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Originally published in 1964, this book remains a seminal source for contemporary political scientists and offers exceptional insights into notions of responsibility. Wahlke (1971) describes it as 'one of the best analytical surveys of representation.'.

The tenth edition of this acclaimed text continues to provide a lively, comprehensive and up-to-date account of British political institutions, of the way in which they operate, and of the society in which they developed. It includes new sections on the following key areas: the monarchy and the House of Lords the 1997 general election the transformation of the Labour party and the demise of the Tory's the European Union devolution the judicial system Northern Ireland.

Harry Beran's contention that secession is a somewhat neglected topic in political theory is accepted but his 'liberal theory of secession' is criticized and found wanting. An alternative theory is proposed, based on the assumption that secession from a liberal democratic state cannot be justified unless special circumstances exist. Four special circumstances are suggested and the practical consequences of adopting this approach are then outlined.

The concept of 'overload' was introduced into the vocabulary of political science in 1975, in two publications which appeared almost simultaneously in the United States and Britain. One was by Michel Crozier in a 'report on the governability of democracies' entitled The Crisis of Democracy; the other by Anthony King in Political Studies. Both authors took the same general line: that there had been a rapid growth in public expectations about what benefits could be provided by government in Western democracies, that many of these expectations had inevitably been disappointed, and that the result was a serious decline of public confidence in government. King summarized the development in an aphorism so striking that it deserves quotation once again: 'Once upon a time man looked to God to order the world. Then he looked to the market. Now he looks to government'. And when things go wrong people blame 'not "Him" or "it" but "them".' It was suggested by King that this development had made Britain more difficult to govern and by Crozier, more generally, that Western democracies might be moving towards a condition of ungovernability.

The recent growth of minority nationalist movements poses the conceptual question of the validity of social science theories dealing with national integration, and the practical question of assessing the options open to governments faced with nationalistic agitations and demands for secession. Older theories predicting the decline of ethnic and cultural conflicts have been challenged by the theory of internal colonialism and by a group of theories stressing the durability of ethnic loyalties. The theory of internal colonialism is analyzed and found to be unhelpful. The durability of ethnic loyalties is accepted; four propositions are advanced to explain the growth of minority nationalist movements. It is suggested that this is a rational development in view of recent changes in the international order. Canadian and British experience indicates that it is difficult for governments to prevent demands for secession from arising. However, the growth of interdependence has reduced the significance of secession; this view is supported by a brief analysis of relations between the United Kingdom and the Irish Republic.