Politics
Challenging choices
Ideology, consumerism and policy
This lively and topical book provides a critique of choice in contemporary society and policy. Having choices empowers us, but constant extension of choice overwhelms us. In a concise and readable style, the author considers whether choice enhances or burdens our lives, and questions the blithe assumption that more choice is always for the better.
Phoenix cities
The fall and rise of great industrial cities
This book explores economic, social and environmental transformations in Europe and the USA to inform the regeneration of 'weak market cities'.
Rethinking the public
Innovations in research, theory and politics
This book rethinks the public, public communication and public action in a globalising world. It looks at how publics are brought into being and how to develop research agendas into their formation, offering a rich set of methodological resources and stressing the need to examine the boundaries between theory, research and politics.
Why the Third Way failed
Economics, morality and the origins of the 'Big Society'
This insightful and progressive book proposes a new moral approach to public policy to replace Third Way governments' failed attempts to reconcile global markets with ethically-informed public policies.
From recession to renewal
The impact of the financial crisis on public services and local government
Written by leading academics in the field of local governance, this book provides a broad framework in which to analyse the impact of the financial crisis on public services and local government.
Evidence versus politics
Exploiting research in UK drug policy making?
This book provides a new model for evidence-based policy in UK drug policy and will be essential reading for students and researchers in public policy and criminology.
Applying social science
The role of social research in politics, policy and practice
This important book examines how social science is applied now and how it might be applied in the future in relation to social transformation in a time of crisis.
Public policy analysis
This is an English version of a text on public policy analysis originally written for practitioners in Switzerland and France. It presents a model for the analysis of public policy and includes examples of its application in everyday situations. This English version introduces supplementary illustrations and examples from the United Kingdom.
The governance of problems
Puzzling, powering and participation
A compelling new approach to public policy-making as problem processing, bringing together aspects of puzzling, powering and participation and relating them to cultural theory, issues about networks, models of democracy and modes of citizen participation.
The Conservative party and social policy
A timely consideration of the development and content of the Conservatives' approaches to social policy and how they inform the Coalition's policies.
The new politics
Liberal Conservatism or same old Tories?
Published to coincide with the first anniversary of the election, this book looks at the Coalition government in the context of conservative ideas and seeks to assess what, if anything, is new about it.
Personalising public services
Understanding the personalisation narrative
This book focuses on how personalisation - the idea that public services should be tailored to the individual, with budgets devolved to the service user or frontline staff - evolved as a policy narrative and has mobilised wide-ranging political support.