Central government

First published as a special issue of Policy & Politics journal, this book lays out important stepping-stones for the development of new research into the ongoing transition to co-creation as a mode of governance.

The role that nurseries play in supplementing family care is an important subject – but in the UK, there is currently little consensus about what nurseries should provide, how they should be run, and who should pay for them. In this book, Helen Penn asks: is there a more considered way ahead?

Written by leading voices in UK public policy and politics, this text examines the shifting UK political and policy landscape while also highlighting the features of politics that have endured. The book equips students with a robust understanding of public policy and enables them to locate this within a broader theoretical framework.

This topical book offers an analysis of the current state of the planning system in England and an evidence-based review of over a decade of change. With a critique of ongoing UK planning reforms, the book argues that the planning system is often blamed for a range of issues that are in fact the fault of ineffective policymaking.

With a public health crisis gripping the UK, this book examines the organisational and political barriers to an effective public health system and determines that a new social contract is needed, in which health policy is truly public.

The perpetuation of poverty across generations damages lives. Drawing on a wide variety of sources and academic disciplines, along with lived experiences, this book examines why poverty is continued across generations and what needs to be done to eradicate it.

It is often claimed that the UK is unusually attached to its National Health Service, and the last decade has seen increasingly visible displays of gratitude and love. This book offers a timely critique of both the potential, and the dysfunctions, of Britain’s complex love affair with its healthcare system.

Introducing the concept of ‘knowledge alchemy’ as the formulation of global standards through the use of indicators and algorithms, this book explores how knowledge alchemy increasingly informs national and institutional policies and practices on economic performance, higher education, research and innovation.

Leaders, researchers and practitioners from the UK “What Works Network” share their insights on the successes, failures, and future of the What Works Centres, which have proven successful and popular across a number of policy settings.

Using original data analysis from a wide range of sources, this book addresses the vital contemporary issue of regional inequality through the impact of COVID-19.

The governance of illegal drug use is often subject to polarized debate, with political preferences seemingly driven by the need to appeal to populist fears. Based upon research with ‘elite’ insiders, David Brewster explores global cannabis policy approaches and offers future directions for policy making and comparative criminology.

Most governments in the world have taken responsibility for social policy and elected to develop services in health, education and social security. This book explores the role of government and the state in the contemporary world and discusses views about government responsibility for social welfare services.