Student Resources - Introduction
An Introduction to the Study of Politics
SETTING THE SCENE
This brief but important chapter begins with a stab at defining what we mean by ‘politics’ and then looks at how to study politics. It should therefore link in with the rest of the book, and should provide some hints as to how you would go about using the book to study the subject. It concludes with what is intended to be a lively case study of a recent controversial political event: the war with Iraq.
KEY TOPICS
- Politics: an activity, and a study
- Studying politics
- The new AS specifications and examinations
- Case study: the politics of the war with Iraq
Are any of the terms below unclear to you? If so, perhaps you should look over this chapter or use the searchable glossary to familiarise yourself with these terms.
- Politics
- Political Activity
Further Reading
Further reading for Introduction
P. H. Collin, Dictionary of Politics and Government, 3rd edn (Bloomsbury, 2004): a very useful guide to the specialist vocabulary of the subject.
Bernard Crick, In Defence of Politics, 5th edn (Continuum, 2000): a classic introduction to the subject of politics.
Patrick Dunleavy, Richard Heffernan, Philip Cowley and Colin Hay, Developments in British Politics 8 (Palgrave 2006): this is the latest in such a good series of books consisting of up-to-date essays on the whole range of topics covered in this book, written by the leading academics in the field.
Giles Edwards, British Politics Unravelled (Politico’s, 2006): a useful introduction to how the system works.
Andrew Heywood, Key Concepts in Politics (Macmillan, 2000): a sane, accessible and readable analysis of the most important concepts used in the subject.
John Kampfner, Blair’s Wars (Free Press, 2004): a lively look at Blair’s military policy.
J. Kingdom, Government and Politics in Britain: An Introduction, 3rd edn (Polity, 2003): a lively and challenging textbook for the more advanced AS-level student.
Christopher Meyer, DC Confidential (Phoenix, 2006): controversial analysis of the US–UK relationship from former ambassador in Washington.
Clare Short, An Honourable Deception? (Free Press, 2005): an account of how Britain went to war from a prominent opponent, but one on the inside.
Paul D. Williams, British Foreign Policy Under New Labour 1997–2005 (Palgrave, 2005): an academic analysis which is wide-ranging and objective.
Bob Woodward, Bush at War (Pocket Books, 2003): the view from across the Atlantic by legendary Washington Post journalist.
Tony Wright, British Politics, A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2003): accessible and concise.
Websites for Introduction
www.aqa.org.uk (AQA, an Exam Board)
news.bbc.co.uk/ (BBC news)
www.edexcel.org.uk (Edexcel, an Exam Board)
politics.guardian.co.uk (Guardian politics news)
www.ocr.org.uk (OCR, an Exam Board)
www.telegraph.co.uk (Daily Telegraph newspaper)
www.independent.co.uk (Independent newspaper)
www.timesonline.co.uk (The Times newspaper)
