Introduction

The book provides a broad-based introduction to policy-making in Britain, exploring the legacy of the Thatcher era and charting the new context of policy-making in the 1990s.

The authors examine the policy process within its ideological, political and economic context, discussing both the influence of Europe and the influence of local government. Having established a broad framework for analysis, the book focuses on a selection of particular policy areas; public expenditure, the NHS, Next Steps, water privatisation, pensions, education and immigration.

The aim of the book is to give a sense of the actual dynamics of policy-making and to encourage students to think about the likely outcomes of policy-change, while making the connections between British public policy and the environment in which it is shaped.