I had enjoyed my reread of “The Triumph of the Political Class” (2007)
to such an extent that I started to google the other titles I remembered
dealing with the same issue…to discover that what I imagined to be a dozen books on
the contemporary structure of power (in the English language) turned out to be more than 20….And I can claim to have read only 8 of them – just over a third…..So
some fast skimming is in order.
A recent academic article I unearthed What do we mean when we talk about Political class? (Allen and Cairney 2017) turned out to be a very pedantic analysis. But, as a background read to help make sense of the three thousand or so pages in this collection, I would highly recommend this (20 page) article on The Past, Present and Future of the British political science discipline
Twenty years ago, the British system was universally admired. Now - and not only due to Brexit - it's seen a “basket case”. And sadly, with devolution now almost 20 years old, the Scottish Assembly and governance system does not seem to have lived up to its early promise.
The French have been highly critical of their centralised and elitist systems for some decades – and don’t seem any happier these days…
A recent academic article I unearthed What do we mean when we talk about Political class? (Allen and Cairney 2017) turned out to be a very pedantic analysis. But, as a background read to help make sense of the three thousand or so pages in this collection, I would highly recommend this (20 page) article on The Past, Present and Future of the British political science discipline
It’s on occasions like this that I would
like to have some European counterparts to share analyses with……what, for
example, are the key French and German books in the literature?? And how, if at
all, do their studies differ from these?
Twenty years ago, the British system was universally admired. Now - and not only due to Brexit - it's seen a “basket case”. And sadly, with devolution now almost 20 years old, the Scottish Assembly and governance system does not seem to have lived up to its early promise.
The French have been highly critical of their centralised and elitist systems for some decades – and don’t seem any happier these days…
Only the German system had more
balance – although it too is now suffering.
Despite the explosion in the number of European political scientists these
days (the European Consortium for Political
Research alone claims 20,000 members), there doesn’t seem all that much in
depth comparative analysis – at
least not that’s easily accessible. Perry
Anderson is about the only character with the linguistic ability to supply us
Brits with extensive analyses of post-war and contemporary debates in
France, Germany and Italy. His stunning study The New Old World (2009)
can be read in
its entirety here (all 560 pages).
Obviously my selection is arbitrary but I think it does catch most of the key writing…..The table starts with the most recent material - and the cutoff point is at the start of the new millennium since this was the point at which the New Labour style began to make itself felt....
Obviously my selection is arbitrary but I think it does catch most of the key writing…..The table starts with the most recent material - and the cutoff point is at the start of the new millennium since this was the point at which the New Labour style began to make itself felt....
Studies
of the system of Power – mostly UK
Title
|
Summary
|
The
UK’s Changing Democracy – the 2018 Democratic Audit; Dunleavy, Park and
Taylor
|
“Democratic Audit”
publishes an annual analysis – described
here.
This is its latest 500 page study – carried out by academics but who write
well!
|
The
Political Class – why it matters who our politicians are; Peter Allen (2018)
|
Focuses on the way the
homogeneity of the political class damages the quality of decisions – written
by a political scientist
|
Reckless
Opportunists – elites at the end of the establishment; Aeron Davis
(2018)
|
Rather one-sided critique
|
Prosperity
and Justice – a plan for the new economy (IPPR 2018) Final report
on economic justice
|
Most books focus on
political power. Although this is a book about prescriptions – produced by a
commission of the great and the good - it starts with an implicit critique
which goes wider than mere politics
|
New
Power – how it’s changing the 21st Century; Helmans and Timms (2018)
|
A typical, breathless,
American “take” on how the internet is apparently challenging “old power”.
Lacks any historical sense…..
|
State
of Power 2018
(TNI)
|
An annual look at global
capitalism by a left-wing Netherlands-based Foundation
|
State
of Power 2017
(TNI)
|
Ditto
|
The
Establishment - and how they get away
with it;
Owen Jones (2014)
|
No pretence at objectivity
in this hard-hitting analysis by a left-wing journalist of what’s wrong with
Britain. So not limited to constitutional issues..Well written and strong on
recommendations….
|
Ruling
the Void – the hollowing of Western Democracy; Peter Mair (2013)
|
Rated as the most significant
analysis of the issues of the past 25 years…by a political scientist
|
The New Few – power and inequality in Britain Now; Frederic Mount (2012)
|
A surprising critique from
a Margaret Thatcher adviser!
|
Who
Runs Britain? Robert Peston (2008)
|
Less an analysis dealing
with the question than a critique of the political economic strategy of New
Labour
|
Written by one of America’s
greatest political scientists
|
|
|
|
A great website by an
academic whose book on the subject is in to its 7th edition
|
Triumph of the
political class; Peter Oborne (2007)
|
A provocative analysis a
journalist of how the traditional British Establishment has morphed into a
much more powerful and homogeneous political class
|
Power
to the People – an independent inquiry into Britain’s democracy (Rowntree Trust 2006)
|
Unfortunately, this
investigation limited itself to political and constitutional aspects
|
British
Politics – a critical introduction; Stuart McAnulla (2006) see also
the google version
|
This is a textbook – but a rare
critical one which nicely sets out what’s wrong with both the traditional
textbooks but also the newer ones which emphasise networks and negotiation
|
Thatcher and
Sons;
Simon Jenkins (2006)
|
Very much in the style of
the Oborne book, this “rightist” Guardian journalist gives a strong critique
of the destruction of the last vestiges of pluralism
|
Who Runs this
place? The Anatomy of Britain in the 21st Century; Anthony
Sampson (2004)
|
The last of a series
produced over 40 years by this famous journalist
|
The Power Inquiry
(2004)
|
Like the 2006 study, limits
the analysis to the political aspects. Produced by a commission
|
Democratic
Audit of the United Kingdom; (Democratic Audit 2003)
|
Incorporating the negative
effects of New labour
|
The
Captive State – the corporate takeover of Britain; George Monbiot (2001)
|
The most explosive critique
– from one of the best leftist journalists
|
Political
Power and democratic control – the democratic audit of the United Kingdom; S Weir and D Beetham (Rowntree 1999)
|
One of the early audits
|
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