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Topics include distribution of power within political parties, views of and disputes within the Conservative and Labour parties over establishment of and membership in the European Union, the concept of Thatcherism, and agencies for regulation of privatized utilities; 9 articles.

REPRESENTATIVES ARE RARELY REPRESENTATIVE OF THOSE THEY represent. The most widely bruited cause of this paradox is the difference in social class; almost every study of legislators in Western democracies shows that they come from more well-todo backgrounds, are drawn from more prestigious and intellectually satisfying occupations, and are much better educated than their electors. Such contrasts alone would make for a formidable divide between representatives and the represented; but more significant than these external signs is the psychological gulf between politicians and ordinary citizens. For a few, politics consumes the greater part of their lives; for the many, politics is a matter taking up little time and absorbing little emotional energy. The belief systems of the politically active few will usually be complex and highly articulated; of the passive many, shallow and indistinct.

The area bombing of Germany in 1942-43 brings into relief several important issues that arise in the study of political psychology. The area bombing issue illustrates the importance of personality: when powerful institutional forces are in conflict; when the situation is highly ambiguous; and when the actor has special access to the ultimate decision-makers and can limit access by others. The policy advocated by Churchill's scientific adviser, Professor Lindemann (Lord Cherwell), was particularly congenial to Cherwell's temperament. The consequences of the adoption of this policy are still not easy to assess, though post-war appraisals tend to question its military effectiveness. The lack of any agreed conclusion about its worth underlines the inherent ambiguity of the situation confronting British policy-makers in 1942, and the opportunity this provided for the impact of personality.

The two-party system is sometimes thought of as being "natural" to Britain. In fact, many new parties have been formed, but few have survived as politically significant independent bodies. New parties in Britain face severe obstacles, of which the elec toral system is the greatest. Despite these difficulties, opportunities favorable for new parties do sometimes arise; new parties may also be founded by minorities that feel there is no longer a place for them in one of the established parties. A distinctive political group has a choice of either starting a new party or of trying to infiltrate one of the older parties and so capturing it from within. The success of a new party may have profound medium-term consequences for the country's political alignment. Major social changes, however, are more likely to have an effect through the existing parties than through the rise of a new party.