This comprehensive and up-to-date volume not only looks at the familiar issues of British politics and government--Cabinet, Parliament, parties local government, and pressure groups--but also at those that are less frequently explored-- political culture, corporatism, the mass media, political recruitment, and the politics of economic decline. The book analyzes both the underlying trends and the political changes of the 1970's and 1980's. For example, Kavanagh considers the changing nature of Britain's party system, the growing tensions between local and central government, the changing power of the trade unions, and Margaret Thatcher's impact on the role of Prime Minister. The book concludes with a stimulating discussion of the distribution of power in Britain.