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First published in 1992. In this lively and controversial book,
Kevin Theakston examines the Yes, Minister-style argument
popularised by Tony Benn and Richard Crossman that the civil
service obstructs Labour government policies. He argues that in
fact the Labour party's problems and failures in office are largely
political in origin. The book surveys the development of socialist
thinking about Whitehall, and examines the claim of a Labour MP in
1979 that 'It is as if Labour in office has now lost all stomach
for administrative reform.' Theakston looks at the effectiveness of
Labour's various reform schemes, raising important issues such as
politicisation and power in the civil service, Whitehall
management, elitism in civil service recruitment, and secrecy and
'open government'. This book will appeal to researchers and
students of British politics, public administration, and history,
as well as to all those with an interest in Whitehall reform, or in
Labour Party politics.
First published in 1992. In this lively and controversial book,
Kevin Theakston examines the Yes, Minister-style argument
popularised by Tony Benn and Richard Crossman that the civil
service obstructs Labour government policies. He argues that in
fact the Labour party's problems and failures in office are largely
political in origin. The book surveys the development of socialist
thinking about Whitehall, and examines the claim of a Labour MP in
1979 that 'It is as if Labour in office has now lost all stomach
for administrative reform.' Theakston looks at the effectiveness of
Labour's various reform schemes, raising important issues such as
politicisation and power in the civil service, Whitehall
management, elitism in civil service recruitment, and secrecy and
'open government'. This book will appeal to researchers and
students of British politics, public administration, and history,
as well as to all those with an interest in Whitehall reform, or in
Labour Party politics.
This book analyses the changing role of the British Foreign
Secretary and presents biographical case studies of all the
individual holders of that post, the policies they persued and the
issues they faced, since 1974. The work of the British Foreign
Secretaries from James Callaghan to Robin Cook is examined in the
context of the foreign policy-making machinery, the changing
environment of British foreign policy, and the internal and
external political forces with which they had to contend. Using a
biographical case study approach, the chapters examine the careers,
personalities, policies and influence of successive Foreign
Secretaries to increase our knowledge and understanding of the work
of the government, and the development of British foreign policy
over the last thirty years. British Foreign Secretaries Since 1974
casts light on the hitherto shadowy and understudied role of
personality in international relations and on how ten very
different personalities helped to shape the detail and the
articulation of British foreign policy.
This book analyses the changing role of the British Foreign
Secretary and presents biographical case studies of all the
individual holders of that post, the policies they persued and the
issues they faced, since 1974. The work of the British Foreign
Secretaries from James Callaghan to Robin Cook is examined in the
context of the foreign policy-making machinery, the changing
environment of British foreign policy, and the internal and
external political forces with which they had to contend.
Using a biographical case study approach, the chapters examine the
careers, personalities, policies and influence of successive
Foreign Secretaries to increase our knowledge and understanding of
the work of the government, and the development of British foreign
policy over the last thirty years. "British Foreign Secretaries
Since" "1974" casts light on the hitherto shadowy and understudied
role of personality in international relations and on how ten very
different personalities helped to shape the detail and the
articulation of British foreign policy.
A significant contribution to the field of modern British history,
this book will be essential reading for academics and students
studying and researching the areas of British government and
politics, British foreign policy, and modern British political
history.
This book offers a detailed account of the life and career of
William Armstrong, the most influential civil servant in Britain in
the 1960s and 1970s, and one of the most powerful and significant
Whitehall officials in the post-1945 period. He was at the centre
of the British government policy-making machine for over 30 years -
the very incarnation of the 'permanent government' of the country.
He was the indispensable figure at the right hand of successive
Chancellors of the Exchequer, and a reforming Head of the Civil
Service. His role and power was such that he was controversially
dubbed 'deputy prime minister' under Edward Heath. The book also
casts light on wider institutional, political and historical issues
around the working and reform of the civil service and the
government machine, the policy-making process, and the experience
in office of Labour and Conservative governments from the 1940s to
the 1970s. ;;;;;;;;;;;
"Volumes of Influence" explores the work of a number of important
books and key writers within the academic disciplines of politics
and international relations. It revisits and re-evaluates some of
the landmark or classic books in politics and international
relations, and assesses the contribution of some of the most
influential writers who have played a significant role in the
development of these disciplines, who defined their subjects, set
agendas and inspired. They remain significant and relevant,
offering insights that help in understanding and analyzing
contemporary problems, issues and debates. The book's chapters -
written by specialists in their fields - discuss and evaluate: -
"Walter Bagehot," "The English constitution" (1867)
- Maurice Duverger, "Political parties" (1953)
- Seymour Martin Lipset and Stein Rokkan, "Cleavage structures,
party - systems and voter alignments" (1967)
- Gerald Curtis, "Campaigning Japanese style" (1971)
- Steven Lukes, "Power: A radical view" (1974)
- Richard Crossman, "The diaries of a Cabinet Minister" (1975)
- Charles Lindblom, "Politics and markets" (1977)
- George Kennan, "American diplomacy" (1951)
- Graham Allison, "Essence of decision" (1971)
- Charles Beitz, "Political theory and international relations"
(1979)
- Samuel Huntington, "The clash of civilizations" (1993)
The book will appeal and be of interest to academics and to
students of politics and international relations, highlighting the
importance of going back and studying some of the foundation
literature in their subjects - books and authors which stand the
test of time.
This book illustrates the cyclical pattern in the kinds of dilemmas
that confront political leaders and, in particular, disjunctive
political leaders affiliated with vulnerable political regimes. The
volume covers three major episodes in disjunction: the interwar
crisis between 1923 and 1940, afflicting Stanley Baldwin, Ramsay
MacDonald and Neville Chamberlain; the collapse of Keynesian
welfarism between 1970 and 1979, dealt with by Edward Heath, Harold
Wilson and James Callaghan; and the ongoing crisis of neoliberalism
beginning in 2008, affecting Gordon Brown, David Cameron and
Theresa May. Based on this series of case studies of disjunctive
prime ministers, the authors conclude that effective disjunctive
leadership is premised on judicious use of the prime ministerial
toolkit in terms of deciding whether, when and where to act,
effective diagnostic and choice framing, and the ability to manage
both crises and regimes.
This study of leadership in the British civil service draws the
lessons of how change in central government can be managed and
implemented from a series of biographical studies of the
acknowledged leaders in the civil service in the 19th and 20th
centuries, from Charles Trevelyan, the founder of the modern civil
service, to modern Mandarins such as Robert Armstrong and Margaret
Thatcher's personal adviser the outsider Sir Derek Rayner. The case
studies are linked to the wider themes of leadership and
administrative culture in Whitehall, illustrating the patterns of
change and continuity over time.
What is political leadership and does it operate differently in
different political contexts? In addition to context, personal
political skill plays a large role in the area of leadership, often
yielding significant results. Whether a leader is active or
passive, creating dynamic relations of talent and institutional
powers or choosing to leave situations as they are, skill is
frequently the key factor in policy achievement. In this book,
editors Hargrove and Owens gather seven very different studies of
skill in context. From the role of the European Commission
president to the well established function of the president of the
United States, each essay analyzes and interprets the effects of
institutional powers and the environments in which leaders operate
on their effectiveness and degree of personal talent each brings to
the table.
What is political leadership and does it operate differently in
different political contexts? In addition to context, personal
political skill plays a large role in the area of leadership, often
yielding significant results. Whether a leader is active or
passive, creating dynamic relations of talent and institutional
powers or choosing to leave situations as they are, skill is
frequently the key factor in policy achievement. In this book,
editors Hargrove and Owens gather seven very different studies of
skill in context. From the role of the European Commission
president to the well established function of the president of the
United States, each essay analyzes and interprets the effects of
institutional powers and the environments in which leaders operate
on their effectiveness and degree of personal talent each brings to
the table.
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