groups, and the Media Chapter 8: The Executive: Managing Decline in a Shrinking World? Chapter 9: The British State and the Policy Process Chapter 10: Economic Policy in Britain Chapter 11: British Environmental Policy: From Smog to Sustainability Chapter 12: Britain's Foreign Policy and External Security Chapter 13: A Conclusion—and Postscript Appendix: The European Union: An Official Interpretation References

About the Author :
Michael L. Mannin is Jean Monnet Chair of European Studies at Liverpool John Moores University.

Review :
This interesting, prescient, and most timely book argues that the political world has been 'turned inside out.' Since the European financial crisis and the May British election, the political world is more topsy-turvy. Happily, Mannin's book is a good guide to this world. British politics, he argues, cannot be understood without fully appreciating the EU's impact. European integration is 'an integral aspect of "what happens"'—of 'how things are.' While he acknowledges other international and domestic forces, his starting point is the 'unusual condition' of EU membership. A textbook, it is formulaic (chapters in tidy order on economy, constitution, parliament, parties, executive, etc.). But Mannin differs by putting the impact of the EU front and center. Thus, constitutional reform cannot be seen as distinct from 'the notion of European integration.' He covers institutions, politics, and policies (economic, environmental, and foreign). Recommended. While the wide implications of European Union membership have long been evident in Whitehall and elsewhere, texts on British politics have tended to remain strangely insular. By providing a systematic investigation of the ways in which membership has influenced the constitution, institutions, and policies of the British system, Mannin has comprehensively addressed this serious omission. His ambitious and innovative work fills a significant gap in the study of British government and politics. In this book Michael Mannin has done something very difficult and made it look easy. He has deftly synthesized an immense amount of diverse material in order to produce a panoramic account of Britain in Europe. In lively and accessible prose, Mannin supplies history, context, and a set of alternative perspectives. Thoroughly recommended.