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In The Last Prime Minister the author shows the British people how they have acquired an executive presidency by stealth. It is the first-ever attempt to codify the Prime Minister's powers, many hidden in the mysteries of the royal prerogative.

The puzzling status of volition is explored in this issue by a distinguished body of scientists and philosophers.

We are now so familiar and accepting of the State's pre-eminence in all things that few think to question it, and most suppose that democratic endorsement legitimizes it. The aim of this book is to present a compelling argument against both presumptions.

Using theatre as a measure society's health, this book shows that Ancient Greece and Rome, Medieval Christendom and our own contemporary society all follow the same pattern: prosperity thrives on the conviction that the material world alone constitutes true 'reality'; but that very conviction leads to a rejection of the supernatural.

This book presents a comprehensive study of Oakeshott''s conception of political activity. The author first examines Oakeshott in the contexts of liberal, conservative and Idealist thought, and then presents a detailed interpretation of the change in his conception of politics in the context of British postwar political thought. It is argued that OakeshottΓÇÖs conception of political activity shifted from a near contempt of politics towards the applauding of politics as a deliberative and reflective activity. The development is disclosed by examining the change in his key concepts, such as authority and tradition. Accordingly, some rather unexpected aspects of OakeshottΓÇÖs thought, such as his close relationship to the linguistic turn, appear. The author argues that although Oakeshott cannot exactly be classified as belonging to that group of political philosophers for whom politics represents a superior human activity, his later work presents an important and original view of politics as an art of contingency.

For more than thirty years the solution to all Britain''s problems has been better management. As a result management schools dominate higher education and managers are at work everywhere developing ''strategiesΓÇÖ and ΓÇÿsystemsΓÇÖ and quantifying ΓÇÿoutcomesΓÇÖ. There are now more managers on the rail network than train drivers, yet the benefits of modern management of railways, schools, hospitals and universities are elusive. This is because ΓÇÿmanagementΓÇÖ does not existΓÇöthe academic study of ΓÇÿmanagement scienceΓÇÖ and the assumption that there are universal management skills are bogus. This book shows how modern management practices have all but destroyed politics, education, culture and religionΓÇömodern management is the cause of our national malaise.

The State of the Nations 2003 is the third publication of a major research programme into devolution in the United Kingdom, published on behalf of the Constitution Unit at University College London.

This text is compiled of essays critical of the Government's handling of constitutional reform in relation to Europe, Westminster and devolution.